UPCOMING CALLS/EVENTS/NOTICES
Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes
Virgil Masayesva Excellence Award and TAMS Steering Committee
The TAMS Center is announcing a call for nominations for the Virgil Masayesva Tribal Air Programs Excellence Award and three (3) positions on the TAMS Steering Committee. Further information and the nomination forms are online and can be accessed at: Virgil Masayesva Excellence Award Nomination Form and TAMS Steering Committee Nomination Form. The deadline to submit the nominations is February 28, 2020. We sincerely appreciate your time to consider submitting a nomination. For further information, please contact either Farshid Farsi, TAMS-EPA Codirector ([email protected] or 702-784-8263), or Christopher Lee, TAMS-ITEP Codirector ([email protected]).
The National Tribal Forum on Air Quality (NTFAQ) has issued a Call for Proposals for Presentations, Workshops, and Sessions
The NTFAQ will be held May 27-29, 2020, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and will be hosted by the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. Click HERE for details on the Call for Proposals; the deadline for proposals is Monday, March 2, 2020. We are also actively seeking Sponsors and Exhibitors for the event – show your support and engage with attendees! More information is available at www.nau.edu/ntfaq.
Request for Applications for EPA’s American Indian Air Quality Training Program, RFA#: EPA-OAR-IO-20-03, Closing Date: March 13, 2020
EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation (OAR) is soliciting applications from eligible entities to provide comprehensive air quality policy and regulatory analysis including support and national coordination activities to assist tribes in understanding, participating in, and responding to OAR’s policy and regulatory activities. The total estimated funding for this competitive opportunity is approximately $8,000,000 over five years. EPA anticipates awarding one cooperative agreement from this announcement, subject to availability of funds, the quality of applications received, and other applicable considerations.
Interested in Strategic Planning? Community Outreach? Enroll in ITEP’s online courses!
The Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP) is pleased to offer professional development training to new and seasoned tribal professionals through interactive online courses. The Tribal Strategic Planning/ETEP and Partnerships & Community Outreach courses will be available February 13 – March 20, 2020. The two online courses listed here are fee-based and have instructors to ensure your individual questions are answered in a timely manner during the course period.
Instructors:
- Sharon Hausam, Ph.D., AICP, Pueblo of Laguna, Planning Program Manager
- Ondrea Barber, former Director for the Gila River Indian Community’s Department of Environmental Quality and Manager for the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community’s Environmental Protection & Natural Resources Division
These online courses contain assignments, quizzes, videos, examples, and other resources. You will continue to have access to course materials after the course end date. Learn more and register for the two courses using the following links:
- Tribal Strategic Planning: Ensuring Successful Development of your ETEP
- Partnerships and Community Outreach
DRAFT Guidance for Ozone and Fine Particulate Matter Permit Modeling: Comment by March 27, 2020
EPA is providing an opportunity for interested stakeholders to review and comment on DRAFT Guidance for Ozone and Fine Particulate Matter Permit Modeling. This guidance provides EPA’s recommendations for how a stationary source of air pollution seeking a Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) permit may demonstrate that it will not cause or contribute to a violation of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for ozone (O3) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and PSD increments for PM2.5, as required under Section 165(a)(3) of the Clean Air Act (CAA) and 40 CFR sections 51.166(k) and 52.21(k). This draft guidance updates EPA’s Guidance for PM2.5 Permit Modeling to reflect the 2017 revisions to the Guideline on Air Quality Models and incorporates appropriate sections for O3. EPA requests comments on the draft guidance by Friday, March 27, 2020. This allows at least 45 days for consideration, review, and comment. The draft guidance is available on EPA’s SCRAM website.
Save the Date: Tribal Lands and Environment Forum on August 17-20, 2020
This year’s Tribal Lands and Environment Forum: A National Conversation on Waste and Response Strategies, will take place in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, August 17-20, 2020. Registration, session proposal forms, travel information, and field trip announcements will all be coming soon. Stay tuned! www.nau.edu/TLEF
Tribal Grants Education and Technical Assistance Webinar Series Second Wednesday of Every Month at 1pm ET
For more information, click here!
