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Announcements 2006

Archive of events and news of interest to those who live and work in Indian Country, including training, conferences, workshops and TribalAIR news.

Recent Announcements | 2007 | 2006 | 2005

date12/19/06

FACA seeking Committee members (National SEPMs at HQs and EEO Officers in regions)

The EPA Office of the Administrator manages The Agency's Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) process. FACA committees are comprised of representatives from academia, industry, state, local and tribal governments, trade associations, environmental groups, non-profits, etc. On a regular and recurring basis, EPA has vacancies on the 50 or so FACA committees that exist throughout the Agency.

I am seeking your help in identifying diverse candidates for two committees, NACEPT ( National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology ) and GNEB ( Good Neighbor Environmental Board, specific to the U.S./Mexico border ) housed in my office (see links below). I would appreciate you sending the attached NACEPT Federal Register Notice (FRN) to your internal and external network of contacts. It is a call for applicants for individuals interested in being considered for membership.

Members are appointed by the Administrator for two year terms with the possibility of reappointment. The Council usually meets three times annually and the average workload for the members is approximately 10-15 hours per month. Members serve on the Council in a voluntary capacity. However, EPA provides for reimbursement for travel and per diem expenses associated with Council work. Please read the FRN notice and the NACEPT website for more information.

Later this year, I will be working with the other EPA committees to ensure their vacancies are also broadly published and distributed to members of your network. Thank you for your assistance. If you have any questions please feel free to call me.
To learn more about FACA, the role my office plays with these committees, and the two committees in question, please visit our websites at:
http://epa.gov/ocem/
http://www.epa.gov/ocem/faca/
http://www.epa.gov/ocem/nacept/
http://www.epa.gov/ocem/gneb/index.html

date12/15/06

Request for Proposals 2006:
Tribal Educational Outreach on Lead Poisoning and Baseline Assessment of
Tribal Childrens Existing and Potential Exposure and Risks Associated with
Lead.

Funding Opportunity Number: EPA-HQ-OPPT-2006-0647
Deadline for Applications: Jan 12, 2007
Expected Number of Awards: 30
Estimated Total Program Funding: $1,000,000
Award Ceiling: $75,000
Award Floor: $50,000

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is accepting proposals from Federally-recognized Indian tribes and tribal consortia to support Tribal educational outreach and to conduct a baseline assessment of Tribal children's existing and potential exposure to lead-based paint and related lead-based paint hazards. Activities eligible for funding include educational outreach, data gathering, inspections, risk assessments, training, and development of new and innovative approaches to identifying or reducing lead poisoning. EPA is awarding grants which will provide approximately $1 million to Federally-recognized Indian tribes to perform those activities and to encourage Indian tribes to consider continuing such activities in the future.

View the RFP (PDF 20 pp, 2,385 KB) and/or visit the Grants website (http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do?mode=VIEW&oppId=11493)

date12/13/06

EPA proposed federal plan to ensure power plants affected by the Clean Air Mercury Rule (CAMR) reduce their mercury emissions on schedule.

December 8, 2006 - EPA proposed a federal plan as a backstop to ensure that power plants affected by the Clean Air Mercury Rule (CAMR) reduce their mercury emissions on schedule. Comments on the proposed CAMR federal plan are due to EPA by 60 days after publication in the Federal Register. EPA also issued a notice listing the states that have submitted plans as required by CAMR. The rule required states to submit plans to EPA by November 17, 2006. For more information on both the proposed federal plan and the notice listing states that submitted plans see: epa.gov/camr/rule.htm

date12/1/06

EPA's Office of Air Quality Standards and Planning and Region 10 Workshop on the Proposed Tribal New Source Review Rules.

Purpose: To ensure tribes gain an adequate understanding of the provisions of the proposed rules to enable them to provide EPA with their comments.

Deadline for Comments to EPA : January 19, 2007

Meeting location : EPA Region 10's Office, 12th Floor, Columbia and Bitterroot Rooms

When : January 4, 2007 (all day training) January 5, 2007 (half day tribal caucus). RSVP as soon as possible to either manous.mary@epa.gov or at 206/553-1059 or suzuki.debra@epa.gov or at 206/553-0985

Questions : Raj Rao, EPA, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards at (919) 541-5344, or at rao.raj@epa.gov

Logistics : Individuals should make their own travel arrangements, including hotel reservations, as soon as possible. There are no scholarships available for travel costs from EPA. Grant funds may be used to the extent allowed for in the workplan and budget or with EPA project officer approval.

