TOP STORIES/HEADLINES: Week of April 13-17, 2020

TOP STORIES

2020 Tribal DERA RFA is open!

EPA’s Office of Transportation and Air Quality is now soliciting applications nationwide for the 2020 Tribal Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) funded projects that achieve significant reductions in diesel emissions and diesel emissions exposure, particularly from fleets located in areas designated as having poor air quality. EPA anticipates $2 million will be awarded to eligible Tribal applicants for two to eight grants. The deadline for submission of applications is Thursday, July 9, 2020, at 11:59 p.m. (ET). More information can be found in the Mobile Sources Resources & Funding section below.

 

The Tribal Healthy Homes Network, ITEP and NTAA participated in a webinar last week on COVID-19 Cleaning and Disinfecting Tribal homes. Click here to view the recorded webinar.

 

ITEP’s American Indian Air Quality Training Program would like your feedback!

While ITEP is not currently able to provide in-person trainings for Tribes on air quality issues due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we can make ourselves available to provide tribes with webinars and on-line learning opportunities.  Answering the questions at this link will greatly aid us in understanding how best we can meet your current training needs. If you have any questions, contact [email protected]

 

HEADLINES

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

EPA – EPA Proposes to Retain NAAQS for Particulate Matter

 

Axios – EPA declines to change air quality standards despite health risks

 

Salon – Higher rates of air pollution linked to more COVID-19 deaths, study shows

 

NPR – A Treacherous Choice and a Treaty Right

 

NPR – With Coronavirus Lockdown, India’s Cities See Clear Blue Skies as Air Pollution Drops

 

High Country News – Casino closures in Indian Country hit core tribal services

 

Grist – Coronavirus could cause the first big emissions drop in a decade

 

EPA – EPA Takes Corrective Action on Standards for Coal-Refuse Power Plants

 

EPA – EPA Requests Comments on Designations and Recommendations for Recycled-Content Products

 

Emory – Emory scientists working with NASA to map air pollution and its impact on health

 

NASA – NASA Satellite Data Show 30 Percent Drop In Air Pollution Over Northeast U.S.

 

National Association of Clean Air Agencies – Washington Update

 

Climate Change/Energy

U.S EPA – Latest Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks Shows Long-Term Reductions, with Annual Variation

 

E&E News – Want to cut CO2? Here’s a technology playbook

 

Green Tech Media – 7 Transmission Projects That Could Unlock a Renewable Energy Bounty

 

LA Times – Should we spend billions on clean energy? It worked during the last crisis

 

The Hill – Democrat questions WH transparency in rollback of bedrock environmental law

 

Vanity Fair – “Climate Change Is Exacerbating…Risks”: Stressed by Coronavirus, First Responders Prep for a Dangerous Summer

 

E&E News – Exxon moves to slash methane emissions at 1,000 sites

 

E&E News – How ending the price war on oil could affect emissions

 

Yes! Magazine – How the Climate Change Generation Is Redefining Community

 

High Country News – Tribal nations demand response to climate relocation

 

CarbonBrief – Deep emissions cuts this decade could prevent ‘abrupt ecological collapse’

 

CarbonBrief – Analysis: Coronavirus set to cause largest ever annual fall in CO2 emissions

 

Utility Dive – Clearer picture of coronavirus-driven grid load declines emerges in US after weeks of lockdowns

 

SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry – Don’t Look to Mature Forests to Soak up Carbon Dioxide Emissions

 

NPR – Carbon Emissions Are Falling, But Still Not Enough, Scientist Say

 

Toxics/Mobile Sources

EPA – EPA Proposes Money-Saving Updates to Existing Gasoline, Diesel, Other Fuels Regulations

 

Grist – Green transportation, from electric cars to walkable cities

 

Utility Dive – Global EV sales will drop 43% in 2020 due to COVID-19, lower oil prices: WoodMac

 

Bloomberg News – Makers of Covid-19 Disinfectants Given More Flexibility by EPA

 

Indoor Air Quality

Discover – Spending Lots of Time Indoors? Here’s How to Improve Air Quality in Your Home

 

Curbed – Breathe cleaner air everywhere

 

EWG – Cooped Up Because Of Coronavirus? Keep the Air Fresh

 

Be sure to subscribe to EPA’s IAQ Bulletins

2020-04-15T16:03:40+00:00April 15th, 2020|TOP STORIES & HEADLINES|

TOP STORIES/HEADLINES: Week of April 6-10, 2020

TOP STORIES

NY TimesNew Research Links Air Pollution to Higher Coronavirus Death Rates

From the article: Coronavirus patients in areas that had high levels of air pollution before the pandemic are more likely to die from the infection than patients in cleaner parts of the country, according to a new nationwide study that offers the first clear link between long-term exposure to pollution and Covid-19 death rates.

 

Free Webinar Today at 3 pm EDT!

