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Hopi commits to reducing arsenic in water at cultural center

Posted at 7:08 AM, Dec 02, 2019
and last updated 2019-12-02 09:08:56-05

TUBA CITY, Ariz. (AP) - Federal officials say the Hopi Tribe has failed to meet a deadline to reduce arsenic in drinking water at the tribe's cultural center.

The Hopi Tribe agreed to pay a $3,800 fine and told the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that it plans to finish a treatment system by early next year. The tribe says it has set aside funding for the project and selected contractors.

The work is part of a 2016 agreement between the tribe and the EPA.

The Hopi Cultural Center east of Tuba City supplies drinking water for 25 people on the reservation.

The EPA says a regional water pipeline also is in the works.

The agency says high levels of arsenic in drinking water can increase the risk of cancer, heart disease, diabetes and neurological damage.