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Archived Tribes in the News
- 06/20/12 - EPA Announces New Members of Agricultural Advisory Committee (Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla)
- 05/24/12 - EPA awards $200K to the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe for cleanup of Smee School Teacher's Facility in Wakapala Community
- 05/24/12 - EPA Awards $200K to the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Tribe for Cleanup of Abandoned Tribal Administration Building Near Belcourt, ND
- 05/17/12 - El Paso Midstream Group to resolve Clean Air Act violations in Utah / Natural gas Producer to Pay Penalties, Implements Air Monitoring Program on the Uintah and Ouray Indian Reservation
- 05/17/12 - Colorado-based QEP Field Services Agrees to Pay $4 Million and Install Pollution Controls to Resolve Alleged Violations of the Clean Air Act / Settlement to Improve Air Quality and Establish a Trust to Fund Environmental Projects on the Uintah and Ouray Reservation in Northeastern Utah
- 05/02/12 - EPA approves Blackfeet Tribe's Water Quality Standards Program
- 04/20/12 - Developing a Low-Cost Water Filter (Pine Ridge Reservation, SD)
- 04/12/12 - San Francisco Selected to Receive Federal Assistance for Infrastructure Planning, Smart Growth (Spokane Tribe of Indians to Receive Technical Assistance)
- 03/26/12 - EPA Agreement with Oil Production Companies Ensures Safe Drinking Water for Poplar, MT
- 03/12/12 - Spokane Tribe of Indian to Receive EPA Smart Growth Assistance
- 03/05/12 - EPA Approves Southern Ute Indian Tribe's Air Permitting Program
- 02/16/12 - U.S. EPA, Dept. of Justice Reach $10 Million settlement with Department of the Interior, Northern California Mining Company for Cleanup Costs and Transfer of Land to Elem Indian Colony
- 01/26/12 - Haskell Indian Nations University and EPA Announce Partnership Agreement to Promote Environmental Careers
- 12/09/11 - EPA Awards Six Environmental Justice Grants in the Southeast
- 12/08/11 - EPA Awards More Than $1 Million in Environmental Justice Grants to Protect People's Health
- 11/07/11 - EPA, Navajo Nation Convene Fourth Annual Summit to Address Uranium Contamination
- 10/21/11 - PA Emergency Crews Successful in Snuffing Tire Fire (South Dakota)
- 10/20/11 - EPA Approves Ute Mountain Ute Tribe's Water Quality Standards
- 10/19/11 - EPA Delegates Clean Water Act Authority to Northern California Tribe - Dry Creek Rancheria
- 9/29/11 -EPA Announces Plan to Clean Up Largest Abandoned Uranium Mine on the Navajo Nation
- 8/1/11 - EPA Enters into Agreement with Chevron to Investigate Soil Contamination at Uranium Mine on the Navajo Reservation
- 5/20/11 - EPA Awards over $100,000 to Pueblo of Taos
- 4/28/11 - Havasupai Tribe to Develop and Enforce Water Quality Standards
- 4/15/11 - EPA Solicits Public Comment on Permit to Reduce Stormwater Discharges from Construction Sites
- 4/14/11 - First Tribal Community in the Nation Adopts International Green Building Code
- 4/14/11 - EPA Awards Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma Over $180,000 in Climate Showcase Communities Grant
- 2/18/11 - Groundbreaking Ceremony on the Tule River Reservation for $8.1 Million Stimulus Project
- 2/11/11 - EPA's New Proposal to Four Corners Power Plant Cuts More NOx Emissions, Protects Health, Saves Native American Jobs
- 2/7/11 - EPA Region 10 Plans Scientific Assessment of Bristol Bay Watershed
- 1/24/11 - EPA Warns the Public Served by Public Water System in Macy, NE., to Boil the Water
- 1/19/11 - EPA Approves Nation's Most Comprehensive Tribal Air Quality Plan
- 1/7/11 - Jemez Pueblo, Santa Fe National Forest Sign Historic Pact Just Days after President Obama Announced U.S. Support for the U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
- 12/16/10 - Santa Clara Pueblo Environment Department to Sign Historic Memorandum of Agreement with New Mexico Environment Department December 20, 2010
- 11/23/10 - Oneida Nation's Float Returns to Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade®
- 11/4/10 - Alaska Tribal Village Receives Nearly $95,000 to Reduce Exposure to Toxics
- 10/12/10 - EPA Awards $470,000 to Establish Environmental Protection Programs in Tribal lands in Oklahoma and New Mexico
- 10/8/10 - Anti-uranium Navajo residents petition high court (Indian Country Today)
- 10/8/10 - It's official: Shinnecock Nation is 565th federally acknowledged tribe (Indian Country Today)
- 10/7/10 - Native Wellness Institute Awarded Environmental Education Grant
- 10/5/10 - EPA Awards $150,000 to The Eight Northern Indian Pueblo Council to Clean Brownfields Properties
- 9/29/10 - EPA Awards $110,000 to the Pueblo of Cochiti