Issues Affecting Native American Communities during the COVID-19 Crisis

The American Bar Association (ABA) is hosting a number of free webinars related to Covid-19. The COVID 19 crisis is affecting Native American tribes and urban communities in ways that are unique to this population in terms of health challenges, economic impact and legal issues.  This webinar will discuss how Native Americans are being impacted through this crisis both from a health perspective and an economic perspective.  This webinar will be segmented into three parts: (1) First, there will be discussion of the provisions in the stimulus packages that are directed to Native communities; (2) Second, the panelists will discuss the unique health and operational challenges in both rural and urban Native communities; and (3) Finally, this webinar will address the economic and legal impact both in the short-term and long-term in tribal communities.

Date: Wednesday, April 8, 2020 at 3:00 p.m. EDT. Register here. More information is available here.

The NTAA Requests Photos of Air Quality Work from Member Tribes

The NTAA is putting out a request for Member Tribes to send in photos to use on the cover of the 2020 Status of Tribal Air Report (STAR) that highlight work being done to improve air quality. Photos may include air monitoring equipment, staff completing assessments, education/outreach, clean energy development, clean mobility efforts, or any other air quality related image. Please include photo credit and send images to [email protected] by April 23.

 

National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) – COVID-19 Resources for Indian Country

 

HEADLINES

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

EPA – EPA Announces Extended Comment Period on Supplement to Science Transparency Proposed Rule

Editor’s Note: NTAA recorded an informational webinar for Tribes yesterday on this proposal that can be found on NTAA’s Policy Resource Kit website here.

 

Cronkite News – EPA defends plan to ease compliance requirements in face of coronavirus

 

NPR – As Coronavirus Cases Rise, Navajo Nation Tries To Get Ahead Of Pandemic

 

Colorlines – Native Americans Fight Multiple COVID-19 Crises

 

U.S. EPA – EPA to Donate Personal Protective Equipment to State and Local Responders Fighting COVID-19 across the Country

 

Tribal Tribune – Need something to do while stuck at home? Get ready for fire season with these suggestions

 

E&E News – Pandemic stalls water, tribal lands cases indefinitely

 

National Association of Clean Air Agencies – Washington Update

 

Climate Change/Energy

Yes! Magazine – Saving People from Coronavirus Can Teach Us How to Do the Same for Climate Change

 

Carbon Brief – Coronavirus: What could lifestyle changes mean for tackling climate change?

 

NPR – Pandemic Delays International Climate Change Negotiations

 

E&E News – Carbon Capture: EPA issues rule for CO2 injection

 

Toxics/Mobile Sources

The Hill – EPA loses case seeking modeling behind Obama mileage rollback

 

NY Times – Trump Calls New Fuel Economy Rule a Boon. Some Experts See Steep Costs.

 

AP – Cleanup of US nuclear waste takes back seat as virus spreads

 

The Hill – Advocates raise questions about proposal to allow some nuclear waste to be disposed in landfills

 

Indoor Air Quality

Oregon Live – 5 ways to improve indoor air quality, thwart respiratory illnesses

 

Huffpost – Cleaning Your Home for Coronavirus? Don’t Forget Your Indoor Air.

 

Be sure to subscribe to EPA’s IAQ Bulletins

2020-04-08T16:45:30+00:00April 8th, 2020|TOP STORIES & HEADLINES|

TOP STORIES/HEADLINES: Week of March 30 – April 3, 2020

TOP STORIES

NTAA Releases Tribal Template Letter for Commenting on EPA’s Supplemental Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (SNPRM) for Strengthening Transparency in Regulatory Science

The NTAA has released this Tribal Template Comment Letter, to help your Tribe in developing a response to EPA. Comments are due by April 17, 2020. The NTAA is also holding an informational webinar for Tribes to better understand this proposal and ask questions on Tuesday, April 7, 2020 at 2pm ET. Register, view documents, and hear the audio for the informational webinar here. Visit NTAA’s website for the complete PRK!

 

Tribal Consultation Announced on $8B Coronavirus Relief Fund for Tribes

The U.S. Department of the Interior and U.S. The Department of Treasury announced today through a Dear Tribal Leader Letter from the Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs that they will be holding at least two Tribal Leader Consultations to determine how to distribute $8 billion in funds set aside for tribal governments and tribal entities in the Coronavirus Relief Fund within The CARES Act. In addition to attending these Consultations, Tribal Leaders are encouraged to provide their input in writing no later than April 13 by emailing [email protected] and [email protected].

Explore the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s newly designed and updated online Air Sensor Toolbox. The toolbox offers easier navigation and more information on what EPA is doing to advance and support the development of air sensors for measuring local air quality.

  • Learn about air sensor performance, evaluation and use
  • Understand your air sensor readings
  • Explore EPA’s air sensor research projects and activities
  • Find resources for your air sensor project

Sign up for alerts about newly released publications, events and other air sensor announcements.

