TOP STORIES

TODAY!!

The National Tribal Air Association, in partnership with the California Air Resources Board Presents an Informational Webinar for Tribes on

EPA’s Proposed NAAQS Review of Particulate Matter on Wednesday, June 10, 2020 at 2 pm ET. To register, listen in and view documents discussed on the webinar, click here.

          This informational webinar is part of NTAA’s Policy Resource Kit to respond to EPA Proposed Updates to the NAAQS for Particulate Matter. On April 14, 2020, the EPA announced its proposal to retain the NAAQS for particulate matter (PM) without changes. This includes both fine (PM2.5) and coarse (PM10) particles. The EPA is required to review these standards every five years and to revise them, if appropriate, to provide the required protection for public health and welfare.

This proposal was published in the Federal Register on April 30, 2020 and can be viewed here.  The deadline for comments is June 29, 2020. You can access NTAA’s Policy Resource Kit, including a template letter your Tribe can use to submit comments on NTAA’s website here.

The NTAA is hosting a webinar to present the 2020 Status of Tribal Air Report (STAR) on Wednesday, June 24, 2020 at 2pm ET. You can register, listen in and view the STAR discussed on the call here: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6170570713217956108

Each year, NTAA publishes the STAR to highlight the dedicated work and contributions from Tribal air quality programs to advance air quality across the nation. The STAR will be published on June 22 on NTAA’s website and the webinar on the 24^th will provide an overview of the STAR and detail the many stories within the STAR.

HEADLINES

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

U.S. EPA – EPA Celebrates 50 Years of Protecting Our Nation’s Air

Bloomberg – Rethinking Air Pollution after the Virus

New York Times – On Tribal Lands, a Time to Make Art for Solace and Survival

Las Vegas Sun – Tribal nations keep their distance to preserve their culture

Indian Country Today – Mashpee Wampanoag ruling a ‘win for all of Indian Country’

Indian Country Today – Investigation reveals a consistent picture: ‘It’s really hard to vote in Indian country’

The Colorado Sun – Ute tribes reimagine Bear Dances, a key ceremony of renewal, as coronavirus locks down Colorado reservations

U.S. EPA – EPA Proposes Honest Accounting Standard to Improve Future Clean Air Act Rules

Lexology – U.S. EPA Proposes Rule Governing Cost Benefit Analysis for Significant CAA Regulations

NRDC – Amid Pandemic, EPA Proposal Distorts the Benefits of Reducing Air Pollution

The Charlotte Post – Activists: Communities of color most at risk from EPA air standard policy as proximity leads to more incidences

NPR – As EPA Steps Back, States Face Wave Of Requests For Environmental Leniency

The Hill – In Trump response to coronavirus, left sees environmental injustice

The Hill – EPA faces third lawsuit after suspending enforcement of pollution monitoring

National Association of Clean Air Agencies – Washington Update

Climate Change/Energy

Yale Climate Connections – By paying attention, tribes in the Northwoods are leading the way on climate change

New York Times – E.P.A. Limits States’ Power to Oppose Pipelines and Other Energy Projects

The Hill – Climate agency reports May was hottest on record worldwide

Nexus News Media – Report Finds the United States Could Get to 90 Percent Clean Power by 2035

Grist – How renewable energy could emerge on top after the pandemic

Toxics/Mobile Sources

Ecowatch – EPA Likely to Approve Mine That Threatens Alaska’s Largest Salmon Nursery

St. Louis Post-Dispatch – EPA says farmers can use existing supplies of dicamba even though a court blocked sales and use of the weed killer

Indoor Air Quality

Discover – Can This Cheap, DIY Air Pollution Sensor Help the World Get Clean Air?

Be sure to subscribe to EPA’s IAQ Bulletins

TOP STORIES

2020 Clean Air Excellence Awards

Applications and nominations for EPA’s 2020 Clean Air Excellence Awards Now Being Accepted! Application deadline is July 31, 2020. For nomination information, click here.

The Clean Air Excellence Awards Program, established at the recommendation of the Clean Air Act Advisory Committee, periodically recognizes and honors outstanding innovative efforts to help make progress in achieving cleaner air. Award-winning entries must directly or indirectly reduce pollutant emissions, demonstrate innovation, offer sustainable outcomes, and provide a model for others to follow.

