RESOURCES & FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Now Hiring!

Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC) Climate Change Internships

Deadline to apply: March 6, 2020, 4:30pm CST

The Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC) has two paid climate change internships available this summer. Both internships are hosted at the GLIFWC Main Office on the Bad River Reservation, WI, from June 1 – August 7, 2020. Applicant may be an incoming or continuing student that is accepted and/or enrolled full time at a college/university for Fall 2020 semester.

Phenology Climate Change Internship info here

Traditional Ecological Knowledge Climate Change Internship info here

ITEP VW Technical Assistance Program is hiring a Research Assistant

The ITEP VW Technical Assistance Program is looking to hire a Research Assistant to help with various research projects related to the VW Tribal Trust and associated diesel emissions reduction or clean energy programs and technologies, along with general support of the program as needed. The position is part-time, with an expected workload of approximately 15-20 hours per week and funding available for the next two to (possibly) three years. We would prefer to fill the position with someone who can work on site in the ITEP offices at NAU. The job announcement is on NAU’s job page under the “Staff Openings” page, position #604774. Call or email Mark Daniels (mark.daniels@nau.edu or 928-523-8897) with questions about the position.

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

EPA OMS National Environmental Information Exchange Network Grant Program – $8 million 

Applications Due: March 25, 2020

Eligible Entities: territories, tribes, and inter-tribal consortia, states, U.S. territories, federally recognized tribes

The EPA Exchange Network Grant Program is soliciting project applications using the Environmental Information Exchange Network (EN) to:

• Facilitate sharing of environmental data, especially through shared and reusable services.
• Streamline data collection and exchanges to improve its timeliness for decision making.
• Increase the quality and access to environmental data through discovery, publishing, outbound and analytical services so it is more useful to environmental managers.
• Develop foundational EN shared services to reduce burden and avoid costs for co-regulators and the regulated community.
• Expand and improve participation in the EN by strengthening the requisite information management and technology capabilities for interested parties to fully participate in the EN.

For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.

NOAA Environmental Literacy Grants: Supporting the education of K-12 students and the public for community resilience – $3 million

Applications Due: March 26, 2020 for Priority 1 full applications

Eligible Entities: K-12 public and independent schools and school systems, state and local government agencies, Indian tribal governments

The goal of this funding opportunity is to build environmental literacy of K-12 students and the public so they are knowledgeable of the ways in which their community can become more resilient to extreme weather and/or other environmental hazards, and become involved in achieving that resilience. For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.

DOI BLM Alaska Fuels Management and Community Fire Assistance Program Activities – $200 thousand

Applications Due: March 30, 2020

Eligible Entities: special district governments, city or township governments, state governments, county governments, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has an opportunity to work with partner organizations to assist with fuels management and community fire assistance program activities to reduce the risk and impact of catastrophic wildfires to local communities through coordination, reducing the amount of hazardous fuels, and furthering the education of landowners about wildfire prevention and mitigation. For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.

DOI BOR Native American Affairs: Technical Assistance to Tribes for FY20 and FY21 – $1 million

Applications Due: October 28, 2020 for FY21

Eligible Entities: federally recognized tribes or tribal organizations of the 17 Western States identified in the Reclamation Act of June 17, 1902

The objective of this opportunity is to invite federally recognized Indian tribes and tribal organizations to submit proposals for financial assistance for projects and activities that develop, manage, and protect tribal water and related resources. Through this opportunity, Reclamation provides funding for projects that increase water reliability consistent with sections 3 and 4 of the October 19, 2018, Presidential Memorandum on Promoting the Reliable Supply and Delivery of Water in the West. For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.

To view and/or receive ITEP’s American Indian Air Quality Training Program newsletter, Native Voices, click here!

Climate Change/Energy

DOE GFO Solar Energy Technologies Office Fiscal Year 2020 Funding Program Department of Energy – $125.5 million

Applications Due: March 30, 2020

Eligible Entities: unrestricted

This funding opportunity is being issued by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO). SETO supports solar energy research and development (R&D) in three technology areas—photovoltaics (PV), concentrating solar-thermal power (CSP), and systems integration—with the goal of improving the affordability, reliability, and performance of solar technologies on the grid. This section describes the overall goals of the Solar Energy Technologies Office Fiscal Year 2020 (SETO 2020) funding program and the types of projects being solicited for funding support through this FOA.

The SETO 2020 funding program seeks to advance R&D of solar technologies that reduce the cost of solar, increase the competitiveness of American manufacturing and businesses, and improve the reliability of the grid. These projects will advance R&D in PV, CSP, and energy management technologies, while also working to improve cyber security, expand solar to new applications like agricultural solar, integrate solar and storage, and utilize artificial intelligence to address research challenges. For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.

Join NCAI’s Climate Action email listserv here!

Sign up for the Alliance for Green Heat’s newsletter!

To view and/or receive ITEP’s Climate Change newsletter, click here!

Toxics/Mobile Sources

EPA Announces Community-Scale Air Toxics Monitoring Grant Competition

Deadline to apply: March 30, 2020

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is accepting applications for funding for air toxics monitoring projects under the Community-Scale Air Toxics Ambient Monitoring grants competition. As part of the Agency’s mission to protect human and environmental health, EPA periodically awards these grants to help state, local and tribal air agencies conduct air quality monitoring projects to address localized air toxics issues. EPA anticipates awarding up to $5 million from this competition to fund projects that fall into four categories:

• Characterizing the impacts of air toxics in a community (community-scale monitoring);
• Assessing the impacts of air toxics emissions from specific sources (near-source monitoring);
• Evaluating new and emerging testing methods for air toxics; and
• Analyzing existing air toxics data and developing or enhancing analytical, modeling, and/or implementation tools.

Air toxics, also known as hazardous air pollutants, are linked to cancer or other serious health effects. Under the Clean Air Act, EPA regulates 187 listed air toxic pollutants. While grant applications may address any air toxic pollutant, air toxics of particular interest to EPA in this competition include ethylene oxide, chloroprene, benzene, 1,3-butadiene, and metals such as hexavalent chromium, nickel and arsenic.

To receive the grants, applicants must be air pollution control agencies as defined by Section 302(b) of the Clean Air Act that also are eligible to receive grants under Section 105 of the Clean Air Act. Funding for the grants comes from State and Tribal Assistance (STAG) funding. Congress appropriates STAG funds for state, local and tribal air agencies to use in implementing and maintaining environmental programs.

Agencies applying for the air toxics monitoring grants may partner with or provide “subgrants” to other organizations for their monitoring projects. The Agency expects to award grants for 10 to 20 projects, depending on funding availability and the quality of applications received. The amount for each grant may vary; however, no grant may be for more than $750,000. Click here for additional information, and to download the Request for Application.  

Indoor Air Quality

HUD’s Secretary’s Awards for Healthy Homes

This year’s HUD Secretary’s Awards for Healthy Homes has just opened for nominations. As in past years these awards recognize various HUD partners who actively promote policies or programs that benefit the health of the families they serve.  The Announcement Package for this year’s Award has all the information for our stakeholders about the Awards. The deadline for nominating projects and activities this year is March 10^th. This year’s award will consider nominees from the following categories:

• Public Housing
• Multifamily Housing
• Policy Innovation
• Cross Program Coordination
• Innovation in Education and Communications
• Research

The Announcement Package describes the goals, key dates, award categories, eligible applicants, criteria for reviewing and rating nominations, and submission guidelines. Page 9 of the Announcement notes that all entries must be completed by utilizing the online nomination form here. For complete details about the Awards, visit this link and read the “Application Package.” If you have any questions about the Awards, please contact Clyde.K.Rodkey@hud.gov.

Be sure to sign up for EPA’s Healthy Indoor Air newsletter.

The Tribal Healthy Homes Network (THHN) has a webpage dedicated to Funding Opportunities! Additionally, THHN has developed a Funding Guide for American Indian and Alaska Native Communities.

Most Recent Listing: EPA Rules from the Federal Register can be found here.

RESOURCES & FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Now Hiring!

Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC) Climate Change Internships

Deadline to apply: March 6, 2020, 4:30pm CST

The Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC) has two paid climate change internships available this summer. Both internships are hosted at the GLIFWC Main Office on the Bad River Reservation, WI, from June 1 – August 7, 2020. Applicant may be an incoming or continuing student that is accepted and/or enrolled full time at a college/university for Fall 2020 semester.

Phenology Climate Change Internship info here

Traditional Ecological Knowledge Climate Change Internship info here

ITEP VW Technical Assistance Program is hiring a Research Assistant

The ITEP VW Technical Assistance Program is looking to hire a Research Assistant to help with various research projects related to the VW Tribal Trust and associated diesel emissions reduction or clean energy programs and technologies, along with general support of the program as needed. The position is part-time, with an expected workload of approximately 15-20 hours per week and funding available for the next two to (possibly) three years. We would prefer to fill the position with someone who can work on site in the ITEP offices at NAU. The job announcement is on NAU’s job page under the “Staff Openings” page, position #604774. Call or email Mark Daniels (mark.daniels@nau.edu or 928-523-8897) with questions about the position.

Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals is offering 2020 Student Summer Internships.

Apply now for a paid 8-week summer internship. Spend your summer working with tribal organizations to address tribal environmental issues. The internships have a technical, educational or policy focus. We are offering eight positions in air quality. The internship program provides each student intern with a $4,000 stipend, and limited housing and travel allowances. Host sites are selected from tribal environmental organizations, government offices, the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and others. Please register at nau.edu/itepinterns for more information and details about how to apply. You can view host site descriptions and submit your preferences for the host sites you find interesting after January 24, 2020. The deadline for applications is February 28, 2020. Questions? Contact EEOP-INTERN@nau.edu

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

The Tribal Exchange Network’s Tribal Environmental Data Management Capacity and Needs Assessment Report

The 2018 Tribal Environmental Data Management Capacity and Needs Assessment, prepared by the Exchange Network Tribal Governance Group (TGG), was conducted to better understand current tribal capacity, needs, and challenges related to environmental data management, collection, and use. Both the Executive Summary and Full Report can be found on the Tribal Exchange Network website.

NEW! EPA OMS National Environmental Information Exchange Network Grant Program – $8 million 

Applications Due: March 25, 2020

Eligible Entities: territories, tribes, and inter-tribal consortia, states, U.S. territories, federally recognized tribes

The EPA Exchange Network Grant Program is soliciting project applications using the Environmental Information Exchange Network (EN) to:

• Facilitate sharing of environmental data, especially through shared and reusable services.
• Streamline data collection and exchanges to improve its timeliness for decision making.
• Increase the quality and access to environmental data through discovery, publishing, outbound and analytical services so it is more useful to environmental managers.
• Develop foundational EN shared services to reduce burden and avoid costs for co-regulators and the regulated community.
• Expand and improve participation in the EN by strengthening the requisite information management and technology capabilities for interested parties to fully participate in the EN.

For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.

NOAA Environmental Literacy Grants: Supporting the education of K-12 students and the public for community resilience – $3 million

Applications Due: March 26, 2020 for Priority 1 full applications

Eligible Entities: K-12 public and independent schools and school systems, state and local government agencies, Indian tribal governments

The goal of this funding opportunity is to build environmental literacy of K-12 students and the public so they are knowledgeable of the ways in which their community can become more resilient to extreme weather and/or other environmental hazards, and become involved in achieving that resilience. For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.

