The Healthy Schools Network offers two toolkits for schools:  

• The Green Cleaning for Healthy Schools Toolkit contains free posters, two webinars, tip sheets, and checklists.
• The Healthy Products for Schools Toolkit offers guidance on finding products with low emissions and low toxicity. These products promote better indoor air quality and reduce exposure to chemicals associated with long-term health problems.
  
  • View the toolkits.

Kansas State University’s Interactive Transformative Resilience for Indigenous Brownfields & Environmental Sustainability (iTRIBES) is a holistic, community-wide, participatory approach to brownfields redevelopment in Indigenous communities. With a focus on enhancing cultural resilience, iTRIBES weaves together traditional knowledge, environmental sustainability, and economic opportunity to ensure that revitalization efforts are Tribal-led and community-driven. The Tribal Voices newsletter will explore the Seven Principles of Tribal Resilience.

• Sign up for Tribal Voices newsletter. 

Cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, are frequently found in freshwater, estuarine, and marine waters. Cyanobacteria are naturally occurring, but some have the ability to produce highly potent toxins, known as cyanotoxins, that can lead to a variety of health problems for both humans and aquatic species. EPA researchers collaborated with scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) on a study to look at innovative methods for identifying and tracking the cyanobacteria most likely to produce cyanotoxins in rivers. 

On Feb 20, EPA Region 1’s Tribal Program hosted a webinar, “Audit Preparedness Training for New England Tribal Nations.” Attendees included staff from Tribal Environmental Departments and Tribal Finance Departments. The presentation covered valuable tips and information in the event of an audit, an in-depth description of what the Tribes could expect during Post Award Monitoring or a Tribal Single Audit, and a robust Tribal Partners Roundtable discussion on the various financial best practices and techniques used by the Tribes in managing and tracking their grant funding.  

• The agenda is attached.
• For a copy of the PowerPoint presentation and the webinar recording, email Stacey Johnson-Pridgeon at johnson.stacey@epa.gov or Kayla King at king.kayla@epa.gov. 

Oxcenia O’Domin has joined the Region 10 Tribal Operations Committee (RTOC) as its new Executive Director. Following is an excerpt from her bio:

I am Sugpiaq and Unangax̂ originally from Chignik Lake, Alaska, and a member of the Unga Tribe. My family ties span the Bristol Bay, Aleutian, and Kodiak Island regions, reinforcing my deep commitment to supporting Native communities. For the past 15 years, I have worked to strengthen Tribal governance, environmental health, and capacity-building through my role at the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC). My focus has been on empowering rural Alaska communities through technical assistance and training to build strong, locally driven environmental programs. Additionally, I serve on the Board of Directors for Chignik River Limited, where I work to honor our culture and protect our lands for future generations.

RTOC’s mission is to protect and improve Tribal health and environmental conditions in alignment with the EPA Indian Lands Policy, the agency’s trust responsibility, and federal treaties, laws, and regulations. We serve as a two-way conduit between Tribes and the EPA—ensuring that the agency is informed about key Tribal environmental issues while also keeping Tribes updated on critical policies, regulations, and funding opportunities. Looking ahead, my focus will be to continue strengthening relationships between Tribes and federal agencies, advocating for policies that uphold Tribal sovereignty, and fostering partnerships that support long-term environmental and governance goals. As I step into this role, I want to hear from you—what do you see as the most pressing challenges and opportunities? How can we better support your work and strengthen Tribal-federal partnerships?  

Contact Oxcenia at 907-764-8085 or oxcenia@region10rtoc.net. 

This brochure from EPA and the Centers for Disease Control offers tips on how to manage asthma and follow simple steps to minimize exposure to asthma triggers found indoors and out. 

The Institute for Tribal Professionals (ITEP) hosts 19 online courses for Tribes. Categories include Tribal air quality, waste and response, indoor air quality, and quality assurance planning. Check them out.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Branch of Tribal Community Resilience and the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP) are seeking participation from federally recognized coastal Tribes in the lower 48 states that are interested in sharing their experiences, challenges, and successes related to relocation and protection-in-place. These stories will support a report on the estimated unmet needs of coastal Tribes. The purpose is to enhance the awareness and understanding by decision-makers and broader audiences about the challenges coastal Tribes in the lower 48 states face as they address relocation and protection-in-place issues.