 

HEADLINES

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

Time – Federal Government Revoking Reservation Status for Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe’s 300 Acres

 

EPA – EPA Announces Enforcement Discretion Policy for COVID-19 Pandemic

 

Mother Jones – “An Open License to Pollute”: The EPA Has Halted Enforcement Due to COVID-19

 

NY Times – Coronavirus Doesn’t Slow Trump’s Regulatory Rollbacks

 

NY Times – Trump’s Environmental Rollbacks Find Opposition Within: Staff Scientists

 

Los Angeles Times – No running water. No electricity. On Navajo Nation, coronavirus creates worry and confusion as cases surge

 

Indian Country Today – Youth and Elders test positive for COVID-19 amid calls for donations

 

E&E News – Lax pollution enforcement can stress hospitals during virus

 

Al Jazeera – Indigenous race into Ecuador’s Amazon to escape coronavirus

 

Huffpost – States Quietly Pass Laws Criminalizing Fossil Fuel Protests amid Coronavirus Chaos

 

EPA – EPA Continues Efforts to Help Increase the Availability of Disinfectant Products for Use against the Novel Coronavirus

 

ENN – The Shutdown Is Clearing New York’s Air. Don’t Cheer Too Hard.

 

NPR – Plastic Wars: Industry Spent Millions Selling Recycling – To Sell More Plastic

 

National Association of Clean Air Agencies – Washington Update

 

Climate Change/Energy

Energy.gov – Department of Energy announces Up To $15 Million for Tribes to Deploy Energy Technology

 

AP – Earth Day video challenge encourages doing 1 good thing

 

The Hill – Court Oks Trump repeal of Obama public lands fracking rule

 

Vox – The missing puzzle piece for getting to 100% clean power

 

Bloomberg – Professor Sees Climate Mayhem Lurking Behind Covid-19 Outbreak

 

BBC – Will Covid-19 have a lasting impact on the environment?

 

Yes! – Lessons from the Coronavirus Can Help Us Overcome the Climate Crisis

 

Gizmodo – This Is What Climate Change Looks Like in an Era of Covid-19

 

Fortune – The oil sector is quickly running out of storage for its unprecedented surplus

 

NPR – Climate Change Push Fuels Split On Coronavirus Stimulus

 

Ensia – Opinion: Put Clean Energy at the Heart of Stimulus Plans to Counter the Coronavirus Crisis

 

NPR – Pandemic Delays Return of Arctic Researchers

 

E&E News – ‘We have never done this before.’ Inside N.Y.’s grid lockdown

 

NY Times – Australia’s Record Heat Means another Blow to Great Barrier Reef

 

CarbonBrief – Fossil fuel use not closely linked to longer life expectancy, study suggests

 

Utility Dive – How COVID-19 is impacting 5 state energy legislation efforts

 

ENN – Global Supply Chains as a Way to Curb Carbon Emissions

 

ENN – What Can We Learn From Covid-19 to Help With Climate Change?

 

Toxics/Mobile Sources

NPR – Trump Administration Weakens Auto Emissions Standards

 

NY Times – U.S. to Announce Rollback of Auto Pollution Rules, a Key Effort to Fight Climate Change

 

E&E News – Leaked draft: Trump emissions plan fails agency price test

 

E&E News – EPA eases gasoline blending requirements

 

NPR/ProPubilca – Plastic Wars: Industry Spent Millions Selling Recycling — To Sell More Plastic

 

NY Times – In Coronavirus, Industry Sees Chance to Undo Plastic Bag Bans

 

NPR – Builder of Controversial Keystone XL Pipeline Says It’s Moving Forward

 

NPR – Judge Orders Environmental Review of Controversial Dakota Access Pipeline

 

Indianz – Tribes score victory in long-running battle against Dakota Access Pipeline

 

Indoor Air Quality

Electrek – Pollution may make the coronavirus even worse – here’s how to protect yourself

 

Be sure to subscribe to EPA’s IAQ Bulletins

2020-04-01T16:37:41+00:00April 1st, 2020|TOP STORIES & HEADLINES|

TOP STORIES/HEADLINES: Week of March 23-27, 2020

TOP STORIES

NTAA welcomes Maranda Hamme, Environmental Manager for the Craig Tribal Association to the NTAA Executive Committee as the Alternate Alaska Representative! Maranda joins Ann Wyatt who is the Primary Alaska Representative on the NTAA EC and is the Environmental Planner for the Klawock Cooperative Association. Click here to learn about the NTAA Executive Committee.  

 

NTAA welcomes the newest member Tribes to the family of NTAA member Tribes: The Chickahominy Indian Tribe in Region 3 and The Muscogee (Creek) Nation in Region 6. With the addition of both these Tribes, NTAA’s membership now includes 151 member Tribes! Click here to learn more!

 

NTAA Releases a Policy Resource Kit on EPA’s Supplemental Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (SNPRM) for Strengthening Transparency in Regulatory Science

The NTAA has released this Fact Sheet, to help your Tribe in developing a response to EPA. Comments are due by April 17, 2020. NTAA is also holding an informational webinar for Tribes to better understand this proposal and ask questions on Tuesday, April 7, 2020 at 2pm ET. Register, view documents, and hear the audio for the informational webinar here. Stay tuned to the NTAA’s website for the complete PRK!

 

Health and Human Services Announces $80M to Support COVID-19 Response in Indian Country

The Department of Health and Human Services announced an $80 million spend plan for tribes, tribal organizations, and urban Indian organizations to support COVID-19 response efforts in Indian Country. Read the full release from HHS here.