NEW! DOI BLM Alaska Fuels Management and Community Fire Assistance Program Activities – $200 thousand

Applications Due: March 30, 2020

Eligible Entities: special district governments, city or township governments, state governments, county governments, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has an opportunity to work with partner organizations to assist with fuels management and community fire assistance program activities to reduce the risk and impact of catastrophic wildfires to local communities through coordination, reducing the amount of hazardous fuels, and furthering the education of landowners about wildfire prevention and mitigation. For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.

NEW! DOI BOR Native American Affairs: Technical Assistance to Tribes for FY20 and FY21 – $1 million

Applications Due: October 28, 2020 for FY21

Eligible Entities: federally recognized tribes or tribal organizations of the 17 Western States identified in the Reclamation Act of June 17, 1902

The objective of this opportunity is to invite federally recognized Indian tribes and tribal organizations to submit proposals for financial assistance for projects and activities that develop, manage, and protect tribal water and related resources. Through this opportunity, Reclamation provides funding for projects that increase water reliability consistent with sections 3 and 4 of the October 19, 2018, Presidential Memorandum on Promoting the Reliable Supply and Delivery of Water in the West. For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.

To view and/or receive ITEP’s American Indian Air Quality Training Program newsletter, Native Voices, click here!

Climate Change/Energy

Indigenous Women and Climate Change Publication

Against all the odds, and despite the challenges that climate change represents for Latin America, women are demonstrating day in, day out that they have the ideas and the unique and essential skills to propose a radical change in the matrix of civilisation at this crucial point in humankind’s history. This book, now being published in English, explores those challenges and this first edition differs slightly from the Spanish version published in January 2019. It seeks to go beyond simple public policy aspirations in order to reconsider the impacts of climate change on women on the basis of their actions of resistance, their daily practices, the links between these practices and the need to re-think their contributions from the centres of power. More information and download can be found here.

NEW! DOI BIA Tribal Adaptation and Ocean and Coastal Management Planning – $1 million

Applications Due: March 2, 2020

Eligible Entities: federally recognized tribal governments

The Tribal Resilience Program will provide funding for tribal activities that support tribal adaptation and resilience planning, ocean and coastal management planning, and relocation, managed retreat, or protect-in-place planning and design activities for coastal and riverine communities. This program aims to support Tribal Nations that need adaptation planning support and decision-making information to prepare for extreme events and harmful environmental trends that impact tribal treaty and trust resources, economies, infrastructure, and human health and welfare. For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.

DOI BIA Tribal Resilience Program – $1 million

Applications Due: March 2, 2020

Eligible Entities: federally recognized tribal governments

The Tribal Resilience Program will provide funding for tribal activities that support tribal adaptation and resilience planning, ocean and coastal management planning, and relocation, managed retreat, or protect-in-place planning and design activities for coastal and riverine communities. This program aims to support Tribal Nations that need adaptation planning support and decision-making information to prepare for extreme events and harmful environmental trends that impact tribal treaty and trust resources, economies, infrastructure, and human health and welfare. An informational webinar will be held by the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals describing the opportunity on January 9th, 2020. Register for the webinar here. For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.

NEW! DOE GFO Solar Energy Technologies Office Fiscal Year 2020 Funding Program Department of Energy – $125.5 million

Applications Due: March 30, 2020

Eligible Entities: unrestricted

This funding opportunity is being issued by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO). SETO supports solar energy research and development (R&D) in three technology areas—photovoltaics (PV), concentrating solar-thermal power (CSP), and systems integration—with the goal of improving the affordability, reliability, and performance of solar technologies on the grid. This section describes the overall goals of the Solar Energy Technologies Office Fiscal Year 2020 (SETO 2020) funding program and the types of projects being solicited for funding support through this FOA.

The SETO 2020 funding program seeks to advance R&D of solar technologies that reduce the cost of solar, increase the competitiveness of American manufacturing and businesses, and improve the reliability of the grid. These projects will advance R&D in PV, CSP, and energy management technologies, while also working to improve cyber security, expand solar to new applications like agricultural solar, integrate solar and storage, and utilize artificial intelligence to address research challenges. For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.

Join NCAI’s Climate Action email listserv here!

Sign up for the Alliance for Green Heat’s newsletter!

To view and/or receive ITEP’s Climate Change newsletter, click here!

Toxics/Mobile Sources

EPA Announces Community-Scale Air Toxics Monitoring Grant Competition

Deadline to apply: March 30, 2020

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is accepting applications for funding for air toxics monitoring projects under the Community-Scale Air Toxics Ambient Monitoring grants competition. As part of the Agency’s mission to protect human and environmental health, EPA periodically awards these grants to help state, local and tribal air agencies conduct air quality monitoring projects to address localized air toxics issues. EPA anticipates awarding up to $5 million from this competition to fund projects that fall into four categories:

• Characterizing the impacts of air toxics in a community (community-scale monitoring);
• Assessing the impacts of air toxics emissions from specific sources (near-source monitoring);
• Evaluating new and emerging testing methods for air toxics; and
• Analyzing existing air toxics data and developing or enhancing analytical, modeling, and/or implementation tools.

Air toxics, also known as hazardous air pollutants, are linked to cancer or other serious health effects. Under the Clean Air Act, EPA regulates 187 listed air toxic pollutants. While grant applications may address any air toxic pollutant, air toxics of particular interest to EPA in this competition include ethylene oxide, chloroprene, benzene, 1,3-butadiene, and metals such as hexavalent chromium, nickel and arsenic.

To receive the grants, applicants must be air pollution control agencies as defined by Section 302(b) of the Clean Air Act that also are eligible to receive grants under Section 105 of the Clean Air Act. Funding for the grants comes from State and Tribal Assistance (STAG) funding. Congress appropriates STAG funds for state, local and tribal air agencies to use in implementing and maintaining environmental programs.

Agencies applying for the air toxics monitoring grants may partner with or provide “subgrants” to other organizations for their monitoring projects. The Agency expects to award grants for 10 to 20 projects, depending on funding availability and the quality of applications received. The amount for each grant may vary; however, no grant may be for more than $750,000. Click here for additional information, and to download the Request for Application.  

Resource for Electric Vehicle Users

In December 2019, the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners released an issue brief titled Electric Vehicles: Key Trends, Issues, and Considerations for State Regulators. The brief profiles examples of regulatory approaches and decisions that states and commissions have taken.

Considering an Electric Vehicle?

Watch this EPA video to learn how electric vehicles and different types of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles work. And visit our Beyond the Tailpipe Emissions Calculator to estimate the total GHG emissions associated with driving an EV or PHEV in your area, as compared to a gasoline vehicle.

Indoor Air Quality

February Is National Cancer Prevention Month

During National Cancer Prevention Month, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) are working to inform Americans about how lifestyle can help reduce cancer risk and keep you healthy.

Exposure to secondhand smoke commonly occurs indoors, particularly in homes and cars. Eliminating secondhand smoke in your indoor environment can reduce the risk of harmful health effects, such as respiratory issues, heart disease and lung cancer. Nonsmokers who are exposed to secondhand smoke increase their risk of developing lung cancer by 20 to 30 percent.

A few simple changes can help reduce your risk:

• Make your home smoke-free, smoke outside or quit smoking.
• Test your home for radon. Radon claims the lives of about 21,000 Americans each year; it is also the leading cause of lung cancer death among nonsmokers in the United States.

HUD’s Secretary’s Awards for Healthy Homes

This year’s HUD Secretary’s Awards for Healthy Homes has just opened for nominations. As in past years these awards recognize various HUD partners who actively promote policies or programs that benefit the health of the families they serve.  The Announcement Package for this year’s Award has all the information for our stakeholders about the Awards. The deadline for nominating projects and activities this year is March 10^th. This year’s award will consider nominees from the following categories:

• Public Housing
• Multifamily Housing
• Policy Innovation
• Cross Program Coordination
• Innovation in Education and Communications
• Research

The Announcement Package describes the goals, key dates, award categories, eligible applicants, criteria for reviewing and rating nominations, and submission guidelines. Page 9 of the Announcement notes that all entries must be completed by utilizing the online nomination form here. For complete details about the Awards, visit this link and read the “Application Package.” If you have any questions about the Awards, please contact Clyde.K.Rodkey@hud.gov.

Be sure to sign up for EPA’s Healthy Indoor Air newsletter.

The Tribal Healthy Homes Network (THHN) has a webpage dedicated to Funding Opportunities! Additionally, THHN has developed a Funding Guide for American Indian and Alaska Native Communities.

Most Recent Listing: EPA Rules from the Federal Register can be found here.

RESOURCES & FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Now Hiring!

Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC) Climate Change Internships

Deadline to apply: March 6, 2020, 4:30pm CST

The Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC) has two paid climate change internships available this summer. Both internships are hosted at the GLIFWC Main Office on the Bad River Reservation, WI, from June 1 – August 7, 2020. Applicant may be an incoming or continuing student that is accepted and/or enrolled full time at a college/university for Fall 2020 semester.

Phenology Climate Change Internship info here

Traditional Ecological Knowledge Climate Change Internship info here

U.S. State Department Air Quality Fellows Program

The Air Quality Capacity Building Fellows Program is seeking air quality management experts from the U.S. to provide assistance and capacity building to developing countries facing air quality challenges. These countries apply through the program and are matched with Air Quality Fellows having the relevant expertise. By building on the existing capacity of these interested governments, Fellows assist the countries (and other international partners working with them) to achieve sustainable improvements in local and transboundary air quality and a reduction in associated health, economic, and environmental impacts. Fellowships span 12 to 18 months, and Fellows will provide ongoing technical support, training, and guidance remotely at an estimated level of 12-20 hours per month.  Fellows will also travel to work with the host country in-person for up to 4 weeks, i.e., two separate 2-weeks trips over the 12-18 months. The program arranges and pays for all travel, but Fellows are not compensated for their time. Potential Fellows need to be U.S. citizens and if currently employed, need to have the support of their management to participate.

ITEP VW Technical Assistance Program is hiring a Research Assistant

The ITEP VW Technical Assistance Program is looking to hire a Research Assistant to help with various research projects related to the VW Tribal Trust and associated diesel emissions reduction or clean energy programs and technologies, along with general support of the program as needed. The position is part-time, with an expected workload of approximately 15-20 hours per week and funding available for the next two to (possibly) three years. We would prefer to fill the position with someone who can work on site in the ITEP offices at NAU. The job announcement is on NAU’s job page under the “Staff Openings” page, position #604774. Call or email Mark Daniels (mark.daniels@nau.edu or 928-523-8897) with questions about the position.

Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals is offering 2020 Student Summer Internships.

