TOP STORIES/HEADLINES: Week of June 29 – July 03, 2020
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Open in new tab TOP STORIES/HEADLINES: Week of June 22-26, 2020
TOP STORIES
NTAA Releases the 2020 Status of Tribal Air Report
The NTAA’s STAR is an annual publication intended to provide an understanding of the importance and impact of Tribal air programs. You can access the STAR on NTAA’s website here. To help readers navigate the nearly 150-page report, NTAA will be hosting a national webinar on Wednesday, June 24th at 11 am PT / 2 pm ET.
This webinar will provide an overview of the STAR, share the stories within the STAR, and provide the specific recommendations for national leadership to advance air quality on and around Tribal lands. All members of the public are welcome to join the webinar. Follow this link to register to the event.
HEADLINES
Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes
*NTAA in the news** The Guardian—Wood heaters too dirty to sell are clean enough to give to tribes, says EPA
EPA—EPA Grants First-Ever Petition to Add to Hazardous Air Pollutants List Under Clean Air Act
EPA—Final Taconite Iron Ore Processing Risk and Technology Review
Yes! Magazine—“It’s About Terrorizing Us”: Environmental Racism Experts Draws Parallels With Police Brutality
Native News Online—Sunday COVID-19 Navajo Nation Update: 27 New Cases and One New Death
Native Sun News Today—Moldy PPE reportedly used at Oyate Health Center
The Hill Op-Ed – The EPA’s emissions rollbacks will be devastating for Americans’ health
EPA—EPA Provides Additional Funding to Help Reduce Excess Nutrients in the Gulf of Mexico Watershed
EPA—EPA Proposal Strengthens Regulations and Protects Children from Exposure to Lead-Contaminated Dust
National Association of Clean Air Agencies – Washington Update
Climate Change/Energy
ENN—Lasers and Bubbles: Solving the Arctic’s Methane Puzzle
CarbonBrief—In-depth: BP data reveals clean electricity matched coal for the first time in 2019
New York Times—Climate Change Tied to Pregnancy Risks, Affecting Black Mothers Most
Yes! Magazine—The Myth of Economic Sacrifice: Indigenous Artists Use Technology to Tell Stories About Their Ancestral Lands
Ensia—As Climate Change Makes Growing Seasons Less Predictable, Scientists Dig Into a Novel Approach to Boost Crop Resilience
NPR—Soil Prof Hits Pay Dirt: $250K Prize for Helping Farmers, Fighting Climate Change
Toxics/Mobile Sources
The Hill – Nevada adopting California’s tough car pollution rules, pushing back against Trump administration
ENN—Dust Traverses the Atlantic Ocean
US News—States See Uptick in Young Virus Patients
Yes! Magazine—How to Get Off Fossil Fuels Quickly and Fairly
The Hill – Ford aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050
NPR—‘Like Poking a Beehive’: The Worrisome Link between Deforestation and Disease
ICCT—NOx and CO2 emissions from trucks: What trade-off?
Indoor Air Quality
The Herald Journal—Commercial building owners and managers focusing on ways to reduce the spread of workplace illness while maintaining energy efficiency
International Environmental Technology—How to Minimize Indoor Air Pollution During Lockdown
Forbes—5 Easy-To-Grow Houseplants That Improve Indoor Air Quality
NPR Interview—Amid Confusion About Reopening, An Expert Explains How to Assess COVID-19 Risk
Be sure to subscribe to EPA’s IAQ Bulletins
TOP STORIES/HEADLINES: Week of June 8-12, 2020
TOP STORIES
TODAY!!
The National Tribal Air Association, in partnership with the California Air Resources Board Presents an Informational Webinar for Tribes on
EPA’s Proposed NAAQS Review of Particulate Matter on Wednesday, June 10, 2020 at 2 pm ET. To register, listen in and view documents discussed on the webinar, click here.
This informational webinar is part of NTAA’s Policy Resource Kit to respond to EPA Proposed Updates to the NAAQS for Particulate Matter. On April 14, 2020, the EPA announced its proposal to retain the NAAQS for particulate matter (PM) without changes. This includes both fine (PM2.5) and coarse (PM10) particles. The EPA is required to review these standards every five years and to revise them, if appropriate, to provide the required protection for public health and welfare.
