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Oglala Sioux Tribe/Pine Ridge Reservation
Open Dumps—A Thing of the Past
The landfill on Pine Ridge Reservation is proof that hard work and persistence pay off! Located in the southwest corner of South Dakota, Pine Ridge Reservation is home to the Oglala Sioux Tribe (OST). Residents have used open dumps on the reservation to dispose of their trash for at least fifty years. After a lawsuit forced the Indian Health Service (IHS), the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), and OST to clean up open dump sites, the tribe decided to build a landfill to provide residents with a safe disposal alternative.
Transfer Station Versus Landfill
The tribe weighed all of its waste disposal options carefully before choosing
to construct a landfill. First, OST considered building a transfer station
and shipping waste to a state landfill. Typically, transfer stations cost
less to build and operate than landfills. After speaking with state representatives,
the tribe decided against this option because Pine Ridge Reservation is
remote. Transportation costs and tipping fees would have added up quickly
if OST shipped waste to a distant state landfill. The tribe decided to
build a landfill and retain control of the costs associated with solid
waste management on the reservation.
Obtaining Funding
Motivated tribal employees acquired funding for landfill construction.
Kim Clausen-Jensen, director of the Oglala Sioux Environmental Protection
Program, and Bobby Sullivan, public involvement coordinator for the tribe,
believe that personal relationships are the key to funding success. OST
received funds from three major sources for the project—$561,000
from EPA's Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response, $724,000 from
IHS's Sanitation Deficiency Service, and $1.2 million from the U.S. Department
of Agriculture's Rural Utilities Service (RUS).
Ms. Sullivan explained that the RUS grant application process was particularly difficult, so she called her regional RUS office for assistance and was introduced to Mavis Hass.
"I called Mavis
all the time and camped out in the rural development office for two weeks
while she walked me through the application process. She showed me what
to do and helped me obtain the right signatures. . . The Rural Development
[Service] staff are there to help you."
- Bobby Sullivan, public involvement coordinator for the tribe
Ms. Clausen-Jensen recognizes that it is important for tribes to follow the proper procedures and submit progress reports after receiving federal funding. She offers the following piece of advice: "Submitting the required reports helps the agency justify the project to internal federal reviewers and can help ensure that the project receives future funding. Live up to your end of the bargain—do what you said you would do."
Siting Challenges
Ms. Clausen-Jensen describes the landfill siting process as a "hard,
horrible experience." Community members recognized that the facility
was necessary, but didn't want it in their own backyard. According to
Ms. Clausen-Jensen, "These were members of our own tribe, our own
family, and they were very hostile at times." After countless presentations
and discussions, the community agreed to a site for the landfill.
Unfortunately, resistance within the tribal council initially kept the landfill off the agenda. Ms. Sullivan and Ms. Clausen-Jensen worked to build a strong relationship with current and prospective council members by showing them blueprints and educating them about the benefits of the landfill. After an election, the new council approved the design and the site.
Landfill Design
Subtitle D of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act lays out federal
requirements for landfill design, construction, operation, and closure.
During the landfill planning phase, OST discovered that it could apply
for site-specific flexibility from one of these requirements. By demonstrating
that the reservation's clay soils perform the role of a composite liner
the tribe avoided the expense of constructing a liner.
The tribe chose a "balefill" design, which requires baling waste into 1.1 ton blocks before placing it in the ground. The first section or "cell" of the landfill can handle waste from the reservation for 25 years.
The Grand Opening!
In 2002, OST opened its landfill. Ms. Clausen-Jensen urges other tribes,
"Just keep trying. Sometimes you just need to walk away from it all
for a short period of time. Keep taking small steps—don't get frustrated."
To learn more about OST's landfill, contact Kim Clausen-Jensen or Bobby Sullivan at 605 867-5236.