Title 25IndiansRelease 119-73

§3901 Findings and purposes

Title 25 › Chapter CHAPTER 41— - INDIAN LANDS OPEN DUMP CLEANUP › § 3901

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Directs steps to find and deal with the at least 600 open dumps on Indian and Alaska Native lands. Congress found these dumps threaten the health and safety of people nearby and harm the environment. Many were set up or used by federal agencies such as the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Indian Health Service. The United States holds most Indian lands in trust for tribes and individuals, and most tribal and Alaska Native governments lack the money and technical help to close the dumps. It requires mapping where the open dumps are, assessing how dangerous each dump is, and providing financial and technical help, either directly or by contract, so tribes and Alaska Native groups can close dumps under federal rules or under stricter tribal rules.

Full Legal Text

Title 25, §3901

Indians — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Congress finds that—
(1)there are at least 600 open dumps on Indian and Alaska Native lands;
(2)these dumps threaten the health and safety of residents of Indian and Alaska Native lands and contiguous areas;
(3)many of these dumps were established or are used by Federal agencies such as the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Indian Health Service;
(4)these dumps threaten the environment;
(5)the United States holds most Indian lands in trust for the benefit of Indian tribes and Indian individuals; and
(6)most Indian tribal governments and Alaska Native entities lack the financial and technical resources necessary to close and maintain these dumps in compliance with applicable Federal laws.
(b)The purposes of this chapter are to—
(1)identify the location of open dumps on Indian lands and Alaska Native lands;
(2)assess the relative health and environmental hazards posed by such dumps; and
(3)provide financial and technical assistance to Indian tribal governments and Alaska Native entities, either directly or by contract, to close such dumps in compliance with applicable Federal standards and regulations, or standards promulgated by an Indian tribal government or Alaska Native entity, if such standards are more stringent than the Federal standards.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Short Title

Pub. L. 103–399, § 1, Oct. 22, 1994, 108 Stat. 4164, provided that: “This Act [enacting this chapter] may be cited as the ‘Indian Lands Open Dump Cleanup Act of 1994’.”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

25 U.S.C. § 3901

Title 25Indians

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73