UPCOMING CALLS/EVENTS/NOTICES

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

NEW! RadResponder webinars, links, and information

Upcoming Webinars this spring:

The CBRNResponder team conducts Special Feature Webinars each month covering various topics and capabilities. See the links below to sign up for a webinar. If you would like to request a new user webinar please contact us at support@cbrnresponder.net.

• Event Merging: Mar. 11 (Wed) 1:00 PM ET Sign up
• Chemical Data Types and Severity Thresholds: Apr. 15 (Wed) 1:00 PM ET Sign up
• GIS File Management: May 12 (Tues) 1:00 PM ET Sign up

Other links and information:

• RadResponder website: radresponder.net
• CBRNResponder – overarching website, that includes both RadResponder and ChemResponder: CBRNResponder.net
• Support: support@CBRNresponder.net

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 (PM_2.5) and PSD increments for PM_2.5, 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 PM_2.5 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.

NEW! Save the Date & Call for Papers: National Ambient Air Monitoring Conference

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, August 10-13, 2020. Abstracts due April 17, 2020.

EPA in conjunction with the Association of Air Pollution Control Agencies (AAPCA) and the National Association of Clean Air Agencies (NACAA) are pleased to announce the 2020 National Ambient Air Monitoring Conference.

Interested in presenting a paper or a poster at the Conference? Great! We want to hear from you. We are interested in receiving proposals related to the following technical topics: PAMS, PM2.5 and Chemical Speciation, Near Road, Air Toxics, Tribal Monitoring, Field Operations, Sensors, Quality Assurance, Data Analysis & Data Visualization, Special Studies and Emerging Issues. This year we are also considering some time on the agenda for “Lightening Talks”.  These would be 5-10 minute maximum time slots for quick presentations on issues/topics related to ambient air monitoring and data analysis. In addition, if you’re planning to present a poster, please indicate if you would be interested in giving a 1-minute lightening talk about your poster. Abstracts are required for technical presentations, technical lightening talks, and posters. Please send your one-page abstract along with a bio to Laurie Trinca (trinca.laurie@epa.gov) no later than April 17, 2020. Registration is expected open in April 2020. Additional details will be available on EPA’s website in the coming months.

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 Andy.Bessler@nau.edu 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.

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 

Climate Change / Energy

NEW! March 4, 11, 18 and 25, Noon (ET) – Ask the Expert

Every Wednesday ENERGY STAR holds a Portfolio Manager “Ask the Expert” session. It’s a live webinar that gives all users an opportunity to ask their questions directly to EPA experts in an open forum. Want to talk to a “real” person? Have a question about how Portfolio Manager calculates your score? Want to learn more about entering Green Power? Join ENERGY STAR, and they’ll answer all your questions about ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager in this public forum.

Register

NEW! March 11, 1 PM (ET) – Portfolio Manager 201

Continue to learn about EPA’s ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager Tool with a deeper dive into more advanced functionalities such as: editing property data; correcting and updating property use details; using the data quality checker; and sharing property data.

Register

NEW! March 12, 1 PM (ET) – Benchmarking Water & Wastewater Treatment Plants in Portfolio Manager

This webinar features EPA’s ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, a powerful online tool that can help you track and manage your system’s energy usage and energy savings from efficiency projects, including related greenhouse gas emissions for your inventories. We will discuss how Portfolio Manager benefits water and wastewater systems, and demonstrate how you can create an account and benchmark your systems at no cost to you.

Register

NEW! March 16, Noon (ET) – Reducing Supply Chain Embodied Greenhouse Gas Emissions with Local Economic Benefits: The Urban Wood Project

As more companies set goals to reduce their supply chain greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions—especially from their manufactured goods and services—new collaborative opportunities and innovative approaches can help them achieve their targets. This webinar explores a new partnership in reducing a product’s embodied GHG emissions that also achieves additional community benefits. In 2018, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service brought together Humanim, a social services enterprise, and the U.S.-based furniture manufacturer and retailer Room & Board in a unique partnership aimed at improving American communities environmentally, socially and economically. Through its Urban Wood Project, reclaimed wood from Baltimore’s former housing stock was incorporated into one of Room & Board’s product lines, while also increasing local employment. In the webinar, representatives from USDA’s Forest Service, Humanim, and Room and Board discuss the partnership model, its successes, and current opportunities and challenges for scaling up.

Speakers:

• Sarah Hines – Urban Field Station Network Coordinator, USDA Forest Service
• Jeff Carroll – Vice-President, Humanim
• Steve Freeman – Vendor Resource Manager, Room & Board

Register

NEW! March 17, 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.

Register

NEW! March 17, 1 PM (ET) – Introduction to REopt Lite Open Source

The REopt Lite web tool helps building owners evaluate the economic viability of grid-connected PV, wind, and battery storage at a site; identify system sizes and battery dispatch strategies to minimize energy costs; and estimate how long a system can sustain critical loads during a grid outage. In this webinar, we will review REopt Lite Open Source, the latest addition to the suite of ways you can use REopt Lite for research, analysis, and project development. REopt Lite Open Source allows programmers to explore the source code to see exactly how the model works, add custom capabilities, and work with NREL to implement new features.

Register

NEW! March 20, 1:30 PM (ET) – Financing Climate Mitigation and Resilience: Lessons from Hawaii

View a live briefing on innovative efforts to finance and implement climate change mitigation and resilience projects. Featuring a panel from Hawaii, the briefing will explore steps the state is taking to reach carbon neutrality and run on 100 percent renewable energy by 2045. Hawaii’s top climate change official will discuss state-wide efforts to lead on climate, and the Executive Director of one of the most robust green banks in the country will speak about its unique features and how it supports companies, communities, and individuals as they work towards Hawaii’s climate goals in an equitable way.

Livecast link

NEW! March 24, Noon (ET) – Resilience: Helping Communities and Countries Move from Crisis to Stability

Resilience. It’s a pressing topic, but the term is frequently confused with related—yet distinct—concepts of risk reduction or adaptation. Join Abt for a free webinar to learn what resilience really means, how it is relevant to diverse stakeholders, and how to strengthen resilience at local, regional, and national scales. Speakers will describe how communities and nations experience and recover from impacts to their environment and climate, energy systems, health, and cultures, and how to develop effective resilience-building strategies.

Speakers:

• Lorine Giangola, Ph.D. – Abt Associate Scientist, Environment & Natural Resources (moderator)
• Ambassador John Lange – Senior Fellow for Global Health Diplomacy, United Nations Foundation
• Sherry Stout, Engineer – U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL)
• Raymond Martinez – Director of the Pueblo de San Ildefonso’s Department of Environmental and Cultural Preservation, and Tribal Risk Assessment Program Manager

Register

NEW! March 25, 11 AM (MT) – Energy Efficiency Projects from Concept to Completion

Once your Tribe has identified energy efficiency as a goal and considered the opportunities, the next state consists of defining and executing the project. This webinar will focus on how to move a project from concept to completion.

Register

NEW! March 31, 1 PM (ET) — Resilient Power in Puerto Rico – Innovative Applications of Solar+Storage to Serve Vulnerable Populations  

Since Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico in 2017, demand for resilient power technologies — solar PV paired with battery storage (solar+storage) — has so far resulted in over 10,000 residential and 300 critical facility systems across the island. Despite these gains, persistent energy infrastructure issues still plague the island. After the recent earthquakes, entire regions had to contend with extended blackouts. Rural communities face additional hurdles. This Clean Energy Group webinar will explore innovative solar+storage applications in vulnerable communities. Panelists will also discuss barriers to resilient power development and local workforce training initiatives.

Register

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

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.

ITEP’s Climate Change Adaptation Training Courses registration is online! Learn more about the courses and register here.

Toxics/Mobile Sources

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.

Register

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 talkaboutports@epa.gov 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 10^th 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 Dara.Marks-Marino@nau.edu.

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, brockman.larry@epa.gov, 919-541-5398.

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—

1. Findings from a Meta-Analysis of the Association of Respiratory Health Effects and Dampness and Mold in Schools and
2. 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 laureen@epa.gov 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 burton.laureen@epa.gov.

Be sure to subscribe to CodeTalk, HUD’s Office of Native American Programs newsletter, for webinars and opportunities!

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 (Farsi.Farshid@epa.gov or 702-784-8263), or Christopher Lee, TAMS-ITEP Codirector (christopher.lee@nau.edu).

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 (PM_2.5) and PSD increments for PM_2.5, 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 PM_2.5 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 Andy.Bessler@nau.edu 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.

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 

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.

Register

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.

Register

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.

Register

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 talkaboutports@epa.gov 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 10^th 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 Dara.Marks-Marino@nau.edu.