This proposal was published in the Federal Register on April 30, 2020 and can be viewed here. The deadline for comments is June 29, 2020. You can access NTAA’s Policy Resource Kit, including a template letter your Tribe can use to submit comments on NTAA’s website here.
The NTAA is hosting a webinar to present the 2020 Status of Tribal Air Report (STAR) on Wednesday, June 24, 2020 at 2pm ET. You can register, listen in and view the STAR discussed on the call here: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6170570713217956108
Each year, NTAA publishes the STAR to highlight the dedicated work and contributions from Tribal air quality programs to advance air quality across the nation. The STAR will be published on June 22 on NTAA’s website and the webinar on the 24th will provide an overview of the STAR and detail the many stories within the STAR.
HEADLINES
Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes
U.S. EPA – EPA Celebrates 50 Years of Protecting Our Nation’s Air
Bloomberg – Rethinking Air Pollution after the Virus
New York Times – On Tribal Lands, a Time to Make Art for Solace and Survival
Las Vegas Sun – Tribal nations keep their distance to preserve their culture
Indian Country Today – Mashpee Wampanoag ruling a ‘win for all of Indian Country’
Indian Country Today – Investigation reveals a consistent picture: ‘It’s really hard to vote in Indian country’
The Colorado Sun – Ute tribes reimagine Bear Dances, a key ceremony of renewal, as coronavirus locks down Colorado reservations
U.S. EPA – EPA Proposes Honest Accounting Standard to Improve Future Clean Air Act Rules
Lexology – U.S. EPA Proposes Rule Governing Cost Benefit Analysis for Significant CAA Regulations
NRDC – Amid Pandemic, EPA Proposal Distorts the Benefits of Reducing Air Pollution
The Charlotte Post – Activists: Communities of color most at risk from EPA air standard policy as proximity leads to more incidences
NPR – As EPA Steps Back, States Face Wave Of Requests For Environmental Leniency
The Hill – In Trump response to coronavirus, left sees environmental injustice
The Hill – EPA faces third lawsuit after suspending enforcement of pollution monitoring
National Association of Clean Air Agencies – Washington Update
Climate Change/Energy
Yale Climate Connections – By paying attention, tribes in the Northwoods are leading the way on climate change
New York Times – E.P.A. Limits States’ Power to Oppose Pipelines and Other Energy Projects
The Hill – Climate agency reports May was hottest on record worldwide
Nexus News Media – Report Finds the United States Could Get to 90 Percent Clean Power by 2035
Grist – How renewable energy could emerge on top after the pandemic
Toxics/Mobile Sources
Ecowatch – EPA Likely to Approve Mine That Threatens Alaska’s Largest Salmon Nursery
St. Louis Post-Dispatch – EPA says farmers can use existing supplies of dicamba even though a court blocked sales and use of the weed killer
Indoor Air Quality
Discover – Can This Cheap, DIY Air Pollution Sensor Help the World Get Clean Air?
Be sure to subscribe to EPA’s IAQ Bulletins
TOP STORIES/HEADLINES: Week of June 1-5, 2020
TOP STORIES
2020 Clean Air Excellence Awards
Applications and nominations for EPA’s 2020 Clean Air Excellence Awards Now Being Accepted! Application deadline is July 31, 2020. For nomination information, click here.
The Clean Air Excellence Awards Program, established at the recommendation of the Clean Air Act Advisory Committee, periodically recognizes and honors outstanding innovative efforts to help make progress in achieving cleaner air. Award-winning entries must directly or indirectly reduce pollutant emissions, demonstrate innovation, offer sustainable outcomes, and provide a model for others to follow.
National Indian Health Board & National Tribal Air Association are partnering for a webinar on Public Health and Clean Air
June 4, 1 PM (ET). Register here.
This webinar will describe the importance of clean air to public health; the basics of the landmark federal law regulating air quality, the Clean Air Act; and how Tribes can work with EPA and other partners to monitor air quality on Tribal Lands. Presented by Wilfred J. Nabahe, Chairman of the National Tribal Air Association and Director of the Colorado River Indian Tribes’ Environmental Protection Office
Welcome to NTAA’s latest Policy Advisory Committee member Bill Droessler!
Bill Droessler is the Program Development Officer at Environmental Initiative (EI), a nonprofit organization that works with businesses, communities, and nonprofit and government leaders to develop collaborative solutions to environmental problems. For nearly 20 years, he has also been leading EI’s Clean Air Minnesota (CAM), a nationally award-winning public-private-community partnership focusing on developing, administering, and funding voluntary emission-reduction projects across Minnesota and other states.
