TOP STORIES

Special Announcement: EPA will be hosting Tribal listening sessions on today’s release of $50 Million in American Rescue Plan to help fund Tribal air quality monitoring. NTAA will be providing more information on this breaking story!

U.S. EPA – EPA Announces an Additional $50 Million Under the American Rescue Plan to Enhance Air Pollution Monitoring

CNN – First on CNN: Biden administration ramps up investment in environmental justice

U.S. House Appropriations Committee – Appropriations Committee Releases Fiscal Year 2022 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Funding Bill

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

U.S. EPA – EPA Announces Renewed Consultation and Coordination with Oklahoma Tribal Nations

WEKU – Another KY Coal Plant To Retire, But The Pollution Remains

Daily Sun – At Greyhills Academy in Tuba City, STEM students help chart their own course

NY Times – How G.O.P. Laws in Montana Could Complicate Voting for Native Americans

MSNBC – Former Obama EPA official: Biden infrastructure plan ‘strips out’ Black and Brown communities

MIT News – New approach could change how we track extreme air pollution events

The Hill – Focus shifts to EPA on methane regulation after Biden action

The Hill – NASA’s Mars helicopter breaks records in challenging, nerve-wracking flight

Tulsa World – Cherokee Nation becomes first tribe to self-govern tribal transportation

Science Daily – Air pollution during pregnancy may affect growth of newborn babies

Indian Country Today – Evon Peter: Seeking Indigenous success

Desert News – How religious freedom law fails Native Americans

National Association of Clean Air Agencies – Washington Update

Climate Change/Energy

NY Times – Dispossessed, Again: Climate Change Hits Native Americans Especially Hard

The Guardian – ‘We thought it wouldn’t affect us’: heatwave forces climate reckoning in Pacific north-west

The Washington Post – Climate Change has gotten deadly. It will get worse.

The Hill – ‘Eye of fire,’ Exxon lobbyist’s comments fuel renewed attacks on oil industry

Toxics/Mobile Sources

The Washington Post – Capping methane-spewing oil wells, one hole at a time

LA Illuminator – Science catches up to what residents of Louisiana’s ‘Cancer Alley’ have been saying about pollution

Energy News Network – As car-centric Cape Cod tries to cut emissions, transportation is a challenge

NY Times – Here’s How Biden Aims to Increase Electric Car Sales

Reuters – Factbox: Lifetime carbon emissions of electric vehicles vs gasoline cars

KRQE – Auto dealers weigh in on NM’s proposed clean car rules

Indoor Air Quality

Gizmodo – Heat Pumps Are Ready to Have a Moment

NY Times – Masks Again? Delta Variant’s Spread Prompts Reconsideration of Precautions.

Wired Magazine – The 60-Year-Old Scientific Screwup That Helped Covid Kill

Be sure to subscribe to EPA’s IAQ Bulletins

TOP STORIES

The Guardian – IPCC steps up warning on climate tipping points in leaked draft report

CNN – House passes resolution that would repeal a Trump-era EPA rule on methane emissions

CNN – ‘We have to act and act fast:’ Biden says climate change is driving wildfires and historic heat wave

NEW! ITEP’s Native Voices Newsletter – June 2021

This issue provides highlights of the 2021 National Tribal Forum on Air Quality (NTFAQ), including recognition of the Virgil Masayesva Award recipients and a fond farewell to EPA’s Laura McKelvey. Also noted is information on the 2021 Status of Tribal Air Report (STAR). Past issues can be found here!

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

NY Times – Air Pollution’s Invisible Toll on Your Health

EPA – EPA Announces $50 Million to Fund Environmental Justice Initiatives Under the American Rescue Plan

NPR – How 165 Words Could Make Mass Environmental Destruction An International Crime

LA Times – California’s drought and wildfire dangers rising at stunning pace

Washington Post – Trump appointees allowed terminated EPA staffers to keep receiving salaries, watchdog report says

National Association of Clean Air Agencies – Washington Update

Climate Change/Energy

AP – Blackouts in US Northwest due to heat wave, deaths reported

Mother Jones – Why the Northwest’s “Heat Dome” Is So Dangerous

Indian Country Today – California tribe declares climate emergency

Yahoo Finance – Nunavut communities tackle climate change using Indigenous knowledge and science

Vox – 6 crucial climate actions the Senate left out of its infrastructure deal

The Washington Post – Before condo collapse, rising seas long pressured Miami coastal properties

