DOJ’s Environment Chief Intensifies Focus on Tribal Communities

The Department of Justice is redoubling its efforts to protect tribal communities from violations of environmental law, according to a top agency official.

The endeavor brings together DOJ’s environmental section, its Indian Resources Section, and its Office of Tribal Justice to reach out to tribal communities and learn what’s affecting them, including a series of recent tribal summits in states like New Mexico, Washington, and Minnesota, said Todd Kim, head of the Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD), in an interview.

Among the most pressing issues being discussed are climate change, which Kim said “can really have ...