UPCOMING CALLS/EVENTS/NOTICES

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

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 Dara.Marks-Marino@nau.edu by April 23.

 

EPA’s EnviroAtlas Training Webinar:

Helping Users Capture Nature’s Benefits, Map a Sustainable Future

April 28, 2020 at 2:00 to 3:30 PM ET

As follow-up to the January EPA Tools & Resources Webinar on EnviroAtlas, EPA’s Office of Research and Development will provide a more in-depth training webinar on EnviroAtlas. Register and join the webinar. If you do not have an EPA ID, please register as a guest. How do environmental managers and public health officials identify the benefits that local forests, parks, wetlands and other natural areas provide to their local communities? One way is through EnviroAtlas. EPA’s EnviroAtlas provides users with a host of interactive tools, geospatial data and resources for exploring the benefits people derive from nature and potential stressors that might impede their provision.

 

AirNow’s 2020 Air Quality Awareness Week

May 4-8, 2020

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 (Send us yours! See examples at the link below.)

Stay tuned here for more information!

 

U.S. EPA would 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. With Air Quality Awareness Week coming up soon May 4-8, they hope this activity will prompt students of all ages to express themselves creatively as well as think about how air quality issues impact their own lives on a personal level.

 

Draft Guidance: Interpretation of “Begin Action Construction” Under the NSR Preconstruction Permitting Regulations

Comments due: May 11, 2020

EPA is providing an opportunity for interested stakeholders to review and comment on the draft guidance titled, Interpretation of “Begin Actual Construction” Under the New Source Review Preconstruction Permitting Regulations. This guidance addresses EPA’s interpretation of “begin actual construction” under the regulations implementing the New Source Review (NSR) permitting program. In this draft guidance, EPA is adopting a revised interpretation that is more consistent with the regulatory text. Under this revised interpretation, a source owner or operator may, prior to obtaining an NSR permit, undertake physical on-site activities – including activities that may be costly, that may significantly alter the site, and/or are permanent in nature – provided that those activities do not constitute physical construction on an emissions unit. EPA will accept comment on this draft guidance through Monday, May 11, 2020. The draft guidance, and a link for submitting comments, is available at: https://www.epa.gov/nsr.

 

E-Enterprise National Meeting: Envisioning the Future of Environmental Protection

EE2020 is the latest in a long-running series of meetings sponsored by E-Enterprise for the Environment and the National Environmental Information Exchange Network. On May 12-14, 2020, EE2020 will bring together a broad community of attendees from state, tribal, and local environmental agencies, U.S. EPA, vendors, and other stakeholders with an interest in improving the productivity and responsiveness of the environmental protection enterprise. The meeting integrates content on information technology, program modernization, and process improvement. Click here to learn more about EE2020, the benefits of attending, and ways to get involved.

 

Save the Date: Tribal Lands and Environment Forum on August 17-20, 2020

This year’s Tribal Lands and Environment Forum: A National Conversation on Waste and Response Strategies, will take place in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, August 17-20, 2020. Registration, session proposal forms, travel information, and field trip announcements will all be coming soon. Stay tuned! www.nau.edu/TLEF

 

Tribal Grants Education and Technical Assistance Webinar Series Second Wednesday of Every Month at 1pm ET

For more information, click here!

 

NTAA Upcoming Calls. The toll-free number is 1-800-309-2350. If you do not need to call toll free, or would like to help conserve NTAA funding, you can call 1-805-309-2350. Both numbers use code 928-523-0526#. Contact Andy.Bessler@nau.edu if you have any questions about any call! *Registration instructions* When you register for the GoToWebinar, please remember to include your Tribe, Region, or Organization in parenthesis after your last name. This allows you to see everyone on the call and prevents us from conducting a roll-call, ultimately saving everyone’s time.

 

STAR Planning Call: The NTAA Status of Tribal Air Report (STAR) helps tell the story of Tribal Air Programs, why additional funding for Tribes is critical to advance air quality, and is a great resource for Tribes. Wednesday, April 22, 2 pm ET
EPA Policy Call: Call in to hear updates from EPA on policies, actions, and tools relevant to Indian Country and Air Quality. Thursday, April 30, 2pm ET
Mobile Sources Work Group: This monthly work group addresses all mobile source pollution issues. Thursday, May 7, 2pm ET

 
Wood Smoke Work Group: Join this work group every other month to address wood smoke issues in Indian Country. Thursday, May 21, 2pm ET
Indoor Air Quality Work Group: Join this work group every other month to help support IAQ work throughout Indian Country. Thursday, June 18, 2pm ET

 

The Institute for Tribal Environmental Professional’s (ITEP’s) Tribes and Climate Change Calendar includes conferences, trainings, webinars and other events related to tribes and climate change.