 

NTAA and ITEP, in consultation with the 2020 NTFAQ Planning Committee, has determined that in the interest of public health and the well-being of our communities across the country, the 2020 National Tribal Forum on Air Quality will be cancelled. At this time, we are exploring options for rescheduling the event so that we can continue to deliver the high-quality experience you have come to expect from the NTFAQ. We are offering registration fee refunds for those who already submitted payment, and will be working closely with our project partners to communicate the cancellation, as well as plans for the future. If you have questions or comments, please contact [email protected].

 

HEADLINES

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

Indian Country Today – ‘We have a deal’ on emergency spending

 

ABC News – Tribes take measures to slow spread of new coronavirus

 

CNBC – Air pollution falls as coronavirus slows travel, but scientists warn of longer-term threat to climate change progress

 

The Hill – Advocacy groups push back on ‘business as usual’ at EPA during coronavirus

 

U.S. EPA – Message from OITA Assistant Administrator, Chad McIntosh, to Tribal Leaders and Tribal Environmental Director’s regarding COVID-19

 

Los Angeles Times – Does air pollution make you more susceptible to coronavirus? California won’t like the answer

 

Atmospheric and Oceanic Science Letters – Ammonia has been wrongly missing in portraying air pollution impacts

 

AP – Rules to reduce New Mexico methane emissions begin drafted

 

Indian Country Today – Indian Country’s COVID-19 syllabus

 

Indian Country Today – Dancing for the people (virtually)

 

NY Times – How the Coronavirus Crisis May Hinder Efforts to Fight Wildfires

 

National Association of Clean Air Agencies – Washington Update

 

Climate Change/Energy

Grist – The key ingredient to surviving both coronavirus and climate change: our shared sense of humanity

 

ABC3340 – Amid pandemic, US coal industry seeks lower taxes, royalties

 

Bloomberg Green – Coal Is Now the World’s Most Expensive Fossil Fuel

 

E&E News – U.N. shifts from climate change to coronavirus

 

Cronkite News – Lower carbon-capture costs could entice businesses to address climate change

 

Yes! Magazine – Why Coronavirus Is Humanity’s Wake-Up Call

 

CarbonBrief – Restoring soils could remove up to ‘5.5bn tonnes’ of greenhouse gases every year

 

ENN – Hidden Source of Carbon Found at the Arctic Coast

 

Toxics/Mobile Sources

NY Times – Traffic and Pollution Plummet as U.S. Cities Shut Down for Coronavirus

 

Huffpost – Airline Union Leader to Push For New Climate Rules amid Fight over Bailout

 

NY Times – Big Rigs Begin to Trade Diesel for Electric Motors

 

NPR – Louisiana’s Chemical Corridor Is Expanding. So Are Efforts to Stop It

 

EPA – EPA Extends Deadline to Apply for Community-Scale Air Toxics Monitoring Grants

 

Clean Technica – The Electric Car Cost Tipping Point

 

Indoor Air Quality

EU Today – The predicted “air pollution pandemic” includes an indoor threat

 

Malay Mail – Confinement: How to minimize air pollution inside your home

 

Be sure to subscribe to EPA’s IAQ Bulletins

2020-03-25T16:23:20+00:00March 25th, 2020|TOP STORIES & HEADLINES|

TOP STORIES/HEADLINES: Week of March 16-20, 2020

TOP STORIES

National Tribal Forum on Air Quality Has Been Cancelled

On Friday, March 13, 2020, the National Tribal Air Association (NTAA), along with others from EPA and the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals, held an emergency call and made the decision to cancel the 2020 National Tribal Forum on Air Quality, originally scheduled for May 25-28, 2020. This decision was made in light of the many Tribes across the country who have instituted travel bans for staff, and based on the recent guidance offered by the U.S. Center for Disease Control and the World Health Organization, to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The NTAA will continue to host national conference calls and webinars in service to its mission to support Tribal Air Quality Programs across the country. Conference cancellations are widespread, as this article in E&E News highlights, and mentions the cancellation of NTFAQ.

 

Resources for Protection from COVID-19

The EPA has published an expanded list of disinfectant products that are qualified for use against COVID-19. The American Lung Association has published an update titled Protecting Yourself during the Spread of the Coronavirus or COVID-19.

 

EPA’s Transparency in Science Supplemental Proposal published in the Federal Register today. NTAA will be publishing a Policy Resource Kit for Tribes to use to respond to the proposal that can be found here.

 

HEADLINES

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

E&E News – Science Advisory Board to review methane, water rules

 

Ensia – Opinion: Scientists Must Learn How to Interact with Indigenous People

 

E&E News – EPA won’t tighten asphalt emission standards

 

EPA – EPA to Review Lead Ambient Air Standards

 

The Hill – Adviser behind controversial EPA policies returns as agency chief of staff

 

High Country News – ‘This system cannot be sustained’

 

Science Daily – Air pollution is one of the world’s most dangerous health risks

 

NPR – China’s Efforts to Control Coronavirus Lead to Less Air Pollution

 

Washington Post – The coronavirus is deadly enough. But some experts wonder if bad air makes it worse.