National Indian Health Board & National Tribal Air Association are partnering for a webinar on Public Health and Clean Air

June 4, 1 PM (ET). Register here.

This webinar will describe the importance of clean air to public health; the basics of the landmark federal law regulating air quality, the Clean Air Act; and how Tribes can work with EPA and other partners to monitor air quality on Tribal Lands. Presented by Wilfred J. Nabahe, Chairman of the National Tribal Air Association and Director of the Colorado River Indian Tribes’ Environmental Protection Office

Welcome to NTAA’s latest Policy Advisory Committee member Bill Droessler!

Bill Droessler is the Program Development Officer at Environmental Initiative (EI), a nonprofit organization that works with businesses, communities, and nonprofit and government leaders to develop collaborative solutions to environmental problems. For nearly 20 years, he has also been leading EI’s Clean Air Minnesota (CAM), a nationally award-winning public-private-community partnership focusing on developing, administering, and funding voluntary emission-reduction projects across Minnesota and other states.

He has worked on environmental issues for major international corporations, state and federal agencies, and nonprofits. He holds a BA in Government and History from Beloit College and a law degree from the Environment and Energy Law Program at Chicago Kent – College of Law, Illinois Institute of Technology. Learn more about NTAA’s Policy Advisory Committee here.

HEADLINES

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

Air Quality News—Vehicles type particles ‘significant’ source of marine microplastic pollution

Chemical & Engineering News—How air pollution messes with our minds

EPA—EPA Finalized Amendments to the Miscellaneous Organic Chemical Manufacturing National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants

EPA—President Trump Delivering on Promise to Protect Our Nation’s Air

CNN – Scientists say they have found the cleanest air on Earth

NOLA—Lawsuit: EPA lags in enforcing air pollution rules in Ville Platte, other poor communities

Reuters – U.S. EPA moves to curb state powers to deny permits for energy projects

Washington Post – EPA opts not to delay controversial Alaska mine for now

Eurek Alert – Study demonstrates association between exposure to air pollution and vascular damage

National Association of Clean Air Agencies – Washington Update

Climate Change/Energy

E&E News—Global CO2 has risen for a century. That appears to be over

Climate Signals—Climate Change & Wildfires

New York Times—EPA Limits State’s Power to Oppose Pipelines and Other Energy Projects

E&E—Rough economy, Trump rollbacks could hike methane emissions

The Guardian—The Collapse of coal: pandemic accelerates Appalachia job losses

EPA—EPA proposes that no additional measures are necessary pursuant to Clean Air Act (CAA) section 211(v) to mitigate the adverse air quality impacts of the renewable fuel volumes required under CAA section 211(o).

Axios – The alarm over climate financial risk gets louder because of coronavirus

Toxics/Mobile Sources

NPR Podcast—The Pandemic Cut Down Car Traffic. Why Not Air Pollution?

EPA—EPA announces a virtual public hearing to be held May 28, 2020, on its proposal for the “Fuels Regulatory Streamlining Rule,” which was signed on April 13, 2020.

Indoor Air Quality

Scientific American—Coronavirus Lockdowns May Raise Exposure to Indoor Air Pollution

Be sure to subscribe to EPA’s IAQ Bulletins

TOP STORIES

The NTAA has published the 2020 Update to A White Paper Detailing the Science and Connections Between Air Pollution, Tribes, and Public Health

The NTAA originally published this white paper in 2019 as a resource to Tribes. The white paper has now been updated to reflect research that has been published since then on the connection between air quality and health, as well as the emerging connections between air pollution and health outcomes from COVID-19. The 2020 update can now be found using the above link or by going directly to the NTAA’s website, and will be included as an attachment to the NTAA 2020 Status of Tribal Air Report (STAR), which will be published June 22.

