Our Dedication to Tribal Outreach
Summit Carbon Solutions respects and strongly supports the process that helps ensure meaningful consultation with Tribes, on a government-to-government basis, between the Federal government and Native American Tribes and Nations on Summit Carbon Solutions' carbon capture and storage project. As the proponent of the carbon capture and storage project, Summit Carbon Solutions can not engage in Tribal Consultation, which is a process limited to governmental officials. However, as part of that process, we are committed to providing timely and detailed information regarding the project to all Tribes having historical, cultural, and spiritual connections to the areas within our proposed project area.
Since announcing the carbon capture and storage project, Summit Carbon Solutions has reached out to 62 Native American Tribes and Nations to review the project, answer questions, and provide feedback. As a result of those interactions, more than 40 Tribal Cultural Specialists from ten Tribes participated in the cultural field surveys associated with our project. Tribal Cultural Specialists will likewise participate during project construction.
Summit Carbon Solutions is prepared to meet in person, on video conference, or by phone with all Tribes interested in learning more about the project. We are dedicated to building respectful and productive relationships with Tribal leaders and providing specific and detailed project information to Tribes, as may be requested, to address Tribes' specific questions, ideas, and concerns.
We look forward to working with you on this project. If you have any questions or would like to schedule a meeting to discuss the project in greater detail, please contact us using the button below.
Summit Carbon Solutions' Statement on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
Consistent with the Tribal Outreach & Involvement Plan and the Tribal Outreach Strategy, Summit Carbon Solutions is committed to building mutually beneficial relationships with Tribes, Tribal Communities, and Native American-Owned businesses throughout the planning, construction, and operation. Summit Carbon Solutions is dedicated to a value-based approach with respect to Tribes that have historical, cultural, and spiritual connections in the area of the Project. As part of this dedication and commitment, Summit Carbon Solutions stands with Indian Country in responding to the concerns and needs expressed in relation to the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIW/MMIWG).
Summit Carbon Solutions recognizes that violence against Indigenous peoples is a crisis that has been underfunded in communities throughout Indian country and that murders and missing persons cases go unsolved and unaddressed. Summit Carbon Solutions is fully committed to partnering with Tribes and Tribal communities to achieve justice and healing for families around the Project by investing in programs and services that: foster awareness of the issues related to MMIW/MMIWG; address issues of human trafficking; domestic violence; honor Indigenous cultural values; educate on the prevention of sexual violence; support community self-defense training; and invest in the empowerment of Native women and girls. Furthermore, Summit Carbon Solutions supports the programs and services of agencies responsible for investigating and resolving these cases. Safe communities are Summit Carbon Solutions' priority, and violence against Native people has no place in the communities in which Summit Carbon Solutions serves and operates.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Summit Carbon Solutions intend to use Tribal Cultural Specialists in connection with the project?
Yes. Summit Carbon Solutions strongly supports the use of qualified Tribal Cultural Specialists on the Project. This includes the timeframes where surveys are being completed, the project is being constructed, and the post-construction phases of the Project. Depending on the Tribes' choice, the company will consider either contracting directly with Tribes to provide Tribal Cultural Specialists or hiring individual citizens of Tribes in the Project Area as Tribal Cultural Specialists. The latter option of directly hiring individual Tribal Cultural Specialists may also be carried out by Summit Carbon Solutions' contractors and subcontractors. If your Tribe is interested in potentially providing Tribal Cultural Specialists to the Project or if you are a member of a federally recognized Tribe in the Project Area who is interested in being considered for a Tribal Cultural Specialist position, please use the “Tribal Contact” button above to reach out to our team.
What is Summit Carbon Solutions' protocol for addressing inadvertent discoveries of human remains?
Summit Carbon Solutions is committed to complying with all laws governing such inadvertent discoveries, including the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. Because most of the project will cross private lands subject to state or county jurisdiction, specific state or county laws may vary. However, most states require an immediate halt in construction or other earth-disturbing activity to determine if an inadvertent discovery involves human rather than animal remains, and, if so, whether those human remains are of comparatively recent origin that necessitate additional investigation by local law enforcement. If the remains are determined to be historical or pre-historical, it is ordinarily the landowners' decision under state law as to how the remains are to be treated, regardless of whether they are determined to be Native American or non-Native American. Summit Carbon Solutions will adhere to all Unanticipated Discovery Plans approved by the State Historic Preservation Officers in the project area. These plans will outline the specific steps that will be taken in the event of such unanticipated discoveries. Importantly, the company's approach is to encourage private landowners to work constructively and proactively with Tribal officials should any inadvertent discoveries of human remains occur on private land. The presence of Tribal Monitors during all major phases of the project is an important way to strengthen this approach and to keep Tribes informed of what is actually happening on and under the ground.
Will Summit Carbon Solutions support Tribal officials, including Tribal Elders, who wish to visit portions of the project area of particular cultural importance?
Summit Carbon Solutions respects that Tribal citizens, including Tribal Historic Preservation Officers as well as Elders, may wish to visit certain portions of the project area, including traditional cultural properties and sacred places, that are of historical, cultural, and spiritual interest to their respective Tribes. Such visits may involve traditional ceremonies and other activities. The company welcomes such requests by Tribal governments and will seek to accommodate them on a case-by-case basis.
How does Summit Carbon Solutions intend to promote Tribal employment in connection with the project?
In addition to Tribal Monitoring, Summit Carbon Solutions' carbon capture and storage project includes employment opportunities that may be of interest to citizens of Native American Tribes and Nations. Summit Carbon Solutions has prioritized hiring Native Americans in its contracts with the various contractors involved in the project. This off-Reservation Native American hiring preference – the first of its kind in the carbon capture and storage industry – applies to Tribally-owned and operated enterprises, as well as Native American-owned and operated businesses. The hiring preference reflects our commitment to encouraging Native American participation in an emerging industry whose goal – as recently recognized by the Council of Large Tribes (COLT) in a letter to former President Biden – is to create a more sustainable energy future. Summit Carbon Solutions is actively working with COLT and other inter-tribal organizations to provide more information on employment opportunities relating to the project. For more information, please contact Gena.Timberman@exp.com
Will the project provide environmental and health benefits to Tribal members living in the project area?
Native American and Tribal communities experience asthma at nearly twice the national average—about 12% compared to 7%—making them especially vulnerable to poor air quality (EPA). Carbon capture technology captures CO2 from industrial operations, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving air quality. With over 40 commercial carbon capture facilities worldwide already capturing around 45 million metric tons of CO2 per year, expanding this technology helps protect public health in surrounding communities.