For your time and participation, compensation will be offered: 

• Contribute photo & caption: $100/photo
• Participate in a video (being filmed and interviewed): $300/half day or $800/full day
• Narrate video footage: $300/half day or $800/full day

Learn more

Voluntary Community-Driven Relocation Program | Indian Affairs

The Washington Sea Grant Coastal Resilience Fellowship will match early/shifting career professionals with coastal community groups and organizations to provide additional capacity to tackle coastal resilience challenges. The focus this year is on Washington’s Pacific Coast. Host applications opened in March, fellows will be selected in late spring, and the two-year fellowship will begin in September 2025. Prospective hosts are expected to mentor, supervise and provide opportunities for fellows that support their professional and educational goals. Fellows will have at least a bachelor’s degree. 

• Complete the interest form

The U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs has created a bipartisan oversight email to track how any freeze on federal funding is impacting Tribal Nations and Native communities. If your community or Nation is affected, please share your experiences and concerns by contacting the bipartisan inbox:

oversight@indian.senate.gov

Your personal information will be kept confidential, but please include in your response the name of the federal agency and the programs affected.

EPA’s report, The Environmental Value of Applying Compost: Improving Soil Health for Stormwater Management, Contaminated Site Remediation, Ecosystem Restoration, Landscaping and Agriculture, summarizes the published science on the benefits of compost use in various sectors and at larger scales.

• Learn more

The logistics of removing waste from remote areas of the country can be very challenging. Learn about Backhaul Alaska and the development of a mobile app to help support backhaul in rural Alaska.

• Read the article 

With the spate of devastating wildfires in California and the prospect of more fires in the near future, EPA and other organizations are sharing information on how to address the health effects. 

• ITEP Training: After a Wildfire – Health and Safety Considerations is a new online course from the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP). The course provides Tribes with wildfire safety considerations for indoor air quality and how to return safely after a wildfire in 6 modules: 
   
  • Module 1 – Wildfire Effects, Monitoring, and Communication/Indoor Air Quality
  • Module 2 – After a Wildfire: Indoor Air
  • Module 3 – Distribution and Deposition of Wildfire Smoke Residues
  • Module 4 – Re-Entry Safety Considerations
  • Module 5 – Clean-Up Safety
  • Module 6 – (Optional) ACAC Fire and Smoke Damage Certification 

• Smoke Ready Toolbox: Use EPA’s toolbox to educate your community public about the risks of smoke exposure and actions people can take to protect their health.
   
• Protecting Children from Wildfire Smoke and Ash: Children are especially at risk for health effects from exposure to wildfire smoke and ash. Learn what you can do to keep kids safe in this EPA factsheet,
   
• Air Cleaners: Air cleaners, also called air purifiers, can help clear out wildfire smoke particles and other asthma triggers from the home. Regional Asthma Management and Prevention (RAMP) has a whole host of resources to help you select and maintain one. If you’d like to build your own air purifier, visit the EPA web page Do It Yourself Air Cleaners. (Yep, they work!) 

Learn a whole lot more on EPA’s Wildfires web page. 

EPA’s Office of Grants and Debarment hosted a December webinar series on the following topics: 

• Participant Support Costs
• 2024 Revisions to 2 CFR Part 200 Regulations – Impacts to Tribes as Federal Award Recipients
• 2 CFR Updates to the Appendix, NOFOs, and Competition

Visit these pages to find the presentations and recordings.

You may also with to visit the Community Library of Frequently Asked Questions to find answers to common questions about EPA grants. 

Many Superfund sites are well suited to support alternative energy production, and 110 Superfund sites now host alternative energy facilities. As of October 2024, these facilities provide enough energy to power more than 280,000 homes for one year.  

• Read the highlights

This EPA calculator can be used to estimate the methane emissions avoided per ton of food waste by diverting food waste from landfills over time. Anyone can download and use the calculator, which may be useful for grant applications, program planning, and reporting. Find the calculator on EPA’s Quantifying Methane Emissions from Landfilled Food Waste webpage.