The Bureau of Indian Affairs could issue a preliminary decision on an Oklahoma tribe's out-of-stand land acquisition, The Washington Post reports.

The Delaware Nation filed an application to have 480 acres in Maryland placed in trust. The tribe would then lease the site, for $1.4 million a year, for a landfill.

Local officials oppose the proposal because they say they wouldn't have control over the land. They have fought the landfill for several years. Some are also worried the tribe might start gaming on the land.

The BIA has never ruled on an out-of-state acquisition but has taken land into trust for an Oklahoma tribe in Kansas. The National Indian Gaming Commission ruled that the Wyandotte Nation could not operate a casino on the land.

Since 1988, only three tribes have obtained off-reservation land for gaming purposes in a process that involves the approval of the state governor.

Get the Story:
Surprising Ally Joins Landfill Quest (The Washington Post 11/1)
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Related Stories:
Delaware Nation wants out-of-state land in trust (05/25)
Report: Delaware Nation wants to buy land in Maryland (04/13)