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, brockman.larry@epa.gov, 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—

1. Findings from a Meta-Analysis of the Association of Respiratory Health Effects and Dampness and Mold in Schools and
2. 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 laureen@epa.gov 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 burton.laureen@epa.gov.

Be sure to subscribe to CodeTalk, HUD’s Office of Native American Programs newsletter, for webinars and opportunities!

UPCOMING CALLS/EVENTS/NOTICES

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

NEW! National Environmental Justice Advisory Council Public Meeting with Teleconference Option, February 25 – 27, 2020 in Jacksonville, Florida

Register by today, February 19!

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s National Environmental Justice Advisory Council (NEJAC) will convene a public meeting with a teleconference option. The public meeting begins with a public comment period on Tuesday, February 25, 2020, starting at 6:00 p.m., Eastern Time. The meeting continues on February 26 and 27 from 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., Eastern Time. Members of the public are encouraged to provide comments in writing or verbally during the public comment period on Tuesday evening.

The meeting on Wednesday and Thursday will focus on topics that include environmental justice issues of communities in Florida and the southeastern United States; discussion and deliberation of a charge related to the reuse and revitalization of Superfund and other contaminated sites; and the resiliency of communities following natural disasters, particularly communities in the southeastern United States and the Caribbean.

The Federal Environmental Justice Interagency Working Group (EJIWG) will host the EJ and Natural Disasters Focus Group Meeting on Tuesday, February 25, from 3:00 p.m. -5:30 p.m., Eastern Time. The meeting is open to the public and there is no cost to attend.

Registration:

• Pre-registration is recommended to attend in person
• Pre-registration is required to participate by phone

Registration will close on February 19, 2020, at 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time.

Meeting Location: The meeting will be held at the Omni Jacksonville Hotel, 245 Water Street, Jacksonville, FL 32202.

Questions: Please contact Karen Martin at nejac@epa.gov or 202-564-0203.

Click here for more information on the NEJAC.

To learn about the Public Comment Guidelines, visit the link.

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 (Farsi.Farshid@epa.gov or 702-784-8263), or Christopher Lee, TAMS-ITEP Codirector (christopher.lee@nau.edu).

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 (PM_2.5) and PSD increments for PM_2.5, 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 PM_2.5 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 Andy.Bessler@nau.edu 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.

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 

Climate Change / Energy

February 19, Noon (ET) – Ask the Expert

Every other Wednesday ENERGY STAR holds a Portfolio Manager “Ask the Expert” session. It’s a live webinar that gives all users an opportunity to ask their questions directly to EPA experts in an open forum. Want to talk to a “real” person? Have a question about how Portfolio Manager calculates your score? Want to learn more about entering Green Power? Join ENERGY STAR, and they’ll answer all your questions about ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager in this public forum.

Register

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.

Register

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.

Register

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

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 talkaboutports@epa.gov 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.  EPA will be hosting a public webinar on February 25^th, 2020 at 2pm Eastern (webinar calendar invite attached) to provide a background of the work leading to this update, approach and scope of the update, and updated methodologies by mobile source sector. For more information, please visit this link.

Federal Register Publication Notice: EPA’s Cleaner Trucks Initiative — Advance Notice of Proposed Rule

The EPA’s Advance Notice of Proposed Rule (ANPR) titled “Control of Air Pollution from New Motor Vehicles: Heavy-Duty Engine Standards” has been published in the Federal Register. Please note that the 30-day comment period for this ANPR began Monday, January 21, 2020, and all comments must be submitted on or before February 20, 2020. The EPA websites, ANPR: Control of Air Pollution from New Motor Vehicles: Heavy-Duty Engine Standards

and Cleaner Trucks Initiative will be updated, replacing the earlier “pre-publication” version of the ANPR with the official version in the link above. The NTAA will be submitting a request for comment extension as well as developing a Policy Resource Kit.

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 10^th 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 Dara.Marks-Marino@nau.edu.

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, brockman.larry@epa.gov, 919-541-5398.

Be sure to subscribe to CodeTalk, HUD’s Office of Native American Programs newsletter, for webinars and opportunities!

UPCOMING CALLS/EVENTS/NOTICES

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

ITEP Course: Composting Strategies and Tribal Food Security (apply by February 12)

The Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals will be offering a new course, “Compost Programs and Tribal Food Security,” in the Bay Area, California, March 31-April 2, 2020. This course is for employees of federally-recognized tribes and is intended to focus on creating compost to build healthy soils to grow traditional foods. This course will be taught by presenters from two different tribes that have been successful in starting their own composting programs and using that compost to help them grow food on their reservation. They will share their experiences, expertise, and tips for success on a variety of composting and growing operations. During this course, we will have the opportunity to visit two different sites: a larger scale composting project in the Bay Area that is incredibly efficient at turning inputs into sellable compost as well as a teaching garden focused on cross-tribal, cross-generational growing that incorporates traditional and culturally-significant foods. These field trips will allow participants to better determine the right size composting program for their Tribe as well as get information on how to get started. We will also have guest speakers to talk about the importance of culturally significant foods. Attendees will participate in small group activities, allowing them to work directly with fellow tribal professionals, putting into practice what they learn during the lectures. This course will be limited to twenty participants. We anticipate a high degree of interest in this course, so a maximum of two applications from any one tribe will be considered. The individuals selected will have their lodging covered by ITEP. All participants are responsible for their own travel and per diem. If you are interested in applying for this course please submit an application to Julie.Jurkowski@nau.edu by Wednesday, February 12. The application can be found on our training page.

NEW! Proposed Revisions to Appendix P to 40 CFR Part 51, Concerning Minimum Emission Reporting Requirements

EPA proposed revisions to its regulations guiding the preparation of state implementation plans (SIPs). These regulations are found in 40 CFR Part 51. The proposed action would revise the minimum reporting frequency requirement for SIPs applicable to source categories listed in Appendix P to 40 CFR Part 51 from quarterly to semiannual. This revision would be generally consistent with the current reporting frequency requirements to which these sources are subject under other programs (e.g., New Source Performance Standards). Each state could—but would not be required to—revise its SIP to allow semiannual reporting for four source categories:

1. fossil fuel-fired steam generators of more than 250 million BTU per hour heat input;
2. fluid bed catalytic cracking unit catalyst regenerators at petroleum refineries;
3. sulfuric acid plants; and
4. nitric acid plants.

The Clean Air Act requires each state to develop a plan to attain and maintain clean air known as a state implementation plan, or SIP. In general, SIPs must demonstrate how national air quality standards will be achieved, maintained, and enforced. EPA will accept comment on this proposed rule for 30 days after it publishes in the Federal Register. A pre-publication version of the proposal and a summary fact sheet are available on the web.  

Seeking nominations for Alaska’s Alternate Representative on the National Tribal Air Association Executive Committee!

The nomination deadline has been extended to February 14, 2020. For more information on this opportunity, please contact Kayla Krauss at krauss.kayla@epa.gov, Ann Wyatt (NTAA’s current Alaska representative) at 907-755-2265 or annwyatt@klawocktribe.org, or Andy Bessler at 928-523-0526 or andy.bessler@nau.edu.

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 (Farsi.Farshid@epa.gov or 702-784-8263), or Christopher Lee, TAMS-ITEP Codirector (christopher.lee@nau.edu).

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

NEW! 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 (PM_2.5) and PSD increments for PM_2.5, 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 PM_2.5 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: 21^st Annual National Tribal Forum on Air Quality (NTFAQ) on May 27-29, 2020, hosted by the Muscogee (Creek) Nation in Tulsa, Oklahoma

The NTFAQ provides environmental professionals from tribes, EPA, and other organizations an opportunity to meet and discuss current policies, regulatory initiatives, and technical topics in air quality. The NTFAQ is a cooperative endeavor co-sponsored by The Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP) and the National Tribal Air Association (NTAA), made possible by funding from US EPA and our generous sponsors. We are soliciting tribal co-hosts for the 2020 NTFAQ! Stay tuned to the ITEP website for information on registration, scholarships, and more.

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 Andy.Bessler@nau.edu 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.

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 

Climate Change / Energy

February 12, 1 PM (ET) – ENERGY STAR and Green Building Rating Systems

Learn how to use EPA tools and resources to help meet requirements for green building rating systems such as the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), the Green Globes system, and others.

Register

February 13th, 3 PM (ET) – Groundwork Climate Safe Neighborhoods Program Webinar 

What does race have to do with urban heat islands, flooding and other climate-related impacts? Join this webinar to learn about the Groundwork Climate Safe Neighborhoods program and how Groundwork communities are documenting the relationship between historical race-based housing segregation and the current and predicted impacts of climate change. Hear from Groundwork Richmond, California and Groundwork Elizabeth, New Jersey about methods for collecting and sharing data in their communities.

