Tribal Air Quality Program Receives Second VW Settlement Payment

Oct 23, 2020

AKWESASNE – The Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe’s Environment Division announced it will continue to invest in electric vehicles and charging stations — compliments of the Volkswagen Diesel Emissions Environmental Mitigation Trust. Environment’s Air Quality Program has received a second payment of $240,678 from the 2016 VW Class Settlement to support efforts to help reduce vehicle emissions in the Akwesasne community.

“This is tremendous news for our tribal program, but more importantly for the community of Akwesasne to help us ‘plug into the future’ like most major cities,” stated Air Quality Program Manager Angela Benedict, who served as the catalyst for securing the settlement funds. Benedict added, “In the past, these funds would normally get sent to only states, but the National Tribal Air Association fought to have tribal communities included in the settlement.”

As the Region 2 representative for the National Tribal Air Association’s Executive Committee, Benedict closely monitored the settlement’s development and submitted proposals that supported tribal efforts to improve air quality. Her hard work resulted in $249,007 received in 2019 that purchased two new trucks and installed four charging stations.

The Tribe’s Transfer Station and the Planning and Infrastructure Division each received a low-emission diesel truck. Three (3) dual and one (1) single Level 2 EV Charging Stations were also installed at the Ionkwakiokwaró:ron Tribal Administration Building, Generations Park, Health Services Building, and Akwesasne Mohawk Casino Resort’s RV Parking Lot.

The second payment of the VW Settlement Funds will be used to purchase low-emission trucks for the casino and an additional vehicle for the Transfer Station.

“When it comes to making alternatives to fossil fuels a part of everyday life, Angela Benedict is leading the way by making vehicle charging stations available across our community,” noted Environment Division Director Tony David. David emphasized, “We are taking advantage of new technology and with this infrastructure in place we will be able to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.”

For the final year of the settlement’s disbursement, Benedict plans to submit a third proposal, as she hopes to secure a new bus for the Tribe’s Environmental Response Team.

For more information about the VW Settlement Funds, please contact SRMT Air Quality Program Manager Angela Benedict at (518) 358-5937.

#####

The Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Council is the duly elected and federally recognized government of the Saint Regis Mohawk People