Apply now for a paid 8-week summer internship. Spend your summer working with tribal organizations to address tribal environmental issues. The internships have a technical, educational or policy focus. We are offering eight positions in air quality. The internship program provides each student intern with a $4,000 stipend, and limited housing and travel allowances. Host sites are selected from tribal environmental organizations, government offices, the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and others. Please register at nau.edu/itepinterns for more information and details about how to apply. You can view host site descriptions and submit your preferences for the host sites you find interesting after January 24, 2020. The deadline for applications is February 28, 2020. Questions? Contact EEOP-INTERN@nau.edu

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

NEW! The Tribal Exchange Network’s Tribal Environmental Data Management Capacity and Needs Assessment Report

The 2018 Tribal Environmental Data Management Capacity and Needs Assessment, prepared by the Exchange Network Tribal Governance Group (TGG), was conducted to better understand current tribal capacity, needs, and challenges related to environmental data management, collection, and use. Both the Executive Summary and Full Report can be found on the Tribal Exchange Network website.

Air Quality Podcasts

The following list and links are to podcasts related to climate change, air quality, emissions, and the Volkswagen Settlement:

Parts Per Billion | By Bloomberg Environment

American Scandal | By Wondery

Volkswagen Diesel Scandal – Whatever It Takes 1 | By Wondery: American Scandal

Volkswagen Diesel Scandal – The Defeat Device 2 | By Wondery: American Scandal

Exxon Valdez: Oil Meets Water 1 | By Wondery: American Scandal

Exxon Valdez: The Mosquito Fleet 2 | By Wondery: American Scandal

Exxon Valdez: The Spin Cycle 3 | By Wondery: American Scandal

Exxon Valdez: Winner Take Nothing 4 | By Wondery: American Scandal

Exxon Valdez: 30 Years Later 5 | By Wondery: American Scandal

Sensor Videos Available for Preview

EPA has developed three short (~3 minute) videos to help people understand the nature of low cost sensors and how air quality measurements relate to public health, as well as a PSA to introduce the videos. The videos cover how EPA collects and uses regulatory data, how EPA communicates health messaging, and questions that the public can ask themselves as they consider how to uses sensors. We are sharing these links with you early, as you are one of our key stakeholders. You can preview these videos – in both Spanish and English – now at:

• Air Sensor PSA

Air Sensor PSA (Spanish)

• Air Sensors: Regulatory Data and Sensor Data Quality

Calidad de los Datos Regulatorios y de los Datos del Sensor

• Air Sensors: Measurements and Your Health

Medidas y Su Salud

• Air Sensors: Sources of Air Quality Information

Fuentes de Información sobre la Calidad del Aire

On February 18, 2020, we plan to post links to these videos on the Air Sensor Toolbox web page. And we plan to promote them during Air Quality Awareness week – May 4-8, 2020.

NOAA Environmental Literacy Grants: Supporting the education of K-12 students and the public for community resilience – $3 million

Applications Due: March 26, 2020 for Priority 1 full applications

Eligible Entities: K-12 public and independent schools and school systems, state and local government agencies, Indian tribal governments

The goal of this funding opportunity is to build environmental literacy of K-12 students and the public so they are knowledgeable of the ways in which their community can become more resilient to extreme weather and/or other environmental hazards, and become involved in achieving that resilience. For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.

To view and/or receive ITEP’s American Indian Air Quality Training Program newsletter, Native Voices, click here!

Climate Change/Energy

NEW! Indigenous Women and Climate Change Publication

Against all the odds, and despite the challenges that climate change represents for Latin America, women are demonstrating day in, day out that they have the ideas and the unique and essential skills to propose a radical change in the matrix of civilisation at this crucial point in humankind’s history. This book, now being published in English, explores those challenges and this first edition differs slightly from the Spanish version published in January 2019. It seeks to go beyond simple public policy aspirations in order to reconsider the impacts of climate change on women on the basis of their actions of resistance, their daily practices, the links between these practices and the need to re-think their contributions from the centres of power. More information and download can be found here.

DOI BIA Tribal Resilience Program – $1 million

Applications Due: March 2, 2020

Eligible Entities: federally recognized tribal governments

The Tribal Resilience Program will provide funding for tribal activities that support tribal adaptation and resilience planning, ocean and coastal management planning, and relocation, managed retreat, or protect-in-place planning and design activities for coastal and riverine communities. This program aims to support Tribal Nations that need adaptation planning support and decision-making information to prepare for extreme events and harmful environmental trends that impact tribal treaty and trust resources, economies, infrastructure, and human health and welfare. An informational webinar will be held by the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals describing the opportunity on January 9th, 2020. Register for the webinar here. For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.

Join NCAI’s Climate Action email listserv here!

Sign up for the Alliance for Green Heat’s newsletter!

To view and/or receive ITEP’s Climate Change newsletter, click here!

Toxics/Mobile Sources

NEW! EPA Announces Community-Scale Air Toxics Monitoring Grant Competition

Deadline to apply: March 30, 2020

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is accepting applications for funding for air toxics monitoring projects under the Community-Scale Air Toxics Ambient Monitoring grants competition. As part of the Agency’s mission to protect human and environmental health, EPA periodically awards these grants to help state, local and tribal air agencies conduct air quality monitoring projects to address localized air toxics issues. EPA anticipates awarding up to $5 million from this competition to fund projects that fall into four categories:

• Characterizing the impacts of air toxics in a community (community-scale monitoring);
• Assessing the impacts of air toxics emissions from specific sources (near-source monitoring);
• Evaluating new and emerging testing methods for air toxics; and
• Analyzing existing air toxics data and developing or enhancing analytical, modeling, and/or implementation tools.

Air toxics, also known as hazardous air pollutants, are linked to cancer or other serious health effects. Under the Clean Air Act, EPA regulates 187 listed air toxic pollutants. While grant applications may address any air toxic pollutant, air toxics of particular interest to EPA in this competition include ethylene oxide, chloroprene, benzene, 1,3-butadiene, and metals such as hexavalent chromium, nickel and arsenic.

To receive the grants, applicants must be air pollution control agencies as defined by Section 302(b) of the Clean Air Act that also are eligible to receive grants under Section 105 of the Clean Air Act. Funding for the grants comes from State and Tribal Assistance (STAG) funding. Congress appropriates STAG funds for state, local and tribal air agencies to use in implementing and maintaining environmental programs.

Agencies applying for the air toxics monitoring grants may partner with or provide “subgrants” to other organizations for their monitoring projects. The Agency expects to award grants for 10 to 20 projects, depending on funding availability and the quality of applications received. The amount for each grant may vary; however, no grant may be for more than $750,000. Click here for additional information, and to download the Request for Application.  

NEW! Resource for Electric Vehicle Users

In December 2019, the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners released an issue brief titled Electric Vehicles: Key Trends, Issues, and Considerations for State Regulators. The brief profiles examples of regulatory approaches and decisions that states and commissions have taken.

NEW! Considering an Electric Vehicle?

Watch this EPA video to learn how electric vehicles and different types of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles work. And visit our Beyond the Tailpipe Emissions Calculator to estimate the total GHG emissions associated with driving an EV or PHEV in your area, as compared to a gasoline vehicle.

Indoor Air Quality

February Is National Cancer Prevention Month

During National Cancer Prevention Month, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) are working to inform Americans about how lifestyle can help reduce cancer risk and keep you healthy.

Exposure to secondhand smoke commonly occurs indoors, particularly in homes and cars. Eliminating secondhand smoke in your indoor environment can reduce the risk of harmful health effects, such as respiratory issues, heart disease and lung cancer. Nonsmokers who are exposed to secondhand smoke increase their risk of developing lung cancer by 20 to 30 percent.

A few simple changes can help reduce your risk:

• Make your home smoke-free, smoke outside or quit smoking.
• Test your home for radon. Radon claims the lives of about 21,000 Americans each year; it is also the leading cause of lung cancer death among nonsmokers in the United States.

HUD’s Secretary’s Awards for Healthy Homes

This year’s HUD Secretary’s Awards for Healthy Homes has just opened for nominations. As in past years these awards recognize various HUD partners who actively promote policies or programs that benefit the health of the families they serve.  The Announcement Package for this year’s Award has all the information for our stakeholders about the Awards. The deadline for nominating projects and activities this year is March 10^th. This year’s award will consider nominees from the following categories:

• Public Housing
• Multifamily Housing
• Policy Innovation
• Cross Program Coordination
• Innovation in Education and Communications
• Research

The Announcement Package describes the goals, key dates, award categories, eligible applicants, criteria for reviewing and rating nominations, and submission guidelines. Page 9 of the Announcement notes that all entries must be completed by utilizing the online nomination form here. For complete details about the Awards, visit this link and read the “Application Package.” If you have any questions about the Awards, please contact Clyde.K.Rodkey@hud.gov.

Be sure to sign up for EPA’s Healthy Indoor Air newsletter.

The Tribal Healthy Homes Network (THHN) has a webpage dedicated to Funding Opportunities! Additionally, THHN has developed a Funding Guide for American Indian and Alaska Native Communities.

Most Recent Listing: EPA Rules from the Federal Register can be found here.

RESOURCES & FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Now Hiring!

The National Tribal Air Association is hiring a Program Coordinator!

NTAA is seeking a Program Coordinator to help NTAA’s Staff and Executive Committee achieve NTAA’s mission. NTAA was founded in 2002 with a mission to advance air quality management policies and programs, consistent with the needs, interests, and unique legal status of American Indian Tribes and Alaska Natives. NTAA is administered by the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP) at Northern Arizona University and is the recipient of a three-year cooperative agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agreement.

Click here to visit NAU’s careers website to complete your application. The job is posted until 11:59 pm on February 13, 2020, so be sure to get your application in by then! Contact Andy Bessler at andy.bessler@nau.edu with any questions

DIRECTIONS:

1. Select the link to access our careers site.
2. Sign In to access your account or if you are not an existing user select the New User link to create one.
3. Review the job description and select the Apply button to begin your application.

NEW! Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC) Climate Change Internships

Deadline to apply: March 6, 2020, 4:30pm CST

The Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC) has two paid climate change internships available this summer. Both internships are hosted at the GLIFWC Main Office on the Bad River Reservation, WI, from June 1 – August 7, 2020. Applicant may be an incoming or continuing student that is accepted and/or enrolled full time at a college/university for Fall 2020 semester.

Phenology Climate Change Internship info here

Traditional Ecological Knowledge Climate Change Internship info here

NEW! U.S. State Department Air Quality Fellows Program

The Air Quality Capacity Building Fellows Program is seeking air quality management experts from the U.S. to provide assistance and capacity building to developing countries facing air quality challenges. These countries apply through the program and are matched with Air Quality Fellows having the relevant expertise. By building on the existing capacity of these interested governments, Fellows assist the countries (and other international partners working with them) to achieve sustainable improvements in local and transboundary air quality and a reduction in associated health, economic, and environmental impacts. Fellowships span 12 to 18 months, and Fellows will provide ongoing technical support, training, and guidance remotely at an estimated level of 12-20 hours per month.  Fellows will also travel to work with the host country in-person for up to 4 weeks, i.e., two separate 2-weeks trips over the 12-18 months. The program arranges and pays for all travel, but Fellows are not compensated for their time. Potential Fellows need to be U.S. citizens and if currently employed, need to have the support of their management to participate.

ITEP VW Technical Assistance Program is hiring a Research Assistant

The ITEP VW Technical Assistance Program is looking to hire a Research Assistant to help with various research projects related to the VW Tribal Trust and associated diesel emissions reduction or clean energy programs and technologies, along with general support of the program as needed. The position is part-time, with an expected workload of approximately 15-20 hours per week and funding available for the next two to (possibly) three years. We would prefer to fill the position with someone who can work on site in the ITEP offices at NAU. The job announcement is on NAU’s job page under the “Staff Openings” page, position #604774. Call or email Mark Daniels (mark.daniels@nau.edu or 928-523-8897) with questions about the position.

Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals is offering 2020 Student Summer Internships.

Apply now for a paid 8-week summer internship. Spend your summer working with tribal organizations to address tribal environmental issues. The internships have a technical, educational or policy focus. We are offering eight positions in air quality. The internship program provides each student intern with a $4,000 stipend, and limited housing and travel allowances. Host sites are selected from tribal environmental organizations, government offices, the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and others. Please register at nau.edu/itepinterns for more information and details about how to apply. You can view host site descriptions and submit your preferences for the host sites you find interesting after January 24, 2020. The deadline for applications is February 28, 2020. Questions? Contact EEOP-INTERN@nau.edu

Graduate Study Opportunity: Integrating Indigenous and Scientific Knowledges for Environmental Sustainability

The Center for Native Peoples and the Environment at the State University of New York‘s College of Environmental Science & Forestry is recruiting students for graduate study in diverse environmental sciences from ecology, sustainability, conservation biology to restoration and environmental engineering. As a member of the Sloan Indigenous Graduate Partnership, the program provides funding for full tuition and stipends for Native American students pursuing MS and PhD degrees. Applications are open so please join us in this exciting initiative.

Additional information can be found online or contact Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer at rkimmer@esf.edu.

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

NEW! Air Quality Podcasts

The following list and links are to podcasts related to climate change, air quality, emissions, and the Volkswagen Settlement:

Parts Per Billion | By Bloomberg Environment

American Scandal | By Wondery

Volkswagen Diesel Scandal – Whatever It Takes 1 | By Wondery: American Scandal

Volkswagen Diesel Scandal – The Defeat Device 2 | By Wondery: American Scandal

Exxon Valdez: Oil Meets Water 1 | By Wondery: American Scandal

Exxon Valdez: The Mosquito Fleet 2 | By Wondery: American Scandal

Exxon Valdez: The Spin Cycle 3 | By Wondery: American Scandal

Exxon Valdez: Winner Take Nothing 4 | By Wondery: American Scandal

Exxon Valdez: 30 Years Later 5 | By Wondery: American Scandal

NEW! Sensor Videos Available for Preview

EPA has developed three short (~3 minute) videos to help people understand the nature of low cost sensors and how air quality measurements relate to public health, as well as a PSA to introduce the videos. The videos cover how EPA collects and uses regulatory data, how EPA communicates health messaging, and questions that the public can ask themselves as they consider how to uses sensors. We are sharing these links with you early, as you are one of our key stakeholders. You can preview these videos – in both Spanish and English – now at:

• Air Sensor PSA

Air Sensor PSA (Spanish)

• Air Sensors: Regulatory Data and Sensor Data Quality

Calidad de los Datos Regulatorios y de los Datos del Sensor

• Air Sensors: Measurements and Your Health

Medidas y Su Salud

• Air Sensors: Sources of Air Quality Information

Fuentes de Información sobre la Calidad del Aire

On February 18, 2020, we plan to post links to these videos on the Air Sensor Toolbox web page. And we plan to promote them during Air Quality Awareness week – May 4-8, 2020.

Regulation Navigation Tool for Air Quality Regulations: Emission Guidelines and Compliance Times for Municipal Solid Waste Landfills

These online, interactive software programs are designed to help owners and operators of selected air quality regulations determine their personalized requirements by answering successive questions about their equipment/facilities. Note that the tool is not capable of storing or saving the information used. Owners/operators will need to print the results for their records. All of the tools can be found here.

EPA 2019 Targeted Airshed Grant Program – $50.3 million

Applications Due: February 14, 2020

Eligible Entities: local, state, and/or tribal air pollution control agencies, or other air pollution control agencies as defined by Section 302(b) of the Clean Air Act

The Targeted Airshed Grant Program will assist local, state, and/or tribal air pollution control agencies to develop plans and conduct projects to reduce air pollution in non attainment areas that EPA determines are the top five most polluted areas relative to ozone (O3), annual average fine particulate matter (PM2.5), or 24-hour PM2.5 National Ambient Air Quality Standards. The overall goal of the Targeted Airshed Grant Program is to reduce air pollution in the nation’s areas with the highest levels of ozone and PM2.5 ambient air concentrations. For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.

NOAA Environmental Literacy Grants: Supporting the education of K-12 students and the public for community resilience – $3 million

Applications Due: March 26, 2020 for Priority 1 full applications

Eligible Entities: K-12 public and independent schools and school systems, state and local government agencies, Indian tribal governments

The goal of this funding opportunity is to build environmental literacy of K-12 students and the public so they are knowledgeable of the ways in which their community can become more resilient to extreme weather and/or other environmental hazards, and become involved in achieving that resilience. For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.

To view and/or receive ITEP’s American Indian Air Quality Training Program newsletter, Native Voices, click here!

Climate Change/Energy

DOI BIA Tribal Resilience Program – $1 million

Applications Due: March 2, 2020

Eligible Entities: federally recognized tribal governments

The Tribal Resilience Program will provide funding for tribal activities that support tribal adaptation and resilience planning, ocean and coastal management planning, and relocation, managed retreat, or protect-in-place planning and design activities for coastal and riverine communities. This program aims to support Tribal Nations that need adaptation planning support and decision-making information to prepare for extreme events and harmful environmental trends that impact tribal treaty and trust resources, economies, infrastructure, and human health and welfare. An informational webinar will be held by the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals describing the opportunity on January 9th, 2020. Register for the webinar here. For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.

Join NCAI’s Climate Action email listserv here!

Sign up for the Alliance for Green Heat’s newsletter!

To view and/or receive ITEP’s Climate Change newsletter, click here!

Toxics/Mobile Sources

Indoor Air Quality

NEW! February Is National Cancer Prevention Month

During National Cancer Prevention Month, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) are working to inform Americans about how lifestyle can help reduce cancer risk and keep you healthy.

Exposure to secondhand smoke commonly occurs indoors, particularly in homes and cars. Eliminating secondhand smoke in your indoor environment can reduce the risk of harmful health effects, such as respiratory issues, heart disease and lung cancer. Nonsmokers who are exposed to secondhand smoke increase their risk of developing lung cancer by 20 to 30 percent.

A few simple changes can help reduce your risk:

• Make your home smoke-free, smoke outside or quit smoking.
• Test your home for radon. Radon claims the lives of about 21,000 Americans each year; it is also the leading cause of lung cancer death among nonsmokers in the United States.

HUD’s Secretary’s Awards for Healthy Homes

This year’s HUD Secretary’s Awards for Healthy Homes has just opened for nominations. As in past years these awards recognize various HUD partners who actively promote policies or programs that benefit the health of the families they serve.  The Announcement Package for this year’s Award has all the information for our stakeholders about the Awards. The deadline for nominating projects and activities this year is March 10^th. This year’s award will consider nominees from the following categories:

• Public Housing
• Multifamily Housing
• Policy Innovation
• Cross Program Coordination
• Innovation in Education and Communications
• Research

The Announcement Package describes the goals, key dates, award categories, eligible applicants, criteria for reviewing and rating nominations, and submission guidelines. Page 9 of the Announcement notes that all entries must be completed by utilizing the online nomination form here. For complete details about the Awards, visit this link and read the “Application Package.” If you have any questions about the Awards, please contact Clyde.K.Rodkey@hud.gov.

EPA’s Online Order Form for Burn Wise Educational Materials

The materials listed here can be ordered free. The PDF files can also be printed directly from this page. Materials include brochures and poster for schools and public use.

Be sure to sign up for EPA’s Healthy Indoor Air newsletter.

The Tribal Healthy Homes Network (THHN) has a webpage dedicated to Funding Opportunities! Additionally, THHN has developed a Funding Guide for American Indian and Alaska Native Communities.

Back to Table of Contents

Most Recent Listing: EPA Rules from the Federal Register can be found here.

You have received this email as a subscriber to the NTAA Weekly Update. To unsubscribe or modify your subscriptions, click the appropriate link below:

Unsubscribe                                                   Modify your Subscription

RESOURCES & FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Now Hiring!

ITEP VW Technical Assistance Program is hiring a Research Assistant

The ITEP VW Technical Assistance Program is looking to hire a Research Assistant to help with various research projects related to the VW Tribal Trust and associated diesel emissions reduction or clean energy programs and technologies, along with general support of the program as needed. The position is part-time, with an expected workload of approximately 15-20 hours per week and funding available for the next two to (possibly) three years. We would prefer to fill the position with someone who can work on site in the ITEP offices at NAU. The job announcement is on NAU’s job page under the “Staff Openings” page, position #604774. Call or email Mark Daniels (mark.daniels@nau.edu or 928-523-8897) with questions about the position.

Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals is offering 2020 Student Summer Internships.

Apply now for a paid 8-week summer internship. Spend your summer working with tribal organizations to address tribal environmental issues. The internships have a technical, educational or policy focus. We are offering eight positions in air quality. The internship program provides each student intern with a $4,000 stipend, and limited housing and travel allowances. Host sites are selected from tribal environmental organizations, government offices, the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and others. Please register at nau.edu/itepinterns for more information and details about how to apply. You can view host site descriptions and submit your preferences for the host sites you find interesting after January 24, 2020. The deadline for applications is February 28, 2020. Questions? Contact EEOP-INTERN@nau.edu

University of New Hampshire Sustainability Fellowships for Students

UNH Sustainability Fellowships pair exceptional students from colleges and universities across the U.S. with host organizations in New England to work on transformative sustainability initiatives. Sustainability Fellows, mentored by the UNH team and dedicated individuals from our partner organizations, undertake challenging site-specific summer projects, achieve high-impact results, and receive a competitive stipend for their contributions.

Interested?

Check out the 2020 Sustainability Fellowship projects.

Review program expectations and eligibility.

Apply by February 10.

Questions?

See our website.

Contact us.

NEW! (again!) Graduate Study Opportunity: Integrating Indigenous and Scientific Knowledges for Environmental Sustainability

The Center for Native Peoples and the Environment at the State University of New York‘s College of Environmental Science & Forestry is recruiting students for graduate study in diverse environmental sciences from ecology, sustainability, conservation biology to restoration and environmental engineering. As a member of the Sloan Indigenous Graduate Partnership, the program provides funding for full tuition and stipends for Native American students pursuing MS and PhD degrees. Applications are open so please join us in this exciting initiative.

Additional information can be found online or contact Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer at rkimmer@esf.edu.

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

The Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving Cooperate Agreement Program Request for Applications is open until February 7, 2020

Ten awards will be made (one award per region) in amounts of up to $120,000 per award for a two-year project period. Cooperative agreements will be awarded to local community-based organizations, tribes, and tribal organizations seeking to address environmental and public health concerns in local underserved communities through collaboration with other stakeholders, such as local businesses and industry, local government, medical service providers, and academia. Learn more here.

NEW! Regulation Navigation Tool for Air Quality Regulations: Emission Guidelines and Compliance Times for Municipal Solid Waste Landfills

These online, interactive software programs are designed to help owners and operators of selected air quality regulations determine their personalized requirements by answering successive questions about their equipment/facilities. Note that the tool is not capable of storing or saving the information used. Owners/operators will need to print the results for their records. All of the tools can be found here.