- 9/29/10 EPA Awards Over $100,000 to the Delaware Nation of Oklahoma
- 9/28/10 - EPA Awards $120,000 to the Modoc Tribe of Oklahoma
- 9/28/10 - EPA Awards $120,000 to the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma
- 9/27/10 - EPA Awards $120,000 to the Wyandotte Nation of Oklahoma
- 9/24/10 - Grants awarded in Michigan for President's Great Lakes Restoration Initiative
- 9/23/10 - EPA Awards $120,000 to the Seneca-Cayuga Tribe of Oklahoma
- 9/22/10 - EPA Awards $240,000 to the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma
- 9/21/10 - EPA Awards $120,000 to the Pueblo of San Ildefonso
- 9/20/10 - EPA Awards Over $100,000 to the Eight Northern Indian Pueblo Council
- 9/17/10 - EPA Awards $127,000 to the Pueblo of Laguna
- 9/13/10 - U.S. EPA Settlements Require Investigation of Uranium Contamination on Southwestern Tribal Lands - More than $2.5 million to be spent for work on Navajo Nation and Hopi Reservation
- 8/26/10 - Blackfeet Tribe Applies for Water Quality Standards Program - Treatment as a State (TAS) Application
- 7/9/10 - Poarch Band of Creek Indians Benefits from Recovery Act Funds to Improve Water Services
1/19/11 - EPA Approves Nation's Most Comprehensive Tribal Air Quality Plan
Gila River Indian Community's plan serves as a model for tribes nationwide
SAN FRANCISCO – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is finalizing approval of the Gila River Indian Community's Tribal Implementation Plan, a blueprint of how to achieve improved air quality on the Community's lands which will serve as a model for other tribes. The plan provides a framework for protecting air quality on the Reservation, including ordinances, a permit program, civil and criminal enforcement, air monitoring, and an emissions inventory.
"Gila River has done a fantastic job of developing an air quality plan that is unrivalled nationally in both breadth and depth," said Jared Blumenfeld, the EPA's administrator for the Pacific Southwest. "Gila River is the first Tribe to accept such a high level of substantial responsibility for air quality on their reservation. This plan can serve as a model to tribes nationwide."
The Wednesday Jan. 19 signing ceremony will feature Governor Rhodes of Gila River, Gila River Tribal Council members, the EPA Region 9 Regional Administrator, and the Gila River Department of Environmental Quality, as well as the EPA staff who worked on the plan, and invited guests.
The Gila River Indian Community's Department of Environmental Quality has spent the last 12 years developing and implementing the Plan to protect air quality on tribal lands. In addition, the Gila River Tribe developed a team of environmental professionals, the majority of whom are Native American, to administer and enforce this plan. EPA's action today makes the plan federally enforceable.
Other environmental innovations introduced by the Gila River tribe include:
- Specific ordinances for local businesses and industries such as aluminum extrusion plants, an explosives manufacturer, several sand and gravel operations, and chemical supply companies;
- Regulations that cover dust emissions, and the storage and handling of metal cleaners.
Located in central Arizona, the Gila River Indian Community encompasses over 600 square miles, and has three industrial parks, extensive agricultural lands, and three casinos.
For more information, please visit: http://www.epa.gov/region9/air/actions/gila-river.html
Media Contact: Margot Perez-Sullivan, (415) 947-4149, perezsullivan.margot@epa.gov
1/7/11 - Jemez Pueblo, Santa Fe National Forest Sign Historic Pact Just Days after President Obama Announced U.S. Support for the U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
12/16/10 - Santa Clara Pueblo Environment Department to Sign Historic Memorandum of Agreement with New Mexico Environment Department December 20, 2010
Santa Clara Pueblo Governor Walter Dasheno and New Mexico Environment Department Secretary Ron Curry will sign an historic, first-of-its-kind, comprehensive Memorandum of Agreement between the two sovereigns. The agreement establishes and formalizes a comprehensive and detailed protocol for inter-governmental cooperation and coordination on environmental protection pursuant to the government-to-government relationship between the Pueblo and the department. Once signed, the two sovereigns will continue to work together to carry out the Agreement and to promote greater NMED regulation on private, non-Pueblo claims in and around the Espanola area. The agreement also serves to ensure that communication is swift between environmental staff of both NMED and Santa Clara Pueblo as it relates to many joint areas of concern, including LANL operations and illegal solid waste dumping.
