Lani Hansen/Senior Reporter
OKMULGEE, Oklahoma– The Muscogee (Creek) Nation Department of Environmental Services was able to purchase two new ambulances for the tribe with funds from the Volkswagen Settlement.
The Volkswagen Settlement came from VW falsifying their emissions. Under bill number NCA 19-091 with the MCN National Council, the Environmental Services Department became a recipient of funds awarded from the settlement.
“We applied for three separate cycles for funding,” MCN Environmental Specialist Jennifer Reyher said. “Basically what will happen is we are able to replace older vehicles that are approved.”
Environmental Services has replaced 17 vehicles older than 2010 with the settlement money.
“We had a couple of ambulances that weren’t running at all, so we were able to trade those in and replace those diesel engines with cleaner running vehicles,” Environmental Services Director James Williams said.
Williams added they have purchased a new charter bus for the tribe, school bus for the Eufaula Dormitory, a truck for Food Distribution, dump trucks for construction, a box truck for Environmental Services and others with the money from the settlement. Along with purchasing vehicles, they installed the charging station in front of the Veteran Affairs office with this money as well.
“We appreciate the services EMS provides, they have worked really well with us and I’m excited for them to have the nice new ambulances,” Reyher added.
One of their last projects will be installing a charging station at Council Oak in Tulsa.
