Vehicle charging stations installed

The Fond du Lac Band is leveraging funding from the Volkswagen emissions settlement to build electric vehicle charging stations and replace diesel vehicles with cleaner technologies. A $2.8 billion Mitigation Trust Agreement was created from the $14.7 billion series of settlements Volkswagen entered into after the Environmental Protection Agency's allegations of Clean Air Act violations six years ago. The trust was set up to offset excess emissions caused by Volkswagen's vehicles, some of which might have emitted up to 30 to 40 times more pollution than allowed by law.

States and federally recognized Indian tribes can apply to access trust funds to implement mitigation activities. A separate $55 million was earmarked in a trust named "Volkswagen Diesel Emissions Environmental Mitigation Trust for Indian Tribe Beneficiaries," which allows tribal nations to also access mitigation funding directly. To date, FDL has been able to secure approximately $1.3 million from the trust to upgrade two plow trucks, three dump trucks, a septic pump truck and propane truck, in addition to building three charging stations.

Two of the three charging stations have already been built. One is located at the Black Bear Casino Resort's primary parking lot. The other is near the Tribal Center, which houses the Band's administration offices. The third charging station is planned for the Min No Aya Win Clinic, the central health institute that has been providing Covid-19 services in response to the pandemic and health services unrelated to the pandemic.

"A lot goes into planning where to put these charging stations," says Joy Wiecks, air quality coordinator at FDL.

"There has been a large increase in demand for electric vehicles recently and the feasibility of them becoming the new standard will depend on our ability as a country and planet to create the supporting infrastructure. These charging stations were strategically placed to help fill a gap in this busy transit corridor."

The band envisions these incremental changes as part of a comprehensive approach to doing its part to address climate change. In 2007, FDL adopted the Kyoto Protocol and implemented strategies to reduce fossil fuels by 50 percent, while decreasing carbon emissions by 80 percent, with the ultimate goal to be carbon neutral in the near future.

"Making use of innovative technology isn't just good for business, it honors our people's way of life," said Terry Savage, executive director of Tribal Enterprises. "We know that by being on the forefront of cleaner energy implementation, we can better serve our community, customers and partners. These charging stations send a clear message to anyone coming to FDL that we support ushering in a new era of cleaner infrastructure."

FDL also partners with state, federal and municipal agencies to collaborate on broader mitigation projects.