He has worked on environmental issues for major international corporations, state and federal agencies, and nonprofits. He holds a BA in Government and History from Beloit College and a law degree from the Environment and Energy Law Program at Chicago Kent – College of Law, Illinois Institute of Technology. Learn more about NTAA’s Policy Advisory Committee here.
HEADLINES
Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes
Air Quality News—Vehicles type particles ‘significant’ source of marine microplastic pollution
Chemical & Engineering News—How air pollution messes with our minds
EPA—President Trump Delivering on Promise to Protect Our Nation’s Air
CNN – Scientists say they have found the cleanest air on Earth
NOLA—Lawsuit: EPA lags in enforcing air pollution rules in Ville Platte, other poor communities
Reuters – U.S. EPA moves to curb state powers to deny permits for energy projects
Washington Post – EPA opts not to delay controversial Alaska mine for now
Eurek Alert – Study demonstrates association between exposure to air pollution and vascular damage
National Association of Clean Air Agencies – Washington Update
Climate Change/Energy
E&E News—Global CO2 has risen for a century. That appears to be over
Climate Signals—Climate Change & Wildfires
New York Times—EPA Limits State’s Power to Oppose Pipelines and Other Energy Projects
E&E—Rough economy, Trump rollbacks could hike methane emissions
The Guardian—The Collapse of coal: pandemic accelerates Appalachia job losses
EPA—EPA proposes that no additional measures are necessary pursuant to Clean Air Act (CAA) section 211(v) to mitigate the adverse air quality impacts of the renewable fuel volumes required under CAA section 211(o).
Axios – The alarm over climate financial risk gets louder because of coronavirus
Toxics/Mobile Sources
NPR Podcast—The Pandemic Cut Down Car Traffic. Why Not Air Pollution?
EPA—EPA announces a virtual public hearing to be held May 28, 2020, on its proposal for the “Fuels Regulatory Streamlining Rule,” which was signed on April 13, 2020.
Indoor Air Quality
Scientific American—Coronavirus Lockdowns May Raise Exposure to Indoor Air Pollution
Be sure to subscribe to EPA’s IAQ Bulletins
TOP STORIES/HEADLINES: Week of May 25-29, 2020
TOP STORIES
The NTAA has published the 2020 Update to A White Paper Detailing the Science and Connections Between Air Pollution, Tribes, and Public Health
The NTAA originally published this white paper in 2019 as a resource to Tribes. The white paper has now been updated to reflect research that has been published since then on the connection between air quality and health, as well as the emerging connections between air pollution and health outcomes from COVID-19. The 2020 update can now be found using the above link or by going directly to the NTAA’s website, and will be included as an attachment to the NTAA 2020 Status of Tribal Air Report (STAR), which will be published June 22.
HEADLINES
Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes
Drilled – Trump Is Racing to Finalize Environmental Rollbacks. This Obscure Regulation May Be One Reason Why
Forbes – America’s Air Is Getting Worse: Here’s Why
National Law Review – U.S. EPA Proposes Rule That Would Transform the Guidance Process
E&E News – EPA starts ‘measured and deliberate’ reopening
E&E News – Air Pollution: Lawsuit marks first step in legal brawl over toxics rule
E&E News – Army Corps makes last-minute change in Pebble plan
Air Quality News – Air pollution linked to Parkinson’s disease
Bloomberg Law – Insight: What’s at Stake in EPA’s MATS Finding Reversal
Biomass Magazine – EPA opens comment period on wood heater proposal
National Association of Clean Air Agencies – Washington Update
Climate Change/Energy
Independent – Trump administration slows on fracking plans after outcry for impacted Navajo Nation
Reuters – Help us protect the headwaters of the Amazon from oil companies, elders say
Inside Climate News – New York’s Use of Landmark Climate Law Could Resound in Other States
New Orleans Public Radio – ‘There Is No Way Back Anymore’: Louisiana’s Coastal Land Loss Is Inevitable
E&E News – Wis. utility to close coal plant blamed for high costs
E&E News – What’s next for oil? 3 questions answered
E&E News – Trail of spills haunts Dakota Access developer
NY Times – ‘Expect More’: Climate Change Raises Risk of Dam Failures
NY Times – What a Week’s Disasters Tell Us About Climate and the Pandemic
CarbonBrief – Webinar [recording]: What impact is Covid-19 having on global CO2 emissions?
