Region 10 Tribal Operations Committee

The Orutsararmiut Native Council’s EPA Environmental Program, along with Woodwell Climate Research Center Permafrost Pathways, invites interested Tribal leaders and Tribal environmental professionals to attend weekly meetings to discuss coordinating water quality monitoring efforts and to bring about successful projects to Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta Tribal communities. The meetings are held every Tuesday/Wednesday from 3:00-4:00 Alaska. The mission of the project is to establish shared goals and understand co-stewardship opportunities. The objectives are to: 

• Define a core set of shared environmental monitoring goals and concerns of YK Delta Tribal partners
• Understand potential Tribally led and co-stewardship opportunities for addressing these goals and concerns
• Begin planning a framework for potential Tribally led initiatives. 

Contact Mary Herrera-Matthias at mmatthias@nativecouncil.org for more information.

Spring is upon us, and allergy season – and Asthma Awareness Month – have arrived. Here are a few things you can do to reduce or remove allergens from indoor air:

• Before opening your windows to get some fresh air, check the outdoor air quality first. Visit AirNow.gov to get air quality data where you live.
• Do not smoke indoors. 
• Dust hard surface furniture and flooring with a damp cloth to avoid putting dust into the air.
• Down with dust mites! Vacuum carpets and fabric-covered furniture every week to reduce dust build-up. 
• Use a vacuum with a HEPA filter.
• If you have asthma or allergies, leave the area being dusted or vacuumed, if possible, or consider wearing a mask.
• Use soap and water to clean when possible. If soap and water won’t do it, consider using products with EPA’s Safer Choice label. 
• Use the highest-rated filter that your HVAC system fan and filter slot can accommodate –a filter with a MERV rating (Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value) of 13 and above if possible.
• Learn about asthma and asthma triggers.

The National Indian Health Board’s (NIHB) Tribal Environmental Impact Network is a new cohort of professionals with experience in issues impacting environmental justice in Indian Country. These experts will assist NIHB in providing technical assistance to Tribal communities for funding opportunities as part of NIHB’s Tribal Environmental Justice Technical Assistance Center (TEJTAC). The TEJTAC was established to support underserved and overburdened communities addressing environmental and clean energy concerns by increasing access to federal funds. The network is open to professionals who work or have worked on environmental health and environmental justice issues in Indian Country. The network is seeking experts in the areas such as agriculture, air quality, clean energy, climate change, emergency response, environmental health, geology, hydrology, legal services, sanitation, solid waste transportation, and water quality. Compensation for technical assistance services will be provided.

• Apply

Visited EPA Region 10’s Tribal Programs chock-full-of-goodness website lately? Here’s a quick tour to help you find some of or hidden gems:

• The home page features a rotating banner with EPA funding opportunities, upcoming events, and more.
• Learn about EPA Region 10’s Land, Water, and Air & Climate programs.
• Find all things GAP on our Region 10 Indian Environmental General Assistance Program page. Here you can learn about applying for a GAP grant, the role of the Tribal Council, ETEPs, Performance Partnership Grants, Tribal Consortia, and more.
• See our Training and Technical Assistance for Tribes in Region 10 for an entire table of opportunities. If you have a training you’d like to add, please email R10TribalPrograms@epa.gov.
• See the list of Upcoming Consultations on our Consultations and Coordination page.
• Want to find your Project Officer, Grant Specialist, or other EPA staff? Visit our Contact Us page.

On April 10, EPA finalized the first-ever National Drinking Water Regulation for PFAS. Exposure to these forever chemicals has been linked to cancer, impacts on the liver, heart, and immune system, and developmental damage in infants and children.  This final rule will regulate six kinds of PFAS and help to ensure that all Americans have access to clean, safe, drinking waters. In sum:  

• Public water systems must monitor for these PFAS and have three years to complete initial monitoring (by 2027), followed by ongoing compliance monitoring. Water systems must also provide the public with information on PFAS levels in their drinking water beginning in 2027.
• Public water systems have five years (by 2029) to implement solutions that reduce these PFAS if monitoring shows that drinking water levels exceed allowable levels.
• Beginning in five years (2029), public water systems that have PFAS in drinking water that violates one or more of these levels must take action to reduce them and notify the public.