Retuers – Climate change threatens age-old indigenous food systems, says UN

Mother Jones – Climate Change Puts Homeowners of Color at Greater Economic Risk

Grist – California just committed itself to “an unprecedented amount” of clean energy

Politico – Northwest heat wave wilts new GOP climate resolve

Toxics/Mobile Sources

Reuters – U.S. biofuel groups urge EPA to curb oil refinery waivers despite ruling

Climate Home News – Mega oil project in Russia’s far north threatens Arctic Indigenous communities

New Republic – How Tax Breaks for Fossil Fuel Companies Inflated Profits for Oil and Gas Drilling

AP – Senate OKs bill to certify farm practices limiting emissions

Desert Sun – Oil bankruptcies leave environmental cleanup bill to California taxpayers

Diesel Technology Forum – 46.4% of Commercial Trucks Operating in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska now Powered by Newest-Generation Near-Zero Emissions Diesel Technology

Indoor Air Quality

NY Times – Masks Again? Delta Variant’s Spread Prompts Reconsideration of Precautions.

Wired Magazine – The 60-Year-Old Scientific Screwup That Helped Covid Kill

Be sure to subscribe to EPA’s IAQ Bulletins

TOP STORIES

NTAA has published a template letter for Tribes to use to respond to EPA’s request for comment on EPA’s reconsideration of the previous administration’s Safer Affordable Fuel-Efficient (SAFE) Vehicles Rule. The EPA has broken this reconsideration into two parts:

1. SAFE-1, which includes interpretations that led to the withdrawal of the California waiver, and
2. SAFE-2, which will address the fuel efficiency standards (and is expected to be proposed in July 2021).

The deadline for commenting on SAFE-1 is July 6, 2021. The NTAA has developed a Policy Resource Kit that includes a Fact Sheet and Tribal Template Letter for Tribes to utilize when commenting.

Be sure to check out this month’s NTAA EC Update Video posted on NTAA’s website under latest news here! This month’s update is provided by both Brandy Toft of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe and Joy Wiecks of the Fond Du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. If you don’t have time to dive deep into the NTAA Weekly Update, watch this quick video update to help give you the latest news from NTAA and learn more about the Tribes in Region 5! Watch the video here.

Please join a free webinar to learn about and provide input into EPA’s Tribal Indoor Air Quality Training and Resource Directory The Directory was created to consolidate helpful resources for tribes who are interested in starting or expanding Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) programs in their communities. The purpose of this webinar is to share this new resource and obtain feedback from future and potential users of this Directory. The Directory is being created by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in collaboration with the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP) and the National Tribal Air Association (NTAA). Register here and if you have questions, contact mansel.nelson@nau.edu.

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

NPR – The Record Temperatures Enveloping The West Are Not Your Average Heat Waves

Atmos – The Land is Liminal

Native Sun News – Secretary Haaland to Make Announcement Regarding Legacy of Federal Boarding School Policies in Remarks to National Congress of American Indians

Broadband USA – NTIA Creates First Interactive Map to Help Public See the Digital Divide across the Country

Tucson.com – Arizona Legislature approves $100 million wildfire relief plan

Democracy Now – Arizona to Pay Prisoners $1.50/Hour to Fight Wildfires as Record Heat Scorches Western U.S.

The Hill – EPA announces new clean air advisors after firing Trump appointees

The Hill – Haaland announces program to review impact of Native American boarding schools

Indian Country Today – Tribe sues over hunting rights

EurekAlert – Exposure to air pollution increases risk for neurodegeneration

National Association of Clean Air Agencies – Washington Update

Climate Change/Energy

The Washington Post – Climate Change made Arizona’s heat wave worse. And it won’t be the last one.

AP – Western heat wave threatens health in vulnerable communities

NY Times – Tropical Storm Claudette Expected to Weaken After Causing Deaths and Damge

The Hill – California hydroelectric plant expected to shut down for the first time in 50 years

Reuters – U.N. warns drought may be ‘the next pandemic’

Texas Tribune – Grid operator says Texans can return to regular electricity use

Inside Climate News – Requiem for a Pipeline: Keystone XL Transformed the Environmental Movement and Shifted the Debate over Energy and Climate

Toxics/Mobile Sources

Bloomberg – Huge Methane Leak Spotted by Satellite Came From Gazprom Pipeline

The Guardian – A US oil company cut nearly 2,000 jobs – and reaped $2.1bn in pandemic benefits

NM Political Report – New Mexicans weigh in on methane as EPA considers new rules

NY Times – Big Oil Takes a Beating, but Its Investors Are Riding High

Reveal – Life in the drill zone

Indoor Air Quality

REMI Network – Scientists find lack of focus on air quality

Verywell Health – How to Improve Your Indoor Air Quality to Protect Against Pollutants

Builder Magazine – A Builder’s Guide to Breathable Indoor Air

Be sure to subscribe to EPA’s IAQ Bulletins

TOP STORIES

If you missed Monday’s NTAA’s national webinar and release party for the 2021 Status of Tribal Air Report (STAR) on June 14^th, you can view the recorded webinar and download the STAR on NTAA’s website here!