Register

February 19, Noon (ET) – Ask the Expert

Every other Wednesday ENERGY STAR holds a Portfolio Manager “Ask the Expert” session. It’s a live webinar that gives all users an opportunity to ask their questions directly to EPA experts in an open forum. Want to talk to a “real” person? Have a question about how Portfolio Manager calculates your score? Want to learn more about entering Green Power? Join ENERGY STAR, and they’ll answer all your questions about ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager in this public forum.

Register

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.

Register

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.

Register

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.

NEW! 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

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 talkaboutports@epa.gov 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.  EPA will be hosting a public webinar on February 25^th, 2020 at 2pm Eastern (webinar calendar invite attached) to provide a background of the work leading to this update, approach and scope of the update, and updated methodologies by mobile source sector. For more information, please visit this link.

Federal Register Publication Notice: EPA’s Cleaner Trucks Initiative — Advance Notice of Proposed Rule

The EPA’s Advance Notice of Proposed Rule (ANPR) titled “Control of Air Pollution from New Motor Vehicles: Heavy-Duty Engine Standards” has been published in the Federal Register. Please note that the 30-day comment period for this ANPR began Monday, January 21, 2020, and all comments must be submitted on or before February 20, 2020. The EPA websites, ANPR: Control of Air Pollution from New Motor Vehicles: Heavy-Duty Engine Standards

and Cleaner Trucks Initiative will be updated, replacing the earlier “pre-publication” version of the ANPR with the official version in the link above. The NTAA will be submitting a request for comment extension as well as developing a Policy Resource Kit.

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 10^th 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 Dara.Marks-Marino@nau.edu.

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, brockman.larry@epa.gov, 919-541-5398.

Be sure to subscribe to CodeTalk, HUD’s Office of Native American Programs newsletter, for webinars and opportunities!

UPCOMING CALLS/EVENTS/NOTICES

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

NEW! Department of Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs Updates List of Federally Recognized Tribes

On January 30, 2020, the Department of Interior published the current list of 574 Tribal entities recognized by and eligible for funding and services from the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) by virtue of their status as Indian Tribes. The list is updated from the notice published on February 1, 2019 (84 FR 1200).

NEW! Final rule: Air Toxics Standards for Asphalt Processing and Asphalt Roofing Manufacturing RTR

On January 30, 2020, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued minor amendments to the 2003 National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for Asphalt Processing and Asphalt Roofing Manufacturing facilities and determined that risks from these source categories are acceptable. In addition, the agency identified no developments in practices, processes or control technologies that would further reduce emissions of hazardous air pollutants. EPA is finalizing no significant changes to the original NESHAP for this source category and has determined the standards continue to provide an ample margin of safety to protect public health and the environment. EPA is finalizing minor amendments to the existing regulation. These amendments clarify that the standards are applicable during periods of startup, shutdown and malfunction and require electronic reporting of performance test results, notifications of compliance status and semi-annual reports. The amendments also provide more flexibility for the monitoring requirements and require compliance testing at least once every 5 years. For more information, including a pre-publication version of the final rule and a summary fact sheet, click here.

NEW! Final rule: Air Toxics Standards for Stationary Combustion Turbines RTR

On January 31, 2020, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued minor amendments to the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for Stationary Combustion Turbines. EPA evaluated the risks remaining after fully implementing the 2004 NESHAP for Stationary Combustion Turbines and determined that risks from this source category are acceptable. In addition, the agency identified no developments in practices, processes or control technologies that would further reduce emissions of air toxics. EPA is not making significant changes to the original NESHAP for this source category and has determined the standards continue to provide an ample margin of safety to protect public health and the environment. EPA is finalizing only minor amendments to the existing regulation. These amendments clarify that the standards are applicable during periods of startup, shutdown and malfunction and require electronic reporting of performance test results. For more information, including a pre-publication version of the final amendments and a summary fact sheet, visit this link.

Marama Webinar Series: Air Pollution Meteorology & Modeling

PART 1 – WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2020, 1:30 – 3:00 PM ET

PART 2 – WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2020, 1:30 – 3:00 PM ET

This two-part webinar series provides an introduction to the basics of air-pollution meteorology and dispersion modeling using the USEPA reference model, AERMOD. Students will learn meteorological concepts as well as the mechanics of running AERMOD and the screening model AERSCREEN. A practical example will be included. Each webinar session will last approximately 1.5 hours. Please CLICK HERE to register for BOTH webinars in this series by Friday, January 31, 2020. After you register, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

NEW! ITEP Course: Composting Strategies and Tribal Food Security (apply by February 12)

The Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals will be offering a new course, “Compost Programs and Tribal Food Security,” in the Bay Area, California, March 31-April 2, 2020. This course is for employees of federally-recognized tribes and is intended to focus on creating compost to build healthy soils to grow traditional foods. This course will be taught by presenters from two different tribes that have been successful in starting their own composting programs and using that compost to help them grow food on their reservation. They will share their experiences, expertise, and tips for success on a variety of composting and growing operations. During this course, we will have the opportunity to visit two different sites: a larger scale composting project in the Bay Area that is incredibly efficient at turning inputs into sellable compost as well as a teaching garden focused on cross-tribal, cross-generational growing that incorporates traditional and culturally-significant foods. These field trips will allow participants to better determine the right size composting program for their Tribe as well as get information on how to get started. We will also have guest speakers to talk about the importance of culturally significant foods. Attendees will participate in small group activities, allowing them to work directly with fellow tribal professionals, putting into practice what they learn during the lectures. This course will be limited to twenty participants. We anticipate a high degree of interest in this course, so a maximum of two applications from any one tribe will be considered. The individuals selected will have their lodging covered by ITEP. All participants are responsible for their own travel and per diem. If you are interested in applying for this course please submit an application to Julie.Jurkowski@nau.edu by Wednesday, February 12. The application can be found on our training page.

Seeking nominations for Alaska’s Alternate Representative on the National Tribal Air Association Executive Committee!

The nomination deadline has been extended to February 14, 2020. For more information on this opportunity, please contact Kayla Krauss at krauss.kayla@epa.gov, Ann Wyatt (NTAA’s current Alaska representative) at 907-755-2265 or annwyatt@klawocktribe.org, or Andy Bessler at 928-523-0526 or andy.bessler@nau.edu.

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

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 (Farsi.Farshid@epa.gov or 702-784-8263), or Christopher Lee, TAMS-ITEP Codirector (christopher.lee@nau.edu).

Ogden, Murphy, Wallace 21st Annual Tribal Environmental Seminar

Our 21st Annual OMW Tribal Environmental Seminar program will take place in Seattle, over a one and one-half day period, on Wednesday, March 25 and Thursday, March 26, 2020. Tribal leaders, Tribal environmental program managers, and Tribal in-house counsel are invited to attend the OMW Tribal Environmental Seminar as our guests at no charge. The theme for the 2020 Seminar is “Using Federal, Tribal and State Law to Protect the Tribal Homeland and Preserve Tribal Rights and Resources.” For more information and to reserve your place at the table please give Jennifer Sanscrainte or Melody Wasley a call at 206.447.7000.

Air Quality Awareness Week: May 4-8, 2020

On behalf of our AirNow partners – NOAA National Weather Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. Forest Service, and U.S. Department of State – EPA is pleased to announce that Air Quality Awareness Week 2020 will be celebrated May 4 – 8. Our theme this year is Better Air, Better Health! Our goal is to promote events that increase air quality awareness and the effects of air quality on health, as well as encourage people to check the AQI daily. We plan to focus on the following daily topics this year, featuring one each day on the AQAW website:

• Monday – Wildfires & Smoke
• Tuesday – Asthma & Your Health
• Wednesday – Where’s Your AQI Coming From?
• Thursday – Air Quality Around the World
• Friday – Shout-out of state and local events (Send us yours! See examples at the link below.)

We will release the website on Monday May 4, the first day of AQAW (see www.airnow.gov/airaware). We would love to help spread the word about your Air Quality Awareness Week programs and events. Please send information about your events to lee.debra@epa.gov as soon as you have it available, and we will post it on our events page. (For examples from 2019, visit this link.) Don’t forget to tag @airnow in your social media posts! We’ll be using the hashtag #AQAW2020 this year. You are welcome to post comments to the AirNow Facebook page to let everyone know how your events are going.

Save the Date: 21^st Annual National Tribal Forum on Air Quality (NTFAQ) on May 27-29, 2020, hosted by the Muscogee (Creek) Nation in Tulsa, Oklahoma

The NTFAQ provides environmental professionals from tribes, EPA, and other organizations an opportunity to meet and discuss current policies, regulatory initiatives, and technical topics in air quality. The NTFAQ is a cooperative endeavor co-sponsored by The Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP) and the National Tribal Air Association (NTAA), made possible by funding from US EPA and our generous sponsors. We are soliciting tribal co-hosts for the 2020 NTFAQ! Stay tuned to the ITEP website for information on registration, scholarships, and more.