EPA will also invest $1 billion to help states and territories implement PFAS testing and treatment at public water systems and help owners of private wells address PFAS contamination. Note that EPA will distribute the national Tribal allotment of 2% of the appropriations, estimated at $24M in FY22 funding, as an allocation to regions based upon the Drinking Water Infrastructure Grants Tribal Set Aside Program allocation formula. Regional offices will develop the procedures and schedule for annual selection of projects and activities, obligation of funds, or distribution of grants.

• Read the press release
• EPA will host webinars on April 16, 23, and 30 to discuss the new regulation. See Events to register.

On April 22, Mother Earth gets the recognition she deserves: Earth Day! Help protect the environment by organizing events and educating your community. Visit EPA’s Earth Day website for ideas.

Ocean Acidification in Alaska is a free online course from the Alaska Ocean Acidification Network for anyone who wishes to learn how ocean acidification is affecting Alaska waters and its potential impacts on local species. The course is comprised of 8 modules and each module takes approximately 45-60 minutes to complete.

As climate change increases the frequency and severity of extreme weather events, planning and preparedness are especially important. EPA has finalized new requirements for certain facilities to develop response plans for worst-case discharges of hazardous substances, or threat of such discharges, into or on navigable waters or conveyances to navigable waters. These requirements help protect the environment by ensuring that facilities have planned for and can respond to discharges of hazardous substances, particularly in communities with environmental justice concerns, which are disproportionately located in proximity to industrial facilities.

• Read the final rule
• Read the press release

EPA’s new fact sheet, How to Safely Dispose of E-Cigarettes: Information for Individuals, explains that e-cigarettes should be taken to household hazardous waste collection sites rather than thrown in the trash or recycling bins. The lithium batteries inside of e-cigarettes can cause fires and the nicotine poses a risk to workers and the environment.

Registration has opened for the Tribal Lands and Environment Forum, which focuses on how to improve management, protection, and restoration of Tribal lands. The forum will be held in person in Eugene, OR. The planning committee is seeking proposals for presentations through May 17.

• Register
• Submit a proposal

The potential for disaster increases as communities expand into hazard-prone areas and climate change alters the frequency, severity, and locations of threats. Disaster Resilient Design Concepts showcases designs that can help communities reduce the impact of disasters, recover more quickly, strengthen local economies, and create safer, more equitable places to live. 

EPA has launched a new website to provide information about proper disposal of leftover household medications, including how to use various pharmaceutical take-back programs. The website helps the public understand why proper disposal of household medication is needed and what households should and should not do with their unwanted medications.

The Central Council of Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska (Tlingit & Haida) is thrilled to invite you to attend the third annual UCUT Transboundary Mining Conference in Dzantik’i Heeni (Juneau, Alaska).

• August 26 & 27 for Tribal and First Nation representatives
• August 28 – 30 for all registrants

Please find the formal invitation here. Registration is open and travel information is included. The agenda is evolving, and we look forward to updating the Eventbrite page with more details in the weeks to come.

Gas stations can be a significant hub for Tribal communities. They are often critical infrastructure when disasters hit, and they can be found in many tracts of land Tribes are trying to remediate. The Oneida Nation is offering a Tribal Underground Storage Tank (UST) Boot Camp, which will help participants assess, inspect, and evaluate the many aspects of USTs. The workshop will be held in person in Arlington, TX. Limited travel assistance is available.

• Apply by May 17

The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Tribal Assistance Coordination Group Conference brings together emergency management professionals to share the latest program information and best practices for all hazard emergencies and disasters. The conference will be held in person in Phoenix, AZ.

• Register