Draft2:State and Tribal Government Working Group: Difference between revisions
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The State and Tribal Government Working Group (STGWG) helps ensure that the Department of Energy (DOE) facilities and sites are operated and cleaned up in compliance with all applicable federal and state laws and regulations, and Tribal rights including those retained by treaty, and conferred by statute and the trust responsibility; as well as in a manner that protects human health, safety and the environment. The STGWG home page is intended to help publicize the group's activities for the benefit of its members.
It is run by the Office of Environmental Management with support from the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL).
Funding
The Department of Energy provides funding for a single representative from each affected State and Tribe to participate in the meetings of the STGWG. In addition, DOE funds technical, administrative, and facilitation support to this body. The Department is funding STGWG support and participation through a cooperative agreement with the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL).
Organizations
STGWG is composed of policy-level representatives of states and tribes that host DOE facilities or are otherwise impacted by activities at DOE facilities. Its composition offers a unique perspective on issues such as long-term stewardship, tribal issues, transportation planning, nuclear waste and materials disposition, and deactivation and decommissioning activities.
States
State representatives are appointed by and represent the governors of member states.
- California
- Idaho
- Kentucky
- Missouri
- Nevada
- New Mexico
- New York
- Ohio
- Oregon
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Washington
Tribes
Tribal representatives are appointed by the governing bodies of their respective tribes.
- Cochiti Pueblo
- Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation
- Consolidated Group of Tribes and Organizations
- Jemez Pueblo
- Nez Perce Tribe
- San Ildefonso Pueblo
- Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians
- Seneca Nation of Indians
- Shoshone-Bannock Tribes
- Wanapum
- Yakama Nation
Meetings
STGWG members participate in semi-annual meetings with DOE-EM leadership to receive programmatic updates, address cleanup concerns, and help ensure that DOE facilities and sites are operated and cleaned up in compliance with all applicable federal and state laws and regulations, and protected tribal rights and interests. Other DOE offices, such as the Office of Legacy Management, National Nuclear Security Administration and Office of Nuclear Energy, regularly participate in STGWG meetings.
Meetings are frequently held in coordination with other intergovernmental groups. Spring meetings often include a visit to a cleanup site to provide STGWG members with a greater understanding of the DOE complex.
History
In April 1989, 10 governors wrote a letter to then-Secretary of Energy James D. Watkins, to express their concerns regarding the management, cleanup, and disposal of radioactive and hazardous chemical wastes at Department of Energy (DOE) facilities within or adjacent to their states boundaries.
In May 1989, then-Secretary of Energy Watkins, invited each governor to appoint a representative to participate in the planning process for the Department's Five-Year Plan through membership in a State and Tribal Government Working Group (STGWG). The Secretary also invited representatives from the Yakama Indian Nation, the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, the National Governors Association, the National Conference of State Legislatures, and the National Association of Attorneys General to participate. STGWG first met in June 1989.