ENN – Marine Species Are Outpacing Terrestrial Species In The Race Against Global Warming
Toxics/Mobile Sources
The Hill – Automakers fight effort to freeze fuel efficiency standards
AP – Democrats protest removal of Transportation watchdog
NPR – Our Pandemic Habits Cut Carbon Emissions, But It’s Not Clear They’ll Last
NPR – On Nearly Emptied Roads, Motor Vehicle Fatality Rate Spikes By 14% In March
EPA – EPA Takes Next Step to Implement PFAS Legislation
E&E News – Tesla’s ‘Battery Day’: Business as usual or an EV coup?
E&E News – Commuter are adapting to the virus. What it means for CO2
CarbonBrief – Fuel savings in US cars have ‘cut 17bn tonnes of CO2 since 1975’
Indoor Air Quality
National Herald – Indoor air quality and asthma during COVID-19
Fast Company – We spend 90% of our time inside – why don’t we care that indoor air is so polluted?
Be sure to subscribe to EPA’s IAQ Bulletins
TOP STORIES/HEADLINES: Week of May 18-22, 2020
TOP STORIES
The NTAA Submitted Comments on EPA’s Transparency in Science SNPRM
The NTAA submitted a comment letter on EPA’s Transparency in Science supplemental proposal on May 18, 2020. You can view the letter here, as well as access all of NTAA’s Policy Resource Kits here. Also, the following article highlights other responses to this proposal: Inside Climate News – EPA’s ‘Secret Science’ Rule Meets with an Outpouring of Protest on Last Day for Public Comment
HEADLINES
Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes
NPR – Traffic Is Way Down Because Of Lockdown, But Air Pollution? Not So Much
The Hill – EPA effort to limit guidance could undermine past administration policy
The Hill – Trump orders agencies to cut regulations that ‘inhibit economic recovery’
Reuters – In Brief: 9th Circuit won’t stay ruling canceling Keystone XL pipeline permit
PBS – Keystone pipeline project proceeds amidst COVID-19 pandemic
The Hill – House Democrats seek to codify environmental inequality mapping tool
Earther – ‘I’m Scared’: Study Links Cancer Alley Air Pollution to Higher Death Rates From Covid-19
Yes Magazine – What’s in a Social Justice Diet?
Washington Post – The Energy 202: Public hearings on Zoom have Native Americans worried they won’t be heard on oil projects
The Guardian – Canada: Wet’suwet’en sign historic deal to negotiate land rights
Reuters – Judge tosses CERCLA lawsuit against U.S. Steel over coke plant emissions
Heated – A deadly re-opening. The Grand Canyon is re-opening, apparently without informing visitors of the Navajo Nation’s strict lockdown.
Reuters – Court rules U.S. environment agency must protect states from upwind air pollution
National Association of Clean Air Agencies – Washington Update
Climate Change/Energy
Al Jazeera – A moment of reckoning – when coronavirus meets climate change
Reuters – Trump admin slaps solar, wind operators with retroactive rent bills
The Guardian – Coal industry will never recover after coronavirus pandemic, say experts
Wyoming Public Media – Employment, Revenue Threatened With “Multi-Year Low” Natural Gas Pricing
NY Times – Natural Gas Exports Slow as Pandemic Reduces Global Demand
Axios – The post-coronavirus greenhouse gas emissions bounce back
Mother Jones – There’s a Lot Less Pollution But Climate Change Is Still Getting Worse
Time – As the Rest of the World Plans a Green Recovery, America Is Once Again Falling Behind
Earther – Looming Landslide in Alaska Could Trigger Enormous Tsunami at Any Moment, Scientists Warn
NY Times – In the Shadows of America’s Smokestacks, Virus Is One More Deadly Risk
Toxics/Mobile Sources
Washington Post – EPA staff warned that mileage rollbacks had flaws. Trump officials ignored them.
Bloomberg Law – California Sues EPA, Highway Agency Over Emissions Waiver
The Guardian – Is the Covid-19 crisis the catalyst for greening the world’s airlines?
E&E News – Justices reject renewable fuel standard, NEPA disputes
Bloomberg Law – Round-the-Clock Cremations Stoke Mercury Fears for Neighborhoods
Utility Dive – Energy storage poised to tackle grid challenges from rising EVs as mobile chargers bring new flexibility
NY Times – The Pandemic Will Permanently Change the Auto Industry
Grist – Will social distancing kill car-free culture?
