Project Resources - Search Results

Environmental Assessment Worksheet

Though a Commissioner's Order, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe began an Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) review process, in order to have coordination between programs and departmetns with projects around the Reservation. Each EAW is assessed by different individuals with technical expertise regarding Air Quality, Archaeology/Cultural Resouces, Forestry, Land Leases/Titles, Solid/Hazardous Waste, Water Quality (both surface and ground) and Wildlife/Fisheries. Each category are then reviewed against both with Tribal Laws and Customs, and with Best Available Practices in environmental management. Often during this process, the short-coming of the community planners are flushed out so that they can better serve the public and the tribal resources. However, the process still lacks the ability to review for overall safety and with potential O&M costs impact to the tribe, so the DNRE is now working together with the other departments to try to close up these review loop-holes that can cause approvals of projects that negatively impact tribes' environmental and resource access. A recent change for the EAW process was to bring in a public comment period for all public infrastructure projects, in order to enpower the community with a voice on their resouces and environmetal access.

For more information: http://www.millelacsband.com/

Indian Country Today

Published since 1981, this daily journal is filled with articles and editorials dealing with American Indian issues. It is available in hard copy and on-line (not full content). Sections include: News from the Nations, Lifeways, Trade & Commerce, and more.

For more information: http://www.indiancountrytoday.com/

Methamphetamine: CLEANING UP METH

Brief fact sheet on pollution issues and cleanup cautions for methamphetamine contamination. Includes clues for recognizing a meth lab, and links to additional information.

For more information: http://www.tribalp2.org/tribalp2%20meth%20cleanup%20resource.pdf

National Tribal Compliance Assurance Priority

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance developed the Draft Profile of Tribal Government Operations (Tribal Profile). We are currently distributing the Tribal Profile to tribes and tribal organizations throughout Indian country. We would greatly appreciate your assistance in reviewing and commenting on the Tribal Profile and forwarding it to your colleagues. Original comments deadline was May 31, 2006. What is the Tribal Profile? The Tribal Profile presents general information on many aspects of tribal government operations that may affect the environment. The Tribal Profile provides tribes with key information needed to comprehensively understand the environmental regulations that may apply to their tribal operations and facilitate compliance. In addition, the Tribal Profile can help tribes build their environmental compliance programs. The Tribal Profile also contains material on an array of available EPA technical and compliance assistance tools and financial and pollution prevention opportunities applicable to tribal operations. The Tribal Profile is one of the tools developed under the EPA National Tribal Compliance Assurance Priority to improve environmental compliance in Indian country through capacity building. Who is receiving the Tribal Profile? A hardcopy of the Tribal Profile was sent to: The National Tribal Caucus; Tribal Environmental Directors and Tribal Leaders; Tribal Organizations; EPA Regions; and Tribes and Tribal Organizations who request a copy.

For more information: http://www.tribalp2.org/pdf/SuccessSummit2006TribalPriority.pdf

Native Americans and the Environment

A non-profit project to: "to educate the public on environmental problems in Native American communities; to explore the values and historical experiences that Native Americans bring to bear on environmental issues; and to promote conservation measures that respect Native American land and resource rights." The site includes regional and subject listings of print and on-line resources. Users can search the bibliographic database by keyword or topics such as environmental justice, ethnoscience studies, conservation and management policy, traditional environmental knowledge and environmental worldview, natural resource utilization, traditional foods and their nutrition, land and treaty rights including access to and preservation of sacred areas.

For more information: http://ncseonline.org/NAE/

OPPT Tribal News

EPA's Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics publishes a newsletter approximately twice per year including articles featuring tribal initiatives and issues. The publication "...seeks to provide an opportunity to promote a two-way dialogue with EPA and American Indian Tribes, including Alaskan Native Villagers, regarding a vast array of environmental issues and concerns that affect Indian country. The mission and hope of the publication is to maintain an open, constructive exchange of information between the federal government, Tribal governments, and Tribal organizations...."

For more information: http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/tribal/pubs/

OPPTS Tribal Strategic Plan - Fiscal Years 2004-2008

The purpose of the Tribal Strategic Plan (TSP) is to promote the best use of resources to foster environmental gains in Indian country and other tribal areas, including Alaska (ICOTA). The Plan will serve as a guide to EPA/OPPTS and its regional partners as current programs and future initiatives are implemented in order to support successful pesticide and toxics management and pollution prevention. The TSP is based largely on the comments and recommendations made by over 100 tribal representatives.