To help readers navigate the 130-page report, this webinar provided an overview of the STAR, shared the stories within the STAR, and provided the specific recommendations for national leadership to advance air quality on and around Tribal lands.

NY Times – G7 Nations Take Aggressive Climate Action but Hold Back on Coal

Earther – 7 Shocking Satellite Images Reveal the West’s Megadrought

Axios – Dangerous heat wave underway in West, will shatter records

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

The Hill – EPA to reinstate air pollution panel disbanded under Trump

NPR – Tackling ‘Energy Justice’ Requires Better Data. These Researchers Are On It

CBS – 90% of Utah in extreme drought as governor declares emergency, asks locals to conserve water

The Hill – Haaland recommends full restoration of monuments Trump altered: report

National Association of Clean Air Agencies – Washington Update

Climate Change/Energy

Axios – Climate reality collides with rhetoric at the G7 summit

Gizmodo – Joe Biden Is Already Failing on Climate Policy

NPR – Tackling ‘Energy Justice’ Requires Better Data. These Researchers Are on It

NPR – Warming Climate Amplifies The Risks Of Wildfire Season

AP – Report: California encourages rebuilding in fire-prone areas

NY Times – G7 Nations Take Aggressive Climate Action but Hold Back on Coal

The Hill – State appeals court upholds approval of Minnesota pipeline

Reuters – Biden Administration proposes offshore wind energy sales near NY, NJ

Gizmodo – A Bizarre Coal Industry Propaganda Program Is Infiltrating K-12 Classrooms

Axios – Study: Key Antarctic ice shelf is speeding up its collapse

The Washington Post – Lake Mead reaches lowest level on record amid exceptional drought

Reuters – California tells public to prepare for heatwave; power prices soar

Toxics/Mobile Sources

Axios – G7 leaders to announce plan to phase out gasoline cars

Inside Climate News – 13 Refineries Emit Dangerous Benzene Emissions That Exceed the EPA’s ‘Action Level,’ a Study Finds

The Guardian – World oil demand ‘will rebound to pre-Covid levels by end of 2022

AP – NTSB releases report on Washington oil-train derailment

The Guardian – Half of clothes sold by online fashion brands ‘made from virgin plastic’

Axios – Study: Take-out food, drink litter make up vast majority of plastics in oceans

Indoor Air Quality

The Regulatory Review – The Urgent Need for Indoor Air Quality Regulation

Verywell Health – How to Improve Your Indoor Air Quality to Protect Against Pollutants

Wyoming Public Media – Something In The (Indoor Air): A Paradigm Shift

Vox.com – Covid-19 proved bad indoor air quality makes us sick. We can fix that.

Be sure to subscribe to EPA’s IAQ Bulletins

TOP STORIES

Washington Post – Alaska Native corporation to protect its land, dealing blow to massive gold mine project

E&E News – Acting air chief plots course for tackling Trump rollbacks

EPA – Air Pollution Trends Continue to Link Clean Air and Strong Economy

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

NY Times – WAs Warming Fuels Disasters, Relief Often Favors White People

NY Times – Offshore Wind Farms Show What Biden’s Climate Plan Is Up Against

Bloomberg ­– CO₂ Reaches Its Highest Level in More Than 4 Million Years

Reuters – U.S. regulator tells pipeline operators to prepare methane curbs

Phys.org – Establishing a link between air pollution and dementia

The Hill – CO2 concentration levels hit record high, show no impact from pandemic

Indian Country Today – Native professionals embrace virtual policy work

Indian Country Today ­– The modern treaty: protecting Alaska Native land, values

Native Sun News Today – White Plume inspires ‘New Green Revolution’

Colorado Sun – Some of the worst ozone pollution in the U.S. settles along the Front Range. New rules to fix it are ahead.