Reuters – Exclusive: Tesla’s secret batteries aim to rework the math for electric cars and the grid
Indoor Air Quality
E&E News – EPA packs ‘economic relief’ for industry into stove rule
American Council on Science and Health – Air Pollution And COVID-19: Stay In Or Get Out?
Be sure to subscribe to EPA’s IAQ Bulletins
TOP STORIES/HEADLINES: Week of May 11-15, 2020
TOP STORIES
NTAA Publishes a Fact Sheet on EPA’s Proposed Updates to the NAAQS for Particulate Matter
EPA is proposing to retain the NAAQS for particulate matter without changes. The NTAA is developing a full Policy Resource Kit (PRK), including a Fact Sheet, Tribal Template Letter, Informational Webinar, and Comment Letter to help your Tribe in responding to this proposal. The deadline to comment is June 29, 2020. The EPA will be holding public hearings on May 20 and May 21. The Fact Sheet can be found here and stay tuned for the rest of the PRK!
HEADLINES
Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes
Grist – EPA settlements are supposed to hold polluters accountable. Will coronavirus get them off the hook?
New York Times Op-ed – A Life on and Off the Navajo Nation: The reservation has some of the most coronavirus cases per capita in the country.
E&E News – Tensions flare over sluggish EPA revamp of cost-benefit rule
E&E News – Agency leans on 1870s ‘housekeeping’ law to block science
E&E News – Tribes seek delay in Trump’s Tongass rule
Grist – ‘Get the hell off’: The indigenous fight to stop a uranium mine in the Black Hills
Washington Post – The Energy 202: A Harvard study tying coronavirus death rates to pollution is causing an uproar in Washington
Wisconsin Public Radio – Tracking Coronavirus Impacts On Air Quality
EPA – North Dakota Tribes receive $810,000 to cleanup and revitalize properties
EPA – Northern Cheyenne Tribe receives $364,500 to cleanup and revitalize properties
E&E News – Watchdog to study coronavirus’ impacts on EPA
E&E News – Coal: Meet America’s 10 largest emitters
NY Times – The Trump Administration Is Reversing Nearly 100 Environmental Rules. Here’s the Full List.
Editor’s note: The “Air pollution and emissions” category tops the list in the number of both completed and total rollbacks.
NY Times – Tribal Nations Face Most Severe Crisis in Decades as the Coronavirus Closes Casinos
National Association of Clean Air Agencies – Washington Update
Climate Change/Energy
Reuters – States ask Trump administration to pay laid off oil workers to plug abandoned wells
Axios – Too hot to handle
Reuters – Life-threatening extreme heat set to trap millions indoors by 2060
E&E News – Gas peakers to renewable storage: The next climate fight?
Native Sun News Today – Pipeline loses permit, but construction continues
NY Times – Will the Coronavirus Crisis Trump the Climate Crisis?
CarbonBrief – Leading economists: Green coronavirus recovery also better for economy
CarbonBrief – Analysis: What impact will the coronavirus pandemic have on atmospheric CO2?
Utility Dive – Trump’s security order could have ‘chilling effect,’ slow smart grid deployment, experts say
Bloomberg Green – Covid Crisis Will Be Overshadowed by Climate Threat, Engie Says
The New Republic – There Are Green Jobs Hiding in the Oilfields
Toxics/Mobile Sources
E&E News – Lack of rail limits U.S. ability to lower airline emissions
Reuters – U.S. pipeline regulator strikes down Washington state’s crude-by-rail safety limits
Gizmodo – The EPA Introduced the First-Ever US Airplane Carbon Regulations
Bloomberg – The Car Is Staging a Recovery, Spurring Oil’s Recovery
E&E News – Car Rules: Green group threatens to sue EPA for withholding docs
NY Times – New Breed of Pickups Mixes Horsepower and Battery Power
C&EN – CFC replacements are a source of persistent organic pollution in the Artic
CNBC – Goldman Sachs warns jet fuel demand may never fully recover from the crisis
Indoor Air Quality
Safety and Health Magazine – COVID-19 pandemic: EPA, CDC team on guidance for keeping workplaces clean when reopening
Middletown Transcript – Carper asks if EPA plans to reverse decision stopping sale of residential wood heaters
Vox – Gas stoves can generate unsafe levels of indoor air pollution
Bloomberg – California Wants to See How Cooking With Gas Affects Indoor Air
Be sure to subscribe to EPA’s IAQ Bulletins
TOP STORIES/HEADLINES: Week of May 4-8, 2020
TOP STORIES
COVID-19 Economic Impact Check Information
The IRS has developed this webpage to help ensure everyone who is eligible receives their economic impact payment.