EPA 2019 Targeted Airshed Grant Program – $50.3 million

Applications Due: February 14, 2020

Eligible Entities: local, state, and/or tribal air pollution control agencies, or other air pollution control agencies as defined by Section 302(b) of the Clean Air Act

The Targeted Airshed Grant Program will assist local, state, and/or tribal air pollution control agencies to develop plans and conduct projects to reduce air pollution in non attainment areas that EPA determines are the top five most polluted areas relative to ozone (O3), annual average fine particulate matter (PM2.5), or 24-hour PM2.5 National Ambient Air Quality Standards. The overall goal of the Targeted Airshed Grant Program is to reduce air pollution in the nation’s areas with the highest levels of ozone and PM2.5 ambient air concentrations. For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.

NOAA Environmental Literacy Grants: Supporting the education of K-12 students and the public for community resilience – $3 million

Applications Due: March 26, 2020 for Priority 1 full applications

Eligible Entities: K-12 public and independent schools and school systems, state and local government agencies, Indian tribal governments

The goal of this funding opportunity is to build environmental literacy of K-12 students and the public so they are knowledgeable of the ways in which their community can become more resilient to extreme weather and/or other environmental hazards, and become involved in achieving that resilience. For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.

To view and/or receive ITEP’s American Indian Air Quality Training Program newsletter, Native Voices, click here!

Climate Change/Energy

DOE Energy Infrastructure Deployment on Tribal Lands – $15 million

Applications Due: February 6, 2020

Eligible Entities: Native American tribal governments and organizations

DOE’s Office of Indian Energy is soliciting applications from Indian Tribes to:

1. Install energy generating system(s) and/or energy efficiency measure(s) for Tribal Building(s); or,
2. Deploy community-scale energy generating system(s) or energy storage on Tribal lands; or,
3. Install integrated energy system(s) for autonomous operation to power a single or multiple essential tribal facilities during emergency situations or for tribal community resilience; or
4. Deploy energy infrastructure and integrated energy system(s) to electrify Tribal Buildings.

For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.

NEW! Environmental Justice Grants Opportunity is Now Open!

Full Application Due Date: Friday, February 7, 2020, by 11:59 PM ET

The Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving (EJCPS) Cooperative Agreement Program provides funding to support community-based organizations in their efforts to collaborate and partner with local stakeholder groups (e.g., local businesses and industry, local government, medical service providers, and academia) as they develop and implement community-driven solutions that address environmental and/or public health issues for underserved communities. The EJCPS program will award approximately $1.2 million nationwide for this competitive opportunity. EPA anticipates issuing 10 awards (1 per EPA region) of up to $120,000 each. These awards are for two-year projects.

See additional details at: FY20 EJCPS RFA webpage

Informational Pre-Application Assistance Calls: (Recordings Available) Potential applicants are invited to participate in conference calls with EPA to address questions about the EJCPS Program and this solicitation. For dial-in information and a list of the conference call dates and times, please visit the FY20 EJCPS RFA webpage.

Is my organization eligible? Eligible entities for this opportunity are as follows:

• incorporated non-profit organizations including, but not limited to, community-based organizations, environmental justice networks, faith-based organizations and those affiliated with religious institutions
• federally recognized tribal governments including Alaska Native Villages; OR
• tribal organizations

If your organization is NOT eligible, we encourage partnering with eligible entities on an EJSG project. See the RFP for more information.

How can I apply? Click the link below to go directly to the EJCPS program website to access the full RFA, including instructions on applying through Grants.gov: FY20 EJCPS RFA webpage

FEEDBACK REQUESTED – The number of required forms for EPA grant applicants has increased. The EJ program is working to reduce the number of forms to reduce the burden on EJ applicants. If you’re interested in applying and support decreasing the number of forms, please send a short email to Sheila Lewis at Lewis.Sheila@epa.gov briefly stating how additional requirements and forms could impact your organization.

DOI BIA Tribal Resilience Program – $1 million

Applications Due: March 2, 2020

Eligible Entities: federally recognized tribal governments

The Tribal Resilience Program will provide funding for tribal activities that support tribal adaptation and resilience planning, ocean and coastal management planning, and relocation, managed retreat, or protect-in-place planning and design activities for coastal and riverine communities. This program aims to support Tribal Nations that need adaptation planning support and decision-making information to prepare for extreme events and harmful environmental trends that impact tribal treaty and trust resources, economies, infrastructure, and human health and welfare. An informational webinar will be held by the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals describing the opportunity on January 9th, 2020. Register for the webinar here. For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.

Join NCAI’s Climate Action email listserv here!

Sign up for the Alliance for Green Heat’s newsletter!

To view and/or receive ITEP’s Climate Change newsletter, click here!

Toxics/Mobile Sources

Indoor Air Quality

NEW! HUD’s Secretary’s Awards for Healthy Homes

This year’s HUD Secretary’s Awards for Healthy Homes has just opened for nominations. As in past years these awards recognize various HUD partners who actively promote policies or programs that benefit the health of the families they serve.  The Announcement Package for this year’s Award has all the information for our stakeholders about the Awards. The deadline for nominating projects and activities this year is March 10^th. This year’s award will consider nominees from the following categories:

• Public Housing
• Multifamily Housing
• Policy Innovation
• Cross Program Coordination
• Innovation in Education and Communications
• Research

The Announcement Package describes the goals, key dates, award categories, eligible applicants, criteria for reviewing and rating nominations, and submission guidelines. Page 9 of the Announcement notes that all entries must be completed by utilizing the online nomination form here. For complete details about the Awards, visit this link and read the “Application Package.” If you have any questions about the Awards, please contact Clyde.K.Rodkey@hud.gov.

EPA’s Online Order Form for Burn Wise Educational Materials

The materials listed here can be ordered free. The PDF files can also be printed directly from this page. Materials include brochures and poster for schools and public use.

Be sure to sign up for EPA’s Healthy Indoor Air newsletter.

The Tribal Healthy Homes Network (THHN) has a webpage dedicated to Funding Opportunities! Additionally, THHN has developed a Funding Guide for American Indian and Alaska Native Communities.

Back to Table of Contents

Most Recent Listing: EPA Rules from the Federal Register can be found here.

RESOURCES & FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Now Hiring!

ITEP VW Technical Assistance Program is hiring a Research Assistant

The ITEP VW Technical Assistance Program is looking to hire a Research Assistant to help with various research projects related to the VW Tribal Trust and associated diesel emissions reduction or clean energy programs and technologies, along with general support of the program as needed. The position is part-time, with an expected workload of approximately 15-20 hours per week and funding available for the next two to (possibly) three years. We would prefer to fill the position with someone who can work on site in the ITEP offices at NAU. The job announcement is on NAU’s job page under the “Staff Openings” page, position #604774. Call or email Mark Daniels (mark.daniels@nau.edu or 928-523-8897) with questions about the position.

Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals is offering 2020 Student Summer Internships.

Apply now for a paid 8-week summer internship. Spend your summer working with tribal organizations to address tribal environmental issues. The internships have a technical, educational or policy focus. We are offering eight positions in air quality. The internship program provides each student intern with a $4,000 stipend, and limited housing and travel allowances. Host sites are selected from tribal environmental organizations, government offices, the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and others. Please register at nau.edu/itepinterns for more information and details about how to apply. You can view host site descriptions and submit your preferences for the host sites you find interesting after January 24, 2020. The deadline for applications is February 28, 2020. Questions? Contact EEOP-INTERN@nau.edu

NEW! University of New Hampshire Sustainability Fellowships for Students

UNH Sustainability Fellowships pair exceptional students from colleges and universities across the U.S. with host organizations in New England to work on transformative sustainability initiatives. Sustainability Fellows, mentored by the UNH team and dedicated individuals from our partner organizations, undertake challenging site-specific summer projects, achieve high-impact results, and receive a competitive stipend for their contributions.

Interested?

Check out the 2020 Sustainability Fellowship projects.

Sign up to attend a webinar on January 31 @ 12PM.

Review program expectations and eligibility.

Apply by February 10.

Questions?

See our website.

Contact us.

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

The Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving Cooperate Agreement Program Request for Applications is open until February 7, 2020

Ten awards will be made (one award per region) in amounts of up to $120,000 per award for a two-year project period. Cooperative agreements will be awarded to local community-based organizations, tribes, and tribal organizations seeking to address environmental and public health concerns in local underserved communities through collaboration with other stakeholders, such as local businesses and industry, local government, medical service providers, and academia. Learn more here.

EPA 2019 Targeted Airshed Grant Program – $50.3 million

Applications Due: February 14, 2020

Eligible Entities: local, state, and/or tribal air pollution control agencies, or other air pollution control agencies as defined by Section 302(b) of the Clean Air Act

The Targeted Airshed Grant Program will assist local, state, and/or tribal air pollution control agencies to develop plans and conduct projects to reduce air pollution in non attainment areas that EPA determines are the top five most polluted areas relative to ozone (O3), annual average fine particulate matter (PM2.5), or 24-hour PM2.5 National Ambient Air Quality Standards. The overall goal of the Targeted Airshed Grant Program is to reduce air pollution in the nation’s areas with the highest levels of ozone and PM2.5 ambient air concentrations. For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.

NOAA Environmental Literacy Grants: Supporting the education of K-12 students and the public for community resilience – $3 million

Applications Due: March 26, 2020 for Priority 1 full applications

Eligible Entities: K-12 public and independent schools and school systems, state and local government agencies, Indian tribal governments

The goal of this funding opportunity is to build environmental literacy of K-12 students and the public so they are knowledgeable of the ways in which their community can become more resilient to extreme weather and/or other environmental hazards, and become involved in achieving that resilience. For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.

To view and/or receive ITEP’s American Indian Air Quality Training Program newsletter, Native Voices, click here!

Climate Change/Energy

USDA REAP Energy Audit and Renewable Energy Development Assistance Program – $1.8 million

Applications Due: January 31, 2020

Eligible Entities: state governments, local governments, and Native American tribal governments and organizations

The Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) helps agricultural producers and rural small businesses reduce energy costs and consumption and helps meet the Nation’s critical energy needs. The recipient of the Energy Audit and Renewable Energy Development Assistance Grant funds will establish a program to assist agricultural producers and rural small businesses with evaluating the energy efficiency and the potential to incorporate renewable energy technologies into their operations. For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.

DHS FEMA FY19 Pre-Disaster Mitigation – $250 million

Applications Due: January 31, 2020

Eligible Entities: state governments, Native American tribal governments

The Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) program makes available Federal funds to State, Local and Tribal Governments to implement and sustain cost-effective measures designed to reduce the risk to individuals and property from natural hazards, while also reducing reliance on Federal funding from future disasters.

FEMA will provide allocations of $575,000 as required by the Stafford Act to states and territories; and a tribal set aside of $20 million for allocations up to $575,000 for Native American Indian tribal governments to support overall mitigation planning and projects. The remaining PDM funds will be awarded on a competitive basis with a focus on multi-state/tribal mitigation initiatives. For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.