Legal Reader – Research Confirms Air Quality Affects Student Test Performance

National Association of Clean Air Agencies – Washington Update

Climate Change/Energy

Indian Country Today – Protesters maintain blockade at oil pipeline site

Axios – The huge gap between today’s policies and Paris goals

The Hill – OVERNIGHT ENERGY: Biden administration moves to reverse Trump endangered species rollbacks | Putin says Nord Stream 2 pipeline nearing completion | Climate a sticking point after Biden-Capito infrastructure talk

Yahoo! News – California and much of the American West face mega-drought brought on by climate change

The Conversation – As more climate migrants cross borders seeking refuge, laws will need to adapt

The Guardian – Climate crisis to shrink G7 economies twice as much as Covid-19, says research

Live Science – ‘Glacier blood’ could be key to understanding impacts of climate change

Reuters – G7 leaders urged to show solidarity on climate change and COVID-19 at summit

Nature – More than one-third of heat deaths blamed on climate change

Forbes – This Is Why Climate Change Should Be Part Of Your Retirement Plan

National Law Review – Washington Adopts Economy-Wide Climate Legislation: “Cap-and-Invest” Approach Sets a Price For Carbon Emissions And Allows Washington To Join Existing Emissions Credit Markets

The Hill – Granholm launches ‘Earthshot’ goal of reducing hydrogen energy cost to $1

Toxics/Mobile Sources

BioMass Magazine – EPA seeks nominations for technical review committee

Axios – EVs are surging, but not enough to meet climate goals

NY Times – Climate Activists Defeat Exxon in Push for Clean Energy

MPR News – EPA alerts Wisconsin, Fond du Lac Band that PolyMet mine ‘may affect’ their waters

American Progress – Using Performance Management to Eliminate Greenhouse Gas Emissions From the Surface Transportation Sector

JD Supra – Air Regulators Tackle Trucking at Southern California Warehouses

Environmental Defense Fund – California Accelerates Toward Zero-Emission Vehicle Standards That Will Save Lives, Save Money, Create Jobs

NY Times – Crackdown on Emissions ‘Defeat Devices’ Has Amateur Racers Up in Arms

School Transportation News ­– Student Transportation of America Creates Electric Vehicle Program

Indoor Air Quality

Derby Informer – Home Upgrades for Better Indoor Air Quality

VeryWell Health – How to Improve Your Indoor Air Quality to Protect Against Pollutants

Be sure to subscribe to EPA’s IAQ Bulletins

TOP STORIES

• The 2021 Status of Tribal Air Report (STAR) National Presentation will be held on June 14^th at 12pm PT / 3pm ET
  • The NTAA will host a national presentation to provide an overview of the STAR, share the stories within the STAR, and provide specific recommendations for national leadership to advance air quality on and around Tribal lands. Presenters include NTAA’s Executive Committee (EC) Chairwoman & Region 10’s EC Primary Representative Carol Kriebs, Region 4’s EC Alternate Representative Tiffany Lozada, Region 5’s EC Alternate Representative Joy Wiecks, Region 6’s EC Primary Representative Craig Kreman, Dana Adkins of the Chickahominy Tribe, the TAMS Steering Committee’s Chairwoman Tennille Denetdeel, and NTAA staff members Andy Bessler, Mariah Ashley, and Dara Marks Marino. To register for the presentation, follow this link.

• NTAA is producing a Policy Resource Kit to help Tribes respond to EPA on its reconsideration of the 2019 action titled, the “Safer Affordable Fuel-Efficient Vehicles Rule,” for the purposes of rescinding the action taken by the prior administration.
  • NTAA commented on the full SAFE proposal, which included both the waiver withdrawal and the freezing of fuel efficiency standards, on October 26, 2018. This Reconsideration seeks comment on:
    • Appropriateness of EPA’s interpretations that led to the withdrawal of CA’s CAA waiver to set GHG standards and a ZEV sales mandate
    • Appropriateness of EPA’s interpretation that disallowed other states to adopt CA GHG emission standards
  • NTAA’s PRK includes a fact sheet and NTAA will be preparing a template letter for Tribes to use in submitting their own comments. The comment deadline is July 6, 2021. You can find more information and to comment, visit the Federal Register website.

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

NY Times – A Look at What’s Inside Biden’s $6 Trillion Budget Request

EPA – Statement by Administrator Regan on the President’s FY 2022 Budget

Bloomberg Law – Biden Budget Seeks Boost for EPA Core Programs and Research

EPA – Air Pollution Trends Continue to Link Clean Air and Strong Economy

The Hill – EPA officially nixes Trump ‘secret science’ rule

Indian Country Today – Unanimous: Supreme Court rules for Tribes as Tribal jurisdiction upheld in United States v. Cooley case

Native Sun News – Water protectors continue to disrupt Line 3 construction

School Transportation News – Cleaning the air starts with education on school bus role

High Country News – Will a Native-led Initiative spur an agricultural revolution in rural Alaska?