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 Andy.Bessler@nau.edu 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.

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 

Climate Change / Energy

NEW! February 5 and 19, Noon (ET) – Ask the Expert

Every other Wednesday ENERGY STAR holds a Portfolio Manager “Ask the Expert” session. It’s a live webinar that gives all users an opportunity to ask their questions directly to EPA experts in an open forum. Want to talk to a “real” person? Have a question about how Portfolio Manager calculates your score? Want to learn more about entering Green Power? Join ENERGY STAR, and they’ll answer all your questions about ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager in this public forum.

Register

NEW! February 11, 1 PM (ET) – Portfolio Manager 201

Continue to learn about EPA’s ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager tool with a deeper dive into more advanced functionalities such as: editing property data; correcting and updating property use details; using the data quality checker; and sharing property data.

Register

NEW! February 12, 1 PM (ET) – ENERGY STAR and Green Building Rating Systems

Learn how to use EPA tools and resources to help meet requirements for green building rating systems such as the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), the Green Globes system, and others.

Register

NEW! February 13th, 3 PM (ET) – Groundwork Climate Safe Neighborhoods Program Webinar 

What does race have to do with urban heat islands, flooding and other climate-related impacts? Join this webinar to learn about the Groundwork Climate Safe Neighborhoods program and how Groundwork communities are documenting the relationship between historical race-based housing segregation and the current and predicted impacts of climate change. Hear from Groundwork Richmond, California and Groundwork Elizabeth, New Jersey about methods for collecting and sharing data in their communities.

Register

NEW! 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.

Register

NEW! 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.

Register

NEW! 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.

Save the Date! National Tribal & Indigenous Climate Conference August 31-September 4, 2020

The Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP) is honored to host the

United States’ First annual 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, which will include a balance of Western Science and Traditional Indigenous Knowledges. Topic areas will address: impacts, assessments, adaptation, mitigation, implementation, and solutions. This conference will allow an opportunity to share information and support one another. We welcome all to join us in 2020!

• Location: Minneapolis/St. Paul area
• Registration fee: $200
• Deadline: TBD
• NTICC info here!

ITEP’s Climate Change Adaptation Training Courses registration is online! Learn more about the courses and register here.

Toxics/Mobile Sources

Experts to Gather to Discuss the Public Health Threat from Gasoline Aromatics

Thursday, February 6, 2020, 8am-5pm EST

A live webcast will be streamed at www.eesi.org/livecast

The discussion will highlight alternatives to gasoline aromatics that benefit public health, the environment/climate change, national security, and the economy. These solutions could be implemented in the upcoming Safer Affordable Fuel-Efficient (SAFE) Vehicles Rule. Panel highlights include discussions on gasoline aromatics and EPA’s duty to control them, how gasoline aromatics are the new lead, new science emphasizing corn ethanol’s low carbon intensity factors and more.

NEW! 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 talkaboutports@epa.gov 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.  EPA will be hosting a public webinar on February 25^th, 2020 at 2pm Eastern (webinar calendar invite attached) to provide a background of the work leading to this update, approach and scope of the update, and updated methodologies by mobile source sector. For more information, please visit this link.

Federal Register Publication Notice: EPA’s Cleaner Trucks Initiative — Advance Notice of Proposed Rule

The EPA’s Advance Notice of Proposed Rule (ANPR) titled “Control of Air Pollution from New Motor Vehicles: Heavy-Duty Engine Standards” has been published in the Federal Register. Please note that the 30-day comment period for this ANPR began Monday, January 21, 2020, and all comments must be submitted on or before February 20, 2020. The EPA websites, ANPR: Control of Air Pollution from New Motor Vehicles: Heavy-Duty Engine Standards

and Cleaner Trucks Initiative will be updated, replacing the earlier “pre-publication” version of the ANPR with the official version in the link above. The NTAA will be submitting a request for comment extension as well as developing a Policy Resource Kit.

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 10^th 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 Dara.Marks-Marino@nau.edu.

Indoor Air Quality

The Human Forest: Volatile Chemical Products Contribute to Urban Air Pollution

Wednesday, February 5, 2020, 1:00-2:00pm EST

Recent work in Los Angeles has shown that emissions from consumer product and industrial solvent use – collectively, volatile chemical products (VCPs) – contribute as much to the abundance of urban volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as the emissions from motor vehicles. VCP emissions are predominantly emitted to the indoor environment, but are then transported to the outdoors via building exhaust. In this presentation, we will show that VCP emissions are ubiquitous in U.S. cities and correlate with urban population density.

Join the webinar here.

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, brockman.larry@epa.gov, 919-541-5398.

Be sure to subscribe to CodeTalk, HUD’s Office of Native American Programs newsletter, for webinars and opportunities!

UPCOMING CALLS/EVENTS/NOTICES

NCAI and Center Indian Country Development to Present Webinar Series on Increasing Homeownership in Indian Country

NCAI’s Partnership for Tribal Governance and the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis’s Center for Indian Country Development (CICD) are partnering to present a four-part webinar series in January on increasing homeownership across Indian Country. Based on CICD’s Tribal Leaders Handbook on Homeownership, the series will inform tribal leaders, tribal housing staff, and their partners about best practices for homeownership program development and growth. NCAI Contact: Tyler Scribner, Policy Analyst, tscribner@ncai.org. The remaining webinar is as follows:

• Thursday, January 30, 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. EST: MAKING HOMEOWNERSHIP AFFORDABLE. Topics will include making homeownership affordable, home design and construction: making the right choices, and manufactured homes: an affordable homeownership option. To register, click here.

NEW! Marama Webinar Series: Air Pollution Meteorology & Modeling

PART 1 – WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2020, 1:30 – 3:00 PM ET

PART 2 – WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2020, 1:30 – 3:00 PM ET

This two-part webinar series provides an introduction to the basics of air-pollution meteorology and dispersion modeling using the USEPA reference model, AERMOD. Students will learn meteorological concepts as well as the mechanics of running AERMOD and the screening model AERSCREEN. A practical example will be included. Each webinar session will last approximately 1.5 hours. Please CLICK HERE to register for BOTH webinars in this series by Friday, January 31, 2020. After you register, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

NEW! 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.

          EPA’s Teleconference Overview of RFA: OAR will hold a teleconference to provide an overview of the scope of work listed in the RFA to any parties interested in the opportunity. The teleconference will take place on Tuesday, February 4, 2020 at 2:00 PM (EST). The conference call-in number is 202-991-0477 with call-in code: 150 1081. Please contact Pat Childers (childers.pat@epa.gov or 202-564-1082) if you have any logistical questions prior to the teleconference.

NEW! 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

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 (Farsi.Farshid@epa.gov or 702-784-8263), or Christopher Lee, TAMS-ITEP Codirector (christopher.lee@nau.edu).

NEW! NPRM: Procedures for Federal Acknowledgment of Alaska Native Entities

This proposed rule would establish a new part in the Code of Federal Regulations to address how Alaska Native entities may become acknowledged as an Indian Tribe pursuant to the Alaska Amendment to the Indian Reorganization Act. This proposed rule would not affect the status of Tribes that are already federally recognized. Comment period closes on March 2, 2020. More information can be found in the Federal Register.

Tribal Consultation Opportunity Announcement: EPA’s Draft Principles for Consulting with Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act Corporations

Lead Office: OITA

Open Dates: 12/16/2019 – 4/14/2020

More information on the TCOTS site.

NEW! Ogden, Murphy, Wallace 21st Annual Tribal Environmental Seminar

Our 21st Annual OMW Tribal Environmental Seminar program will take place in Seattle, over a one and one-half day period, on Wednesday, March 25 and Thursday, March 26, 2020. Tribal leaders, Tribal environmental program managers, and Tribal in-house counsel are invited to attend the OMW Tribal Environmental Seminar as our guests at no charge. The theme for the 2020 Seminar is “Using Federal, Tribal and State Law to Protect the Tribal Homeland and Preserve Tribal Rights and Resources.” For more information and to reserve your place at the table please give Jennifer Sanscrainte or Melody Wasley a call at 206.447.7000.

Early bird registration extension for the Air Sensors International Conference

Early bird registration has been extended to January 31, 2020, for the Air Sensors International Conference. The ASIC, taking place May 12-15, 2020, will bring together stakeholders from academia, government, communities, and commercial interests to promote and advance air pollution sensors, improve the data quality from these sensors, expand the pollutants measured, and foster community involvement in monitoring air quality. More information can be found here.