 

AZ Central – Tribal and local activist air concerns about Resolution copper mine at Oak Flat for congressional subcommittee

 

National Association of Clean Air Agencies – Washington Update

 

Climate Change/Energy

Grist – Why don’t we treat climate change like an infectious disease?

 

NY Times – Social Distancing? You Might Be Fighting Climate Change, Too

 

Fortune – 5 charts projecting the cost of climate change by 2100

 

NPR – A Checkup on California’s Efforts to Combat Climate Change

 

NPR – Is Failure To Prepare For Climate Change A Crime?

 

Ensia – Does This Tiny Island Off the Coast of Maine Hold the Answer to the Future of Electricity?

 

E&E News – COVID-19 mimics climate catastrophe at ‘warp speed’

 

E&E News – Coronavirus and the U.S. grid: What to know

 

Cronkite News – Climate change already is diminishing the Colorado River, U.S. researchers find

 

Toxics/Mobile Sources

Green Car Congress – Emissions analytics finds pollution from tire wear can be 1,000x worse than exhaust emissions

 

Inside EV’s – Emissions-Free Future: A Look at the Appeal & Hesitation around EVs

 

Indoor Air Quality

E&E News – EPA denies request for leniency for wood stove standards

 

Be sure to subscribe to EPA’s IAQ Bulletins

2020-03-18T16:50:52+00:00March 18th, 2020|TOP STORIES & HEADLINES|

TOP STORIES/HEADLINES: Week of March 9-14, 2020

TOP STORIES

The NTAA Comments on the White House Council on Environmental Quality’s Proposal to Update its NEPA Implementing Regulations

The NTAA submitted comments on March 10, 2020, on the CEQ’s proposal to update the NEPA implementing regulations. This is in addition to the fact sheet, Tribal template letter, and webinar that the NTAA published as part of this Policy Resource Kit on our website.

 

The NTAA Wants Your Input!

The NTAA will be sending out a draft document to compile tribal national priorities regarding air quality programs. Be on the lookout in your inbox for this document! If you do not receive it by Monday, March 16, please contact [email protected].

 

HEADLINES

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

NPR – Students Want To Fix Air Quality For People With Asthma On The Yakama Reservation

 

The Hill – Experts warn EPA making ‘secret science’ rule more restrictive

 

NY Times – E.P.A. Updates Plan to Limit Science Used in Environmental Rules

 

Native Sun News – Tohono O’odham demand end to blasting of sacred sites for border wall

 

National Association of Clean Air Agencies – Washington Update

 

Climate Change/Energy

Indian Country Today – Clean energy produced on Navajo land could help power Los Angeles

 

The Guardian – Carbon emissions fall as electricity producers move away from coal

 

Anchorage Daily News – UBS bank won’t finance new offshore Arctic oil and gas projects

 

Native News Online – Wells Fargo Becomes Latest Bank to Halt Arctic Oil and Gas Projects

 

E&E News – ‘Tandem solar cell’ could slash industry costs

 

E&E News – ‘Remarkable leap.’ Va. backs 100% carbon-free electricity

 

NPR – Oil Prices, Stocks Plunge After Saudi Arabia Stuns World With Massive Discounts

 

ENN – Growing Nitrogen Footprint Threatens Our Air, Water and Climate

 

ENN – Habitat at Risk for Snow-Dependent Organisms

 

Toxics/Mobile Sources

Los Angeles Times – Taking an Uber or Lyft pollutes more than driving, California finds. Next stop: Regulations

 

NPR – States Take The Wheel Promoting Electric Vehicles

 

Gizmodo – The Coronavirus Outbreak Has Airlines Running Empty ‘Ghost’ Flights

 

NY Times – Coronavirus Could Slow Efforts to Cut Airlines’ Greenhouse Gas Emissions

 

Utility Dive – Electric refuse trucks on the road or on the way in rising number of states

 

Biz Journals – Maid of the Mist honoring Glynn, Tesla with electric boats

 

Indoor Air Quality

Kamath Falls News – Assistance for wood stove change out now available

 

Willamette Week – Air Pollution From Oregon Woodstoves Rival That From Wildfires

 

Be sure to subscribe to EPA’s IAQ Bulletins

2020-03-11T14:37:11+00:00March 11th, 2020|TOP STORIES & HEADLINES|

TOP STORIES/HEADLINES: Week of March 2-6, 2020

TOP STORIES

The Voices of Grand Canyon

Read, listen, watch, and learn in this story map about the native people of the Grand Canyon region. Jim Enote (Zuni), Nikki Cooley (Navajo), Leigh Kuwanwisiwma (Hopi), Coleen Kaska, (Havasupai), and Loretta Jackson-Kelly (Hualapai) share what the Grand Canyon means to them and what they know in their hearts to be true.

 

Indian Country Today – Tribes ‘cannot afford to lose’ the National Environmental Policy Act

Editor’s Note: The NTAA has posted a Policy Resource Kit, including a Tribal Template Letter, to aid your Tribe in commenting on the NEPA proposed changes. Comments are due into the White House by March 10, 2020.

