UPCOMING CALLS/EVENTS/NOTICES

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

 NEW! National Tribal Broadband Summit

September 17, 24 & October 1 | Register Here

Today, more than ever before, access to reliable and affordable broadband service is critical to the health, wellbeing, and economic development of Tribal nations. The Biden Administration is making historic investments to broadband in rural and Tribal communities, and is committed to bringing affordable, reliable high-speed broadband to all Americans.  The National Tribal Broadband Summit is a unique opportunity for Tribal Leaders, representatives of Tribal organizations, representatives of schools and school districts serving under-connected Native students, tribal libraries, museums, and cultural programs, federal program managers, and policy-makers at multiple levels of government to come together and share their innovations in expanding broadband access and adoption for tribal communities.

 

NEW! EPA releases new report on Climate Change and Social Vulnerability in the United States: A Focus on Six Impacts

EPA’s new report quantifies the degree to which four socially vulnerable populations— defined based on income, educational attainment, race and ethnicity, and age—may be more exposed to the highest impacts of climate change. The report quantifies six types of impacts: air quality and health, extreme temperature and health, extreme temperature and labor, coastal flooding and traffic, coastal flooding and property, and inland flooding and property. Access the report. To download the report’s findings related to the disproportionate risks of climate change to American Indian and Alaska Natives. To find more information about climate change: https://www.epa.gov/climate-change

 

Webinar: Strategies for effective health risk communication during wildfire smoke – Ana Rappold, EPA Office of Research and Development (ORD)

September 15; 12:00am – 1:00pm PT | Register Here

This webinar will discuss air pollution and wildfire smoke and how both can have immediate and lasting health effects. Individuals who are regularly exposed to poor air quality may report different health behaviors and conditions than those who are less exposed. EPA researchers set out to determine whether self-reported protective behaviors or health conditions differed by air quality.

 

SOLD OUT! Webinar: Traditional Knowledge – Federal Agencies’ Considerations (a recording will be available)

September 15; 11:30am – 1:00pm PT | Register Here

This webinar will discuss how some federal agencies are considering traditional knowledge in the implementation of their missions. This webinar is one of a two-part webinar mini-series on traditional knowledge. The second webinar, planned for October, will focus on how federally recognized tribes and indigenous peoples engage federal agencies on traditional knowledge. This webinar is part of the U.S. EPA Environmental Justice Webinar Series for Tribes and Indigenous Peoples – to build the capacity of tribal governments, indigenous peoples and other environmental justice practitioners, and discuss priority environmental justice issues of interest to tribes and indigenous peoples.

 

NEW! Writing Public Comments: Getting Science on Record

Thursday, September 23; 4-5:30pm ET | Register Here

The Union of Concerned Scientists invites you to a virtual training on how to write effective, science-based public comments for federal rulemaking processes. Collaborate with fellow scientists and experts and learn about ways your scientific expertise can make a difference in creating regulations that protect the health and safety of our communities. This training is for Science Network members who are eager to get involved in the federal rulemaking process, but who do not have prior experience using their expertise to submit substantive written or oral comments.

 

NEW! The Office of Management and Budget (OMB), within the White House, will hold a Tribal consultation to seek input on the development of the President’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Budget.

This Tribal consultation on the President’s FY 2023 Budget will be held via teleconference on:

 

AQSync: Calibration Station for Sensor-Based Mobile Monitoring

October 6; 10:00am – 10:30am PT | Register Here

With the explosion of sensor use for air monitoring, the eternal question on everyone’s mind is “what about calibration”?  Sensor calibration can pose a daunting task for communities without access to a regulatory site.  In this webinar we introduce the new AQSync by 2B Technologies.  The AQSync represents an exciting evolution in air monitoring by combining miniaturized FEM and near-FEM instruments in a weatherproof enclosure.  In this webinar we will explore some of the current applications of the AQSync, including drive-by calibrations of mobile sensors.  Lastly, we will share information on the effort underway to use AQSyncs placed at schools as the hub of community monitoring and air pollution mapping efforts

 

Call for Tribal Participants to Help Revise EPA, QAPP, and QMP Requirements/Guidance Documents

EPA is seeking Tribal participation (particularly tribal scientists and environmental staff with experience in writing or updating QMPs and/or QAPPs for their EPA grants) in revising three of the Agency’s most used and downloaded Quality Assurance (QA) documents:

  • EPA QA/R-2, EPA Requirements for Quality Management Plans (March 2001)
  • EPA QA/R-5, EPA Requirements for Quality Assurance Project Plans (March 2001)
  • EPA QA/G-5, Guidance for Quality Assurance Project Plans (December 2002)

There are a variety of ways tribes can participate:

  • Take part in listening sessions
  • Attend document revision webinars on QA topics of interest
  • Review and Comment on the draft QMP and QAPP Standards during pre-clearance review
  • Contact their Regional QA Manager here
  • Provide feedback in implementing revised QA documents.

Please see the Project Notice for more details. For more information, please feel free to contact Linda Himmelbauer, Directives Project Lead, or Katherine Chalfant, Acting, Enterprise Quality Management Division (EQMD) Director.

 

Fourth National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy Workshop, Virtual Event

October 4 – 8, 2021 | Register Here

The 4th National Cohesive Strategy Workshop will center on this theme and focus sharply on understanding, co-managing, transferring, and accepting risk at federal, state, Tribal and local stakeholder levels to prioritize and invest in decisions, projects and other efforts that result in widespread reduction in risk across landscapes, and communities, the public and firefighters collectively.

Since the inception of The National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy, we have learned that there are multiple “hard truths” of living with fire that must be accepted in order to make meaningful progress towards the three national goals of Resilient Landscapes, Fire Adapted Communities and a Safe, Effective, Risk-Based Wildfire Response.

