EPA administrator promises Alaska Native leaders aid to address environmental concerns

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – On Thursday, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency Michael S. Regan held a press conference to discuss his latest stop on what he calls a ‘Journey to Justice’ tour.

Regan used the opportunity to meet with Alaska Native leaders in order to learn how to bring their lived experiences back to Washington D.C. — and in turn create community solutions.

“Now we’re bringing our Journey to Justice to the great state of Alaska,” Regan said. “Alaska, as you all know, faces unique challenges that, so often, disproportionally impact Tribal communities.”

Regan’s tour of Alaska began in Igiugig, which he said faces numerous concerns about conservation, energy generation and solid waste management. Regan then made his way to Utqiagvik, which faces contamination and solid waste challenges and finally Eklutna, which sees persistent challenges with contaminated land and the quality and availability of water.

According to Regan, some Native communities have already identified solutions to some of the issues but now he feels it’s the EPA’s responsibility to put federal dollars towards them.

“All people and all communities in America deserve to have clean air, clean water and healthy lands and healthy resources. From the local level to the federal level, it is our responsibility to work together to bring all of our communities along and give them the support they deserve and bring their lived experiences back to Washington — yes, thousands of miles away,” Regan said.

Native leaders say they see Regan’s rural village tours as a big deal — and a vital step in addressing their environmental concerns.

“The visit enabled you to see and understand firsthand how contamination from abandoned federal government materials are still impacting are lives,“ said Kate Wolgemuth, the Program and Government Affairs Manager for the Voice of the Arctic Inupiat. “These sites are both directly in our communities and on the lands and waters where we hunt, fish and gather to feed our people.”

Natalie Cale, CEO of the Ounalashka Corporation, says Natives across the state face similar issues.

“This is a statewide problem, this is an Alaska Native population problem. It impacts economic development, it impacts health, it impacts the health of these individuals,” Cale said.

Native leaders are saying its also giving them hope for the future.

“The engagement with your agency over the past month has been heartening — in particular on the issue of cleaning up contaminated lands, which gives me and all the Voice hope for months and years to come,” Wolgemuth said.

Regan looks forward to the partnerships he has developed with Alaska Native leaders while being in the state and says he will continue to ensure Alaskans get their fair share. He maintains there are some solutions that he’ll work on to give the environmental issues a higher chance of being solved in Alaska rural communities.

“EPA providing technical assistance to build local capacity so that these communities can be competitive for these billions of dollars — and when I mean billions, it’s billions with a B,” said Regan. “What we want to be sure is that the communities that need these resources the most are in the best position to receive them.”

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