Subscribe to the State Emergency Response Commissions (SERC)/Tribal Emergency Response Commissions (TERC) monthly updates newsletter to learn about new policies, guidance, and training resources for implementing the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA). Past newsletters are also listed on the site.

The Upper Snake River Tribes Foundation and the Great Basin Fire Science Exchange have released the report, An Indigenous Perspective of Fire in the Upper Snake River Basin. Topics include Traditional Ecological Knowledge, Western science, and management systems; Tribal resilience actions for prescribed wildfire; and more.

“Modeling Floodplain and Watershed Restoration for Salmon Recovery in The Tolt River Watershed,” by EPA and the Snoqualmie Tribe, reports on a study to help inform local and regional planning and support ecosystem restoration in the Tolt River and Snoqualmie River basins. The main goal of the modeling project was to apply a set of tools to provide a process-based understanding of floodplain and upland management practices that would inform local and regional salmon habitat recovery planning.

• Read the press release.
• Read the report.

EPA and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) will provide an overview of the cybersecurity vulnerabilities identified at water and wastewater systems. EPA and CISA will share cybersecurity best practices for water and wastewater systems to limit exposure to common vulnerabilities.

• Register

Check out the March edition of EPA’s Superfund Redevelopment Program newsletter. This edition highlights the national economic benefits of Superfund reuse and features recently released tools and resources for Superfund redevelopment.

Dust is one of the top air quality concerns voiced by Tribes and rural communities throughout Alaska, and dust season is coming soon. In rural Alaska, ATVs and other vehicles driving on unpaved roads contribute to airborne dust that negatively impacts health, road safety, and quality of life. Check out the Rural Alaska Dust Toolkit, a publication from EPA Region 10 and the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation to help communities find strategies for managing road dust.

Join this EPA listerv to get announcements and updates on Tribal waste management webinars, funding opportunities, resources and more from EPA and our partners. Other listserv opportunities are also available on this page.

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The National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDS) has released its 2024 Pacific Northwest Water Year Impacts Assessment, which summarizes variations in temperature, precipitation, and snowpack across Oregon, Washington, and Idaho in Water Year 2024. The report details the impacts of these variations on key sectors, such as agriculture and drinking water, and how sectors responded.

• Read the report

On March 27, King County, WA, released a video press release on the effectiveness of a soil mixture that treats 6PPDQ, a toxic chemical found in tire dust that causes coho salmon to die before they return to their spawning grounds.

• Watch the video

Please see below for a reminder about Lead and Cooper Rule requirements instituted in October 2024. Please pass this information along to your Tribe’s water utility staff, water operators, and anyone else involved in disseminating drinking water public notices.

EPA’s 2021 Lead and Copper Rule Revisions require community and non-transient non-community water systems to issue a Tier 1 public notice to their consumers when there is an exceedance of the lead action level. A lead action level exceedance occurs when the 90th percentile concentration of lead tap water samples collected during any monitoring period is greater than 15 parts per billion (ppb) or 0.015 mg/L. 

On October 16, 2024, new requirements began:

• A Tier 1 public notice must be distributed as soon as possible, but no later than 24 hours after the system learns of an exceedance.
• Water systems must also consult with the EPA Region 10 Drinking Water Program and provide a copy of the distributed public notice within 24 hours after learning of the exceedance.

See EPA’s Fact Sheet for more information: EPA Lead Action Level Exceedance Tier 1 Public Notice Fact Sheet. Please email R10TribalDW@epa.gov of you have any questions.

The March 14 Presidential Action, “Additional Rescissions of Harmful Executive Orders and Actions,” rescinded Executive Order 14112, “Reforming Federal Funding and Support for Tribal Nations to Better Embrace Our Trust Responsibilities and Promote the Next Era of Tribal Self-Determination.” 

On March 18, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin visited the Ak-Chin Indian Community in Arizona, marking his first visit to Indian country.

• Read the press release
• Learn more on EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin’s X Account
• Learn more on EPA Region 9’s Instagram Account

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.