National Association of Clean Air Agencies – Washington Update

Climate Change/Energy

The Hill – Biden administration to suspend Arctic oil leases issued under Trump: reports

The Verge – A company wants to build a massive solar project in Montana—of course it’s for crypto

Nature – The burden of heat-related mortality attributable to recent human-induced climate change

Reuters – Hydrogen ‘a huge opportunity’ to replace fossil fuels, says U.S. energy secretary

Energy News Network – Cranberry farmers look to sweeten income by pairing crop with solar panels

Canary Media – Why roofop solar and home batteries make a clean grid vastly more affordable

Reuters – Digital divide: How to unmute climate voices in poorer nations

The Hill – EPA to revise Trump rule limiting state authority to block pipelines

Architect.com – The Butterfly Effect: Retrofitting Low-Income Housing

Toxics/Mobile Sources

NPR – The Week That Shook Big Oil

The Guardian – ‘Black Wednesday’ for big oil as courtrooms and boardrooms turn on industry

NY Times – Fixing What Highways Destroyed

NY Times – Can Removing Highways Fix America’s Cities?

NY Times – How do animals safely cross a highway? Take a look.

AP – Enbridge’s Line 3 oil pipeline enters critical month in June

The Guardian – Guyanese citizens challenge ExxonMobil offshore drilling on climate grounds

Reuters – Three Exxon refineries top the list of U.S. polluters

Washington Examiner – Greener cryptocurrencies in focus as Bitcoin faces environmental criticism

Gizmodo – Iran bans crypto mining after months of blackouts

Indoor Air Quality

Charkoosta – Arlee High School students win statewide award for radon testing

Be sure to subscribe to EPA’s IAQ Bulletins

TOP STORIES

The 2021 Status of Tribal Air Report (STAR) was released at the National Tribal Air Association’s (NTAA) Annual Meeting on May 20, 2021. On June 14^th at 12 pm PT / 3 pm ET, the NTAA will host a national presentation to provide an overview of the STAR, share the stories within the STAR, and provide specific recommendations for national leadership to advance air quality on and around Tribal lands. Presenters include NTAA’s Executive Committee (EC) Chairwoman & Region 10’s EC Primary Representative Carol Kriebs, Region 4’s EC Alternate Representative Tiffany Lozada, Region 5’s EC Alternate Representative Joy Wiecks, Region 6’s EC Primary Representative Craig Kreman, Dana Adkins of the Chickahominy Tribe, the TAMS Steering Committee’s Chairwoman Tennille Denetdeel, and NTAA staff members Andy Bessler, Mariah Ashley, and Dara Marks Marino. To register for the presentation, follow this link.

NTAA Monthly Video Update from Executive Committee Member Scott Hansen, Catawba Indian Nation, Region 4

If you don’t have time to dive deep into the NTAA Weekly Update, watch the quick video update to help give you the latest news from NTAA and learn more about the Tribes in each region! Watch the video here or on NTAA’s home page under, “Latest News.”

What a wonderful and informative NTFAQ conference we had last week! THANK YOU!  It would not have been possible without the help and support of a multitude of people – including all of you who attended our sessions, asked insightful questions, and made our virtual gathering almost feel like the real thing!

At this time, we would really appreciate hearing back from you.  Please tell us what you thought about the 2021 NTFAQ, what content you want to see in 2022, and give us feedback on air quality trainings that you have.  This feedback form should only take about 10 minutes or so to complete.

The NTFAQ website will stay open for 1 full year – so you can check out any of the pre-recorded trainings and presentations you may have missed here on the NTFAQ website. We are editing the live sessions that you all attended, and will have those posted soon.

Thank you again for making the 2021 NTFAQ so informative, meaningful and fun!  And please SAVE THE DATE to be at Muscogee Nation for the 2022 NTFAQ May 2 – 6, 2022!!