WHEN: At 10 a.m. Monday, Dec. 20
WHERE: The Tribal Council Chambers for Santa Clara Pueblo, One Kee Street in Santa Clara Pueblo.
WHO: Santa Clara Pueblo Governor Walter Dasheno, New Mexico Environment Department Secretary Ron Curry, New Mexico Department of Indian Affairs Secretary Alvin Warren and members of the tribe and departments.
For more information, call Marissa Stone Bardino at (505) 827-0314.
11/23/10 - Oneida Nation's Float Returns to Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade®
® - Copyright 2010 The Observer-Dispatch, Utica, New York. Some rights reserved.
http://www.oneidaindiannation.com/about/special/38536862.html 
11/4/10 - Alaska Tribal Village Receives Nearly $95,000 to Reduce Exposure to Toxics
(Seattle - Nov. 4, 2010) The Native Village of Eyak tribal members will have greater protection from toxic chemicals thanks to a nearly $95,000 grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The tribe is located in the eastern Gulf of Alaska.
Eyak was awarded the Community Action for a Renewed Environment grant to help reduce exposure to environmental contamination. This grant will help create a healthier environment and a healthier population for the entire community of Cordova, Alaska, where most Eyak tribal members reside. Some of the known environmental concerns include lingering oil contamination from the Exxon Valdez, stormwater pollution contamination, solid waste and open burning concerns.
Eyak is a unified group made up of many Alaska Native backgrounds. It is the largest tribe on the Copper River with approximately 525 members. The City of Cordova has an estimated population of 2,126 with Alaska Natives comprising about 15 percent.
"The CARE Program is intended to empower communities to protect themselves against environmental dangers," said Marcia Combes, EPA's Director of Alaska Operations in Anchorage. "Eyak has already begun identifying risks from toxic chemicals and this grant will help them take their work to the next level."
The CARE project will help the tribe:
- Build relationships among community organizations and formalize partnerships
- Identify pollution sources
- Prioritize risks
- Map hazardous sites
- Educate the community about the contamination and pollution prevention measures
- Create a sustainable community
With the grant, Eyak will devise methods to prevent additional contamination and decrease hazardous material usage through educating the community. The Eyak partnership is building on a 2008 partnership with the Cordova Electric Co-operative. The village has already begun forming partnerships with the City of Cordova, Cordova School District, Cordova Electric Co-operative, Copper River Watershed Project, and the Prince William Sound Science Center.
Since 2005, EPA has provided 77 CARE grants totaling $12.4 million to 69 communities nationwide facing disproportionate environmental hazards. In 2010, 14 grants have been selected for award totaling nearly $2.1 million. The common theme of CARE projects is helping community groups build collaborative partnerships at the local level between residents, businesses, organizations and local and state governments to tackle toxic threats.
For additional information about EPA’s CARE program, visit: http://www.epa.gov/care/
For additional information about the Eyak Tribe, visit: http://www.nveyak.com/
Contact: Sally Hanft, EPA’s Region 10 CARE Program (206) 553-1207 ,hanft.sally@epa.gov
Tony Brown, EPA Public Affairs, (206) 553-1203, brown.anthony@epa.gov
10/12/10 - EPA Awards $470,000 to Establish Environmental Protection Programs in Tribal lands in Oklahoma and New Mexico
(DALLAS - October 12, 2010) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded $470,000 to tribal Indians in Oklahoma and New Mexico. The project will enable the tribes to develop and manage environmental programs in their perspective regions.
Four different tribes received funding. The Pueblo of Picuris and Nambe tribes from New Mexico were awarded $120,000. In Oklahoma, the Otoe-Missouria tribe received $120,000 and the Apache tribe $110,000. Pueblo of Picuris and Apache are affiliated with Oklahoma. The projects will also include grant writing, quality assurance documentation, environmental training and community outreach and cleanups.
EPA works with tribal governments to strengthen public health and environmental protection in Indian country, with a special emphasis on helping tribes administer their own environmental programs. The EPA also promotes the exchange of ideas to work effectively with tribal governments.
