As discussed in last week’s digest, providing a payment justification is now required for all ASAP drawdowns. Requesting a payment without entering a justification under 300 characters will result in an error message. Using symbols (e.g., %) may also generate an error message.

Possible language that GAP grantees might use to provide a justification for GAP expenditures could be, “This drawdown is for reimbursement of approved GAP program expenditures from DATE to DATE.”

If you need assistance, here are several resources:

• View the slides from last week’s webinar.
• Visit ASAP FAQs.
• Review the training video.
• Find future ASAP Trainings.

• Email Treasury at asaphelpdesk@fiscal.treasury.gov. Provide your 7-digit Recipient ID or UEI in the subject line.
• Call 855-868-0151 (option 2, option 3). ASAP support staff are available Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Eastern.

Please pass this information on to the person who completes the drawdowns for your GAP grant.

Above-normal temperatures and below-normal precipitation continue to rapidly melt the snowpack at record-breaking levels in the West. The rapid depletion of snow, coupled with increased evaporative demand, can rapidly dry soils and vegetation, which can lead to an early start to the fire season. Learn more at drought.gov.

If you’d like to know about drought in your area, sign up for the National Integrated Drought Information System’s emails. The regional email list provides drought conditions, news, research, and webinars specific to the Pacific Northwest. The Tribal Engagement Newsletter which features drought news, events, and funding opportunities for Tribal nations. You can also get automated drought updates for your specific location.

Got a hazardous waste treatment storage and disposal facility (TSDF) near you? EPA has updated its TSDF Toolkit, which includes the main publicly available hazardous waste permitting resources so that permittees, the public, and state permitting authorities (including permit writers) can easily access them. The resources include flow charts of the permitting process, guidance, training modules, Federal Register rulemaking notices, permit appeals, example permits, and links to state and federal resources. 

Check this out! EPA’s Model Recycling Toolkit can help communities create effective programs for recycling, composting, anaerobic digestion, reuse, repair, and waste reduction; increase participation in recycling programs; and reduce contamination in the recycling stream. Materials include case studies, training materials, consumer education materials, and more.

Smoking tobacco and marijuana — and vaping with e-cigarettes and other devices — can release harmful chemicals into the air. People around the smoker or vaper are also exposed to these chemicals. Use the following fact sheets to educate your community:

• Health Risks of Secondhand Smoke and Aerosols: Fast facts about health risks of secondhand tobacco smoke, secondhand marijuana (cannabis) smoke, and secondhand e-cigarette (vape) aerosol.
• Be a Good Neighbor:  Respect Smoke- and Vape-free Zones: Infographic with helpful reminders about where not to smoke and vape.
• Importance of Smokefree Policies: Key points about benefits, expansion, and implementation of smokefree policies.

See also Smokefree.gov, which contains many resources you can share with your community on how to quit smoking and vaping.

EPA’s new Flooded Homes Cleanup Guidance website provides tips and informational videos for people impacted by flooding to prepare to re-enter their home and begin cleanup. The site also explains the different health risks associated with flooding, such as asbestos, mold, and lead paint. Short how-to videos contain step-by-step instruction, from safely entering a flooded building to mold remediation techniques. Learn more about the website and about cleaning up a flooded home safely during the June 18 webinar, under Events.

EPA is loaning air monitoring technologies to state, local, and Tribal air organizations to support supplemental air monitoring in areas affected by wildfire smoke and with observational data coverage gaps. The loan program, called Wildfire Smoke Air Monitoring Response Technology (WSMART), will provide several technology types on request, including stationary air sensor systems and a compact vehicle add-on mobile monitoring system (VAMMS). The equipment is not available for general public use. 

• For technical questions, email smoketech@epa.gov.

EPA’s National Tribal Waste Management Peer Matching Program is a unique opportunity for Tribes and Alaska Native Villages to support each other in waste management efforts through peer-to-peer mentorship and technical assistance. Whether your Tribe seeks assistance with specific waste management challenges or has expertise to share, this program connects you with the right Tribal partners to strengthen waste management programs together.

• Apply to be a mentor or mentee! Fill out the online form to help shape peer matches in 2025.
• Visit the EPA’s National Tribal Waste Management Peer Matching Program website for full program details.
• Questions? Email TribalPeerMatch@epa.gov.

EPA’s website, Tribal Programs in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, just got a facelift. The biggest change is the addition of a calendar that allows you to see funding opportunities and events at a glance. Happy exploring!