Additional NSR tribal information including agenda and other materials on Tribal NSR.

If you cannot attend : There will be a conference line for tribes that cannot attend to call into the workshop, as well as to a two hour conference call on January 9th at 10:00 AM Pacific Time that will be targeted particularly for Alaskan tribes, where EPA will review the potential impact of these rules to Indian country in Alaska. Further information will follow on these phone in opportunities

date11/28/06

Check the NSR area for changes!

date11/16/06

$2.7 Million for Local Health and Environmental Protection

Contact: Roxanne Smith, (202) 564-4355 / smith.roxanne@epa.gov
(Washington, D.C. - Nov. 15, 2006) Sixteen U.S. communities will share $2.7 million in grants from the Environmental Protection Agency to continue progress on solving local health and environmental issues. The Community Action for a Renewed Environment grants will address a wide variety of environmental health issues in both rural and urban areas.
More Information

date11/15/06

EPA Extends Comment Period on Proposed Federal Implementation Plan for Tribal Lands
October 24, 2006 - EPA is announcing an extension of the public comment period on our proposed Federal Implementation Plan for Tribal Lands from November 20, 2006 to January 19, 2007.
Notice of Extension of Comment Period (PDF, 3 pp, 61 KB)

date11/14/06

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) currently is soliciting presentation proposals for its 2007 Community Involvement Conference and Training. The conference will be held in Jacksonville, Florida from June 19-22, 2007. All presentation proposals are due by close-of-business December 15, 2006.
More Information

date11/02/06

Tribal Air Monitoring Support (TAMS) Center Co-Director

United States Environmental Protection Agency
Radiation & Indoor Environments National Laboratory (R&IE)
Tribal Air Monitoring Support (TAMS) Center
Las Vegas, Nevada

Appointment: Permanent, Full-time position.

Starting Salary: Grade  GS-13   $65,832 - $85,578
             
Duties and Responsibilities:   In this position, you will serve as the R&IE Laboratory’s Co-Director of the Tribal Air Monitoring Support (TAMS) Center.  You will work side by side with a Co-Director counterpart to lead and manage the center’s planning, communications and day to day operations.  Working with the counterpart Co-Director, EPA Management, the TAMS Steering Committee and TAMS customers, you are responsible for responding to current air and radiation training and technical support priorities and forecasting and planning for future TAMS opportunities and challenges.
More Information

date11/01/06

Proposed Tribal NSR Rules Training

The U.S. EPA has proposed two Tribal New Source Review rules to address significant regulatory gaps in the protection of air quality in Indian country, to clarify jurisdiction where states are issuing permits in Indian country, and provide a level playing field for economic development in Indian country.  These rules may affect businesses located in Indian country and may affect Tribal governments and communities.
The Tribal NSR rules will address small sources and large sources of air pollution in nonattainment areas, both new business and existing business that are making changes in equipment and operations that would result in increases in emissions. 

Examples of types of businesses that might be affected:

The goal of this meeting is to:

Meeting Location:
            Pechanga Resort & Casino
            45000 Pechanga Parkway
            Formerly Pala Road
            Temecula, CA 92592
            1-888-732-4264 refer to: “Tribal Air Meeting” when making reservations
            1-877-711-2946
Meeting Dates: November 20, 2006 and an optional half day on November 21 for tribal caucus to discuss the rule and develop comments.

