EPA approves water quality program at North San Diego County reservation
The Environmental Protection Agency has granted approval to a North County tribe to administer a water quality standards program on its reservation. The Rincon Band of Luiseño Indians has become the 11th tribe to secure the right to uphold its own water quality standards out of the 148 federally recognized tribes in the Pacific Southwest region, which is comprised of Arizona, California and Nevada. The move means the tribe can operate in a manner akin to a state, allowing it to implement and manage specific environmental regulatory functions and the ability to secure grant funding to support its programs.