EPA’s Office of Research and Development Announces Research Partnership and MOU Signing with Chickasaw Nation Tribe

EPA's Office of Research and Development Announces Research Partnership and MOU Signing with Chickasaw Nation Tribe

September 24, 2024

"The Chickasaw Nation has long been an important environmental partner of the EPA," said Christopher Frey, Assistant Administrator for EPA's Office of Research and Development. "This MOU provides a framework that allows us to jointly develop research strategies and identify mechanisms and approaches for sustainably managing groundwater resources in Oklahoma now and into the future."

"We are pleased to sign this memorandum of understanding which will expand both our knowledge base and our capability for effective environmental stewardship. We are deeply grateful the Environmental Protection Agency shares our commitment to sustainable management of the natural resources so important to our quality of life today and to our efforts to build a brighter future for our children, grandchildren and future generations. We look forward to working together with these agencies to ensure we utilize these resources wisely today and help preserve them for the benefit of our children and grandchildren," saidBill Anoatubby, Governor of the Chickasaw Nation.

The Chickasaw Nation, in coordination with the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, is engaged in a water resource planning effort focused on ensuring the long-term sustainability of the water resources that the Chickasaw Nation's treaty territory relies on for the health of its environment and economy. This work includes researching, community outreach and partnership, and implementing initiatives that support water conservation, water supply security and drought resiliency.

The MOU between EPA and the Chickasaw Nation provides a mechanism for both parties to pursue research, development, and assessment programs on the sustainable management of environmental resources. It outlines several ways to establish cooperation between the two parties, including establishing a Chickasaw Nation hydrologist and other technical positions as guest researchers and scientists in the EPA's Robert S. Kerr Environmental Research Center in Ada, Oklahoma. This will enable Tribal and federal researchers to work side by side to develop a more robust understanding of threats to the Arbuckle-Simpson Aquifer, the primary drinking water source for tens of thousands of area residents.

These programs will aid both parties in efforts to sustain and improve community health, meet environmental protection goals, and provide sustainable resources for future generations. This MOU builds on and replaces two previous agreements between EPA and the Chickasaw Nation from 2008 and 2016.