For more information contact:

date11/01/06

Native American children help prevent asthma attacks by delivering the Goldfish message

The Ad Council and EPA are charting new territory by reaching out to Native American communities with culturally-tailored asthma messages in three tribal languages. Using the Goldfish asthma media campaign as the vehicle, this groundbreaking effort required a collaborative team between the Ad Council, the Aberdeen Tribal Chairman's Health Board, EPA's Region 8 and ORIA, to communicate with millions of Native Americans about ways to prevent asthma attacks. Several Native American children joined the collaboration by speaking and performing in their native languages for the radio public service announcements produced in Navajo, Lakota and Anishnabe. These culturally-relevant PSAs will be broadcast in Native American communities to help raise awareness and promote actions to improve asthma outcomes. According to the Centers for Disease Control, Native Americans and Alaskan Natives report more asthma attacks and symptoms than other sub-groups. This special outreach effort was honored to garner the voluntary expertise and voice talent of Native American Gerard Baker, the National Park Service Superintendent of Mount Rushmore. Mr. Baker is well-known as a Native American leader and spokesperson, who has appeared in educational efforts like Ken Burn's film about Lewis and Clark. (Photos of Mr. Baker and the Navajo spokeschild, Madison, are attached.) These new radio spots will be distributed to selected stations in late 2006.
Since 1991, the media has donated more than $200 million to the national Goldfish campaign and has attracted more than one million unique visitors to its website. Results tracking shows that parents are reporting a 20% change in behavior to help prevent asthma attacks. By producing Native American radio public service announcements the campaign continues to evolve and reach out in unique ways. The core campaign products are available in English and Spanish for TV, radio, newspaper, magazine, bus transit, billboard, school poster and web banner. The entire campaign can be viewed on line at http:// www.noattacks.org

date10/27/06

EPA is announcing an extension of the public comment period on our proposed Review of New Sources and Modification in Indian Country Federal Implementation Plan (FIP) (August 21, 2006). The proposed FIP changes would include two basic air quality regulations for the protection of communities in Indian country.

The first rule would apply to minor stationary sources and minor modifications at major stationary sources in Indian country (minor New Source Review (NSR) rule).
The second rule would apply to all new major stationary sources and major modifications located in areas of Indian country that are designated as not attaining the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) (nonattainment major NSR rule).

These rules would be implemented by EPA, or a delegate tribal agency assisting EPA with administration of the rules, until replaced by an EPA-approved tribal implementation plan for an area of Indian country. EPA is extending the public comment period from November 20, 2006 to January 19, 2007. EPA is extending the public comment period by 60 days because of the number of requests we received in a timely manner.

Comments must be received on or before January 19, 2007.

For the actual announcement go to http://epa.gov/EPA-AIR/2006/October/Day-24/

date10/25/06

$4 Million to Improve Indoor Air Quality

(Washington, D.C. - Oct. 19, 2006) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency awarded more than 30 cooperative agreements totaling approximately $4 million to improve indoor air quality by reducing the environmental health risks of such pollutants as asthma triggers, secondhand smoke, radon and other contaminants. The goal of these cooperative agreements, selected from 180 applications, is to reduce the environmental health risks from contaminants indoors through demonstrations, trainings, education, and outreach projects.
More Information

date10/18/06

Particulate Matter (PM) NAAQS Rule Update
October 24, 2006
1:00 - 3:00 PM ET

The PM NAAQS Rule Update will be a live broadcast featuring experts from EPA's Office of Air Quality, Planning and Standards who will discuss the recently revised final revisions to the primary and secondary for Particulate Matter NAAQS. These revisions strengthen the fine particle standards to protect both health and visibility and maintain the current 24-hour PM-10 Standard to protect against the effects of coarse particles. The panel will also address recent final monitoring rules and implementation of this revised standard. The panel will respond to questions live. For more information, go to http://www.epa.gov/air/particles .

date10/18/06

NCER - Course PM

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as part of its Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program, is seeking applications proposing studies of PM10-2.5 evaluating potential health effects, sources, composition, and variability. PM10-2.5 represents the subset of coarse particles that is inhaled into the lungs and penetrates into the thoracic region. Sources of PM10-2.5 include construction and demolition activities, mining and mineral processing, agricultural activities, sea spray, wind-blown dust, and resuspension of settled biological material from soil surfaces and roads (EPA, 2005a; EPA, 2004). Information regarding the heterogeneity, composition, and sources of PM10-2.5 characteristic of specific locations and comparisons between locations, especially rural versus urban areas, that inform studies of health effects is needed.

Here is the link to the NCER RFA for coarse particles - the deadline has been extended until 11/30.
http://es.epa.gov/ncer/rfa/2006/2006_star_coarse_pm.html

 

 

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