 

Deadline for submitting proposals for the NTFAQ has been extended to March 20, 2020

The Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals and the National Tribal Air Association invite you to submit a proposal to present or conduct a session during the upcoming National Tribal Forum on Air Quality, scheduled for May 27-29, 2020 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The deadline for submitting proposals has been extended to March 20, 2020! We accept requests from tribal organizations, federal and local government agencies, colleges and universities, and other public and private sector representatives working in the field of air quality. In addition to traditional presentations or panel sessions, we encourage proposals with interactive elements, including demonstrations, roundtable discussions, listening sessions, workshopping opportunities, educational activities, special caucuses or other stakeholder meetings. To submit a request to present, or for more details on options, please visit this link.

 

EPA Announces Supplement to Science Transparency Proposed Rule

The NTAA commented on the original proposal, Strengthening Transparency in Regulatory Science, on August 13, 2018. Once this supplement is published in the Federal Register, there will be a 30 day comment period. The NTAA will be publishing a Fact Sheet, Tribal Template Letter, and Comment Letter as quickly as possible. Stay tuned!

 

HEADLINES

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

The Hill – Lawmakers grill EPA chief over push to slash agency’s budget

 

Inside Climate News – Breathing Polluted Air Shortens People’s Lives by an Average of 3 Years, a New Study Finds

 

US News – US Judge Cancels Oil and Gas Leases on Some Sage Grouse Land

 

PRNewswire – OG&E announces new solar projects with Chickasaw and Choctaw tribes; solar energy centers to be built in Davis and Durant, Oklahoma

 

EPA – EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler Calls for Applications to Develop and Implement National Environmental Education Training Program

 

Native Sun News – LaCreek, Pass Creek vote to accept KXL Pipeline money

 

Indian Country Today – Tribal leader: Border wall is ‘needlessly destructive’

 

Indian Country Today – Pebble Mine is on the ‘fast track’

 

Yes Magazine – Indigenous Blockades Don’t Just Decry Destruction – They Affirm Life

 

ENN – CO2 Tracking in Space

 

Daily Herald – Doctor’s orders: Does air pollution cause depression?

 

Gizmodo – China’s Air Pollution Rates Plummet after Coronavirus Lockdown

 

National Association of Clean Air Agencies – Washington Update

 

Climate Change/Energy

Utility Dive – Spending more on renewables ‘inappropriate,’ as technology is already viable: DOE Secretary

 

Grist – What would it take to get more farmers fighting climate change?

 

Reuters – Canada’s Trudeau to seek industry, indigenous input to define climate plan

 

WPR – Dairy State: Cheese Producers Wrestle with Climate Change amid Already Struggling Industry

 

Omaha World Herald – Will simple economics deal fatal blow to long-delayed Keystone XL pipeline?

 

The Guardian – Vital COP26 climate talks could be derailed by coronavirus

 

NPR – Better Late Than Never? Big Companies Scramble to Make Lofty Climate Promises

 

Ensia – 3 Ways to tell if Corporations are Genuine about Fighting Climate Change

 

NPR – Alaska Feels the Brunt as Investors Promise Retreat on Fossil Fuels

 

Indian Country Today – Scientists have long warned about link between pandemics and climate change

 

Yes Magazine – An Aspirational Vision of Life after Fossil Fuels

 

NY Times – Oil Industry Tool to Spare Polar Bears Is More Miss than Hit

 

NY Times – How a Trump Insider Embeds Climate Denial in Scientific Research

 

Toxics/Mobile Sources

US EPA – Agency Releases Annual Automotive Trends Report Showing Marginal Increases in Fuel Economy

 

Bloomberg – China’s Megacity Drivers Leading New Push to Cheap EV Batteries

 

NPR – Citing Climate Commitments, U.K. Court Blocks New Runway at Heathrow Airport

 

Reveal News – EPA scientists found a toxic chemical damages fetal hearts. The Trump White House rewrote their assessment.

 

Indoor Air Quality

Be sure to subscribe to EPA’s IAQ Bulletins

2020-03-04T15:23:42+00:00March 4th, 2020|TOP STORIES & HEADLINES|

TOP STORIES/HEADLINES: Week of February 21-24, 2020

TOP STORIES

 

Don’t forget about today’s NTAA Informational Webinar at 4 pm ET to help you comment on the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) proposed rulemaking (NPRM) in the Federal Register to update its regulations for implementing the procedural provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

The White House claims these updates would modernize and clarify the regulations to facilitate more efficient, effective, and timely NEPA reviews by Federal agencies in connection with proposals for agency action and would also reduce paperwork and delays and promote better decisions in accordance with section 101 of NEPA.