NTAA Upcoming Calls. The toll-free number is 1-800-309-2350. If you do not need to call toll free, or would like to help conserve NTAA funding, you can call 1-805-309-2350. Both numbers use code 928-523-0526#. Contact [email protected] 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.
| EPA Policy Call: Call in to hear updates from EPA on policies, actions, and tools relevant to Indian Country and Air Quality. | Thursday, February 27, 2pm ET |
| Mobile Sources Work Group: This monthly work group addresses all mobile source pollution issues. | Thursday, March 5, 2pm ET
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| STAR Planning Call: The NTAA Status of Tribal Air Report (STAR) helps tell the story of Tribal Air Programs, why additional funding for Tribes is critical to advance air quality, and is a great resource for Tribes. | Wednesday, March 4, 2 pm ET |
| Wood Smoke Work Group: Join this work group every other month to address wood smoke issues in Indian Country. | Thursday, March 19, 2pm ET |
| Indoor Air Quality Work Group: Join this work group every other month to help support IAQ work throughout Indian Country. | Thursday, April 16, 2pm ET |
The Institute for Tribal Environmental Professional’s (ITEP’s) Tribes and Climate Change Calendar includes conferences, trainings, webinars and other events related to tribes and climate change.
Click here for ITEP’s other trainings and events.
Click here for ITEP’s new Tribal Environmental Management and Planning Online Courses. New courses have been added, so check it out!
ITEP’s FY20 AIAQTP Course Schedule
| Course Title | Dates | Location | Course Level |
| 2020 | |||
| Indoor Air Quality Diagnostic Tools in Alaska | March 3-6 | AK – TBD | 2 |
| Meteorological Monitoring | April 14-16 | TAMS Center, Las Vegas, NV | 3 |
| National Tribal Forum on Air Quality (NTFAQ) | May 27-29 | Tulsa, OK | n/a |
| Air Pollution Technology | Postponed: June 2020 | Flagstaff, AZ | 2 |
| Air Pollution Modeling | Fall 2020 | TAMS Center, Las Vegas, NV | 3 |
| Air Quality Outreach | TBD | TBD | 1 |
| Air Quality Planning for Wildland Smoke | Anytime | Series of 6 recorded webinars | n/a |
| Indoor Air Quality – Independent Study | Anytime | Independent Study | 1 |
| Building Performance: Improving IAQ in Cold Climates | Open | Online | 1 |
| Building Performance: Improving IAQ in Warm Climates | In development | Online | 1 |
| Residential Building Science Review | Open | Online | 1 |
| Radon Fundamentals | Open | Online | 1 |
| Quality Assurance Fundamentals (QA 101) | Open | Online | 1 |
| Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) (QA 201-209) | Open | Online | 2 |
| Emissions Inventory Fundamentals | Open | Online | 2 |
| Emissions Inventory Advanced | Open | Online | 3 |
| Note: This schedule is subject to change. For up-to-date information, course descriptions, and applications please visit http://www7.nau.edu/itep/main/Training/training_air/ | |||
Climate Change / Energy
February 26, 2 PM (ET) – Portfolio Manager 301
With a good background on the basic functionality of EPA’s ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager tool, learn about some advanced features including: using spreadsheet upload templates to update property data; setting goals and targets to plan energy improvements for properties; creating custom reports; and using the Sustainable Buildings Checklist.
February 26, 11 AM (MT) – Energy Efficiency Basics
When trying to lower energy bills or reduce environmental impact from energy generation, the first step is to look for opportunities to increase energy efficiency. This webinar will define what energy efficiency is and explore how to identify potential measures to reduce Tribal energy use.
South Central Climate Adaptation Science Center: Earth to Sky Workshop
Earth to Sky is a partnership between NASA, NPS, and USFWS that enables and encourages informal educators to access and use relevant NASA science, data, and educational and outreach products in their work. The partnership’s focus is on climate change science and communication. Join us for three days of training with native informal educators from across the South Central region who recognize the importance of teaching climate change. The workshop will take place July 15-17 in Sulphur, OK. Learn more here.
Call for Proposals now open: National Tribal & Indigenous Climate Conference August 31-September 4, 2020
Proposals due: April 3, 2020
The Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP) is honored to host the United States’ First Biennial National Tribal and Indigenous Climate Conference (NTICC) along with support from the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Tribal Resilience Program. The NTICC is open to all US tribal nations and Indigenous Peoples from throughout the world, with an emphasis on including our Elders and
Youth. The NTICC will convene experts on climate change and will include a balance of Traditional Indigenous Knowledges and Western Science. We invite people to submit proposals discussing climate-related impacts, assessments, tools, adaptation planning, mitigation and actions in one or more of the following tracks:
- Indigenous Knowledges
- Air, Health & Well-Being
- Land
- Water
- Relocation
- Infrastructure
- Energy Systems
- Food Sovereignty
- Ecosystems and Biodiversity
ITEP’s Climate Change Adaptation Training Courses registration is online! Learn more about the courses and register here.
