National Pollution Prevention Roundtable
Tribal P2 Workgroup Conference Call
Tuesday July 15, 2008 at 2 pm EDT, 1 pm CDT, Noon MDT, 11am PDT
- Introductions of call participants
- Workgroup Co-Chair: Elizabeth Bird, Peaks to Prairies Pollution Prevention Information Center (Montana State University)
- Workgroup Co-Chair: Shannon Judd, Fond du Lac Environmental Program
- Guest Speaker: Jean McInnis, Mohegan Tribe (Connecticut)
- Tiffany Allgood, Coeur d'Alene Tribe (Idaho)
- Jessica Bayliss Brown, Avanti Corporation
- Chris Campbell, New Mexico State University
- Brian Duggan, Coquilla Indian Tribe (Oregon)
- Becky Geier, EPA Region 5
- Sara Johnson, New Hampshire P2 Program, NPPR board liaison
- Diane Jourdan, Oneida Tribe of Indians (Wisconsin)
- Mary Lauterbach, US EPA OPPTS
- Tod Legarde, Grand Portage Band (Minnesota)
- Megan Macsimowicz, Washo Tribe of Nevada and California
- Mike Opheim, Seldovia Village Tribe of Alaska
- Calvin Pell, Seminole Tribe of Florida
- Lynn Petrazzuollo, Avanti Corporation
- Mary Sands, EPA-RA
- Garrett Smith, Solid Waste Circuit Rider as Senior Environmental Employee for USEPA Regions 1 and 2
- Dolly Tong, EPA Region 5
- Gerald Wagner, Blackfeet Nation (Montana)
- Rod Watkins, Pala Band of Mission Indians (California)
- Daisy Wheeler, Seldovia Village Tribe of Alaska
Guest Speaker
Jean McInnis, Mohegan Environmental Protection Department Administrator for the Mohegan Tribe of Indians of CT since October of 2005. She has a B.S. degree in environmental horticulture from University of CT and a M.S. degree in Environmental Engineering Technologies from University of New Haven. Before the work for the Tribe, she worked in the following industrial and municipal disciplines for the past twenty three years as environmental engineer/scientist or environmental, health and safety specialist or general manager:- Submarine manufacturing (General Dynamics) or Submarine Naval Base
- Helicopter manufacturing/overhaul (Sikorsky Aircraft)
- Aircraft part manufacturing/overhaul (Pratt and Whitney Aircraft)
- Moldable Materials Processing (Rogers Corp)
- Borough of Colchester WPCA/Water Department (municipality)
- East Lyme Water Department
- Environmental Consulting firms (LEA, Marin Environmental, ECS)
Jean gave her PowerPoint presentation on Mohegan Tribe's Integrated Energy Management Approach. Work on Mohegan's integrated energy management approach was begun by Dr. Norman Richards, Jean's predecessor. Back in 1995, the tribe entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection. Through this MOU, the tribe adopted their State Implementation Plan (SIP) to ensure that tribal activities would not negatively impact the attainment of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards. At first the tribe offset their NOx and VOC emissions through Emission Reduction Credits (ERCs). Later, in 2000, they proposed investing the money in energy conservation project costs rather than in ERCs and obtained approval to proceed with the purchase of $2.4 million in fuel cells. Benefits from fuel cell use include reduced emissions, revenue from trading of renewable energy credits and operational cost savings for the tribe. In 2007, $7.1 million in energy conservation projects was preliminarily approved by the state. The fuel cell report, written with the help of UTC Power, is available on Mohegan's website.
Other energy conservation projects conducted by the tribe include photovoltaics, energy efficient lighting and occupancy sensors, hybrid vehicles in their fleet, ground source heat pumps, vehicle emission control retrofits, and low sulfur fuel. Some of their law enforcement officers use bicycles rather than a motorized vehicle. In order to offset the CO2 from the fuel cells, Mohegan voluntarily purchased (for about $150,000) a carbon sequestration forest in Costa Rica. This is two 50-acre plots that were once a sugar cane crop and a research plot that are now maintained as forest. The forest sequesters 1600 tons of carbon a year. Additionally, fruit and nut trees were planted under the larger trees, providing food for the wildlife, including an endangered parrot, and monkies. A farmer is paid to maintain this forest and benefits more from this practice than from farming sugar cane.
Discussion
Jean was asked to elaborate on the sequestration project. They began this project through the organization Reforest the Tropics. Their website is www.reforestthetropics.com. With a 20-year contract the farmer is able to harvest faster-growing trees, but the plots are planted with a mix of species that grow at different rates. The farmer measures and reports forest growth.Jean mentioned their waste water recovery systems. Waste grease is recovered and goes to a mass rendering facility where it then becomes animal feedstock.
In response to a question about surplus power, Jean said that none of the power generated goes back into the grid; however, they do have three emergency generators that could help the grid as back-up power.
Household conservation was encouraged through the distribution of 300 CFL bulbs through the daycare center on Earth Day.
One option for dealing with trucker traffic was brought up. There is a way that trucks can plug in and keep running without having to keep the motors running. This would be another potential way to further reduce vehicle emissions.
Mohegan has also hired someone to do energy audits on tribal facilities including the tribal government offices, protective services, public safety, the hotel and casino.
Other information shared by call participants:
Mary Lauterbach from EPA OPPTS and Lynn Petrazzuollo from Avanti Corporation would like to highlight innovation in Indian Country for an edition of OPPTS Tribal News and are requesting information where grants have helped tribes get an innovative project off the ground. If you have a story you would like to share with them, please email them at:
Lauterbach.mary@epa.gov or lynnp@avanticorporation.comThe OPPTS website is currently being updated and soon past issues will be available for viewing online.
David Jaber of the Natural Logic consulting firm will take over for Elizabeth Bird as co-Chair of the workgroup (with Shannon Judd) in September.
Reminder about the Tribal P2 listserv
The email address to send any kind of announcement (e.g. about resources, events, opportunities), is tribalp2@listserv.montana.edu. All listserv participants are welcome to post items of broad interest. The listserv consists of about 120 members.Next call
Date: Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Time: 2 pm EDT, 1 pm CDT, Noon MDT, 11am PDT
Call in Number: 913 227 1219 pass code 547845
Speaker: Lynn Petrazzuollo from Avanti Corporation will discuss a project she has been doing with Mary Lauterbach of EPA/OPPTS to investigate sources of funds (e.g. competitive grants) for tribes to undertake pollution prevention efforts.