It’s Air Quality Awareness Week!
Stay tuned here for more information.
The theme for this year is Better Air, Better Health! Our goal is to promote events that increase air quality awareness and encourage people to check the Air Quality Index (AQI) daily. We plan to focus on the following daily topics this year, featuring one each day on the AQAW website (which will be released on May 4, the first day of AQAW):
- Monday – Wildfires & Smoke
- Tuesday – Asthma & Your Health
- Wednesday – Where’s Your AQI Coming From?
- Thursday – Air Quality Around the World
- Friday – Shout-out of state and local events
U.S. EPA would also like to share with you a new student engagement activity that was developed this year, Why I Care about Clean Air (instructions found in link), that can easily be distributed and completed from home.
Flexibility with GAP Awards during Coronavirus
EPA’s Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Grant Issues in Response to the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Public Health Emergency is available here and addresses generally applicable policies and practices. These FAQs address a broad number of issues, including grant procedures, allowable costs, disruption of services, procurement, and extensions, among other topics. Each individual work plan and award situation may be different based on your tribe’s unique situation and tribal personnel policies. We encourage you to work closely with your project officer to address your specific questions. You can also subscribe to the EPA Grants Listserv so that you may receive updates on information as it becomes available. Generally, EPA is working to provide the maximum flexibility permitted by law to continue financial assistance support to tribes and other grant recipients. For GAP recipients, this means:
- You may continue to conduct your GAP work plan activities while teleworking. If your current work plan activities are not suitable for telework, you may work with your project officer to re-negotiate some or portions of your work plan,
- You may request an extension of your project period, and
- If in the 4th year of a stand-alone GAP award (the regulatory limit), AIEO is requesting a one-time waiver so that impacted GAP awards may be extended into a 5th
Proposed Rule: Review of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Particulate Matter
EPA has published this proposal in the Federal Register, and the NTAA is developing a full Policy Resource Kit. The proposal states that no changes to the NAAQS for particulate matter will be taken at this time. The deadline to comment is June 29, 2020, and two virtual public hearings will be held on May 20 and May 21.
HEADLINES
Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes
EPA – EPA Provides Grant Funding to Support Environmental Justice Communities Impacted by COVID-19
E&E News – Tribes: Pandemic relief starts flowing
NBC News – 173 years, $170: Why Irish people are donating to help Native Americans hit by coronavirus
Editor’s note: the NTAA has developed a Policy Resource Kit in response to this SNPRM, and will be submitting a comment letter opposing the proposal on May 18.
Alliance for Green Heat – EPA amending wood heater deadline to address pandemic sales slump
AU News – Ozone layer: Largest ever tear over the Arctic has closed
EPA – EPA, CDC Release Guidance for Cleaning and Disinfecting Spaces Where Americans Live, Work, and Play
Indian Country Today – Virtual meetings set for drilling plan near Chaco national park
Indian Country Today – Pressure mounts as tribes seek more time on drilling plan
National Association of Clean Air Agencies – Washington Update
Climate Change/Energy
AP – Judge cancels hundreds of oil, gas leases in Montana
Bloomberg – TC Energy Says Montana Ruling Could Delay Keystone XL by a Year
AP – Takeaways from renewable energy’s struggles amid pandemic
NBC – Cheap oil? A pandemic? No big deal for renewable energy, experts say
Indian Country Today – Virus darkens prospects for solar, wind projects
NY Times – Billions in Clean Energy Loans Go Unused as Coronavirus Ravages Economy
Reuters – Next risk? Coronavirus pandemic underscores climate health threats
Business Insider – How climate change could make infectious diseases even more difficult to combat in the future
E&E News – An Alaska glacier collapsed. Warming was the likely trigger
E&E News – Is gas really better than coal for the climate?
Yes! Magazine – Carbon Emissions Turned Back 10 Years
NY Times – Emissions Declines Will Set Records This Year. But It’s Not Good News.