Comments are due March 10, 2020. You can register for the webinar here. NTAA has a Policy Resource Kit you can use to comment that includes this NTAA Tribal Template Letter. For additional information, including information on upcoming public hearings in Denver, CO and Washington, DC, visit https://www.whitehouse.gov/ceq/nepa-modernization/

 

Atlantic – Voters Really Care About Climate Change

 

HEADLINES

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

AZ Central – ‘Everybody used coal’: After mine closures, Native families look for ways to stay warm

 

The Conversation – Air pollution kills thousands of Americans every year – here’s a low-cost strategy to reduce the toll

 

New York Post – North Dakota approves extension to controversial Dakota Access Pipeline

 

EPA – EPA Proposes Additional Amendments to the Regulations for Coal Combustion Residuals

 

EPA – EPA’s 2019 Power Plant Emissions Data Demonstrate Significant Progress

 

Colorlines – Sacred Indigenous Burial Sites Destroyed to Make Room for Border Wall

 

Native Sun News – Rollback of environmental law lambasted

 

Native Sun News – Oglala officials demand probe into $50K ‘propane donation’ from KXL

 

Cronkite News – Tribal officials press for more, and more predictable, federal funding

 

MSU Today – Neighborhood Air Pollution Linked to Adverse Health Effects among Elderly Asthma Patients

 

National Association of Clean Air Agencies – Washington Update

 

Climate Change/Energy

Inside Climate News – Solar Power Just Miles from the Arctic Circle? In Icy Nordic Climes, It’s become the Norm

 

CNN – Oil and gas production is contributing even more to global warming than was thought, study finds

 

Allegheny Front – Amid Climate Debate and Coal’s Decline, West Virginia considers a ‘Just Transition’

 

NPR – How Warming Winters Are Affecting Everything

 

NPR – ‘Antarctica Melts,’ NASA Says, Showing Effects of A Record Warm Spell

 

Ensia – Opinion: Climate Change is the New Disease of Despair. Psychologists Need to Step Up to Help.

 

E&E News – Northeast keeps largest coal plant online

 

Arizona Republic – Rising temperatures are taking a worsening toll on the Colorado River, study finds

 

Yes Magazine – What U.S. Farming Can Do to Stop Climate Change

 

Toxics/Mobile Sources

 

New York Times – One Side of a Nuclear Waste Fight: Trump. The Other: His Administration

 

KNAU – Navajo and Federal Officials Agree To Clean Up 24 Priority Abandoned Uranium Mines

 

Inside Climate News – Uber and Lyft Are Convenient, Competitive and Highly Carbon Intensive

 

Indoor Air Quality

Gizmodo – Airing out Your Home Doesn’t Reduce Indoor Air Pollution, Study Finds

 

Medical Xpress – Report highlights impact of poor indoor air quality on children’s health

 

Be sure to subscribe to EPA’s IAQ Bulletins

2020-02-26T16:24:58+00:00February 26th, 2020|TOP STORIES & HEADLINES|

TOP STORIES/HEADLINES: Week of February 17-21, 2020

TOP STORIES

The National Tribal Forum on Air Quality (NTFAQ) has issued a Call for Proposals for Presentations, Workshops, and Sessions

The NTFAQ will be held May 27-29, 2020, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and will be hosted by the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. Click HERE for details on the Call for Proposals; the deadline for proposals is Monday, March 2, 2020. We are also actively seeking Sponsors and Exhibitors for the event – show your support and engage with attendees! More information is available at www.nau.edu/ntfaq.

 

Have your voice heard and be sure to use NTAA’s Policy Resource Kits!

NTAA’s Policy Resource Kits are available for Tribes to use to submit comments on both EPA’s Cleaner Trucks Initiative by tomorrow, February 20th and for the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) that issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) in the Federal Register to update its regulations for implementing the procedural provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). A letter for tribes to use will be available tomorrow and comments are due by March 10. NTAA will also be hosting an informational webinar on Wednesday, February 26 at 4 pm ET. You can register for the webinar here.

 

HEADLINES

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

Washington Post – The EPA is about to change a rule cutting mercury pollution. The industry doesn’t want it.

 

NPR – Canadian Pipeline Protest Forces Closure of Major Rail Link

 

KNAU – Trump Administration Proposes Eliminating Tribal Scholarships for Third Year in a Row

 

EPA – EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler Op-ed: One Trillion Trees Initiative will build on President Donald Trump’s commitment

 

E&E News – Trump adviser to return to EPA as chief of staff

 

Native Sun News – Oglala tribal staff caps water well with uranium in it

 

Cronkite News – Blasting for border wall is typical of feds’ neglect of tribes, leaders say

 

Science Magazine – Deadly air pollution is blowing into your state from a surprisingly large source

 

National Association of Clean Air Agencies – Washington Update

 

Climate Change/Energy

Native Sun News – Bringing jobs to Pine Ridge by way of solar energy

 

Yale Environment 360 – How Native Tribes Are Taking the Lead on Planning for Climate Change

 

KNAU – Navajo Nation Files to Intervene In Arizona Utility Rate Case

 

E&E News – ‘Breakthrough’ membrane turns CO2 into fuel

 

E&E News – Many Americans wary of climate-friendly diet – survey

 

Indian Country Today – Navajo-owned coal company wins liability waiver from Wyoming

 

Indian Country Today – Trump administration seeks $1.5 billion to revive uranium mining

 

NY Times – A Crisis Right Now: San Francisco and Manila Face Rising Seas

 

CarbonBrief – How close is the West Antarctic ice sheet to a ‘tipping point’?

