TOP STORIES

NTAA Releases the Nation’s First Baseline Needs Assessment Survey for Tribal Air Programs.

A Note from NTAA Chairwoman Carol Kriebs:

On behalf of the NTAA’s Executive Committee and staff, we thank you in advance for completing this Baseline Needs Assessment. Thank you for taking time out of your busy day to contribute to NTAA’s collective

knowledge and information needed to fund Tribes’ unmet needs to advance Tribal Air Quality Programs. Your BNA results will be made public and you can request a copy of your answers. NTAA will be providing the BNA results so that Tribes and members of the public can better understand the unmet needs for all 573 federally recognized Tribes and many other Tribal communities who work hard to bring clean air for all and the future generations. Finally, we wish to express our gratitude to the Partnership for Air Matters for their professionalism and care with NTAA’s Executive Committee to release this BNA today!

ABOUT THE SURVEY:

The National Tribal Air Association invites you to participate in a baseline needs assessment of Tribal air quality funding needs, issues and priorities. All Tribes are encouraged to submit their survey.

 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

  1. What’s the Purpose of the Survey? The information you provide will enable NTAA to comprehensively describe Tribal ambient and indoor air quality funding needs. This information will then be used to identify the range of Tribal air quality funding needs and priorities and build Tribal air quality management
  2. Is it Voluntary? Yes! Your participation in this survey is voluntary and you are free to decline to answer any question you do not wish to
  3. How Long Will It Take? The survey will take between 15 – 20 minutes to
  4. Is There an Incentive? Actually yes! The first 50 respondents to submit a completed survey will receive a $10 Starbucks or $10 Amazon gift card. (This is made possible through the donation of an NTAA non-profit partner, not federal funds.)
  5. What if My Internet is Connection is Poor? We are happy to conduct the survey with you by telephone. If you would like to take the survey by phone, please email Sydney Janssen at sjanssen@thhnw.org to set up a time, or call 800-717-2118, Ext. 105
  6. What if I am Not Familiar to Air Quality? If you would like to familiarize yourself with air quality funding sources and concepts mentioned in the survey, please review the glossary PDF.
  7. When Does the Survey Close? The survey closes on Friday, October 29th at 5:00pm Pacific Standard

 

TO BEGIN THE SURVEY, CLICK HERE. (If the link does not automatically open, please cut and paste this link into your

browser: https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/6420470/NTAA-Baseline-Needs- Assessment). You can also find the survey on NTAA’s website here.

 

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

E&E News- Spending vote Monday as agencies prepare for possible shutdown

U.S. EPA – EPA Now Hosting Biweekly National Environmental Justice Community Engagement Calls

HCN – Federal judge allows excavation work on Native massacre site

The Verge – Babies’ poop has way higher levels of microplastics than adults’

Tribal Tribune – Reintroducing Salmon back to their native habitat

NPR – Northern California Has Been Hit With A Startling Increase Of Wildfire Smoke

NPR – The Cherokee Nation Has Agreed To A $75 Million Settlement With Opioid Distributors

High Country News – 6 things you should know about the 2021 Native American Voting Rights Act

The Hill – Native American tribes call for ‘immediate action’ to protect Bears Ears National Monument: report

Here’s your link to this week’s NACAA Washington Update.

Climate Change/Energy

NPR – Children Born In 2020 Will Experience Up To 7 Times More Extreme Climate Events

The Guardian – COP26: Women must be heard on climate, says rights groups

U.S. EPA – U.S. Will Dramatically Cut Climate-Damaging Greenhouse Gases with New Program Aimed at Chemicals Used in Air Conditioning, Refrigeration

Washington Post – Young climate activists join Greta Thunberg for first major Fridays for Future strikes of pandemic

The Guardian – Children set for more climate disasters than their grandparents, research shows

The Hill – Pelosi says it would be a ‘dereliction of duty’ if infrastructure goes in ‘wrong direction’ on climate

NPR – Oregon Has A New Plan To Protect Homes From Wildfire. Homebuilders Are Pushing Back.

Ensia – Desalination has guided water exchanges for Israel and Jordan. Could it play a role in the Colorado River Basin’s future?

NY Times – Bitcoin Uses More Electricity Than Many Countries. How Is That Possible?

MarketWatch – 2015 methane-gas blowout near Los Angeles leads to settlement of up to $1.8 billion

Toxics/Mobile Sources

High Country News – Wild rice sues to stop oil pipeline

The Hill – 21 states urge Biden to consider stricter car emissions rules than proposed

NY Times – After Hurricane Ida, Oil Infrastructure Springs Dozens of Leaks

PHYS.org – Microbial ‘theft’ enables breakdown of methane, toxic methylmercury

E&E – What China’s coal phaseout means for the world

E&E – Oil States Brace For Biden Methane Rule

Reuters – GM backs vehicle emissions reductions goals in EPA proposal

Indoor Air Quality

NY Times – How Bad Indoor Air Quality Can Affect Your Brain

Livescience.com – What is the Air Quality Index?

Be sure to subscribe to EPA’s IAQ Bulletins