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

Indian Country Today – National report published today recommends air quality improvements and shares stories from tribal air quality programs

Reuters – Air pollution costs each American $2,500 a year in healthcare – study

The Guardian – Biden administration pauses transfer of holy Native American land to mining firm

Washington Post – Heat and smog hit low-income communities and people of color hardest, scientists say

NY Times – Facing Hurricane and Wildfire Seasons, FEMA Is Already Worn Out

The Hill – The terrible environmental costs of stagnant EPA funding

Native Sun News – Army Corps seeks tribal cooperation on DAPL

EPA – U.S. EPA penalizes Lupton, Arizona refinery for violating Clean Air Act chemical safety requirements

CNN – Stark racial disparities persist in vaccinations, state-level CDC data shows

Science Advances – Air pollution impacts of COVID-19–related containment measures

High Country News – Petroglyph vandalism is not a victimless crime

National Association of Clean Air Agencies – Washington Update

Climate Change/Energy

The 19^th – Indigenous women and LGTBQ+ people led Dakota Access Pipeline protests. Five years later, they reflect on Standing Rock

Euronews – ‘The climate has won today’ – Shell ordered to cut CO2 emissions by 45% in landmark climate case

Reuters – U.S. identifies areas for offshore wind energy projects near California

Ensia – “A Generational Historic Struggle To Regain Our Water”

Washington Post – For seventh straight year, a named storm forms in Atlantic ahead of hurricane season

Mashable – 3 signs the climate op-ed you’re reading is full of it

The Hill – Environmentalists see infrastructure as crucial path to climate goals

NPR – Once Nearly Extinct, The Florida Panther Is Making A Comeback

USA Today – Climate Point: Helium mining lifts off in the Navajo Nation

Toxics/Mobile Sources

CNBC – Ford boosts electric vehicle spending to more than $30 billion, aims to have 40% of volume all-electric by 2030

The Wall Street Journal – Bitcoin Miners Are Giving New Life to Old Fossil-Fuel Power Plants

The Hill – Bipartisan group of senators introduces surface transportation bill

Grist – The cost to clean up New Mexico’s oil and gas industry? $8 billion.

Nexus – Refinery That Rained Oil Shut Down By EPA in St. Croix

Jalopnik – A Brief History of Gasoline: A Century And A Half of Lies

Nexus – Biden Administration Lets DAPL Oil Keep Flowing Without Permit

Indoor Air Quality

EPA – EPA and Partners Make Progress on the National Radon Action Plan

Be sure to subscribe to EPA’s IAQ Bulletins

TOP STORIES

Join us this week for NTFAQ, May 17 – 21, 2021! Click here to check it out! 

Updates include:

1. You can join the NTAA Annual Meeting on Thursday, May 20 at 12:30 pm PT when NTAA will be releasing the 2021 Status of Tribal Air Report. You can also learn how to join NTAA as a Member Tribe or Associate Member!
2. Join leaders from the Moms Clean Air Force for a Meet and Greet TODAY at 3pm PT. Moms Clean Air Force is NTAA’s latest Associate Member so join them to learn what they do to advance air quality!

It’s National Asthma Awareness Month!

Join the EPA Indoor airPLUS Program in celebrating National Asthma Awareness Month. Asthma is a serious, sometimes life-threatening chronic respiratory disease that affects the quality of life for more than 25 million Americans, including an estimated 5 million children. Although there is no cure for asthma yet, asthma can be controlled in part through management of the indoor environment. Indoor airPLUS is a voluntary partnership and labeling program that helps new home builders improve the quality of indoor air by requiring construction practices and product specifications that minimize exposure to airborne pollutants including environmental asthma triggers. Search for a local Indoor airPLUS builder on EPA’s Partner Locator, and ask for the EPA Indoor airPLUS label on your new home!

How Indoor airPLUS Homes Help Reduce the Occurrence of Asthma Triggers in the Home. Here are ways an Indoor airPLUS home can help reduce asthma triggers in the home.

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

Dame Magazine – It’s High Time We Listen to Indigenous Women on Climate

NTAA’s recent partnership with Moms Clean Air Force is mentioned

NY Times – Biden Administration to Repeal Trump Rule Aimed at Curbing E.P.A.’s Power

NY Times – Blazes That Refuse to Die: ‘Zombie Fires’

The Guardian – Air pollution linked to ‘huge’ rise in child asthma GP visits

Gizmodo – The EPA Is Doing Its Job Again

High Country News – The everyday violence of Indian Country’s ‘bordertowns’

Cronkite News – Fight over Oak Flat mine draws support of diverse religious groups

Oregon Live – Lawsuit seeks $103 million in damages from two public utilities stemming from Holiday Farm wildfire

Grist – The EPA just accused Missouri’s environmental agency of violating the Civil Rights Act

National Association of Clean Air Agencies – Washington Update

Climate Change/Energy

The Hill – White House environmental justice advisers express opposition to nuclear, carbon capture projects

The Hill – Researchers: Emissions goals must incorporate Arctic permafrost warming

Gizmodo – Exxon Blames You for Climate Change

The Guardian – Crying about hamburgers is dead-end on climate crisis, Republicans warned

The Guardian – Third of global food production at risk from climate crisis

Earther – 40,000-Year-Old Rock Art Is Being Destroyed Due to Climate Change

Star Tribune – Minnesota family-owned company on track to build third of U.S. wind projects this year

NY Times – Syria’s Surprising Solar Boom: Sunlight Powers the Night in Rebel Idlib

The Guardian – Weatherwatch: does nuclear power really keep the lights on?

