A federal judge ordered a member of the Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Tribe of California to shut down a dump on the reservation.

Judge Stephen G. Larson said Kim Lawson, the operator of the dump, violated tribal laws. Tribal leaders said it was illegal but had trouble shutting it down.

The dump is on an individual Indian allotment. The federal government ended up filing suit against Lawson after Environmental Protection Agency tests showed high levels of dangerous chemical byproducts.

Get the Story:
Judge orders east valley dump shut (The Palm Springs Desert Sun 8/9)

Relevant Links:
Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians - http://www.torresmartinez.org

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Editorial: Little help for tribes with illegal dumps (12/19)
Illegal dumping a big problem on reservation (12/13)
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Calif. tribe gives members bottled water (02/11)
Church ordered to remove tent from reservation (10/05)
Judge asked to shut down reservation dump site (7/24)
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