- Additional information on EPA Grants: http://www.epa.gov/region6/gandf/index.htm
- More about activities in EPA Region 6: http://www.epa.gov/region6/
- EPA audio file is available at: http://www.epa.gov/region6/6xa/podcast/oct2010.html
10/8/10 - Anti-uranium Navajo residents petition high court (Indian Country Today)
After more than two decades of fighting powerful uranium mining interests, some Navajo Nation members and others are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to take another look at a 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that upheld the licensing of proposed mines near Church Rock in northwestern New Mexico.
10/8/10 - It's official: Shinnecock Nation is 565th federally acknowledged tribe (Indian Country Today )
SOUTHHAMPTON, N.Y. - Final challenges to the Shinnecock Indians' federal acknowledgment have been tossed aside, clearing the way for the Long Island-based tribe to take its place as the 565th American Indian tribe in a nation-to-nation relationship with the United States government.
.10/7/10 - Native Wellness Institute Awarded Environmental Education Grant
Oregon and Washington groups awarded nearly $222,000 for Environmental Education
Contact Info:
Sally Hanft, EPA Environmental Education Grant Coordinator, (206) 553-1207, hanft.sally@epa.gov
Tony Brown, EPA Public Affairs, (206) 553-1203, brown.anthony@epa.gov
(Seattle - Oct 7, 2010) As part of its ongoing effort to enhance environmental education in the Pacific Northwest, the Environmental Protection Agency has awarded nearly $222,000 for education programs in Oregon and Washington.
This funding will promote and advance environmental literacy and stewardship in the region.
Nationally, EPA awarded more than $1.5 million in grants to 14 organizations in 11 states and the District of Columbia.
These grants are awarded to local organizations, not-for-profit organizations, government agencies, schools and universities whose projects strive to increase knowledge and awareness about the environment.
The recipients are:
EE Association of Washington - $121,971
Abby Ruskey, P.O. Box 6277, Olympia, WA 98507
E3 Education for Sustainability Project
This state capacity-building grant implements the E3 (Environment, Education, and Economy) Education for Sustainable Communities Plan for the state of Washington. Through the use of an interactive website and statewide leadership clinic, EE leaders and representatives of business, media, agriculture, and other sectors are provided professional development opportunities, coordination assistance, and technical support to build collaboration among the sectors to fully implement environmental education.
Native Wellness Institute - $99,670
Jay LaPlante, 2830 SE Cleveland Drive, Gresham, OR 97080
Native Youth Environment Warriors
Targeted for Native American youth aged 13 to 18 years old and community leaders and mentors in tribal communities, this nationwide program provides training and leadership development at a 4-day Native Youth Leadership Academy. Participants in the Academy enhance their leadership skills and are provided comprehensive training and support to design and implement environmental projects within their tribal communities, and in turn, engage members of their communities in environmental stewardship projects.
For more information about EPA Region 10's environmental education program and grants awarded in 2010: http://yosemite.epa.gov/R10/extaff.nsf/environmental+education/education
For more information about EPA's environmental education grants recipients: http://www.epa.gov/education/grants.html or visit EPA HQ's national news release at: http://go.usa.gov/acL
EPA is currently working on the Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for the 2011 Environmental Education Grant Program. For more information about the 2011 grant program: http://www.epa.gov/education/grants.html, and also sign up by clicking the blue button (Grants Update) to be electronically notified when the RFPs are available.
10/5/10 - EPA Awards $150,000 to The Eight Northern Indian Pueblo Council to Clean Brownfields Properties
(DALLAS - October 5, 2010) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded $150,000 to the Eight Northern Indian Pueblo Council (ENIPC) to establish a Brownfields Tribal Response Program. The project will promote environmental health for 22 Pueblos and Tribes in New Mexico and West Texas.
The ENIPC meets regularly with the Intertribal Resource Advisory Committee (IRAC), a group of Pueblos and Tribes' environmental project directors and staff, to address key environmental concerns. IRAC has identified Brownfields as a priority issue as well as cleaning contaminated sites, protecting environmental health, increasing economic development capabilities.
EPA's Brownfields program empowers states, communities, and other stakeholders to work together to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfields. A brownfields site is real property which needs to have contamination removed before it can be redeveloped or reused. EPA provides financial assistance for brownfields through four competitive grant programs: assessment grants, revolving loan fund grants, cleanup grants, and job training grants. Additional funding support is provided to state and tribal response programs.