 

E&E News – Work begins on key climate report under Trump

 

The Hill – With polar bear study open for comments, critics see effort to push drilling in ANWR

 

Toxics/Mobile Sources

The Atlantic – ‘We Knew They Had Cooked the Books’

 

NPR – Amid Climate and Housing Crises, Cities Struggle to Place Housing Near Transit

 

NY Times – Trump’s Path to Weaker Fuel Efficiency Rules May Lead to a Dead End

 

Indoor Air Quality

ENN – University of Notre Dame-Developed Home Lead Screening Kits Shown to Be Highly Accurate

 

Washington Post – What you need to know about air purifiers, including little evidence of health benefits

 

Be sure to subscribe to EPA’s IAQ Bulletins

2020-02-19T16:47:28+00:00February 19th, 2020|TOP STORIES & HEADLINES|

TOP STORIES/HEADLINES: Week of February 10-14, 2020

The NTAA Executive Committee is Meeting This Week in Washington, D.C.

The NTAA EC is meeting this week with top EPA administration officials in Washington, D.C., to ensure the NTAA’s mission to advance air quality management policies and programs, consistent with the needs, interests, and unique legal status of Indian Tribes, remains at the forefront of EPA’s practices.

The NTAA Executive Committee met with Miles Keogh and Karen Mongoven from the National Association of Clean Air Agencies during the first day of meetings in Washington, D.C. More meetings with EPA leadership are planned for today and the rest of the week.

TOP STORIES

NTAA has released a Policy Resource Kit to help Tribes respond to EPA’s Proposed Cleaner Trucks Initiative

EPA is developing a new rulemaking, the Cleaner Trucks Initiative (CTI), to address NOx emissions from new heavy-duty trucks and engines. On January 6, Administrator Wheeler signed an Advance Notice of Proposed Rule (ANPR). EPA is targeting a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in late spring 2020, followed by a Final Rulemaking approximately a year later. Comments are due on February 20, 2020, but NTAA has requested an extension of the comment period by an additional 60 days. More information can be found on EPA’s Cleaner Trucks Initiative web page here.

 

HEADLINES

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

Phys.org – Air pollution costs $2.9 trillion a year: NGO

 

EPA – 2019 Year in Review Highlighting EPA Accomplishments and Environmental Progress

 

Axios – Global CO2 emissions were flat in 2019

 

Los Angeles Times – Former PG&E lawyer named new regional EPA chief in California

 

The Hill – Trump budget slashes EPA funding, environmental programs

 

The Guardian – Big polluters again allowed to lift emissions without penalty

 

Time – ‘It’s Insidious’: How Juul Pitched E-Cigs to Native American Tribes

 

Native News Online – The Rise of E-Cigarettes: How the Vaping Epidemic Impacts Indigenous Health & Culture

 

The Hill – Report finds 10 oil refineries with benzene above EPA’s ‘action level’

 

Indian Country Today – Tribal leaders call Bears Ears opening an ‘unlawful action’

 

Ensia – Can We Protect Nature By Giving It Legal Rights?

 

Native Sun News – Native lawmakers weigh pipeline shield bills

 

National Association of Clean Air Agencies – Washington Update

 

Climate Change/Energy

Native Sun News – South Dakota PUC issues first permit for construction of a large-scale solar facility in Oglala Lakota County

 

NAU – Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals earns $3.2M grant to help tribes prepare for changing climate

 

Science Friday – How Native American Communities Are Addressing Climate Change

 

NY Times – Climate FWD: One thing that’s getting done: Solar power for Navajo homes

 

NPR – Canadian Court Clears the Way for Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion

 

NPR – Bumblebees Are Disappearing Because Of Extreme Heat

 

NPR – It Was 65 Degrees in Antarctica This Week

 

Ensia – Mexico City Is Proposing To Build One Of The World’s Largest Urban Parks. Will It Serve As A Climate Adaptation Example For Other Cities?

 

E&E News – Report: Onshore wind faces slowdown without a ‘game changer’

 

E&E News – NWS expects major flooding this spring for U.S. heartland

 

E&E News – Trump to propose deep cuts to energy, environment programs

 

CarbonBrief – Explainer: Nine ‘tipping points’ that could be triggered by climate change

 

Cronkite News – Four Corners drought in 2018 was worsened by human-caused climate change, researchers say

 

Toxics/Mobile Sources

NPR – Pesticide Police, Overwhelmed By Dicamba Complaints, Ask EPA for Help

 

NPR – From Delivery Trucks to Scooter-Moving Vans, Fleets Are Going Electric

 

NY Times – ‘All Electric’ Movement Picks Up Speed, Catching Some off Guard

 

NY Times – Justice Department Drops Antitrust Probe against Automakers That Sided With California on Emissions

 

Juneau Empire – EPA: Alaska led nation in toxic chemical release

 

Indoor Air Quality

Top Wire News – How to reduce VOCs and increase indoor air quality

 

Salt Lake Tribune – Camryn Ernst: What about our indoor air quality?

 

Be sure to subscribe to EPA’s IAQ Bulletins

2020-02-12T16:30:04+00:00February 12th, 2020|TOP STORIES & HEADLINES|

NATIONAL TRIBAL AIR ASSOCIATION

Our mission is to advance air quality management policies and programs, consistent with the needs, interests, and unique legal status of American Indian Tribes and Alaska Natives.

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