For more information: http://www.epa.gov/ocspp/pubs/tribal/tribalplan_signsep804final.pdf

P2Rx Mercury Topic Hub

Overview of mercury sources and issues including: health effects, releases to the atmosphere, mercury in products, mercury travel in the environment, fish advisories and assistance approaches. Includes an extensive bibliography with links to on-line resources and a database of mercury projects in the U.S.

For more information: http://www.newmoa.org/prevention/topichub/index.cfm?page=toc&hub_id=22

P2Rx Pollution Prevention (P2) Topic Hub

Describes and defines pollution prevention (P2), the preferred strategy for handling waste, and explains the "waste management hierarchy" (reduce, reuse recycle). Contains a description of typical sources of waste and an overview of common approaches to devising pollution prevention options. Also contains links to generic P2 checklists and a list of incentives for implementing pollution prevention and source reduction. Not specific to one industry.

For more information: http://www.p2rx.org/topichubs/index.cfm?page=toc&hub_id=26&subsec_id=7

Profile of Tribal Government Operations

The Tribal Profile presents information on many aspects of tribal government operations affecting the environment. It provides tribes with key information about environmental regulations and can also help tribes build their environmental compliance programs. The Tribal Profile contains material on an array of available EPA technical and compliance assistance tools as well as financial and pollution prevention opportunities applicable to tribal operations.

For more information: http://www.epa.gov/compliance/resources/publications/assistance/sectors/ notebooks/tribal.html

Removing Mercury Switches

48 second video from Michigan DEQ on dangers of Mercury Switches and specific examples of how to remove them from automobiles.

For more information: http://www.michigan.gov/deqmercuryp2

The Nature of Indian Country and Barriers to Pollution Prevention

This presentation was given to a session of the 2006 Environmental Summit in Atlanta May 9. The presentation describes the author's experiences visiting facilities located on tribal lands throughout Region 10, to 1) identify and document facilities, 2) verify they are within the confines of the Reservation and, 3) determine which environmental programs are applicable. The author inventoried over 1500 facilities on 39 reservations for 22 different EPA programs. Key findings include the following: There were a total of 1087 air program issues identified. Facilities included 118 dischargers of waste to water ways, with 25 having NPDES permits and another 28 that may need permits. The author identified 55 toxic chemical issues among the facilities, and 158 facilities with hazardous waste issues. He found 42 facilities with solid waste issues. The presentation details various types of concerns within these broad categories. The author identified three key barriers to successful EPA funded Pollution Prevention programming in Indian Country: 1) differing views of the environment, 2) sovereignty issues and cultural differences, and 3) social and economic realities. These are discussed in terms of the author's experiences. A key conclusion of the study is that most of the existing problems could be solved with one-time fixes.

For more information: http://www.tribalp2.org/pdf/BARRIERS_TRIBES.pdf

Transition to Green

This report highlights priority environmental recommendations for the Obama administration transition team endorsed by a coalition of national environmental and conservation organizations listed below1. Many organizations assisted in the creation of this report and we recognize their contributions. The report describes how the administration can resume Federal leadership on critical energy and environmental challenges affecting our economy, health and well-being in order to put our nation on a sustainable path now and for future generations.

For more information: http://www.tribalp2.org/pdf/Greenwireenvirodocument_gw_01.pdf

Tribal Portal

The American Indian Environmental Office of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) developed a "tribal portal" to help American Indian communities and supporters locate tribal related information within EPA and other government agencies. The Portal includes access to: "Basic Information" (e.g. EPA Indian policies, newsletters); "Grants & Funding;" "Laws & Regulations;" "Tribal Programs;" and "Tribal Contacts."

For more information: http://www.epa.gov/tribalportal/index.htm

What’s Happening in the Arena of Tribal Pollution Prevention

Powerpoint presentation given by Tom Wojciechowski at the 2006 Environmental Summit in Atlanta, GA. He discusses the environmental progress made by the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians. Tom is a project manager/grant writer for the Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians in Northern Wisconsin. He oversees a sustainable design process for three essential community facilities, an assessment project for commercial scale wind power development and energy efficiency projects.

For more information: http://tribalp2.org/pdf/Wojo2006_National_Environmental_Summit.pdf