Since the Brownfields Program inception in 1996, Region 6 grantees have been awarded more than $67 million in Brownfields competitive grants. Region 6 is proud to report that over 1200 sites have been assessed, 15,100 jobs created, and $2.5 billion leveraged in redevelopment.
- Additional information on EPA Grants: http://www.epa.gov/region6/gandf/index.htm
- More about activities in EPA Region 6: http://www.epa.gov/region6/
- EPA audio file is available at: http://www.epa.gov/region6/6xa/podcast/oct2010.html
For more information, media may contact Dave Bary or Joe Hubbard at (214) 665-2200; email: r6press@epa.gov.
9/29/10 - EPA Awards $110,000 to the Pueblo of Cochiti
(DALLAS - September 29, 2010) The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded $110,000 to the Pueblo of Cochiti in New Mexico. The funds will be used by the Pueblo to develop the capacity to establish a core program for environmental protection. Specific activities include providing an environmental office, solid waste cleanup, community outreach and oversight of drinking water systems.
- Additional information on EPA Grants: http://www.epa.gov/region6/gandf/index.htm
- More about activities in EPA Region 6: http://www.epa.gov/region6/
- EPA audio file is available at: http://www.epa.gov/region6/6xa/podcast/sep2010.html
9/29/10 - EPA Awards Over $100,000 to the Delaware Nation of Oklahoma
(DALLAS - September 29, 2010) The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded $119,800 to the Delaware Nation of Oklahoma to build capacity for the Nation's environmental program. Specific activities will include grant writing, attending environmentally related meetings and training, updating quality assurance and environmental documents and establishing an indoor air program.
- Additional information on EPA Grants: http://www.epa.gov/region6/gandf/index.htm
- More about activities in EPA Region 6: http://www.epa.gov/region6/
- EPA audio file is available at: http://www.epa.gov/region6/6xa/podcast/sep2010.html
9/28/10 - EPA Awards $120,000 to the Modoc Tribe of Oklahoma
(Dallas, Texas - September 28, 2010) The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded $120,000 to the Modoc Tribe of Oklahoma. The funds will be used to support the Tribe's effort to build environmental capacity through continued implementation of a tribal-wide recycling program, development of a tribal indoor air program, updating environmental codes and ordinances, and to train staff on environmental protection issues.
- Additional information on EPA Grants: http://www.epa.gov/region6/gandf/index.htm
- More about activities in EPA Region 6: http://www.epa.gov/region6/
- EPA audio file is available at: http://www.epa.gov/region6/6xa/podcast/sep2010.html
9/28/10 - EPA Awards $120,000 to the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma
(Dallas, Texas - September 28, 2010) The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded $120,000 to the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma. The funds will be used to support the Tribe's effort to build environmental capacity through the development of education and outreach programs, implementing a tribal-wide recycling program, and to develop an indoor air program. The funds will also be used for site cleanups and to train staff on environmental protection issues.
- Additional information on EPA Grants: http://www.epa.gov/region6/gandf/index.htm
- More about activities in EPA Region 6: http://www.epa.gov/region6/
- EPA audio file is available at: http://www.epa.gov/region6/6xa/podcast/sep2010.html
9/27/10 - EPA Awards $120,000 to the Wyandotte Nation of Oklahoma
(Dallas, Texas - September 27, 2010) The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded $120,000 to the Wyandotte Nation of Oklahoma. The funds will be used to support the Tribe's effort to build environmental capacity through the development of education and outreach programs, implementing a tribal-wide recycling program, and train staff on environmental protection issues.
- Additional information on EPA Grants: http://www.epa.gov/region6/gandf/index.htm
- More about activities in EPA Region 6: http://www.epa.gov/region6/
- EPA audio file is available at: http://www.epa.gov/region6/6xa/podcast/sep2010.html
9/24/10 - Grants awarded in Michigan for President's Great Lakes Restoration Initiative
(EAST LANSING, Mich. - Sept. 24, 2010) Nearly $2 million in federal grants to five Michigan organizations were announced here this afternoon by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The grants are part of President Obama's Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, a $475 million program that represents the largest investment in the Great Lakes in two decades.
A total of 99 grants for an estimated $63 million are expected to be awarded in Michigan.
Cameron Davis, EPA's Senior Advisor on the Great Lakes, announced the grants at a news conference on the campus of Michigan State University. Two of the grants are for projects run by tribes in the Upper Peninsula. This helps advance EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson's priority for expanding the conversation on environmental issues.
