Tribal Pollution Prevention

National Pollution Prevention Roundtable
Tribal Workgroup Conference Call

Tuesday November 18, 2008 at 2 pm EDT, 1 pm CDT, Noon MDT, 11am PDT

  1. Introductions - 29 Total Participants
    • Shannon Judd, Tribal P2 Co-chair, Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
    • Jean McInnis, Mohegan Tribe
    • Jason Harris, Catawba Tribe
    • Allan Christensen, Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma
    • Kevin Gunderson, Ho-Chunk Nation
    • Erin Hubbard and Virginia LeClere, Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation
    • Patricia Salmon, Chalkyitsik Tribal Council
    • Todd Barnell, Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals
    • Garrett Smith, Solid Waste Circuit Rider, USEPA Region 1 and 2
    • Dana DeVries, Morongo Band of Mission Indians
    • Cody Charwood, Red Lake Nation
    • Catherine Tunis, EPA Office of Enforcement and Compliance (OECA)
    • Myla Kelly, Peaks to Prairies
    • Ed Gonzalez, Western Sustainability and Pollution Prevention Network
    • Sara Johnson, New Hampshire P2 Program, NPPR board liaison
    • Kevin Greenleaf, Kootenai Tribe
    • Jennifer Williams, Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community
    • Chris Campbell, WERC, NM State University
    • Michelle Baker, EPA Region 9
    • George Peck, Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
    • Dolly Tong, EPA Region 5
    • Calvin Pell, Seminole Tribe of Florida
    • Charlie Lippert, Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe
     

  2. 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 varying industrial and municipal disciplines for the past twenty three years as environmental engineer/scientist or environmental, health and safety specialist or general manager.

    Jean discussed Mohegan's food waste recycling program and provided a PowerPoint presentation - Click here for the PowerPoint (converted to PDF) Jean presented during the call.

    Some additional comments during the call included:

    • AGRUs Automated Grease Reusal Units- deal with brown grease
    • Food is heated and sanitized to minimize bacteria before being given to hogs. All barrels are steam cleaned before being returned to Mohegan.
    • Jean had wanted Brown Grease Barrels to have solid tops to prevent the chance of spillage into the adjacent stormdrains, however the transporter continues to insist on clear plastic so that the contents are not misconstrued as hazardous waste when crossing the MA border.
    • Slide on recycling data is in tons except for food waste, which is given in # of 55 gallon drums.

    Questions:

    • How much weight per cubic yard are the regular trash dumpsters?
      - Unsure without some further digging.
    • Have they considered shredded office paper in composting?
      - Yes, but not sure what the status is of that effort.
    • Was this system set up from the beginning or retrofitted?
      - Yes, in 95-96 it was set up with the Casino construction.
    • How could you do this with an existing casino/hotel facility?
      - Shannon Judd (Fond du Lac) is currently in the process of researching a food waste retrofit of their casino. She hopes to have more information in the near future.
     

  3. Discussion

    1. EPA Strategic Plan Comments
      Salt River Pima-Maricopa will be submitting comments.
      Comments need to be in by tomorrow if possible.
      Dolly Tong, Region 5 EPA, said that they are encouraging a way to integrate the Brownfields and Solid Waste Programs as both have some similar goals and require similar planning mechanisms. They want to focus more on implementation of solid waste activities in the future.
       
    2. Website Committee
      Those interested in participating on a committee to improve the Tribal P2 Website and make it more user friendly, please contact Shannon Judd. Myla Kelly (Peaks to Prairies) will send out a request for changes/enhancements/additions to the website and solicit potential committee members.
     

  4. Next call
    Date: Tuesday, December 16, 2008
    Time: 2 pm EDT, 1 pm CDT, Noon MDT, 11am PDT
    Call in Number: 888-296-6500 Pass code 547845