STATE JOINS COLVILLE IN LAKE CLEANUP LAWSUIT

SEATTLE – Gov. Gary Locke and Attorney General Christine Gregoire have
joined the Colville Confederated Tribes in their lawsuit aimed at forcing
the Teck Cominco mining company to clean up Lake Roosevelt.

“We believe that implementing the EPA order is the quickest way to complete
the studies and begin cleaning up the lake,” Locke said. “We prefer not to
use the legal route, but we are doing so because we must protect our
state’s interests in this issue.”

Under the federal Superfund law, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
ordered Teck Cominco in December to clean up the toxic metals that for
decades were released into the lake from the company’s smelter in Trail,
B.C. The order calls on the company to study the extent of the
contamination and then pay for the cleanup.

The state wants the shoreline and bottom sediments of Lake Roosevelt to be
cleaned up to the standards necessary to protect human health and the
environment from the effects of heavy metals pollution, state Ecology
Director Linda Hoffman said.

Teck Cominco has argued that the Superfund law applies to U.S., not
foreign, companies.

Members of the Colville Confederated Tribes, whose reservation borders the
lake, sued Teck Cominco in U.S. District Court for Eastern Washington in
July for failing to comply with that order. By joining the suit, the state
is seeking the implementation of the EPA order.

COLVILLE WOMAN NAMED INDIAN POLICY MANAGER

OLYMPIA, Wash. – Lorraine Van Brunt of the Colville Confederated Tribe has
been named an area manager for the state Office of Indian Policy and
Support Services. The office is part of the state Department of Social and
Health Services.

Van Brunt received a liberal arts degree and a master’s degree in Public
Administration with a concentration in Tribal Governance from Evergreen
State College in Olympia.

She has served as the Foster Care Program coordinator for the planning
agency for the last nine years, with time spent at the Skokomish Tribe in
Indian Child Welfare.

“Lorraine’s recent work experience … will help her hit the ground
running,” said Colleen F. Cawston, director of the Office of Indian Policy
and Support Services. “It is a benefit to the tribes and recognized
American Indian organizations … and to our organization to have Lorraine
working with us.”

Area managers serve as liaisons between all DSHS programs and federally
recognized Indian tribes, organizations and communities. They help maintain
tribal/state relationships, channels of communication, policy development
and preventative programs.

Van Brunt will work closely with the Puyallup Tribe, Suquamish Tribe, Port
Gamble S’Klallam Tribe, Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, Lower Elwha Klallam
Tribe, Makah Tribe, Hoh Tribe, the small tribes of Western Washington,
urban Indian communities, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Indian Health Service
and various state agencies.

COLVILLE OPENS TWO HEALTH CARE CENTERS

COLVILLE, Wash. – The Colville Tribe recently opened health centers in two
communities on its reservation.

Inchelium Community Health Center, 39 Shortcut Road, Inchelium, opened Aug.
23. San Poil Valley Community Health Center, 2 Audrey Lane, Keller, opened
Sept. 10.

Construction of the centers took three years, but their completion is the
fulfillment of a seven-year vision. In 1997 Keller residents had a vision
of access to affordable health care; they had to travel one hour to get to
the nearest clinic to access health care at the time. Inchelium’s efforts
to develop a local health care center began in 1999.

JAMESTOWN S’KLALLAM WOMAN NAMED ARTS COMMISSIONER

SEQUIM, Wash. – Elaine Grinnell, Jamestown S’Klallam elder and traditional
storyteller, has been appointed by Gov. Gary Locke to the Washington State
Arts Commission.

Grinnell is a retired counselor in the Port Angeles School District. Her
term as an arts commissioner ends July 28, 2007.

Other appointees are: Leann Johnson, manager of cultural services for the
City of Vancouver, who is active in diversity and intercultural issues;
Silvia Maria Lazo, director of SL Productions, a performing arts company
specializing in Latin American traditions and Bill McKay, dean of Arts &
Humanities at Columbia Basin College.

“[These] new commissioners bring valuable expertise, experience and vision
to the commission,” said Kris Tucker, executive director of the arts
commission.

The Washington State Arts Commission is the state agency established in
1961 to support the arts as essential to the state’s social, educational
and economic growth, and to contribute to Washington’s quality of life and
the well being of its citizens.

TRIBES TO PROVIDE TANF SERVICES

OLYMPIA, Wash. – The Nisqually, Skokomish and Squaxin Island tribal nations
will administer Temporary Assistance for Needy Families services for
American Indian families.

The consortium of tribal nations signed an intergovernmental agreement
transferring administration of the program from the state Department of
Social and Health Services.

The agreement transfers more than $3.1 million to the Intertribal TANF
Program for each of the three years of the agreement. It also outlines the
commitment to government-to-government cooperation and binds the signing
parties to “mutual cooperation, coordination, communication, good will and
respect for each other.”

Signers of the agreement were Gov. Gary Locke, Nisqually Chairman Dorian
Sanchez, Skokomish Chairman Gordon James and Squaxin Island Chairman Dave
Lopeman.

“[The] agreement means families in need within the Nisqually, Skokomish and
Squaxin Island tribes will have access to TANF programs that best meet
their unique and culturally diverse needs,” Locke said.

GOVERNMENTS RECEIVE HEALTH CARE GRANTS

SEATTLE – Four American Indian governments in Washington state have
received a share of $24.8 million in grant funds for community development
projects.

The grants were announced by U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman. She
said the grants are part of a USDA Rural Development program to promote
economic development, gain access to better community services and enhanced
preparations for emergency situations.

The Nooksack Indian Tribe in Whatcom County received a $105,000 community
facility grant for the purchase of essential medical and dental equipment
for its new medical clinic addition.

The Skokomish Indian Tribe in Mason County received a $61,000 Economic
Impact Initiative Grant to purchase medical equipment for its soon-to-be
completed medical center addition. The equipment will allow Skokomish to
retain a doctor and expand health care services.

The Quileute Indian Tribe in Clallam County received a $17,100 Community
Facility Grant to provide handicap accessibility to a community building on
the reservation, which Quileute wants to begin using again for community
events.

The Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation will received a $16,100
Community Facility Grant to purchase emergency communication equipment.
Presently, 911 calls are routed to Grays Harbor County in Aberdeen and
transferred to the Chehalis Public Safety Department, potentially slowing
emergency response time.