DOE Energy Infrastructure Deployment on Tribal Lands – $15 million

Applications Due: February 6, 2020

Eligible Entities: Native American tribal governments and organizations

DOE’s Office of Indian Energy is soliciting applications from Indian Tribes to:

1. Install energy generating system(s) and/or energy efficiency measure(s) for Tribal Building(s); or,
2. Deploy community-scale energy generating system(s) or energy storage on Tribal lands; or,
3. Install integrated energy system(s) for autonomous operation to power a single or multiple essential tribal facilities during emergency situations or for tribal community resilience; or
4. Deploy energy infrastructure and integrated energy system(s) to electrify Tribal Buildings.

For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.

DOI BIA Tribal Resilience Program – $1 million

Applications Due: March 2, 2020

Eligible Entities: federally recognized tribal governments

The Tribal Resilience Program will provide funding for tribal activities that support tribal adaptation and resilience planning, ocean and coastal management planning, and relocation, managed retreat, or protect-in-place planning and design activities for coastal and riverine communities. This program aims to support Tribal Nations that need adaptation planning support and decision-making information to prepare for extreme events and harmful environmental trends that impact tribal treaty and trust resources, economies, infrastructure, and human health and welfare. An informational webinar will be held by the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals describing the opportunity on January 9th, 2020. Register for the webinar here. For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.

Join NCAI’s Climate Action email listserv here!

Sign up for the Alliance for Green Heat’s newsletter!

To view and/or receive ITEP’s Climate Change newsletter, click here!

Toxics/Mobile Sources

Preliminary Notice for Grant Funding Opportunity for Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure along High-Traffic Transportation Corridors in Washington

Beginning in December, the Washington Department of Ecology will open a grant opportunity providing about $4 million on a competitive basis to install or upgrade existing publicly available direct current fast chargers (DCFC) along high-traffic transportation corridors. This grant funding opportunity will open December 3, 2019, and close February 4, 2020. More information can be found here.

Indoor Air Quality

NEW! EPA’s Online Order Form for Burn Wise Educational Materials

          The materials listed here can be ordered free. The PDF files can also be printed directly from this page. Materials include brochures and poster for schools and public use.

National Radon Action Month

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has designated January as National Radon Action Month. EPA and the U.S. Surgeon General urge everyone to protect their health by testing the indoor air in their homes and schools for radon. Radon is a natural, radioactive gas that claims about 21,000 lives each year. It is the leading cause of death from lung cancer among nonsmokers in the United States. Exposure to radon is a preventable health risk. EPA recommends fixing homes with 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) or more of radon in the air. You cannot see or smell radon. Simple, inexpensive do-it-yourself radon test kits are available, or you can hire a certified professional to perform the testing.

Other ways in which you can help protect your family and community—

1. Attend a National Radon Action Month event in your area. Look for radon events in your community.
2. Educate others about radon.
   • Tell family and friends about the health risk of radon. Encourage them to test their homes.
   • View EPA’s free radon publications and share the information with others.
3. Take action in your community using the resources in EPA’s radon event planning kit.
   • Plan an activity in your community to help raise awareness of radon.
   • Write an op-ed or letter to the editor.
   • Attract media attention by working with a local official to issue a radon proclamation.
   • Download National Radon Action Month media resources and graphics to use for your print materials or website.
4. Look for a radon-resistant home if you are planning to relocate. If you are buying a new home, look for builders that use radon-resistant construction techniques found in EPA’s Indoor airPLUS guidelines. Read more about radon-resistant new construction in Building Radon Out: A Step-by-Step Guide on How to Build Radon-Resistant Homes.

As part of the National Radon Action Plan, EPA is working with state and local partners to educate the public about the risk from radon. Learn more about radon and how to reduce your exposure to radon at www.epa.gov/radon.

Be sure to sign up for EPA’s Healthy Indoor Air newsletter.

The Tribal Healthy Homes Network (THHN) has a webpage dedicated to Funding Opportunities! Additionally, THHN has developed a Funding Guide for American Indian and Alaska Native Communities.

Back to Table of Contents

Most Recent Listing: EPA Rules from the Federal Register can be found here.

RESOURCES & FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Now Hiring!

NEW! Shoshone Bannock Tribes are hiring an Air Quality Field Technician

Closing date: January 24, 2020, 5pm

Applicants not living in the local area may submit a cover letter, resume, and supporting documents in lieu of an application as an initial statement of interest for a particular job announcement. However, the applicant must follow-up with an official tribal application. A completed Tribal Employment application must be submitted to the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes Human Resource Department, P.O. Box 306, Fort Hall, ID 83203, to be considered for any position within the organization. Applications are accepted until 5:00 P.M. on the closing date. For more information, contact Lori Howell lhowell@sbtribes.com.

Funded Graduate Program for Indigenous students in environmental fields

Are you interested in the integration of indigenous and scientific knowledges in environmental research? Do you want a STEM career in service to land and culture? The Center for Native Peoples and the Environment at the State University of New York‘s (SUNY) College of Environmental Science & Forestry is recruiting students for graduate study in diverse environmental sciences from ecology, sustainability, conservation biology to restoration and environmental engineering. As a member of the Sloan Indigenous Graduate Partnership, the program provides funding for full tuition and stipends for Native American students pursuing MS and PhD degrees. Applications are open – so please join us in this exciting initiative. Additional information can be found on our website 

or contact Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer at rkimmer@esf.edu.

Little River Band of Ottawa Indians Position is hiring an Aquatic Biologist – Wetlands (Natural Resources Dept.)

Deadline to apply: 5pm, January 27, 2020

This full time position is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the Tribe’s wetlands and wild rice program and assists with the day-to-day operation with the water quality and fisheries programs as assigned. Obtain an application form and a copy of the position description on the Tribe’s website or by contacting Human Resources at: LRBOI HR Department, 2608 Government Center Dr., Manistee, MI 49660; phone: (231) 331-1233; Email: jobs@lrboi-nsn.gov.

ITEP VW Technical Assistance Program is hiring a Research Assistant

The ITEP VW Technical Assistance Program is looking to hire a Research Assistant to help with various research projects related to the VW Tribal Trust and associated diesel emissions reduction or clean energy programs and technologies, along with general support of the program as needed. The position is part-time, with an expected workload of approximately 15-20 hours per week and funding available for the next two to (possibly) three years. We would prefer to fill the position with someone who can work on site in the ITEP offices at NAU. The job announcement is on NAU’s job page under the “Staff Openings” page, position #604774. Call or email Mark Daniels (mark.daniels@nau.edu or 928-523-8897) with questions about the position.

Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals is offering 2020 Student Summer Internships.

Apply now for a paid 8-week summer internship. Spend your summer working with tribal organizations to address tribal environmental issues. The internships have a technical, educational or policy focus. We are offering eight positions in air quality. The internship program provides each student intern with a $4,000 stipend, and limited housing and travel allowances. Host sites are selected from tribal environmental organizations, government offices, the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and others. Please register at nau.edu/itepinterns for more information and details about how to apply. You can view host site descriptions and submit your preferences for the host sites you find interesting after January 24, 2020. The deadline for applications is February 28, 2020. Questions? Contact EEOP-INTERN@nau.edu

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

The Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving Cooperate Agreement Program Request for Applications is open until February 7, 2020

Ten awards will be made (one award per region) in amounts of up to $120,000 per award for a two-year project period. Cooperative agreements will be awarded to local community-based organizations, tribes, and tribal organizations seeking to address environmental and public health concerns in local underserved communities through collaboration with other stakeholders, such as local businesses and industry, local government, medical service providers, and academia. Learn more here.

EPA 2019 Targeted Airshed Grant Program – $50.3 million

Applications Due: February 14, 2020

Eligible Entities: local, state, and/or tribal air pollution control agencies, or other air pollution control agencies as defined by Section 302(b) of the Clean Air Act

The Targeted Airshed Grant Program will assist local, state, and/or tribal air pollution control agencies to develop plans and conduct projects to reduce air pollution in non attainment areas that EPA determines are the top five most polluted areas relative to ozone (O3), annual average fine particulate matter (PM2.5), or 24-hour PM2.5 National Ambient Air Quality Standards. The overall goal of the Targeted Airshed Grant Program is to reduce air pollution in the nation’s areas with the highest levels of ozone and PM2.5 ambient air concentrations. For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.

NOAA Environmental Literacy Grants: Supporting the education of K-12 students and the public for community resilience – $3 million

Applications Due: March 26, 2020 for Priority 1 full applications

Eligible Entities: K-12 public and independent schools and school systems, state and local government agencies, Indian tribal governments

The goal of this funding opportunity is to build environmental literacy of K-12 students and the public so they are knowledgeable of the ways in which their community can become more resilient to extreme weather and/or other environmental hazards, and become involved in achieving that resilience. For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.

TAMS Center Data Validation Video

The TAMS Center is honored to present the first video in a series on data management and validation, in which we learn how the Morongo Band of Mission Indians conducts their air data validation and exceeded expectations during a rigorous EPA Technical Systems Audit. This video will become part of our 2020 online Data Validation course, and is useful for anyone interested in what makes environmental data legally defensible: evidence.

EPA Grants Management Training

This online training course is designed to introduce EPA grant applicants and recipients to key aspects of the entire grant life cycle, from preparation of an application through grant closeout.  Throughout this training, the term “grant” is used as a general term to refer to both grants and cooperative agreements. The course is divided into separate modules that can be completed individually.  Each module includes knowledge checks to verify your understanding of key concepts.  If you need to leave a module, the last slide to be completed will be saved, and you will be able to return to that location later.  Upon completion, you will be prompted to generate a downloadable certificate of completion. The 6 training modules include:

1. Introduction to EPA Grants
2. Demonstrating Financial Management System and Internal Control Capability
3. Applying for a Grant
4. Accepting a Grant
5. Managing a Grant
6. Closing a Grant

To view and/or receive ITEP’s American Indian Air Quality Training Program newsletter, Native Voices, click here!

Climate Change/Energy

USDA REAP Energy Audit and Renewable Energy Development Assistance Program – $1.8 million

Applications Due: January 31, 2020

Eligible Entities: state governments, local governments, and Native American tribal governments and organizations

The Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) helps agricultural producers and rural small businesses reduce energy costs and consumption and helps meet the Nation’s critical energy needs. The recipient of the Energy Audit and Renewable Energy Development Assistance Grant funds will establish a program to assist agricultural producers and rural small businesses with evaluating the energy efficiency and the potential to incorporate renewable energy technologies into their operations. For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.

DHS FEMA FY19 Pre-Disaster Mitigation – $250 million

Applications Due: January 31, 2020

Eligible Entities: state governments, Native American tribal governments

The Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) program makes available Federal funds to State, Local and Tribal Governments to implement and sustain cost-effective measures designed to reduce the risk to individuals and property from natural hazards, while also reducing reliance on Federal funding from future disasters.

FEMA will provide allocations of $575,000 as required by the Stafford Act to states and territories; and a tribal set aside of $20 million for allocations up to $575,000 for Native American Indian tribal governments to support overall mitigation planning and projects. The remaining PDM funds will be awarded on a competitive basis with a focus on multi-state/tribal mitigation initiatives. For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.

