Takeaways from AP’s report on how Duck Valley Indian Reservation’s water and soil is contaminated

Associated Press

OWYHEE, Nev. (AP) — The Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Indian Reservation have long grappled with contaminants in the soil and water. Tribal members for decades have suspected widespread illness and deaths are tied to an irrigation shop and maintenance building run by the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs. Recently, the BIA discovered a decades-old document with a passing mention of Agent Orange, suggesting the government might have been more involved in contaminating the land. The tribe has demanded quick action. The BIA says in a statement that it’s evaluating whether the chemicals were sprayed along irrigation canals and working with the tribe.