Energy News – Micigan Line 5 opponents serve ‘eviction notice’ at Enbridge pumping station

Toxics/Mobile Sources

NY Times – Electric Pickups Could Make or Break Biden’s Infrastructure Plans

The Hill – Gas shortages likely to linger for days

The Hill – Vast majority of DC gas stations without fuel amid panic buying

Washington Post – EPA orders Virgin Island refinery o shut down, citing ‘imminent’ health threat

Reuters – Factbox: Getting out of gas – the sold and scrapped projects

Inside Climate News – Biden’s Pipeline Dilemma: How to Build a Clean Energy Future While Shoring Up the Present’s Carbon-Intensive Infrastructure

Indoor Air Quality

Vox – Covid-19 proved bad indoor air quality makes us sick. We can fix that.

Yale Climate Connections – Santa Fe women built homemade air purifiers to help protect people from wildfire smoke

Be sure to subscribe to EPA’s IAQ Bulletins

TOP STORIES

NTAA is happy to announce that Moms Clean Air Force has joined the NTAA family as an Associate Member! NTAA has established a partnership with Moms Clean Air Force – a community of over 1,000,000 moms and dads united against air pollution—including the urgent crisis of our changing climate—to protect our children’s health. They fight for Justice in Every Breath, recognizing the importance of equitable solutions in addressing air pollution and climate change. In collaboration with Moms, NTAA published a joint fact sheet that provides a summary of the air pollution impacts on Indigenous people. You can view the fact sheet here and be sure to check out the Facebook Live event held on Thursday, April 15 that was recorded and posted on Moms’ YouTube channel.

You have one more week to register for the NTFAQ! May 17 – 21, 2021!

Our NTFAQ contractors (OpenWater) have updated the conference website. Please take a few minutes to check it out! 

Updates include:

1. 1. New webpages for:  Host Tribe, Keynote Speakers, TAMS Awards, NTAA Meeting.
   2. Addition of details for the Schedule of sessions.  For the breakout sessions all recorded presentations have been added, plus any handouts that have been provided to us.
   3. When you register for the NTFAQ, you can join the NTAA Annual Meeting on Thursday, May 20 at 12:30 pm PT when NTAA will be releasing the 2021 Status of Tribal Air Report. You can also learn how to join NTAA as a Member Tribe or Associate Member!
   4. Join leaders from the Moms Clean Air Force for a Meet and Greet on Wednesday, May 19^th at 3pm PT. Moms Clean Air Force is NTAA’s latest Associate Member so join them to learn what they do to advance air quality!

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

The Conversation – Wildfires are contaminating drinking water systems, and it’s more widespread than people realize

NM In Depth – Navajo-Gallup water delay spurs problem solving in arid Southwest

NPR – Emission Impossible

NPR – Environmental Concerns Arise Over Energy Needed To Mine Bitcoin

National Law Review – EPA Enforcement Policies Prioritize Environmental Justice and Embrace “NextGen” Compliance Tools

Indian Country Today – Federal legislation forthcoming stemming from McGirt

Indian Country Today – Some tribes will get more CARES Act money

Indian Country Today – Land exchange for Alaska Native veterans

The Hill – Farms’ air pollution contributes to almost 18K deaths in US annually: study

Wisconsin Examiner – State of the Tribes Address highlights racism and economic challenges, threats to Wisconsin’s environment

ABC News – 50 years ago, election ushered in new era for US tribes

KUER – Advocates for Tribal Water Access Are Asking Congress To Earmark Money For Projects On Native Land

High Country News – So you want to acknowledge the land?

National Association of Clean Air Agencies – Washington Update

Climate Change/Energy

Reuters – Global renewable energy grew at fastest pace in two decades in 2020 – IEA

The 19^th News – Deb Haaland on climate, energy and a new effort to address violence against Native Americans

The Guardian – The young people taking their countries to court over climate inaction

ProPublica – Clean Energy Loans Trapped Black Homeowners in Debt. The Legislature Just Stated Trying to Fix the Problem.