If you’re having trouble finding that thing that you know was helpful, but darn, it seems to have disappeared, email Susan Conbere for assistance.

EPA’s National Tribal Waste Management Peer Matching Program is a unique opportunity for Tribes and Alaska Native Villages to support each other in waste management efforts through peer-to-peer mentorship and technical assistance. Whether your Tribe seeks assistance with specific waste management challenges or has expertise to share, this program connects you with the right Tribal partners to strengthen waste management programs together.

• Apply to be a mentor or mentee!: Fill out the online form to help shape peer matches in 2025.
• Visit the EPA’s National Tribal Waste Management Peer Matching Program website for full program details.
• Questions? Email TribalPeerMatch@epa.gov.

Has your Tribe submitted the Federal Financial Report (FFR), also known as the SF-425, for FY24 (or CY24)? Once upon a time, this form was only required at the end of the grant cycle, but it is now required annually. At the end of the grant cycle, EPA also requires an SF-425 encompassing all the years of the grant (typically 4 or 5 years). Failure to complete or correct an SF-425 could mean a delay in funding for the following year.

Please (42 pleases, in fact) review the form carefully before you submit it. If your finance office completes the form, you still need to review it. This will save you – and us – a lot of time going back and forth on corrections.

Common errors:

• Forgot to report indirect cost (if applicable per the EPA grant agreement).
• Checked annual when the report reflects expenditures for the entire grant period (in which case, you should check “final”), or final when the report only reflects one year of expenditures.
• Line 10d (total federal funds authorized) is incorrect.
• Budget period dates are incorrect.
• The form is not signed or the signature is invalid.

When the form is complete, email it to rtpfc-grants@epa.gov and copy your EPA Project Officer.

EPA’s Superfund Remedy Report provides information and analyses on remedies EPA selected to address contamination at Superfund National Priorities List and Superfund Alternative Approach sites. This report focuses on the analysis of Superfund remedial actions selected in fiscal years 2021, 2022, and 2023.

EnviroAtlas is an interactive, web-based tool from EPA that decision-makers can use to inform policy and planning in the places where people live, learn, work and play. You can explore EPA’s environmental and health data with the EnviroAtlas Interactive Map, which can be a helpful tool for a wide variety of uses, such as brownfield planning. The map offers over 500 layers of environmental, health, and community data and was designed for users without GIS experience.

• View tutorials on how to use the map.

In an April 28 news release, EPA outlined upcoming agency action to address Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS), including the designation of an agency lead for PFAS, the creation of effluent limitations guidelines for certain PFAS to stop these forever chemicals from entering drinking water systems, and initiatives to engage with Congress and industry to establish a clear liability framework that ensures the polluter pays and passive receivers are protected. Activities fall under three categories: strengthening the science, fulfilling statutory obligations and enhancing communication, and building partnerships.

The Arctic Encounters Symposium has been rescheduled to July 30-August 1. Policymakers, diplomats, indigenous leaders, industry innovators, diverse stakeholders, national security officials, and leading experts from the science, technology, maritime, research, startup, investment, health, and energy sectors come together to address challenges in the Arctic and collaborate on solutions. The symposium will be held in person in Anchorage, AK.

• Register

The Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP) has launched a new website about the  Caring for Our Relatives program. Learn about the program, sign up for technical assistance services, explore funding opportunities, view upcoming events, and review the many resources related to ecological resilience. Keep an eye on the calendar and events page for updates.

In collaboration with the Tribal Solid Waste Advisory Network (TSWAN), the Snoqualmie Indian Tribe is hosting the Tribal Green Summit September 16-18 in Snoqualmie, WA. The gathering is dedicated to environmental stewardship, advancing circular economies, and empowering Tribal communities. This year’s summit will feature three tracks: 1) composting and organics; 2) waste reduction and recycling; and 3) community resiliency and pollution reduction. Speakers, educators, innovators, and community leaders are invited to submit presentation proposals.

• Submit a proposal by June 15.

Learn about radon and the people who work to combat it at RadonLeaders.org. The site connects radon stakeholders through interactive tools (like blogs and discussion forums), and features information and resources (like the Resource Bank and the Radon Change Package) to help facilitate action and radon risk reduction. 

Run before, but worth running again! This grant calendar, along with the live links, can now be found under Administrative Resources on the EPA GAP webpage.