 

EPA’s air quality training program is released three new training materials! These materials are foundational in level, and are being offered to tribal, state, and local air agencies in an e-learning format through our learning management system (LMS).

The materials include:

  • A course that explains the purpose of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) within the air quality management process.
  • A module that explains each of the six criteria pollutants under the Clean Air Act. This module represents “micro-learning”— a short, focused bit of training on a particular topic.
  • A module that explains what air toxics are. Similar to the criteria pollutants module, this module represents “micro-learning.”

To access the course and modules on the LMS (https://epaapti.csod.com), please register (if you haven’t already!), then log in and refer to the “What’s New” section on the home page.

 

NTAA Upcoming Calls

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.

 

Wood Smoke Work Group: Join this work group every other month to address wood smoke issues in Indian Country. Attend by clicking here. Thursday, September 23, 2pm ET
EPA Policy Call: Call in to hear updates from EPA on policies, actions, and tools relevant to Indian Country and Air Quality. Attend by clicking here. Thursday, September 30, 2pm ET
Mobile Sources Work Group: This monthly work group addresses all mobile source pollution issues. Attend by clicking here. Thursday, October 7, 2pm ET

 

Indoor Air Quality Work Group: Join this work group every other month to help support IAQ work throughout Indian Country. Attend by clicking here. Thursday, October 21, 2pm ET

 

 

The Institute for Tribal Environmental Professional (ITEP)

Click here for ITEP’s new Tribal Environmental Management and Planning Online Courses. Sign up for a self-paced course hosted by ITEP’s Waste and Response and Tribal Air Quality programs.  New courses have been added, so check it out!

 

ITEP’s American Indian Air Quality Training Program (AIAQTP) hosts the Building Performance: Improving IAQ in Cold Climates, Residential Building Science Review, Radon Fundamentals, Quality Assurance Fundamental, Writing a Quality Assurance Project Plan, Emissions Inventory Fundamentals, and Emissions Inventory Advanced.

 

AIAQTP Schedule and Registration 

 

Recorded Webinars

Looking for more information check out the Tribal Air Quality Media Space Channel. Recent webinars include an Introduction to Air Quality Programs, Emissions Inventories, Remote Professional Assistance, and Woodstoves in Indian Country. Older classics include a series on Air Quality Planning for Wildland Smoke, Tribal Air Program and Grants, Data Management, and the Clean Air Act.

 

ITEP’s Tribes and Climate Change Calendar includes conferences, trainings, webinars, and other events related to tribes and climate change.

 

Climate Change / Energy 

NEW! 2021 Tribal Energy Webinar Series: Energy Projects and Workforce Development: A Win-Win Opportunity: October 27

Energy projects are often labor-intensive during construction—and once they are complete, local capability is needed to operate and maintain those energy systems. Tribes who develop a local workforce in conjunction with developing projects can realize improved project economics while creating local jobs and skilled labor. This webinar will explore this win-win opportunity. Register now.

 

US EPA Announces Upcoming Climate and Energy Webinars for State, Local, and Tribal Governments

The US EPA announces there will be nearly 30 webinars on climate and energy topics offered by federal agencies and others during the month of September. All webinars are free of charge, but space may be limited or require registration in advance. The webinars begin August 2nd – 26th. For more information subscribe to the US EPA’s State and Local Energy Newsletter.

 

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

 

Toxics/Mobile Sources

NEW! 2021 Tribal Energy Webinar Series: Building Electrification: Why and How: September 29

Hosted by the Office of Indian Energy, this webinar will explore building electrification to utilize electricity rather than fossil fuels for building heating and cooking applications. Doing so can improve indoor air quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This webinar will explore this trending topic on the path to a clean energy future. Register now.

 

EPA is in the process of conducting a residual risk and technology review of the 2002 National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for Major Source Primary Copper Smelting and a technology review of the 2007 Primary Copper Smelting Area Sources NESHAP

After EPA publishes the rules in the Federal Register, EPA plans to accept comment on these proposals for at least 45 days after publication in the Federal Register. Interested parties can download additional information and a copy of the proposed rules (when they are officially issued by EPA) from EPA’s website and this website. The proposed rules and other background information will also be available either electronically here, EPA’s electronic public docket and comment system. Materials for the proposed actions can be accessed using Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2020-0430. For further technical information about the rule, contact Tonisha Dawson, EPA’s Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, at (919) 541-1454 or dawson.tonisha@epa.gov.

 

The recent additions to OTAQ’s website in August 2021. You can access these additions as well as new press releases and Federal Register notices related to OTAQ on our website.

 

Indoor Air Quality

U.S. Department of Education Encourages Use of American Rescue Plan Funds to Improve Ventilation and IAQ in Schools

Indoor air quality is critical to reopening schools safely and keeping them open. The U.S. Department of Education has released new guidance encouraging the use of American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds to improve ventilation systems and make other indoor air quality improvements in schools to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and tackle longstanding school ventilation improvement needs. The new Department of Education guidance highlights EPA resources to support investments in improved ventilation and indoor air quality. Use the following resources from EPA to supplement the information in the guidance:

 

Wildfire Smoke and Indoor Air Quality

This summer, wildfires have spread across the U.S. creating devastation and dangerous smoke events affecting millions of American lives. If you are in need of immediate wildfire guidance, see EPA’s wildfire webpage for more resources. Smoke from wildfires can adversely affect indoor air quality and put people’s health at risk from exposure to particulate matter and other pollutants. Read on to learn more about:

 

How Indoor airPLUS Homes Help Reduce the Occurrence of Asthma Triggers in the Home

Here are ways an Indoor airPLUS home can help reduce asthma triggers in the home.

 

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