Congressman Mark Amodei has introduced a bill to give more than 2,000 acres of federal land at a polluted mine site near Yerington to the oil company responsible for cleaning it up.
The Reno Gazette-Journal reports that representatives from Atlantic Richfield Co., a subsidiary of BP, told Amodei the transfer of Bureau of Land Management property would make cleanup of the former Anaconda mine more efficient, and reduce the burden to taxpayers.
Atlantic Richfield, a BP subsidiary since 1999, acquired liability for cleanup when it merged with Anaconda in 1977.
Laurie Thom, the chair of the Yerington Paiute American Indian tribe called the bill, H.R. 5347, a “shameful” infringement on tribal sovereignty, saying the bill is a threat to tribal members’ access to cultural heritage sites and future economic development.
And Amber Torres, the chair of the Walker River Paiute Tribe called the bill, “a blatant slap in the face,” saying neither Amodei nor anyone else consulted with the tribes about the bill.
