On Wednesday, November 29, the Tonawanda Seneca Nation filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), challenging the agency’s decision to grant a right-of-way permit for an industrial wastewater pipeline through the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge.

Drilling along the construction route of this pipeline has already led to multiple spills of hundreds of gallons of drilling fluids onto federally protected land and wetlands. According to the suit, USFWS’s permit approval process violated the federal requirement for government-to-government consultation, as well as the requirement for sufficient environmental review.

In the words of Tonawanda Seneca Nation Chief Roger Hill, “For years we have warned of the harms that would come from a mega industrial site next to our Reservation Territory. Our warnings were ignored and now we see the damage caused by multiple spills from the buildout of the industrial sewage pipeline… We are responsible for protecting our land, community, and future generations from the harms brought on by industrial development. The industrialization of the STAMP site is not just an environmental concern but a matter of human rights for the Nation.”

We are enraged at the USFWS failure to respect Indigenous sovereignty - or to uphold their mission “to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats.” We invite you to join us in amplifying the Nation’s demands. 

TAKE ACTION NOW!

Send an email to the following defendants named in Tonawanda Seneca Nation’s litigation: 

• Martha Williams, Director of the USFWS: [email protected]
• Thomas Roster, Refuge Manager of the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge: [email protected]
• Scott Kahan, Northeast Regional Chief of the USFWS: [email protected]
• Holly Gaboriault, Deputy Regional Chief of the USFWS: [email protected]
• Debra Haaland, Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior: [email protected]

Sample email:

To: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]

CC: [email protected]

Subject: Respect the Tonawanda Seneca Nation! Pull the permit! 

Dear Martha Williams, Thomas Roster, Scott Kahan, Holly Gaboriault, and Debra Haaland:

I demand that the USFWS revoke the right-of-way permit in the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge and conduct a robust Environmental Impact Statement.

Sincerely,

Your name + city