NEW! Air Quality Awareness Week: May 4-8, 2020

On behalf of our AirNow partners – NOAA National Weather Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. Forest Service, and U.S. Department of State – EPA is pleased to announce that Air Quality Awareness Week 2020 will be celebrated May 4 – 8. Our theme this year is Better Air, Better Health! Our goal is to promote events that increase air quality awareness and the effects of air quality on health, as well as encourage people to check the AQI daily. We plan to focus on the following daily topics this year, featuring one each day on the AQAW website:

• Monday – Wildfires & Smoke
• Tuesday – Asthma & Your Health
• Wednesday – Where’s Your AQI Coming From?
• Thursday – Air Quality Around the World
• Friday – Shout-out of state and local events (Send us yours! See examples at the link below.)

We will release the website on Monday May 4, the first day of AQAW (see www.airnow.gov/airaware). We would love to help spread the word about your Air Quality Awareness Week programs and events. Please send information about your events to lee.debra@epa.gov as soon as you have it available, and we will post it on our events page. (For examples from 2019, visit this link.) Don’t forget to tag @airnow in your social media posts! We’ll be using the hashtag #AQAW2020 this year. You are welcome to post comments to the AirNow Facebook page to let everyone know how your events are going.

NEW! Save the Date: 21^st Annual National Tribal Forum on Air Quality (NTFAQ) on May 27-29, 2020, hosted by the Muscogee (Creek) Nation in Tulsa, Oklahoma

The NTFAQ provides environmental professionals from tribes, EPA, and other organizations an opportunity to meet and discuss current policies, regulatory initiatives, and technical topics in air quality. The NTFAQ is a cooperative endeavor co-sponsored by The Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP) and the National Tribal Air Association (NTAA), made possible by funding from US EPA and our generous sponsors. We are soliciting tribal co-hosts for the 2020 NTFAQ! Stay tuned to the ITEP website for information on registration, scholarships, and more.

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 Andy.Bessler@nau.edu 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.

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 

Climate Change / Energy

NEW! And Today! Energy Justice and Solving Climate by 2030

January 29, 2020, from 1:15pm to 2:15pm EST

Tribal Climate Health Project 2020 Webinar Series: eight webinars on the third Tuesday of the month (9-10:30am PT) from January 21 – August 18

The Tribal Climate Health Project, an initiative of the Pala Band of Mission Indians/Pala Environmental Department, is pleased to announce the 2020 Tribal Climate & Health Adaptation Regional Cohort Webinar Series. Please visit our website for more information on how to register for this informative and engaging webinar series. This FREE interactive training is offered through a series of eight live webinars scheduled on the third Tuesday of the month (9:00 – 10:30am PT) from January 21, 2020 through August 18, 2020. The training will provide steps, tools, templates, case studies, and other resources that seek to streamline the adaptation planning process and make it easier for tribal health and environmental professionals to understand and address human health exposures and impacts within tribal communities. This training will summarize the latest data and literature on the exposures and impacts of climate change that may impact the health of tribal community members. It will also describe how to identify and select appropriate strategies to address these exposures and impacts.

NEW! The Climate Reality Project Upcoming Trainings

Las Vegas Training, March 8-10, 2020 (Apply by January 31)

San Antonia Training, April 14-16, 2020 (Apply by February 28)

The Climate Reality Project and former US Vice President Al Gore are excited to hold the first Climate Leadership Trainings this year in Las Vegas! Scholarship are available.

Scholarship Overview:

Climate Reality seeks to catalyze a global solution to the climate crisis by making urgent action a necessity across every level of society. In building this solution, we know that climate justice must be centered in our efforts. Our training scholarships aim to help accomplish these goals by increasing representation and participation in the climate conversation from people of color, students, youth, activists and leaders and members from frontline communities, who have historically been marginalized within the climate movement.

How to Apply:
While there is no registration fee for our training event, this scholarship program seeks to aid training participants with transportation costs, hotel accommodations, and meal stipends to attend the two and half day event. To apply for a scholarship, please complete this form by February 3, 2020

Save the Date! National Tribal & Indigenous Climate Conference August 31-September 4, 2020

The Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP) is honored to host the

United States’ First annual 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, which will include a balance of Western Science and Traditional Indigenous Knowledges. Topic areas will address: impacts, assessments, adaptation, mitigation, implementation, and solutions. This conference will allow an opportunity to share information and support one another. We welcome all to join us in 2020!

• Location: TBD
• Registration fee: $200
• Deadline: TBD
• NTICC info here!

ITEP’s Climate Change Adaptation Training Courses registration is online! Learn more about the courses and register here.

Toxics/Mobile Sources

NEW! Experts to Gather to Discuss the Public Health Threat from Gasoline Aromatics

Thursday, February 6, 2020, 8am-5pm EST

A live webcast will be streamed at www.eesi.org/livecast

The discussion will highlight alternatives to gasoline aromatics that benefit public health, the environment/climate change, national security, and the economy. These solutions could be implemented in the upcoming Safer Affordable Fuel-Efficient (SAFE) Vehicles Rule. Panel highlights include discussions on gasoline aromatics and EPA’s duty to control them, how gasoline aromatics are the new lead, new science emphasizing corn ethanol’s low carbon intensity factors and more.

Federal Register Publication Notice: EPA’s Cleaner Trucks Initiative — Advance Notice of Proposed Rule

The EPA’s Advance Notice of Proposed Rule (ANPR) titled “Control of Air Pollution from New Motor Vehicles: Heavy-Duty Engine Standards” has been published in the Federal Register. Please note that the 30-day comment period for this ANPR began Monday, January 21, 2020, and all comments must be submitted on or before February 20, 2020. The EPA websites, ANPR: Control of Air Pollution from New Motor Vehicles: Heavy-Duty Engine Standards

and Cleaner Trucks Initiative will be updated, replacing the earlier “pre-publication” version of the ANPR with the official version in the link above. The NTAA will be submitting a request for comment extension as well as developing a Policy Resource Kit.

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 10^th 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 Dara.Marks-Marino@nau.edu.

Indoor Air Quality

The Human Forest: Volatile Chemical Products Contribute to Urban Air Pollution

Wednesday, February 5, 2020, 1:00-2:00pm EST

Recent work in Los Angeles has shown that emissions from consumer product and industrial solvent use – collectively, volatile chemical products (VCPs) – contribute as much to the abundance of urban volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as the emissions from motor vehicles. VCP emissions are predominantly emitted to the indoor environment, but are then transported to the outdoors via building exhaust. In this presentation, we will show that VCP emissions are ubiquitous in U.S. cities and correlate with urban population density.

Join the webinar here.

January 2020 National Radon Action Month Webinar Series

Four webinars will be conducted in January. Space is limited, so register here soon! The remaining webinar is:

• January 30, 11-11:30am ET. Elevated Radionuclides in Private Wells

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, brockman.larry@epa.gov, 919-541-5398.

Be sure to subscribe to CodeTalk, HUD’s Office of Native American Programs newsletter, for webinars and opportunities!

UPCOMING CALLS/EVENTS/NOTICES

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 (Farsi.Farshid@epa.gov or 702-784-8263), or Christopher Lee, TAMS-ITEP Codirector (christopher.lee@nau.edu).

NCAI and Center Indian Country Development to Present Webinar Series on Increasing Homeownership in Indian Country

NCAI’s Partnership for Tribal Governance and the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis’s Center for Indian Country Development (CICD) are partnering to present a four-part webinar series in January on increasing homeownership across Indian Country. Based on CICD’s Tribal Leaders Handbook on Homeownership, the series will inform tribal leaders, tribal housing staff, and their partners about best practices for homeownership program development and growth. NCAI Contact: Tyler Scribner, Policy Analyst, tscribner@ncai.org. The remaining webinars are as follows:

• Thursday, January 23, 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. EST: PARTNERSHIPS AND FINANCING. Topics will include partnering on homeownership, and lending processes to optimize homeownership. To register, click here.
• Thursday, January 30, 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. EST: MAKING HOMEOWNERSHIP AFFORDABLE. Topics will include making homeownership affordable, home design and construction: making the right choices, and manufactured homes: an affordable homeownership option. To register, click here.

Tribal Consultation Opportunity Announcement: EPA’s Draft Principles for Consulting with Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act Corporations

Lead Office: OITA

Open Dates: 12/16/2019 – 4/14/2020

More information on the TCOTS site.

Early bird registration extension for the Air Sensors International Conference

Early bird registration has been extended to January 31, 2020, for the Air Sensors International Conference. The ASIC, taking place May 12-15, 2020, will bring together stakeholders from academia, government, communities, and commercial interests to promote and advance air pollution sensors, improve the data quality from these sensors, expand the pollutants measured, and foster community involvement in monitoring air quality. More information can be found here.

