New Bill Transfers 72 Acres to Quinault Nation, But With a Caveat on Hazardous Waste Cleanup

A new piece of legislation, the "Quinault Indian Nation Land Transfer Act," is on the table, and its main job is pretty straightforward: it directs the transfer of about 72 acres of Forest Service land in Washington State over to the Department of the Interior. This land, specifically Allotment 1157 as identified on a map dated February 2, 2024, is to be held in trust for the Quinault Indian Nation, effectively making it part of their reservation. The bill is clear that this land can't be used for casino-style gaming under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, and it also states this move won't mess with any existing treaty rights, specifically those from the 1855/1856 Treaty between the U.S. and the Qui-nai-elt and Quil-leh-ute Indians.

More Land for the Nation, But Read the Fine Print

So, what does "held in trust" really mean? Essentially, the federal government holds the legal title to the land, but the Quinault Nation gets to benefit from it and use it as part of their reservation, with the Department of the Interior overseeing its management according to standard rules for tribal trust lands. This is a common way for tribes to expand their land base and sovereignty. The bill explicitly states in Section 2 that this transfer aims to benefit the Quinault Indian Nation and integrate the land into their existing reservation.

However, there's a crucial detail in Section 2 concerning environmental responsibility that anyone keeping an eye on this should note. While the government is required to disclose any known hazardous materials on the land – a standard procedure outlined in section 120(h) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA, also known as Superfund, at 42 U.S.C. 9620(h)) – this bill specifically says the Secretary of the Interior isn't required to clean up or reduce those hazardous materials before the transfer.

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