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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!

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 4^th 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 5^th

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

EPA – Science Advisory Board Issues Comments on Agency’s Draft Strengthening Transparency in Regulatory Science Rulemaking

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