NEW! 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 Andy.Bessler@nau.edu 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.

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 

Climate Change / Energy

Tribal Climate Health Project 2020 Webinar Series: eight webinars on the third Tuesday of the month (9-10:30am PT) from January 21 – August 18

The Tribal Climate Health Project, an initiative of the Pala Band of Mission Indians/Pala Environmental Department, is pleased to announce the 2020 Tribal Climate & Health Adaptation Regional Cohort Webinar Series. Please visit our website for more information on how to register for this informative and engaging webinar series. This FREE interactive training is offered through a series of eight live webinars scheduled on the third Tuesday of the month (9:00 – 10:30am PT) from January 21, 2020 through August 18, 2020. The training will provide steps, tools, templates, case studies, and other resources that seek to streamline the adaptation planning process and make it easier for tribal health and environmental professionals to understand and address human health exposures and impacts within tribal communities. This training will summarize the latest data and literature on the exposures and impacts of climate change that may impact the health of tribal community members. It will also describe how to identify and select appropriate strategies to address these exposures and impacts.

Save the Date! National Tribal & Indigenous Climate Conference August 31-September 4, 2020

The Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP) is honored to host the

United States’ First annual 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, which will include a balance of Western Science and Traditional Indigenous Knowledges. Topic areas will address: impacts, assessments, adaptation, mitigation, implementation, and solutions. This conference will allow an opportunity to share information and support one another. We welcome all to join us in 2020!

• Location: TBD
• Registration fee: $200
• Deadline: TBD
• NTICC info here!

ITEP’s Climate Change Adaptation Training Courses registration is online! Learn more about the courses and register here.

Toxics/Mobile Sources

Cleaner Trucks Initiative – Advance Notice of Proposed Rule

The EPA is publishing an Advance Notice of Proposed Rule (ANPR) titled “Control of Air Pollution from New Motor Vehicles: Heavy-Duty Engine Standards.” In this ANPR, we are sharing the Agency’s early views on possible elements of the “Cleaner Trucks Initiative” and inviting comments from the public on all aspects of this future rulemaking. A pre-publication copy of this ANPR is available at this website. We are also using this opportunity to launch a new website dedicated to the Cleaner Trucks Initiative.   EPA will use this website as one means to keep stakeholders informed of the development of the Cleaner Trucks Initiative program, including periodic updates on the technical work EPA is sponsoring to help inform this regulatory development program. The Cleaner Trucks Initiative website can be found here.

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 10^th 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 Dara.Marks-Marino@nau.edu.

Indoor Air Quality

NEW! The Human Forest: Volatile Chemical Products Contribute to Urban Air Pollution

Wednesday, February 5, 2020, 1:00-2:00pm EST

Recent work in Los Angeles has shown that emissions from consumer product and industrial solvent use – collectively, volatile chemical products (VCPs) – contribute as much to the abundance of urban volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as the emissions from motor vehicles. VCP emissions are predominantly emitted to the indoor environment, but are then transported to the outdoors via building exhaust. In this presentation, we will show that VCP emissions are ubiquitous in U.S. cities and correlate with urban population density.

Join the webinar here.

January 2020 National Radon Action Month Webinar Series

Four webinars will be conducted in January. Space is limited, so register here soon! The remaining webinar is:

• January 30, 11-11:30am ET. Elevated Radionuclides in Private Wells

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, brockman.larry@epa.gov, 919-541-5398.

Be sure to subscribe to CodeTalk, HUD’s Office of Native American Programs newsletter, for webinars and opportunities!

UPCOMING CALLS/EVENTS/NOTICES

NEW! EPA’s Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards (OAQPS) signed two actions on January 14, 2020:

Final Revisions to the Petition Provisions of the Title V Permitting Program

After 20 years of experience in implementing the title V petition process, EPA has identified general trends in petition content and aspects of the petition review process that pose challenges for providing efficient responses to petitions. Three key areas are covered in this final rule, each of which should aid EPA’s review and increase stakeholder understanding of the petition process. This rule provides direction on how petitions should be submitted to the agency, including encouraging the use of an electronic submittal system established by EPA as the preferred method to submit title V petitions. In addition, the rule establishes content and format requirements for title V petitions. Further, the rule requires permitting authorities to respond in writing to significant comments received during the public comment period (when applicable) for draft title V permits, and to provide that response in the form of a response to comments document with the proposed title V permit to EPA for the agency’s 45-day review period.

A pre-publication version of the final rule and a summary fact sheet are available at: https://www.epa.gov/title-v-operating-permits/current-regulations-and-regulatory-actions

Final Petroleum Refinery Sector Reconsideration

Today, the U.S. EPA issued the final rule, “National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Petroleum Refinery Sector.” This action finalizes the reconsideration of the 2015 final rule, “Petroleum Refinery Sector Risk and Technology Review and New Source Performance Standards.” EPA granted reconsideration of five specific issues raised by petitioners that the Agency did not provide an adequate opportunity for notice and comment regarding the 2015 final rule. In addition, today’s final rule provides corrections to drafting errors made in the 2018 Refinery MACT 1 and 2 technical amendments. A pre-publication version of the final rule and a summary fact sheet will be available at: https://www.epa.gov/stationary-sources-air-pollution/petroleum-refinery-sector-rule-risk-and-technology-review-and-new

Student and Teacher Award Programs

Applications due: January 15, 2020

EPA’s Office of Environmental Education is now accepting applications for the 2020 President’s Environmental Youth Awards (PEYA) and Presidential Innovation Awards for Environmental Educators (PIAEE). Winners will be invited to Washington, D.C. in mid-2020 to be honored by the agency and present their work in a poster session. Established by the 1990 National Environmental Education Act (NEEA), PEYA recognizes outstanding environmental stewardship projects from Kindergarten to 12th grade, by promoting environmental awareness and encouraging community involvement. Also established by the 1990 National Environmental Education Act, PIAEE recognizes outstanding K-12 grade educators who integrate environmental and place-based, experiential learning into school curricula and school facility management across the country. Under NEAA, the White House Council on Environmental Quality assists EPA in administering the PIAEE awards program.

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 (Farsi.Farshid@epa.gov or 702-784-8263), or Christopher Lee, TAMS-ITEP Codirector (christopher.lee@nau.edu).

NCAI and Center Indian Country Development to Present Webinar Series on Increasing Homeownership in Indian Country

NCAI’s Partnership for Tribal Governance and the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis’s Center for Indian Country Development (CICD) are partnering to present a four-part webinar series in January on increasing homeownership across Indian Country. Based on CICD’s Tribal Leaders Handbook on Homeownership, the series will inform tribal leaders, tribal housing staff, and their partners about best practices for homeownership program development and growth. NCAI Contact: Tyler Scribner, Policy Analyst, tscribner@ncai.org. The remaining webinars are as follows:

• Thursday, January 16, 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. EST: ASSESSING COMMUNITY NEEDS. Topics will include the evolution of housing programs in Indian Country; navigating land issues; assessing tribal members’ needs; and preparing families for homeownership. To register, click here.
• Thursday, January 23, 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. EST: PARTNERSHIPS AND FINANCING. Topics will include partnering on homeownership, and lending processes to optimize homeownership. To register, click here.
• Thursday, January 30, 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. EST: MAKING HOMEOWNERSHIP AFFORDABLE. Topics will include making homeownership affordable, home design and construction: making the right choices, and manufactured homes: an affordable homeownership option. To register, click here.

Tribal Consultation Opportunity Announcement: EPA’s Draft Principles for Consulting with Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act Corporations

Lead Office: OITA

Open Dates: 12/16/2019 – 4/14/2020

More information on the TCOTS site.

Early bird registration extension for the Air Sensors International Conference

Early bird registration has been extended to January 31, 2020, for the Air Sensors International Conference. The ASIC, taking place May 12-15, 2020, will bring together stakeholders from academia, government, communities, and commercial interests to promote and advance air pollution sensors, improve the data quality from these sensors, expand the pollutants measured, and foster community involvement in monitoring air quality. More information can be found here.

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 Andy.Bessler@nau.edu 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.

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 

Climate Change / Energy

Tribal Climate Health Project 2020 Webinar Series: eight webinars on the third Tuesday of the month (9-10:30am PT) from January 21 – August 18

The Tribal Climate Health Project, an initiative of the Pala Band of Mission Indians/Pala Environmental Department, is pleased to announce the 2020 Tribal Climate & Health Adaptation Regional Cohort Webinar Series. Please visit our website for more information on how to register for this informative and engaging webinar series. This FREE interactive training is offered through a series of eight live webinars scheduled on the third Tuesday of the month (9:00 – 10:30am PT) from January 21, 2020 through August 18, 2020. The training will provide steps, tools, templates, case studies, and other resources that seek to streamline the adaptation planning process and make it easier for tribal health and environmental professionals to understand and address human health exposures and impacts within tribal communities. This training will summarize the latest data and literature on the exposures and impacts of climate change that may impact the health of tribal community members. It will also describe how to identify and select appropriate strategies to address these exposures and impacts.