The five grants announced today are:
- Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment, $856,046 for implementing state and regional mercury control and prevention strategies to help shield pregnant women, children and subsistence populations from the toxic effects of mercury.
- Saginaw Bay/Lake Huron Land Policy Project, Michigan State University, $399,287 for technical assistance to local governments and land owners to implement land use planning, protection and restoration strategies.
- Michigan State University, $65,001 for a project to improve forecasting of beach and nearshore health effects, and protect public health by informing people when beach water is clean enough for swimming.
- Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, $295,000 for development of a sustainable hazardous waste collection program to serve tribal and non-tribal community members in Baraga County, and help prevent toxic contaminants from entering Lake Superior.
- Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa, $196,148 to improve habitat and water quality in the Bear River Watershed, which directly affects waters flowing into Little Traverse Bay on Lake Michigan.
The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, led by EPA, involves 16 federal agencies. EPA is awarding $160 million in grants for aggressive community-based efforts to address five priorities:
- Cleaning up toxics and toxic hot spots around the Great Lakes.
- Combating invasive species.
- Promoting nearshore health by protecting watersheds from polluted runoff.
- Restoring wetlands and other habitats.
- Accountability and working with strategic partners on outreach.
In addition to EPA, the federal agencies that make up the Great Lakes Interagency Task Force are:
- White House Council on Environmental Quality.
- U.S. Department of Agriculture.
- U.S. Department of Commerce.
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
- U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
- U.S. Department of State.
- U.S. Department of the Army.
- U.S. Department of Interior.
- U.S. Department of Transportation.
For more on the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, please visit www.greatlakesrestoration.us.
CONTACT: J. Mike Rogers, 312-353-2102, (rogers.mike@epa.gov)
9/23/10 - EPA Awards $120,000 to the Seneca-Cayuga Tribe of Oklahoma
(Dallas, Texas - September 23, 2010) The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded $120,000 to the Seneca-Cayuga Tribe of Oklahoma. The funds will be used to support the Tribe's effort to build environmental capacity through the development of education and outreach programs, implementing solid waste cleanup activities, and conduct baseline monitoring for indoor air contaminants. The funds will also be used to develop emergency management plans and train staff on environmental protection issues.
- Additional information on EPA Grants: http://www.epa.gov/region6/gandf/index.htm
- More about activities in EPA Region 6: http://www.epa.gov/region6/
- EPA audio file is available at: http://www.epa.gov/region6/6xa/podcast/sep2010.html
9/22/10 - EPA Awards $240,000 to the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma
(Dallas, Texas - September 22, 2010) The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded $240,000 to the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma. The Tribe will use the funds to conduct its annual Inter-Tribal Environmental Council (ITEC) conference, assist five tribes in the development of customized tribal water quality data templates, maintain quality assurance documents, and present interactive environmental education models to the Tribal Summer Youth Corps. The funds will also be used to develop an environmental programs informational video to promote success stories and complementary information pamphlets, train staff to be certified measurement specialists and expand existing environmental complaint/concerns database system. Tribal codes and regulations and environmental protection meeting minutes will be made available to Cherokee Nation Tribal members and performance measures will continue to be updated for Cherokee National environmental programs.
- Additional information on EPA Grants: http://www.epa.gov/region6/gandf/index.htm
- More about activities in EPA Region 6: http://www.epa.gov/region6/
- EPA audio file is available at: http://www.epa.gov/region6/6xa/podcast/sep2010.html
9/21/10 - EPA Awards $120,000 to the Pueblo of San Ildefonso
(Dallas, Texas - September 21, 2010) The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded $120,000 to the Pueblo of San Ildefonso in New Mexico. The funds will be used by the Pueblo to develop and manage environmental programs to protect and improve the environment and public health of the Tribe. The projects include grant writing, attending environmentally related training and updating quality assurance documents. The funds will also be used to update solid waste management plans, utilize Geographic Information System/Global Positioning System (GIS/GPS) mapping, and community outreach.
- Additional information on EPA Grants: http://www.epa.gov/region6/gandf/index.htm
- More about activities in EPA Region 6: http://www.epa.gov/region6/
- EPA audio file is available at: http://www.epa.gov/region6/6xa/podcast/sep2010.html
9/20/10 - EPA Awards Over $100,000 to the Eight Northern Indian Pueblo Council
(Dallas, Texas - September 20, 2010) The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded $110,022 to the Eight Northern Indian Pueblo Council in New Mexico. The funds will be used to support capacity building efforts for the Eight Northern Indian Pueblo Council staff increasing their knowledge and understanding of air quality management in Indian Country as well as provide assessments on two of their member tribes by conducting emissions inventories within each tribe's jurisdictional boundaries. The Council is a consortium which will facilitate Geographic Information System (GIS) analysis and modeling training in order to better understand how air quality management can be used to support current and future emissions inventory development.