The Hill – Biden to restart environmental review of bird habitat Trump opened for mining

CNN – Biden administration approves first major offshore wind project in US waters

TIME – Fossil Fuels, Climate Change and India’s COVID-19 Crisis

Buzzfeed – Magic Mushrooms: This Scammer Is Twisting Science In A Scheme To Save The World

Indian Country Today – Michigan tribe banishes Enbridge Line 5 pipeline

Indian Country Today – Interior drops Arctic offshore drilling proposal

Toxics/Mobile Sources

NY Times – Cyberattack Forces a Shutdown of a Top U.S. Pipeline

The Hill – Feds eye more oversight of pipelines after Colonial attack

AP – EPA sets grants to restore ‘brownfields’ at blighted sites

The Guardian – Wyoming stands up for coal with threat to sue states that refuse to buy it

The Hill – Court ruling paves the way for Minnesota to adopt clean car standards

The Guardian – Electric cars ‘will be cheaper to produce than fossil fuel vehicles by 2027’

Indoor Air Quality

Better Homes and Gardens – Why cooking with a gas stove is bad for your health

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TOP STORIES

In case you missed yesterday’s NTAA Informational Webinar for Tribes on TAS, NTAA’s Ryan Tsinigine hosted an informational webinar for Tribes to learn about TAS that included presentations by:

• • Pat Childers, EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation
  • Brandy Toft, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Indians
  • Dan Morey of the Monrongo Band of Mission Indians
  • You can view NTAA’s resources on TAS including a recording of the 96 minute webinar here.

U.S. EPA – EPA Announces $4.5 Million in Grants Available for Tribes to Replace Diesel Equipment and Reduce Harmful Emissions: For the first time under this competition, matching funds are not required.

The White House – A Proclamation on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day, May 4, 2021

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

NPR – Senate Votes To Restore Regulations On Climate-Warming Methane Emissions

The Hill – EPA official directs agency to ramp up enforcement in communities hit hard by pollution

Axios – Study: Air pollution disproportionately kills Americans of color

Native News Online – Biden’s First 100 Days: Impact on Indian Country

National Law Review – EPA Will Finalize Rule Imposing Toxics Release Inventory Reporting Requirements on Natural Gas Processing Facilities

Indian Country Today – Interior sets new path through land maze

NBC – Texas enabled the worst carbon monoxide poisoning catastrophe in recent U.S. history

CNN – ‘The honeymoon is over’: Biden faces tougher tasks ahead as progressives demand more

Indian Country Today – Race, sovereignty clash as Congress meddles in tribal enrollment

U.S EPA Region 10 – Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians receive EPA approval to administer Clean Water Act programs on reservation and trust lands

EurekAlert! – Air pollution linked to high blood pressure in children; other studies address air quality and the heart

The Guardian – Air pollution spikes may impair older men’s thinking, study finds

Phys.org – Exposure to air pollution can influence investors’ decision making

National Association of Clean Air Agencies – Washington Update

Climate Change/Energy

NY Times – EPA to Sharply Limit Powerful Greenhouse Gases

Axios – NOAA unveils a warmer climate “normal” for the U.S.

Axios – Vast majority of existing coal plants are more costly than wind or solar plants

NY Times – Global Vaccine Crisis Sends Ominous Signal for Fighting Climate Change

Huffpost – How Arizona’s Attorney General Is Weaponizing Climate Fears To Keep Out Immigrants

Star Tribune – In Minnesota, fighting climate change means changing how to heat buildings

The Guardian – Climate crisis: our children face wars over food and water, EU deputy warns

Climate Home News – How youth climate court cases became a global trend

Reuters – Ice melts out at famous Alaska river betting site

Earther – Polar Bear-Grozzly Hybrids, Aka Pizzly Bears, May Be Growing More Common Due to Climate Crisis

Toxics/Mobile Sources

The Hill – Senate Democrats announce $73B clean bus plan

The Hill – Carper asks EPA to require half of new cars to be zero-emissions by 2030

NY Times – To Promote His Infrastructure Plan, Biden Revisits ‘Amtrak Joe’ Days

AP – Public transit hopes to win back riders after crushing year

Bloomberg – Plugging In: The EV Transition Gains Speed

E&E – Biden’s conundrum: Expand EVs without harming the Earth

Indoor Air Quality

CNBC – MIT researchers say time spent indoors increases risk of Covid at 6 feet or 60 feet in new study challenging social distancing policies

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