EPA reservation boundary decision sparks controversy in Riverton, Wyo.

A flurry of confusion shrouds an Environmental Protection Agency ruling that claims Riverton as part of the Wind River Indian Reservation. But those working closely with the tribes and federal government believe it’s a complicated but clear-cut case. The EPA’s decision raised the eyebrows of local and state officials on Monday after it declared Riverton has been part of the reservation for the past 108 years. The announcement came five years after the Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone tribes filed an application with the EPA to have more authority in monitoring the reservation's air quality. The boundaries of Riverton and environmental policy may seem independent of one another. But the application process forced the EPA, Department of Interior and Department of Justice to dig through the annals of history to delineate what areas the tribes are in charge of monitoring. In their research, the agencies discovered that a 1905 land act previously thought to have passed tribal land to homesteaders didn’t legally do so. Riverton’s boundaries have been a long-running point of contention between tribal members and Riverton residents. While the tribes view the EPA ruling as a victory, city residents don't. The EPA decision has raised questions about how state and local governments will conduct law enforcement policies, legal jurisdictions and tax collections if the city is truly within the boundaries of the Wind River Indian Reservation. “On face value it sounds like it could be a very difficult change to swallow,” Riverton City Councilman Jonathan Faubion said...more