Save the Date! National Tribal & Indigenous Climate Conference August 31-September 4, 2020

The Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP) is honored to host the

United States’ First annual 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, which will include a balance of Western Science and Traditional Indigenous Knowledges. Topic areas will address: impacts, assessments, adaptation, mitigation, implementation, and solutions. This conference will allow an opportunity to share information and support one another. We welcome all to join us in 2020!

• Location: TBD
• Registration fee: $200
• Deadline: TBD
• NTICC info here!

ITEP’s Climate Change Adaptation Training Courses registration is online! Learn more about the courses and register here.

Toxics/Mobile Sources 

Cleaner Trucks Initiative – Advance Notice of Proposed Rule

The EPA is publishing an Advance Notice of Proposed Rule (ANPR) titled “Control of Air Pollution from New Motor Vehicles: Heavy-Duty Engine Standards.” In this ANPR, we are sharing the Agency’s early views on possible elements of the “Cleaner Trucks Initiative” and inviting comments from the public on all aspects of this future rulemaking. A pre-publication copy of this ANPR is available at this website. We are also using this opportunity to launch a new website dedicated to the Cleaner Trucks Initiative.   EPA will use this website as one means to keep stakeholders informed of the development of the Cleaner Trucks Initiative program, including periodic updates on the technical work EPA is sponsoring to help inform this regulatory development program. The Cleaner Trucks Initiative website can be found here.

Indoor Air Quality

January 2020 National Radon Action Month Webinar Series

Four webinars will be conducted in January. Space is limited, so register here soon! The remaining webinars are:

• January 16, 11-11:30am ET. Radon Resources for Health Care Providers
• January 21, 11-11:30am ET. ANSI Standards Now Available for FREE
• January 30, 11-11:30am ET. Elevated Radionuclides in Private Wells

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, brockman.larry@epa.gov, 919-541-5398.

Be sure to subscribe to CodeTalk, HUD’s Office of Native American Programs newsletter, for webinars and opportunities!

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

NEW! Student and Teacher Award Programs

Applications due: January 15, 2020

EPA’s Office of Environmental Education is now accepting applications for the 2020 President’s Environmental Youth Awards (PEYA) and Presidential Innovation Awards for Environmental Educators (PIAEE). Winners will be invited to Washington, D.C. in mid-2020 to be honored by the agency and present their work in a poster session. Established by the 1990 National Environmental Education Act (NEEA), PEYA recognizes outstanding environmental stewardship projects from Kindergarten to 12th grade, by promoting environmental awareness and encouraging community involvement. Also established by the 1990 National Environmental Education Act, PIAEE recognizes outstanding K-12 grade educators who integrate environmental and place-based, experiential learning into school curricula and school facility management across the country. Under NEAA, the White House Council on Environmental Quality assists EPA in administering the PIAEE awards program.

NEW! Final Risk and Technology Review for Surface Coating of Metal Can and Metal Coil

The Administrator signed minor amendments to the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for the Surface Coating of Metal Cans (2003) and the Surface Coating of Metal Coil (2002) source categories. The Metal Can source category includes emissions from facilities engaged in the manufacture and surface coating of cans, can parts and decorative tins. This includes aerosol cans, two-piece food and beverage cans, two-piece food cans and three-piece cans. The Metal Coil source category includes emissions from facilities engaged in the coating of aluminum and steel coils (sheets), which are used by client companies to fabricate a large variety of end products such as buses, trailers, large appliances, metal buildings and construction materials. Based on the results of required residual risk and technology reviews, EPA is finalizing in this action that risks from these source categories are acceptable and has identified no developments in practices, processes or control technologies that would further reduce emissions of hazardous air pollutants. EPA is finalizing no significant changes to the original NESHAP for these source categories and concludes that the standards continue to provide an ample margin of safety to public health and the environment. The minor amendments to the existing regulations pertain to emissions during periods of startup, shutdown and malfunction, periodic testing of control devices, electronic reporting, and amendments to clarify certain rule provisions that will enhance the effectiveness of the rules. A pre-publication version of the final rule and a summary fact sheet are available on the web here for metal cans and here for metal coil.

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 (Farsi.Farshid@epa.gov or 702-784-8263), or Christopher Lee, TAMS-ITEP Codirector (christopher.lee@nau.edu).

NEW! NCAI and Center Indian Country Development to Present Webinar Series on Increasing Homeownership in Indian Country

NCAI’s Partnership for Tribal Governance and the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis’s Center for Indian Country Development (CICD) are partnering to present a four-part webinar series in January on increasing homeownership across Indian Country. Based on CICD’s Tribal Leaders Handbook on Homeownership, the series will inform tribal leaders, tribal housing staff, and their partners about best practices for homeownership program development and growth. NCAI Contact: Tyler Scribner, Policy Analyst, tscribner@ncai.org. The four webinars are as follows:

• Thursday, January 9, 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. EST: OVERVIEW OF HOMEOWNERSHIP IN INDIAN COUNTRY. Topics will include an overview of the Tribal Leaders Handbook on Homeownership; how tribal leaders can support homeownership; and planning to drive tribal citizen self-sufficiency and asset building, economic development, and community transformation through homeownership development. To register, click here.
• Thursday, January 16, 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. EST: ASSESSING COMMUNITY NEEDS. Topics will include the evolution of housing programs in Indian Country; navigating land issues; assessing tribal members’ needs; and preparing families for homeownership. To register, click here.
• Thursday, January 23, 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. EST: PARTNERSHIPS AND FINANCING. Topics will include partnering on homeownership, and lending processes to optimize homeownership. To register, click here.
• Thursday, January 30, 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. EST: MAKING HOMEOWNERSHIP AFFORDABLE. Topics will include making homeownership affordable, home design and construction: making the right choices, and manufactured homes: an affordable homeownership option. To register, click here.

NEW! Tribal Consultation Opportunity Announcement: EPA’s Draft Principles for Consulting with Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act Corporations

Lead Office: OITA

Open Dates: 12/16/2019 – 4/14/2020

More information on the TCOTS site.

NEW! Early bird registration extension for the Air Sensors International Conference

Early bird registration has been extended to January 31, 2020, for the Air Sensors International Conference. The ASIC, taking place May 12-15, 2020, will bring together stakeholders from academia, government, communities, and commercial interests to promote and advance air pollution sensors, improve the data quality from these sensors, expand the pollutants measured, and foster community involvement in monitoring air quality. More information can be found here.

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 Andy.Bessler@nau.edu 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.

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 

Climate Change / Energy

8^th Annual Rising Voices Workshop: Climate Resilience through Intergenerational and Place-based Knowledges

April 29 – May 1, 2020

In partnership with the Lummi Nation and the Northwest Indian College

Applications due: Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Learn more and apply here.

Tribal Climate Health Project 2020 Webinar Series: eight webinars on the third Tuesday of the month (9-10:30am PT) from January 21 – August 18

The Tribal Climate Health Project, an initiative of the Pala Band of Mission Indians/Pala Environmental Department, is pleased to announce the 2020 Tribal Climate & Health Adaptation Regional Cohort Webinar Series. Please visit our website for more information on how to register for this informative and engaging webinar series. This FREE interactive training is offered through a series of eight live webinars scheduled on the third Tuesday of the month (9:00 – 10:30am PT) from January 21, 2020 through August 18, 2020. The training will provide steps, tools, templates, case studies, and other resources that seek to streamline the adaptation planning process and make it easier for tribal health and environmental professionals to understand and address human health exposures and impacts within tribal communities. This training will summarize the latest data and literature on the exposures and impacts of climate change that may impact the health of tribal community members. It will also describe how to identify and select appropriate strategies to address these exposures and impacts.

Save the Date! National Tribal & Indigenous Climate Conference August 31-September 4, 2020

The Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP) is honored to host the

United States’ First annual 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, which will include a balance of Western Science and Traditional Indigenous Knowledges. Topic areas will address: impacts, assessments, adaptation, mitigation, implementation, and solutions. This conference will allow an opportunity to share information and support one another. We welcome all to join us in 2020!

• Location: TBD
• Registration fee: $200
• Deadline: TBD
• NTICC info here!

ITEP’s Climate Change Adaptation Training Courses registration is online! Learn more about the courses and register here.