- Additional information on EPA Grants: http://www.epa.gov/region6/gandf/index.htm
- More about activities in EPA Region 6: http://www.epa.gov/region6/
- EPA audio file is available at: http://www.epa.gov/region6/6xa/podcast/sep2010.html
For more information, media may contact Dave Bary at (214) 665-2200 or r6press@epa.gov.
9/17/10 EPA Awards $127,000 to the Pueblo of Laguna
(Dallas, Texas - September 17, 2010) The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded $127,000 to the Pueblo of Laguna in New Mexico. The funds will be used by the Pueblo to develop the capacity to establish a core program for environmental protection. Specific activities include developing environmental and administrative infrastructure, providing environmental oversight, and developing Geographic Information System/Global Positioning System (GIS/GPS) capabilities. The funds will also be used for outreach activities and to address solid and hazardous waste issues.
- Additional information on EPA Grants: http://www.epa.gov/region6/gandf/index.htm
- More about activities in EPA Region 6: http://www.epa.gov/region6/
- EPA audio file is available at: http://www.epa.gov/region6/6xa/podcast/sep2010.html
For more information, media may contact Dave Bary at (214) 665-2200 or r6press@epa.gov.
9/13/10 - U.S. EPA Settlements Require Investigation of Uranium Contamination on Southwestern Tribal Lands
More than $2.5 million to be spent for work on Navajo Nation and Hopi Reservation
This week the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency entered into two enforcement actions, both of which will contribute towards cleaning up uranium contamination at the Navajo Nation and Hopi Reservation.
In one settlement, Rio Algom Mining LLC, a subsidiary of Canadian corporation BHP Billiton, has agreed to control releases of radium (a decay product of uranium) from the Quivira Mine Site, near Gallup, N.M. In addition, the company is to conduct a comprehensive investigation of the levels of contamination at the site. The total cost for this work is estimated to be approximately $1 million.
Under the terms of a separate settlement, the United States Department of Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), will begin a comprehensive investigation of the levels of uranium and other contaminants in the waste, soils and groundwater at the Tuba City Dump Site in Arizona. They will also evaluate the feasibility of a range of cleanup actions.
"Uranium mining has left a toxic legacy, and we are working as partners with the Navajo Nation, the Hopi Tribe and other federal agencies to clean up contaminated homes, mines and water supplies," said Jared Blumenfeld, Regional Administrator for EPA's Pacific Southwest Region. "These actions are just one part of a coordinated plan that has already resulted in the replacement of 14 homes, the assessment of more than 200 mines, and funding for water systems that will serve over 3,000 people with clean water."
"The Navajo Nation is appreciative of the work done by U.S. EPA Region 9 on this matter," said Stephen Etsitty, Executive Director of the Navajo Nation Environmental Protection Agency. "We especially value the legal work done by the Region 9 Office of Regional Counsel in consultation with the Navajo Nation Department of Justice, and we consider this a good first step in making Rio Algom accept responsibility for its past mining practices."
From 1944 to 1986, nearly four million tons of uranium ore were extracted from Navajo lands. Today the mines are closed, but a legacy of uranium contamination from more than 500 abandoned uranium mines, homes built with contaminated mine waste, and contaminated water wells remains. In January 2008, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform directed five federal agencies - the Environmental Protection Agency, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Department of Energy, Indian Health Services, and Nuclear Regulatory Commission - to work together to address this problem. EPA Pacific Southwest Region took the lead in developing a collaborative five-year plan to address contaminated homes, wells, mine sites, mills, and dumps.
Potential health effects from abandoned uranium mines include lung cancer from inhalation of radioactive particles, as well as bone cancer and impaired kidney function from exposure to radionuclides in drinking water.
Rio Algom will pave a portion of Red Water Pond Road close to the Quivira Site, minimizing the spread of low-level contaminated dust. The company will also minimize erosion from the site, and repair fencing to prevent human and animal exposure to a large waste pile. Rio Algom has agreed to reimburse the EPA for oversight costs associated with the work. The Navajo Nation EPA will work with EPA in overseeing the work and reviewing the results of the investigation.
