Suquamish Tribe intends to sue Navy over sewage spills

BREMERTON, Wash. (AP) — The Suquamish Tribe says it plans to sue the Navy over sewage spills that they say have discharged "hundreds of thousands of gallons of untreated sewage" into local waters over the last five years.

The Kitsap Sun reports the tribe announced Tuesday that it is giving military officials 60 days' notice of its intent to file a lawsuit under the Clean Water Act, which prohibits discharging pollutants without a permit.

Another notable discharge includes a spill announced in September by the Navy that leaked an estimated 450,000 gallons of wastewater from Puget Sound Naval Shipyard into Sinclair Inlet during a two-year period.

Naval Base Kitsap spokesman Jake Chapelle says the Navy is aware of the notice and cannot comment on pending litigation.

A spokesman for the Department of Justice, which represents the Navy, also declined comment.