Free environmental law enforcement training day available in Tulsa

Lauren King Staff Reporter

Stopping Oklahoma’s environmental crimes requires the government to partner with its citizens.

Another partnership – between Oklahoma State University Extension, the State Department of Environmental Quality and the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Rural Development – will help citizens gain expertise in environmental crimes investigations. The Oklahoma Environmental Law Enforcement Training Seminar will be held Thursday in Tulsa.

The free CLEET-accredited training, with eight hours of available credit, will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Greenwood Chamber Conference Room. Space is limited, and pre-registration is required.

Chad Keller, senior environmental specialist with the DEQ, will instruct the class. He is a sergeant in the Criminal Investigation Unit.

Seminar topics include defining environmental crime and who investigates them, hazardous waste, open burning and the Safe Drinking Water Act.

Participants receive expertise in those issues, identifying resources for improving local programs and networking opportunities with others involved in environmental law enforcement.

To register, contact Keima Borsuah, OSU Extension assistant state specialist with the Solid Waste Management Program at 405-744-9827 or keima. kamara@okstate.edu.

“Illegal dumpsites continue to be a problem across Oklahoma, especially along Oklahoma’s backroads,” Borsuah said. “They’re unsightly, dangerous and have a negative impact on the environment by contaminating the soil, groundwater, drinking water, wells and streams. They can also have a negative impact on property values.”

Juneteenth...

Continued from 1

The emancipation of the remaining enslaved people in Texas was announced by Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger in Galveston, Texas.

The emancipation of slavery was announced within General Order No.

3. This document stated all enslaved people were freed and each enslaved person then had absolute equality of personal and property rights.

Since President Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act in 2021, the U.S. has recognized Juneteenth as a national holiday.

Many communities across Oklahoma and the nation have decided to host Juneteenth Celebrations. One of the most well-known is the Tulsa Juneteenth Festival. The Tulsa Greenwood District hosted the Tulsa Juneteenth Festival from Thursday to Saturday on the historical Greenwood Avenue, also known as Black Wall Street – a part of town full of booming businesses in the early 1900’s before it was destroyed during the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.

Courtesy of Google Images

The festival began with a block party on Thursday and ended with hosted live performances on both Friday and Saturday night. Festival activities included wellness events, art exhibits and interactive arts.

The Tulsa Juneteenth Festival, and the concept of Juneteenth in general, focuses on “honoring legacies, celebrating freedom, and inspiring liberation.” news.ed@ocolly.com