The Tuba City Dump Site is located near Tuba City, Arizona, about four miles from a former uranium mill. It covers approximately 30 acres and includes parts of both the Hopi Reservation and Navajo Nation. In 1998, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) undertook various activities to close the Site, including stabilization, fencing and posting of signs to restrict access. Under the agreement reached this week, BIA will complete assessment of the Site and will evaluate cleanup options for soil, groundwater, and waste. To date, BIA has spent over $4.5 million to investigate and address environmental conditions at the Site and estimates it will spend an additional approximately $1.5 million to complete the remedial investigation and feasibility study.
On September 14-16, EPA will be conducting a Uranium Contamination Stakeholders Workshop in Tuba City, Arizona. This free workshop is an opportunity to collaborate with co-implementers and stakeholders of the multi-agency Five-Year Plan to find practical and effective solutions to uranium contamination on the Navajo Nation. For a full agenda and information on registering, please contact uranium_conf@epa.gov.
For more information, please go to: www.epa.gov/region9/necr or http://bit.ly/8YgNoO
8/26/10 - Blackfeet Tribe Applies for Water Quality Standards Program - Treatment as a State (TAS) Application
(Denver, Colo. – August 26, 2010) – The Blackfeet Tribe of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in north-central Montana has applied to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for eligibility to administer the Water Quality Standards program under the Clean Water Act. This eligibility is also referred to as Treatment in a similar manner as a State, or TAS. EPA is reviewing the Tribe’s application and will solicit comments on the Tribe’s assertion of authority through September 30.
The Clean Water Act’s goals include restoring and protecting the chemical, physical and biological integrity of the nation’s waters. Water Quality Standards established under the Act serve as a foundation for pollution control efforts and are a fundamental component of watershed management. Specifically, these standards serve as water quality goals for individual surface waters, guide and inform monitoring and assessment activities, and provide a legal basis for regulatory pollution controls.
EPA’s review of the Tribe’s Water Quality Standards program application is not an approval or disapproval of the Tribe’s standards. EPA review and approval or disapproval of specific standards is a separate Agency action.
If approved, the Blackfeet Tribe would be the fourth tribe in Montana to obtain authority to administer the Water Quality Standards program. The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Indian Reservation and the Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation currently have standards in effect under the Clean Water Act. The Northern Cheyenne Tribe of the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation received authority for the Water Quality Standards program in 2006. To date, the Northern Cheyenne Tribe has not submitted standards to EPA for approval.
Local governments and individuals wishing to comment on the Blackfeet Tribe’s application should submit comments by September 30 through the State of Montana, which will include all comments received in its response to EPA. Comments should be sent to Bob Bukantis, Montana Department of Environmental Quality, P.O. Box 200901, Helena, MT, 59620-0901, or via fax: 406-444-4386, or via email at: bbukantis@mt.gov. Comments must be received by 5 p.m. on September 30.
For more information including a fact sheet, public notice and copies of the Tribe’s application materials, please visit: http://www.epa.gov/region8/water/wqs/.
7/9/10 - Poarch Band of Creek Indians Benefits from Recovery Act Funds to Improve Water Services
(ATLANTA - July 9, 2009) The Poarch Band of Creek Indians will have improved access to vital water services through funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service's Indian Health Service (IHS) today announced $90 million nationwide for 'shovel ready' infrastructure projects designed to better protect human and environmental health in Indian Country.
“This significant funding marks an investment of Recovery Act funds to increase wastewater treatment, which will support the goal of continuous economic development through the creation of green jobs,” said Stan Meiburg, EPA Acting Regional Administrator. “This project will provide safe and adequate wastewater treatment for many years to come.”
The project will expand the Tribe’s capacity to properly treat and discharge domestic and light industrial sewage. Continuing a tradition spanning 20 years, EPA and IHS have combined efforts to improve water and wastewater services in Indian Country through identification of 95 wastewater and 64 drinking water priority projects to be completed by IHS’s Sanitation Facilities Construction Program with EPA Recovery Act funds. The projects exceed the Recovery Act requirement that 20 percent of the funds be used for green infrastructure, water and energy efficiency improvements and other environmentally innovative projects.
President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 on February 17, 2009, and has directed that the recovery act be implemented with unprecedented transparency and accountability. To that end, the American people can see how every dollar is being invested at recovery.gov.
More information about all the EPA Recovery Act water efforts: http://water.epa.gov/aboutow/eparecovery/index.cfm