CarbonBrief – IEA: Coronavirus impact on CO2 emissions six times larger than 2008 financial crisis
NY Times – The Business of Burps: Scientists Smell Profit in Cow Emissions
Toxics/Mobile Sources
Bloomberg – Single-Use Plastics Make a Comeback on Pandemic Fears
EPA – EPA Announces Cooperative Agreement to Support the National Tribal Toxics Council (NTTC)
Indoor Air Quality
Grist – Study: Gas-powered appliances may be hazardous for your health
Utility Dive – Elevating energy efficiency – At last!
YubaNet – How to Reduce Your Exposure to Indoor Air Pollution during COVID-19 Related Lockdowns: New Guide
Be sure to subscribe to EPA’s IAQ Bulletins
TOP STORIES/HEADLINES: Week of April 27-May 1, 2020
TOP STORIES
Welcome to Mariah Ashley, the new National Tribal Air Association Program Coordinator!
After a thorough search, Ms. Ashley comes to NTAA after working for ITEP’s Climate Change Program. Previous to that, she had more than three years of progressive experience as the Operations Manager for the Black Mesa Water Coalition. BMWC is an indigenous-led, grassroots organization that focuses on food sovereignty, cultural and Indigenous knowledge, as well as empowering Diné youth through organizing. As a member of the Navajo Nation, Ms. Ashley has also worked for the Navajo Nation’s Division of Natural Resources in the Water Management Office as an intern. Ms. Ashley holds an Associate Degree of Applied Science from Diné College and a Bachelor of Applied Science in Environmental Science with a Geology Emphasis from Northern Arizona University. Ms. Ashley joins the NTAA staff to support the NTAA Executive Committee, NTAA member Tribes, and Tribal air programs across Indian Country on May 4th. Please join us in welcoming Mariah to NTAA! You can reach her at [email protected].
TAMS Steering Committee Nomination
The TAMS Steering Committee is composed of a rotating roster of tribal environmental professionals and ex officio members who meet regularly to discuss tribal air quality monitoring and other air quality technical support needs. Nomination is open until May 31, 2020. Nominate a recipient here.
HEADLINES
Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes
Department of the Interior – White House Re-Establishes Council on Native American Affairs to Support Continued Inter-Agency Coordination with Indian Country
ABC News – Tribes urge Treasury to disburse coronavirus relief funding
BBC – How air pollution exacerbates Covid-19
The Guardian – Coronavirus detected on particles of air pollution
Bloomberg News – Virus Prompts California to Study Air Pollution, Public Health
Grist – The world is on lockdown. So where are all the carbon emissions coming from?
EPA – Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians Recognized as EPA WasteWise National Tribal Partner of the Year
Desert Sun – Environmental groups sue EPA over smog, air quality rules in Imperial County
E&E News – Study: Agency sat on $16M in enforcement funds
Yes! Magazine – What We Can Learn About Resilience from Indigenous Leaders
Indian Country Today – ‘Indian Country is particularly vulnerable to COVID-19’
USA Today – Native American tribes have been hit hard by coronavirus, and they’re battling red tape to get help
National Association of Clean Air Agencies – Washington Update
Climate Change/Energy
Indian Country Today – Court ruling puts pipeline projects across the country on hold
Indian Country Today – Tribes’ billion dollar oil industry…and now?
The Week – How to bail out the oil industry without destroying the planet
E&E News – Here’s what an oil bailout could mean for emissions
Huffpost – Falling Oil Prices Breathe New Life into an Old Idea: Nationalize the Industry
NPR – It’s Hard To Think About Climate Change During A Pandemic. Here’s how to stay Engaged.
Colorlines – Earth Day: Deadly Impact of Climate Change and COVID-19 Collide in Low-Wage Earning Communities
High Country News – How climate research continues during stay-at-home orders
ENN – Reducing the Carbon Footprint of Artificial Intelligence
NY Times – Here’s How Coronavirus Could Raise Cities’ Risk for Climate Disasters
Toxics/Mobile Sources
Cleveland Scene – Failure to Support Vehicle Pollution Standards Hurts GM in Customer Survey
Air Quality News – New database for car buyers reveals vehicle pollution levels
Indoor Air Quality
Salt Lake Tribune – Wyoming tribes face unique challenges in coronavirus fight
WISC News – Chemists look for ways to assess and improve indoor air quality
Be sure to subscribe to EPA’s IAQ Bulletins