DOE Energy Infrastructure Deployment on Tribal Lands – $15 million

Applications Due: February 6, 2020

Eligible Entities: Native American tribal governments and organizations

DOE’s Office of Indian Energy is soliciting applications from Indian Tribes to:

1. Install energy generating system(s) and/or energy efficiency measure(s) for Tribal Building(s); or,
2. Deploy community-scale energy generating system(s) or energy storage on Tribal lands; or,
3. Install integrated energy system(s) for autonomous operation to power a single or multiple essential tribal facilities during emergency situations or for tribal community resilience; or
4. Deploy energy infrastructure and integrated energy system(s) to electrify Tribal Buildings.

For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.

DOI BIA Tribal Resilience Program – $1 million

Applications Due: March 2, 2020

Eligible Entities: federally recognized tribal governments

The Tribal Resilience Program will provide funding for tribal activities that support tribal adaptation and resilience planning, ocean and coastal management planning, and relocation, managed retreat, or protect-in-place planning and design activities for coastal and riverine communities. This program aims to support Tribal Nations that need adaptation planning support and decision-making information to prepare for extreme events and harmful environmental trends that impact tribal treaty and trust resources, economies, infrastructure, and human health and welfare. An informational webinar will be held by the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals describing the opportunity on January 9th, 2020. Register for the webinar here. For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.

Join NCAI’s Climate Action email listserv here!

Sign up for the Alliance for Green Heat’s newsletter!

To view and/or receive ITEP’s Climate Change newsletter, click here!

Toxics/Mobile Sources

Preliminary Notice for Grant Funding Opportunity for Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure along High-Traffic Transportation Corridors in Washington

Beginning in December, the Washington Department of Ecology will open a grant opportunity providing about $4 million on a competitive basis to install or upgrade existing publicly available direct current fast chargers (DCFC) along high-traffic transportation corridors. This grant funding opportunity will open December 3, 2019, and close February 4, 2020. More information can be found here.

Indoor Air Quality

National Radon Action Month

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has designated January as National Radon Action Month. EPA and the U.S. Surgeon General urge everyone to protect their health by testing the indoor air in their homes and schools for radon. Radon is a natural, radioactive gas that claims about 21,000 lives each year. It is the leading cause of death from lung cancer among nonsmokers in the United States. Exposure to radon is a preventable health risk. EPA recommends fixing homes with 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) or more of radon in the air. You cannot see or smell radon. Simple, inexpensive do-it-yourself radon test kits are available, or you can hire a certified professional to perform the testing.

Other ways in which you can help protect your family and community—

1. Attend a National Radon Action Month event in your area. Look for radon events in your community.
2. Educate others about radon.
   • Tell family and friends about the health risk of radon. Encourage them to test their homes.
   • View EPA’s free radon publications and share the information with others.
3. Take action in your community using the resources in EPA’s radon event planning kit.
   • Plan an activity in your community to help raise awareness of radon.
   • Write an op-ed or letter to the editor.
   • Attract media attention by working with a local official to issue a radon proclamation.
   • Download National Radon Action Month media resources and graphics to use for your print materials or website.
4. Look for a radon-resistant home if you are planning to relocate. If you are buying a new home, look for builders that use radon-resistant construction techniques found in EPA’s Indoor airPLUS guidelines. Read more about radon-resistant new construction in Building Radon Out: A Step-by-Step Guide on How to Build Radon-Resistant Homes.

As part of the National Radon Action Plan, EPA is working with state and local partners to educate the public about the risk from radon. Learn more about radon and how to reduce your exposure to radon at www.epa.gov/radon.

Be sure to sign up for EPA’s Healthy Indoor Air newsletter.

The Tribal Healthy Homes Network (THHN) has a webpage dedicated to Funding Opportunities! Additionally, THHN has developed a Funding Guide for American Indian and Alaska Native Communities.

Back to Table of Contents

Most Recent Listing: EPA Rules from the Federal Register can be found here.

RESOURCES

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

TAMS Center Data Validation Video

The TAMS Center is honored to present the first video in a series on data management and validation, in which we learn how the Morongo Band of Mission Indians conducts their air data validation and exceeded expectations during a rigorous EPA Technical Systems Audit. This video will become part of our 2020 online Data Validation course, and is useful for anyone interested in what makes environmental data legally defensible: evidence.

EPA Grants Management Training

This online training course is designed to introduce EPA grant applicants and recipients to key aspects of the entire grant life cycle, from preparation of an application through grant closeout.  Throughout this training, the term “grant” is used as a general term to refer to both grants and cooperative agreements. The course is divided into separate modules that can be completed individually.  Each module includes knowledge checks to verify your understanding of key concepts.  If you need to leave a module, the last slide to be completed will be saved, and you will be able to return to that location later.  Upon completion, you will be prompted to generate a downloadable certificate of completion. The 6 training modules include:

1. Introduction to EPA Grants
2. Demonstrating Financial Management System and Internal Control Capability
3. Applying for a Grant
4. Accepting a Grant
5. Managing a Grant
6. Closing a Grant

To view and/or receive ITEP’s American Indian Air Quality Training Program newsletter, Native Voices, click here!

Climate Change/Energy      

Join NCAI’s Climate Action email listserv here!

Sign up for the Alliance for Green Heat’s newsletter!

To view and/or receive ITEP’s Climate Change newsletter, click here!

Toxics/Mobile Sources

Indoor Air Quality

National Radon Action Month

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has designated January as National Radon Action Month. EPA and the U.S. Surgeon General urge everyone to protect their health by testing the indoor air in their homes and schools for radon. Radon is a natural, radioactive gas that claims about 21,000 lives each year. It is the leading cause of death from lung cancer among nonsmokers in the United States. Exposure to radon is a preventable health risk. EPA recommends fixing homes with 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) or more of radon in the air. You cannot see or smell radon. Simple, inexpensive do-it-yourself radon test kits are available, or you can hire a certified professional to perform the testing.

Other ways in which you can help protect your family and community—

1. Attend a National Radon Action Month event in your area. Look for radon events in your community.
2. Educate others about radon.

o   Tell family and friends about the health risk of radon. Encourage them to test their homes.

o   View EPA’s free radon publications and share the information with others.

3. Take action in your community using the resources in EPA’s radon event planning kit.

o   Plan an activity in your community to help raise awareness of radon.

o   Write an op-ed or letter to the editor.

o   Attract media attention by working with a local official to issue a radon proclamation.

o   Download National Radon Action Month media resources and graphics to use for your print materials or website.

4. Look for a radon-resistant home if you are planning to relocate. If you are buying a new home, look for builders that use radon-resistant construction techniques found in EPA’s Indoor airPLUS guidelines. Read more about radon-resistant new construction in Building Radon Out: A Step-by-Step Guide on How to Build Radon-Resistant Homes.

As part of the National Radon Action Plan, EPA is working with state and local partners to educate the public about the risk from radon. Learn more about radon and how to reduce your exposure to radon at www.epa.gov/radon.

Be sure to sign up for EPA’s Healthy Indoor Air newsletter.

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Now Hiring!

NEW! Funded Graduate Program for Indigenous students in environmental fields

Are you interested in the integration of indigenous and scientific knowledges in environmental research? Do you want a STEM career in service to land and culture? The Center for Native Peoples and the Environment at the State University of New York‘s (SUNY) College of Environmental Science & Forestry is recruiting students for graduate study in diverse environmental sciences from ecology, sustainability, conservation biology to restoration and environmental engineering. As a member of the Sloan Indigenous Graduate Partnership, the program provides funding for full tuition and stipends for Native American students pursuing MS and PhD degrees. Applications are open – so please join us in this exciting initiative. Additional information can be found on our website 

or contact Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer at rkimmer@esf.edu.

NEW! Little River Band of Ottawa Indians Position is hiring an Aquatic Biologist – Wetlands (Natural Resources Dept.)

Deadline to apply: 5pm, January 27, 2020

This full time position is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the Tribe’s wetlands and wild rice program and assists with the day-to-day operation with the water quality and fisheries programs as assigned. Obtain an application form and a copy of the position description on the Tribe’s website or by contacting Human Resources at: LRBOI HR Department, 2608 Government Center Dr., Manistee, MI 49660; phone: (231) 331-1233; Email: jobs@lrboi-nsn.gov.

NEW! ITEP VW Technical Assistance Program is hiring a Research Assistant

The ITEP VW Technical Assistance Program is looking to hire a Research Assistant to help with various research projects related to the VW Tribal Trust and associated diesel emissions reduction or clean energy programs and technologies, along with general support of the program as needed. The position is part-time, with an expected workload of approximately 15-20 hours per week and funding available for the next two to (possibly) three years. We would prefer to fill the position with someone who can work on site in the ITEP offices at NAU. The job announcement is on NAU’s job page under the “Staff Openings” page, position #604774. Call or email Mark Daniels (mark.daniels@nau.edu or 928-523-8897) with questions about the position.

Interdisciplinary Graduate Research Fellowship at School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University

Application review will begin on January 15^th, 2020, and continue until the candidate is selected.

The Human Dimensions of Forestry program at the School of Forestry, Mountain Campus, Northern Arizona University (NAU), Flagstaff, AZ is inviting applications for one fully funded four-year Graduate Fellowship to work on an interdisciplinary research focused on role of forest landscapes in the resilience of Navajo (Dine) Nation. The Fellowship is expected to start August 2020. For more information, contact Dr. Alark Saxena at alark.saxena@nau.edu.

City of Flagstaff is hiring an Indigenous Youth STEM Academy (IYSA) Coordinator

Closing date: January 15, 2020

IYSA was created in 2017 with the goal of providing indigenous youth with the opportunity to learn about STEM related fields in conjunction with traditional culture, community, and environmental stewardship. Through the program, students participate in STEM related learning sessions led by Indigenous professionals. IYSA sessions are split into two halves, an in-class session and a field trip to an open space property. The IYSA Coordinator is a part-time staff position spanning from January 2020 until June 2020. The coordinator will commit 40 hours per IYSA session, at a rate of $15.00/ hour, equating to $600.00 per session. They will be responsible for coordinating three IYSA sessions throughout the school year at Leupp Elementary School. City of Flagstaff transportation will be provided. More information can be found here.

ITEP’s Tribes and Climate Change Program is hiring a Program Coordinator, Sr.

Closing date: January 20, 2020

More information here!

Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals is offering 2020 Student Summer Internships.

Apply now for a paid 8-week summer internship. Spend your summer working with tribal organizations to address tribal environmental issues. The internships have a technical, educational or policy focus. We are offering eight positions in air quality. The internship program provides each student intern with a $4,000 stipend, and limited housing and travel allowances. Host sites are selected from tribal environmental organizations, government offices, the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and others. Please register at nau.edu/itepinterns for more information and details about how to apply. You can view host site descriptions and submit your preferences for the host sites you find interesting after January 24, 2020. The deadline for applications is February 28, 2020. Questions? Contact EEOP-INTERN@nau.edu

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

USDA Forest Service Wildfire Risk Reduction – $2.1 million

Applications Due: January 19, 2019

Eligible Entities: state governments, local governments, and Native American tribal governments

The U.S. Forest Service supports Moving Toward Shared Stewardship Across Landscapes as part of a conceptual framework for making strategic investments across landscapes to co-manage wildfire risk and achieve positive outcomes at the most appropriate scale. Within this framework, Eastern Region Cohesive Fire Strategy Competitive Request for Applications is designed to support and carry out the goals of the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy (NCS) across the Midwestern and Northeastern States as well as meet the intent of the current year budget direction. These national goals are:

1. Restore and Maintain Landscapes: Landscapes across all jurisdictions are resilient to fire-related disturbances in accordance with management objectives.
2. Create Fire Adapted Communities: Human populations and infrastructure can withstand a wildfire without loss of life and property.
3. Improve Wildfire Response:All jurisdictions participate in making and implementing safe, effective, efficient risk-based wildfire management decisions.