Toxics/Mobile Sources
NEW! Mobility Mindsets: Shared Mobility and Personal Micromobility
Thursday, March 12, 3:00-4:30 PM (ET)
Electric vehicles are only part of what many believe is a changing transportation landscape. Other emerging trends that are sparking innovation and investment include shared mobility and personal micromobility services. Researchers are still learning under which conditions these changes can be good for the environment. This webinar will highlight potential approaches to reducing emissions via mobility options.
Draft EPA Port-Related Emission Inventory Methodologies Document Available
The public draft of the “Methodologies for Estimating Port-Related and Goods Movement Mobile Source Emission Inventories” is now available. This document describes the latest, state-of-the-science methodologies for preparing a port-related emissions inventory for six mobile source sectors: ocean-going vessels, harbor craft, recreational marine, cargo handling equipment, onroad vehicles, and rail. This draft document reflects new data sources and model availability, and integrates the lessons learned from practical experience with EPA-Port Everglades Partnership and National Port Strategy Assessment. This document supersedes EPA’s 2009 “Current Methodologies in Preparing Mobile Source Port-Related Emission Inventories.” Interested stakeholders can send any feedback on this draft to [email protected] by March 31, 2020. In addition, EPA encourages stakeholders to use this document when developing inventories. EPA will consider any feedback received on the public draft in a future revision to this document. For more information, please visit this link.
Green Transportation Summit & Expo and the West Coast Collaborative Partners Meeting April 13-15, 2020
The Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP) and the Green Transportation Summit & Expo (GTSE) have partnered to provide 25 complimentary full-conference passes to the Green Transportation Summit & Expo in Tacoma this April 13-15. The GTSE is the Pacific Northwest’s premier clean fleet and transportation event, focusing on fleets, fuels, technologies, policy & practice, with a regional focus and a national scope. We will provide you the opportunity to see, touch, drive, and learn about new transportation technologies firsthand, such as electric, hydrogen, natural gas and propane-powered heavy-duty vehicles, off-road utility vehicles, generators, and others. Workshops on DERA, VW funding, other federal funding opportunities, and alternative fuels will be presented. Please join us at the Greater Tacoma Convention Center for the 10th annual GTSE to learn about clean transportation, how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, pollutants, and costs in your fleet operations. To learn more about the conference, check out our website. To receive the code for the complimentary passes, please contact ITEP’s Dara Marks Marino at [email protected].
Indoor Air Quality
EPA’s Residential Wood Smoke Workshop in New Orleans, March 10-12, 2020
Workshop Background Information: Workshop participants will include state, local, tribal, federal and non-profit organization personnel. Workshop participants will discuss residential wood heating/combustion program issues, opportunities, challenges, lessons learned, and partnerships as outlined in the draft agenda. This Workshop will be held in conjunction with the Hearth, Patio and Barbeque Association (HPBA) Trade Show/Expo, which offers Workshop participants a valuable opportunity to tour the Trade Show floor and meet with industry representatives. At the Expo a wide variety of hearth technologies are on display including cordwood, wood pellet, coal and gas stoves, wood-fired central heating system. You do not need to register for the HBPA Expo – by registering for the Wood Smoke Workshop you will receive a name tag-pass for the Expo. The Workshop is being coordinated and supported by EPA, the Western States Air Resources Council, the Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management and National Tribal Air Association. More information can be found here, or contact Larry Brockman, [email protected], 919-541-5398.
NEW! Federal Interagency Committee on Indoor Air Quality (CIAQ)
The Federal Interagency Committee on Indoor Air Quality (CIAQ) will hold its next public webinar on Wednesday, March 11, 2020, beginning at 1:00 p.m. EST.
At the meeting, CIAQ member agencies will provide updates on indoor environmental quality–related activities at their agencies, with the goal of enhancing opportunities for collaboration and coordination. Following these updates, invited presentations on topics of interest to the IAQ community include—
- Findings from a Meta-Analysis of the Association of Respiratory Health Effects and Dampness and Mold in Schools and
- The results of an assessment of Indoor Environmental Control Practices by Race/Ethnicity Among Children with Asthma in 14 US States and Puerto Rico, 2013-2014
The agenda for the March meeting will be provided on the CIAQ website shortly.
- To register for the webinar, please visit this link.
- For audio, participants must call toll-free (855) 883-8661 and provide the operator with the audio conference ID 4942048 when prompted.
- If you would like to attend in person, please contact the Executive Secretariat at [email protected] with your full name and organizational affiliation; this information is needed for security purposes.
For more information on the CIAQ and its activities, click here. If you have a presentation topic or other suggestions that you would like considered for future meetings, please send it to [email protected].
Be sure to subscribe to CodeTalk, HUD’s Office of Native American Programs newsletter, for webinars and opportunities!