NTOC
National Tribal Operations Committee
Who We Are
EPA created the National Tribal Operations Committee (NTOC) to more effectively implement the Agency’s Indian Policy. The NTOC is composed of EPA’s Senior Leadership Team (Administrator, Assistant, and Regional Administrators) and nineteen tribal representatives from the ten EPA regions where federally recognized tribal governments are located. EPA Region 10 has four representatives to the NTOC – two from Alaska and two representatives from Idaho, Oregon, and Washington Tribes. EPA Administrator Carol M. Browner convened the first NTOC meeting on February 17, 1994. At this first meeting the NTOC Tribal Caucus presented three recommendations: 1) reaffirm the 1984 Indian Policy and the EPA state/tribal concept paper on jurisdiction; 2) establish a National EPA Indian Environmental Office; and 3) increase funding for tribal environmental programs. EPA has since accomplished all three recommendations.
What We Do
Charter
NTOC serves as a forum for federally recognized tribes to work with EPA Senior Leadership on policy and resource matters.
FY22 Budget recommendations
National Tribal Caucus (NTC) established this budget request and priority recommendations for fiscal year 2022.
reference guide
US EPA created this reference guide to provide NTOC members background on NTOC policy and procedures.
Our Mission
The NTOC serves as a forum for federally recognized tribes to work with EPA Senior Leadership on policy and resource matters related to tribal capacity building, environmental program development and implementation in Indian country. Further, the NTOC identifies mechanisms for federally recognized tribes and EPA to facilitate actions that protect human health and the environment in Indian country.
The NTOC seeks to implement this mission in a manner consistent with EPA’s 1984 Indian Policy, 3 the federal trust responsibility to federally recognized tribes, federal laws, regulations, policies, and guidance as well as tribal values and interests. The 1984 Indian Policy states that EPA will work directly with tribes on a one-to one (or Nation-toNation) basis and not as political subdivisions of States or other governmental units. The interactions of the NTOC do not substitute for this government-to-government relationship between EPA and federally recognized tribes.