For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.

The Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving Cooperate Agreement Program Request for Applications is open until February 7, 2020

Ten awards will be made (one award per region) in amounts of up to $120,000 per award for a two-year project period. Cooperative agreements will be awarded to local community-based organizations, tribes, and tribal organizations seeking to address environmental and public health concerns in local underserved communities through collaboration with other stakeholders, such as local businesses and industry, local government, medical service providers, and academia. Learn more here.

EPA 2019 Targeted Airshed Grant Program – $50.3 million

Applications Due: February 14, 2020

Eligible Entities: local, state, and/or tribal air pollution control agencies, or other air pollution control agencies as defined by Section 302(b) of the Clean Air Act

The Targeted Airshed Grant Program will assist local, state, and/or tribal air pollution control agencies to develop plans and conduct projects to reduce air pollution in non attainment areas that EPA determines are the top five most polluted areas relative to ozone (O3), annual average fine particulate matter (PM2.5), or 24-hour PM2.5 National Ambient Air Quality Standards. The overall goal of the Targeted Airshed Grant Program is to reduce air pollution in the nation’s areas with the highest levels of ozone and PM2.5 ambient air concentrations. For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.

NOAA Environmental Literacy Grants: Supporting the education of K-12 students and the public for community resilience – $3 million

Applications Due: March 26, 2020 for Priority 1 full applications

Eligible Entities: K-12 public and independent schools and school systems, state and local government agencies, Indian tribal governments

The goal of this funding opportunity is to build environmental literacy of K-12 students and the public so they are knowledgeable of the ways in which their community can become more resilient to extreme weather and/or other environmental hazards, and become involved in achieving that resilience.

Projects should build the collective environmental literacy necessary for communities to become more resilient to the extreme weather and other environmental hazards they face in the short- and long-term. Building sufficient environmental literacy in a community means that these communities are composed of individuals who are supported by formal and informal education that develop their knowledge, skills, and confidence to: (1) reason about the ways that human and natural systems interact globally and where they live, including the acknowledgement of disproportionately distributed vulnerabilities; (2) participate in scientific and/or civic processes; and (3) consider scientific uncertainty, cultural knowledge, and diverse community values in decision making. For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.

Climate Change/Energy

USDA REAP Energy Audit and Renewable Energy Development Assistance Program – $1.8 million

Applications Due: January 31, 2020

Eligible Entities: state governments, local governments, and Native American tribal governments and organizations

The Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) helps agricultural producers and rural small businesses reduce energy costs and consumption and helps meet the Nation’s critical energy needs. The recipient of the Energy Audit and Renewable Energy Development Assistance Grant funds will establish a program to assist agricultural producers and rural small businesses with evaluating the energy efficiency and the potential to incorporate renewable energy technologies into their operations. For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.

DHS FEMA FY19 Pre-Disaster Mitigation – $250 million

Applications Due: January 31, 2020

Eligible Entities: state governments, Native American tribal governments

The Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) program makes available Federal funds to State, Local and Tribal Governments to implement and sustain cost-effective measures designed to reduce the risk to individuals and property from natural hazards, while also reducing reliance on Federal funding from future disasters.

FEMA will provide allocations of $575,000 as required by the Stafford Act to states and territories; and a tribal set aside of $20 million for allocations up to $575,000 for Native American Indian tribal governments to support overall mitigation planning and projects. The remaining PDM funds will be awarded on a competitive basis with a focus on multi-state/tribal mitigation initiatives. For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.

DOE Energy Infrastructure Deployment on Tribal Lands – $15 million

Applications Due: February 6, 2020

Eligible Entities: Native American tribal governments and organizations

DOE’s Office of Indian Energy is soliciting applications from Indian Tribes to:

1. Install energy generating system(s) and/or energy efficiency measure(s) for Tribal Building(s); or,
2. Deploy community-scale energy generating system(s) or energy storage on Tribal lands; or,
3. Install integrated energy system(s) for autonomous operation to power a single or multiple essential tribal facilities during emergency situations or for tribal community resilience; or
4. Deploy energy infrastructure and integrated energy system(s) to electrify Tribal Buildings.

For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.

DOI BIA Tribal Resilience Program – $1 million

Applications Due: March 2, 2020

Eligible Entities: federally recognized tribal governments

The Tribal Resilience Program will provide funding for tribal activities that support tribal adaptation and resilience planning, ocean and coastal management planning, and relocation, managed retreat, or protect-in-place planning and design activities for coastal and riverine communities. This program aims to support Tribal Nations that need adaptation planning support and decision-making information to prepare for extreme events and harmful environmental trends that impact tribal treaty and trust resources, economies, infrastructure, and human health and welfare. An informational webinar will be held by the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals describing the opportunity on January 9th, 2020. Register for the webinar here. For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.

CATEGORIES OF AVAILABLE FUNDING- There are seven total award categories:

Adaptation Planning (Categories 1-3)

Category 1. Trainings and Workshops (maximum: $150,000)

Category 2. Adaptation Planning (maximum: $150,000)

Category 3. Travel Support for Adaptation Planning (maximum: $15,000)

Ocean and Coastal Management Planning (Categories 4-5)

Category 4. Ocean and Coastal Management Planning (maximum: $150,000)

Category 5. Travel Support – Ocean & Coastal (maximum: $15,000)

Capacity Building (Category 6)

Category 6. Capacity Building for Scoping Efforts to Support future Category 2 Proposal Development (maximum: $65,000)

Relocation, Managed Retreat, or Protect-in-Place Planning (Category 7)

Category 7. Planning for Relocation, Managed Retreat, or Protect-in-Place Activities for Coastal and Riverine Communities (maximum: $150,000)

Toxics/Mobile Sources

Preliminary Notice for Grant Funding Opportunity for Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure along High-Traffic Transportation Corridors in Washington

Beginning in December, the Washington Department of Ecology will open a grant opportunity providing about $4 million on a competitive basis to install or upgrade existing publicly available direct current fast chargers (DCFC) along high-traffic transportation corridors.

This grant funding opportunity will open December 3, 2019, and close February 4, 2020. More information can be found here.

Indoor Air Quality

The Tribal Healthy Homes Network (THHN) has a webpage dedicated to Funding Opportunities! Additionally, THHN has developed a Funding Guide for American Indian and Alaska Native Communities.

Back to Table of Contents

Most Recent Listing: EPA Rules from the Federal Register can be found here.

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

NEW! TAMS Center Data Validation Video

The TAMS Center is honored to present the first video in a series on data management and validation, in which we learn how the Morongo Band of Mission Indians conducts their air data validation and exceeded expectations during a rigorous EPA Technical Systems Audit. This video will become part of our 2020 online Data Validation course, and is useful for anyone interested in what makes environmental data legally defensible: evidence.

Grant Writing Basics Blog Series

Learn tips and advice for writing federal grant applications through the Grant Writing Basics Blog Series. The goal of the series is to provide the essential basics to begin writing on a solid foundation. Topics covered include:

• How to Start Working on Future Funding Opportunities
• Demystifying Funding Opportunity Announcements
• Tips to Avoid Last Minute Problems
• Making Sure You Are Eligible before Writing

Learn more

NEW! EPA Grants Management Training

This online training course is designed to introduce EPA grant applicants and recipients to key aspects of the entire grant life cycle, from preparation of an application through grant closeout.  Throughout this training, the term “grant” is used as a general term to refer to both grants and cooperative agreements. The course is divided into separate modules that can be completed individually.  Each module includes knowledge checks to verify your understanding of key concepts.  If you need to leave a module, the last slide to be completed will be saved, and you will be able to return to that location later.  Upon completion, you will be prompted to generate a downloadable certificate of completion. The 6 training modules include:

1. Introduction to EPA Grants
2. Demonstrating Financial Management System and Internal Control Capability
3. Applying for a Grant
4. Accepting a Grant
5. Managing a Grant
6. Closing a Grant

To view and/or receive ITEP’s American Indian Air Quality Training Program newsletter, Native Voices, click here!

Climate Change/Energy

On-Request Technical Assistance from DOE Office of Indian Energy

The DOE Office of Indian Energy provides federally recognized Indian tribes, including Alaska Native villages, tribal energy resource development organizations, and other organized tribal groups and communities, with technical assistance to advance tribal energy projects at no cost. Technical experts from DOE and its national laboratories, along with other partnering organizations, provide support to assist Indian tribes and Alaska Native villages with energy planning, housing and building energy efficiency, project development, policy and regulation, resilience, and village power. For more information, visit the on-request technical assistance description.

DOE Clean Cities Coalition Network Technical Assistance

Clean Cities connects transportation stakeholders with objective information and experts to assist with alternative fuels, fuel economy improvements, and emerging transportation technologies. Through these trusted, time-tested resources, Clean Cities has helped fleets and fuel providers deploy hundreds of thousands of alternative fuel vehicles and fueling stations that serve a growing market. Clean Cities continues to support the entry of new transportation technologies into the marketplace.

For more information, visit the technical assistance description.

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Toxics/Mobile Sources

Indoor Air Quality

NEW! National Radon Action Month

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has designated January as National Radon Action Month. EPA and the U.S. Surgeon General urge everyone to protect their health by testing the indoor air in their homes and schools for radon. Radon is a natural, radioactive gas that claims about 21,000 lives each year. It is the leading cause of death from lung cancer among nonsmokers in the United States. Exposure to radon is a preventable health risk. EPA recommends fixing homes with 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) or more of radon in the air. You cannot see or smell radon. Simple, inexpensive do-it-yourself radon test kits are available, or you can hire a certified professional to perform the testing.

Other ways in which you can help protect your family and community—

1. Attend a National Radon Action Month event in your area. Look for radon events in your community.
2. Educate others about radon.
   • Tell family and friends about the health risk of radon. Encourage them to test their homes.
   • View EPA’s free radon publications and share the information with others.
3. Take action in your community using the resources in EPA’s radon event planning kit.
   • Plan an activity in your community to help raise awareness of radon.
   • Write an op-ed or letter to the editor.
   • Attract media attention by working with a local official to issue a radon proclamation.
   • Download National Radon Action Month media resources and graphics to use for your print materials or website.
4. Look for a radon-resistant home if you are planning to relocate. If you are buying a new home, look for builders that use radon-resistant construction techniques found in EPA’s Indoor airPLUS guidelines. Read more about radon-resistant new construction in Building Radon Out: A Step-by-Step Guide on How to Build Radon-Resistant Homes.

As part of the National Radon Action Plan, EPA is working with state and local partners to educate the public about the risk from radon. Learn more about radon and how to reduce your exposure to radon at www.epa.gov/radon.

Be sure to sign up for EPA’s Healthy Indoor Air newsletter.