Click here for ITEP’s other trainings and events.

Click here for ITEP’s new Tribal Environmental Management and Planning Online Courses. New courses have been added, so check it out!

 

 ITEP’s FY20 AIAQTP Course Schedule 

 

Course Title Dates Location Course Level
2020
Air Pollution Technology (Postponed!) TBD Flagstaff, AZ 2
Meteorological Monitoring (Postponed!) Fall 2020 TAMS Center, Las Vegas, NV 3
Air Pollution Modeling Fall 2020 TAMS Center, Las Vegas, NV 3
Air Quality Outreach TBD TBD 1
National Tribal Forum on Air Quality (NTFAQ) (Postponed!) May 2021 Tulsa, OK n/a
Air Quality Planning for Wildland Smoke Anytime Series of 6 recorded webinars n/a
Indoor Air Quality – Independent Study Anytime Independent Study 1
Building Performance: Improving IAQ in Cold Climates Open Online 1
Building Performance: Improving IAQ in Warm Climates In development Online 1
Residential Building Science Review Open Online 1
Radon Fundamentals Open Online 1
Quality Assurance Fundamentals (QA 101) Open Online 1
Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) (QA 201-209) Open Online 2
Emissions Inventory Fundamentals Open Online 2
Emissions Inventory Advanced Open Online 3
Note: This schedule is subject to change.  For up-to-date information, course descriptions, and applications please visit http://www7.nau.edu/itep/main/Training/training_air/

 

Climate Change / Energy

April 22 and 29, Noon (ET) – Ask the Expert

Every Wednesday ENERGY STAR holds a Portfolio Manager “Ask the Expert” session. It’s a live webinar that gives all users an opportunity to ask their questions directly to EPA experts in an open forum. Want to talk to a “real” person? Have a question about how Portfolio Manager calculates your score? Want to learn more about entering Green Power? Join ENERGY STAR, and they’ll answer all your questions about ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager in this public forum.

Register

 

Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy (WRISE): Dealing with Burnout and Mental Health in the Workplace

April 23, 2020, 2pm-3pm ET. Register here.

If you feel like sometimes life is moving at hyper-speed and you aren’t always able to keep up – you are not alone. Now more than ever, we each need to unlock our capacity to remain resilient and flourish in the face of uncertainty and great challenge. Join us for an interactive discussion on understanding the impact of climate change on mental health, recognizing the signs of burnout, and cultivating resilience. In these uncertain times, learn ways to build your personal resiliency by fostering a positive attitude, practicing healthy habits and using self-care to stay mindful.

April 29, 11 AM (MT) – Developing your energy vision: what do you want your tribe’s energy vision to be?

Once the low-hanging fruit of energy efficiency has been addressed, longer-term planning on future energy needs and energy options is needed. If you don’t identify where you want to go, you can’t plot the course to get there. This webinar will explore how tribes can develop a vision for their energy future.

Register

 

Deadline Extended! Call for Proposals: National Tribal & Indigenous Climate Conference August 31-September 3, 2020, St. Paul, Minnesota

Proposals now due: May 1, 2020

The Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP) is honored to host the United States’ first Biennial National Tribal and Indigenous Climate Conference (NTICC) along with support from the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Tribal Resilience Program. The NTICC is open to all US tribal nations and Indigenous Peoples from throughout the world, with an emphasis on including our Elders and

Youth. The NTICC will convene experts on climate change and will include a balance of Traditional Indigenous Knowledges and Western Science. We invite people to submit proposals discussing climate-related impacts, assessments, tools, adaptation planning, mitigation and actions in one or more of the following tracks:

 

  • Indigenous Knowledges
  • Air, Health & Well-Being
  • Land
  • Water
  • Relocation
  • Infrastructure
  • Energy Systems
  • Food Sovereignty
  • Ecosystems and Biodiversity

 

 

 

CC 202 Online Course: Tribal Hazard Mitigation Planning, application deadline extended to May 1

Course dates: October 2020-September 2021

Course goal: To support Tribe’s hazard mitigation planning through peer-to-peer learning and knowledge exchanges in a facilitated cohort focused on the process of developing or updating a Tribal Hazard Mitigation Plan, which looks “at natural hazards that may affect tribal governments and suggests actions to reduce losses from those hazards” (FEMA Tribal Mitigation Planning Resources). The course will be based around FEMA’s hazard mitigation plan requirements and will connect participants to resources, tools, information, and additional specialized expertise on a variety of topics including, but not limited to, various natural hazards, climate change in the context of natural hazards, FEMA’s four-phases of emergency management (mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery), cultural considerations, Tribal/Indigenous Knowledges, community outreach and engagement, hazard identification and risk assessment, asset inventorying, and developing and implementing an action plan. Follow this link to find out more information and to register. Contact Karen.Cozzetto@nau.edu with questions.