Toxics/Mobile Sources

NEW! Cleaner Trucks Initiative – Advance Notice of Proposed Rule

The EPA is publishing an Advance Notice of Proposed Rule (ANPR) titled “Control of Air Pollution from New Motor Vehicles: Heavy-Duty Engine Standards.” In this ANPR, we are sharing the Agency’s early views on possible elements of the “Cleaner Trucks Initiative” and inviting comments from the public on all aspects of this future rulemaking. A pre-publication copy of this ANPR is available at this website. We are also using this opportunity to launch a new website dedicated to the Cleaner Trucks Initiative.   EPA will use this website as one means to keep stakeholders informed of the development of the Cleaner Trucks Initiative program, including periodic updates on the technical work EPA is sponsoring to help inform this regulatory development program. The Cleaner Trucks Initiative website can be found here.

Indoor Air Quality

January 2020 National Radon Action Month Webinar Series

Four webinars will be conducted in January. Space is limited, so register here soon!

• January 9, 11-11:30am ET. Radon: A Primer for Everyone
• January 16, 11-11:30am ET. Radon Resources for Health Care Providers
• January 21, 11-11:30am ET. ANSI Standards Now Available for FREE
• January 30, 11-11:30am ET. Elevated Radionuclides in Private Wells

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, brockman.larry@epa.gov, 919-541-5398.

Be sure to subscribe to CodeTalk, HUD’s Office of Native American Programs newsletter, for webinars and opportunities!

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

EPA’s Office of Research and Development (ORD) has initiated Tribal consultation on the implementation of ORD research – Throughout 2018, ORD implemented a rigorous engagement process to solicit research needs from our partners in EPA’s programs and regions, states, and Tribes. Many of the research needs expressed by Tribes mirrored environmental concerns from EPA programs, regions and the states. This strategic, program-needs identification process concluded in September 2018 with the development of draft Strategic Research Action Plans (StRAPs) for ORD’s national research programs. To initiate the consultation discussion, ORD has proposed charge questions on specific products associated with four of the six ORD research programs, including: 

1. Air and Energy
2. Chemical Safety for Sustainability
3. Safe and Sustainable Water Resources
4. Sustainable and Healthy Communities

A copy of the consultation letter and plan are attached, and can be located on EPA’s Tribal Consultation Opportunities Tracking System website at: https://tcots.epa.gov. The consultation plan includes a description of the four research products and charge questions that will be the focus of the consultation. Consultation period of November 1, 2019 – December 31, 2019.  

EPA Tools and Resources Webinar: FRMs/FEMs and Sensors: Complimentary Approaches for Determining Ambient Air Quality

December 18, 2019 at 3:00 to 4:00 PM ET

On a worldwide basis, the World Health Organization estimates that approximately 4 million people die annually from health impacts due to exposure to ambient air pollution. In the U.S., the Clean Air Act sets national limits for ambient concentrations of six “Criteria Pollutants” (CO, O3, SO2, NO2, Pb, and particulate matter) known to cause adverse health effects. The Act also requires nationwide monitoring of these pollutants using only instruments, which have been formally approved by U.S. EPA as either Federal Reference Methods (FRMs) or Federal Equivalent Methods (FEMs). Although the overall pollutant measurement performance of these FRM/FEM instruments is widely recognized to produce reproducible data of high quality, these regulatory instruments do not fulfill all possible monitoring needs. In recent years, smaller, lower cost, direct-reading air sensors have been developed to address the limitations of the FRM/FEM instruments. While these sensors do not provide regulatory type data, they fulfill the needs for more portable, lower cost instruments that support community science, spatial distribution studies, hotspot identification, public education, and personnel monitoring studies.

   This webinar will discuss the relative advantages and disadvantages of the regulatory FRM/FEM instruments and of the sensor-based instruments used for non-regulatory monitoring. The complementary nature of these two measurement approaches will be discussed for determining ambient air quality based on specific monitoring objectives. Additional information about FRM/FEM instruments and quality assurance and control procedures can be found in The Ambient Monitoring Technology Information Center (AMTIC) located here, while additional information and resources about sensors can be found in the Air Sensors Toolbox located here. Andrea Clements and Robert Vanderpool of EPA’s Office of Research and Development will present this webinar. 

To join this webinar, please register here. For audio, dial: (866) 299-3188, access code: 202-564-6669 or you will be able to listen through your computer speakers.

Tribal Consultation Opportunity: Implementation of the Office of Research and Development’s Research

End date: December 31, 2019

More information on the TCOTS website.

NEW! 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 (Farsi.Farshid@epa.gov or 702-784-8263), or Christopher Lee, TAMS-ITEP Codirector (christopher.lee@nau.edu). 

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 Andy.Bessler@nau.edu 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.

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 

Climate Change / Energy

December 18, Noon (ET) – Ask the Expert

Every other Wednesday ENERGY STAR holds a Portfolio Manager “Ask the Expert” session. It’s a live webinar that gives all users an opportunity to ask their questions directly to EPA experts in an open forum. Want to talk to a “real” person? Have a question about how Portfolio Manager calculates your score? Want to learn more about entering Green Power? Join ENERGY STAR, and they’ll answer all your questions about ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager in this public forum.

Register

8th Annual Rising Voices Workshop: Climate Resilience through Intergenerational and Place-based Knowledges

April 29 – May 1, 2020

In partnership with the Lummi Nation and the Northwest Indian College

Applications due: Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Learn more and apply here.

Planning to apply for an EE Grant? Consider joining EE Grant Program staff on a webinar where we will discuss how to write a competitive application and address commonly asked questions related to the 2020 EE Local Grants Request for Applications (RFA). Join the 2020 EE Local Grants Program Webinar

Date and Time: The presentation will be offered between 1:00-2:00 p.m. ET and we will answer your questions from 2:00-2:30 p.m. ET on December 20th, 2019. Please enter the webinar as a guest. You do not need to register in advance.

Join the December 20, 2019 (1:00-2:30 p.m. ET) EE Grants webinar

The webinar slides, transcript and/or a recording will be posted on our website following the first webinar. For full information, including the Request for Applications and Frequently Asked Questions, please visit this link.

For questions regarding the EE Grants Program, please email eegrants@epa.gov.

NEW! Tribal Climate Health Project 2020 Webinar Series: eight webinars on the third Tuesday of the month (9-10:30am PT) from January 21 – August 18

The Tribal Climate Health Project, an initiative of the Pala Band of Mission Indians/Pala Environmental Department, is pleased to announce the 2020 Tribal Climate & Health Adaptation Regional Cohort Webinar Series. Please visit our website for more information on how to register for this informative and engaging webinar series. This FREE interactive training is offered through a series of eight live webinars scheduled on the third Tuesday of the month (9:00 – 10:30am PT) from January 21, 2020 through August 18, 2020. The training will provide steps, tools, templates, case studies, and other resources that seek to streamline the adaptation planning process and make it easier for tribal health and environmental professionals to understand and address human health exposures and impacts within tribal communities. This training will summarize the latest data and literature on the exposures and impacts of climate change that may impact the health of tribal community members. It will also describe how to identify and select appropriate strategies to address these exposures and impacts.

NEW! Save the Date! National Tribal & Indigenous Climate Conference August 31-September 4, 2020

The Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP) is honored to host the

United States’ First annual 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, which will include a balance of Western Science and Traditional Indigenous Knowledges. Topic areas will address: impacts, assessments, adaptation, mitigation, implementation, and solutions. This conference will allow an opportunity to share information and support one another. We welcome all to join us in 2020!

• Location: TBD
• Registration fee: $200
• Deadline: TBD
• NTICC info here!

ITEP’s Climate Change Adaptation Training Courses registration is online! Learn more about the courses and register here.

Toxics/Mobile Sources 

Indoor Air Quality

January 2020 National Radon Action Month Webinar Series

Four webinars will be conducted in January. Space is limited, so register here soon!

• January 9, 11-11:30am ET. Radon: A Primer for Everyone
• January 16, 11-11:30am ET. Radon Resources for Health Care Providers
• January 21, 11-11:30am ET. ANSI Standards Now Available for FREE
• January 30, 11-11:30am ET. Elevated Radionuclides in Private Wells

National Radon Action Month Resources

Did you know that winter is the best time to test homes for radon? Take action for National Radon Action Month (NRAM) and finalize your education and outreach efforts for January and beyond. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) makes raising awareness and community outreach easy by providing several outreach activity ideas. These include informative videos and public service announcements (PSAs), a radon outreach and event planning kit with implementation tips, and radon testing e-cards to send to friends. Access and download your free radon resources today by clicking on the link above.

EPA’s Residential Wood Smoke Workshop in New Orleans, March 10-12, 2020

More information can be found here, or contact Larry Brockman, brockman.larry@epa.gov, 919-541-5398.

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. 

Be sure to subscribe to CodeTalk, HUD’s Office of Native American Programs newsletter, for webinars and opportunities!