 

South Central Climate Adaptation Science Center: Earth to Sky Workshop

Earth to Sky is a partnership between NASA, NPS, and USFWS that enables and encourages informal educators to access and use relevant NASA science, data, and educational and outreach products in their work. The partnership’s focus is on climate change science and communication. Join us for three days of training with native informal educators from across the South Central region who recognize the importance of teaching climate change. The workshop will take place July 15-17 in Sulphur, OK. Learn more here.

 

Save the Date: Southwest Tribal Climate Resilience Camp

Date: July 26-31, 2020

Location: Navajo Technical University – Crownpoint, NM

The Tribal Climate Resilience Camp will support teams of Tribal Leaders, climate change coordinators, planners, and program managers to build skills, gather information, and develop Tribal policies and plans needed for Tribal Nations to address climate change impacts. Information about travel, lodging, and registration will be available soon. You may contact Althea Walker, Tribal Climate                                                   Science Liaison, at AWalker@aihec.org or (480) 258-3963 with questions.

SEEKING TRIBAL DELEGATES

We are currently recruiting 10 Southwest Tribes to participate in the 2020 Camp. Each Tribe should identify three delegates per Tribe. The delegates must participate for the entire week curriculum. Delegates may include climate change staff, tribal policy leaders, Tribal Council, natural resource and environmental managers and staff, administrators, department staff from health, public works, education, housing, and other relevant departments that should engage in climate change planning. FOR APPLICATIONS Visit this link.

 

Save the Date: Shifting Seasons Summit 3, October 6-8, 2020, Keshena, WI

Contingency dates: March 2021

The Shifting Seasons Summit is a gathering that focuses on climate resilience planning and implementation within Tribes and across Tribal ceded territories in the Northeast Region. This summit will also include network-building opportunities and initiatives developed outside of the Northeast by capacity building organizations, academic institutions and Tribes. Visit www.NICRN.org for more details.

 

ITEP’s Climate Change Adaptation Training Courses registration is online! Learn more about the courses and register here.

 

Toxics/Mobile Sources

         

EPA is postponing the Toxic Substances Control Act Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals (SACC) peer review virtual meeting scheduled for April 27-30, 2020, due to recent changes in the availability of members for this peer review. While the Agency does not anticipate extending the written public comment period on the draft risk evaluation past the June 2, 2020, due date, as needs arise EPA will review and respond appropriately. All written comments received by June 2nd will be provided to the SACC for their review prior to the meeting. Once EPA has selected a new date for the meeting, the Agency will provide an update on public commenting, including registering to provide oral public comments during the SACC meeting. EPA remains committed to completing this process as expeditiously as possible. To find information about the SACC meeting, and links to related documents, visit the TSCA SACC website at https://www.epa.gov/tsca-peer-review/peer-review-draft-risk-evaluation-asbestos.

 

Postponed: Green Transportation Summit & Expo and the West Coast Collaborative Partners Meeting has been postponed until August 24-26, 2020

After careful consideration of the growing public health concerns associated with the coronavirus (COVID-19), the Green Transportation Summit & Expo and the US EPA West Coast Collaborative is postponing our GTSE | WCCPM event until

August 24 – 26, 2020, at the Greater Tacoma Convention Center in Tacoma, WA.

The Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP) and the Green Transportation Summit & Expo (GTSE) have partnered to provide 25 complimentary full-conference passes to the Green Transportation Summit & Expo. The GTSE is the Pacific Northwest’s premier clean fleet and transportation event, focusing on fleets, fuels, technologies, policy & practice, with a regional focus and a national scope. We will provide you the opportunity to see, touch, drive, and learn about new transportation technologies firsthand, such as electric, hydrogen, natural gas and propane-powered heavy-duty vehicles, off-road utility vehicles, generators, and others. Workshops on DERA, VW funding, other federal funding opportunities, and alternative fuels will be presented. Please join us at the Greater Tacoma Convention Center for the 10th annual GTSE to learn about clean transportation, how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, pollutants, and costs in your fleet operations. To learn more about the conference, check out our website. To receive the code for the complimentary passes, please contact ITEP’s Dara Marks Marino at Dara.Marks-Marino@nau.edu.

 

Indoor Air Quality

 

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