HEADLINES

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

Drilled – Trump Is Racing to Finalize Environmental Rollbacks. This Obscure Regulation May Be One Reason Why

Forbes – America’s Air Is Getting Worse: Here’s Why

National Law Review – U.S. EPA Proposes Rule That Would Transform the Guidance Process

E&E News – EPA starts ‘measured and deliberate’ reopening

E&E News – Air Pollution: Lawsuit marks first step in legal brawl over toxics rule

E&E News – Army Corps makes last-minute change in Pebble plan

Air Quality News – Air pollution linked to Parkinson’s disease

Bloomberg Law – Insight: What’s at Stake in EPA’s MATS Finding Reversal

Biomass Magazine – EPA opens comment period on wood heater proposal

National Association of Clean Air Agencies – Washington Update

Climate Change/Energy

Independent – Trump administration slows on fracking plans after outcry for impacted Navajo Nation

Reuters – Help us protect the headwaters of the Amazon from oil companies, elders say

Inside Climate News – New York’s Use of Landmark Climate Law Could Resound in Other States

New Orleans Public Radio – ‘There Is No Way Back Anymore’: Louisiana’s Coastal Land Loss Is Inevitable

E&E News – Wis. utility to close coal plant blamed for high costs

E&E News – What’s next for oil? 3 questions answered

E&E News – Trail of spills haunts Dakota Access developer

NY Times – ‘Expect More’: Climate Change Raises Risk of Dam Failures

NY Times – What a Week’s Disasters Tell Us About Climate and the Pandemic

CarbonBrief – Webinar [recording]: What impact is Covid-19 having on global CO2 emissions?

ENN – Marine Species Are Outpacing Terrestrial Species In The Race Against Global Warming

Toxics/Mobile Sources

The Hill – Automakers fight effort to freeze fuel efficiency standards

AP – Democrats protest removal of Transportation watchdog

NPR – Our Pandemic Habits Cut Carbon Emissions, But It’s Not Clear They’ll Last

NPR – On Nearly Emptied Roads, Motor Vehicle Fatality Rate Spikes By 14% In March

EPA – EPA Takes Next Step to Implement PFAS Legislation

E&E News – Tesla’s ‘Battery Day’: Business as usual or an EV coup?

E&E News – Commuter are adapting to the virus. What it means for CO2

CarbonBrief – Fuel savings in US cars have ‘cut 17bn tonnes of CO2 since 1975’

Indoor Air Quality

National Herald – Indoor air quality and asthma during COVID-19

Fast Company – We spend 90% of our time inside – why don’t we care that indoor air is so polluted?

Be sure to subscribe to EPA’s IAQ Bulletins

TOP STORIES

The NTAA Submitted Comments on EPA’s Transparency in Science SNPRM

The NTAA submitted a comment letter on EPA’s Transparency in Science supplemental proposal on May 18, 2020. You can view the letter here, as well as access all of NTAA’s Policy Resource Kits here. Also, the following article highlights other responses to this proposal: Inside Climate News – EPA’s ‘Secret Science’ Rule Meets with an Outpouring of Protest on Last Day for Public Comment

HEADLINES

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

NPR – Traffic Is Way Down Because Of Lockdown, But Air Pollution? Not So Much

The Hill – EPA effort to limit guidance could undermine past administration policy

The Hill – Trump orders agencies to cut regulations that ‘inhibit economic recovery’

Reuters – In Brief: 9^th Circuit won’t stay ruling canceling Keystone XL pipeline permit

PBS – Keystone pipeline project proceeds amidst COVID-19 pandemic

The Hill – House Democrats seek to codify environmental inequality mapping tool

Earther – ‘I’m Scared’: Study Links Cancer Alley Air Pollution to Higher Death Rates From Covid-19

Yes Magazine – What’s in a Social Justice Diet?

Washington Post – The Energy 202: Public hearings on Zoom have Native Americans worried they won’t be heard on oil projects

The Guardian – Canada: Wet’suwet’en sign historic deal to negotiate land rights

Reuters – Judge tosses CERCLA lawsuit against U.S. Steel over coke plant emissions

Heated – A deadly re-opening. The Grand Canyon is re-opening, apparently without informing visitors of the Navajo Nation’s strict lockdown.

Reuters – Court rules U.S. environment agency must protect states from upwind air pollution

National Association of Clean Air Agencies – Washington Update

Climate Change/Energy

Al Jazeera – A moment of reckoning – when coronavirus meets climate change

Reuters – Trump admin slaps solar, wind operators with retroactive rent bills

The Guardian – Coal industry will never recover after coronavirus pandemic, say experts

Wyoming Public Media – Employment, Revenue Threatened With “Multi-Year Low” Natural Gas Pricing

NY Times – Natural Gas Exports Slow as Pandemic Reduces Global Demand

Axios – The post-coronavirus greenhouse gas emissions bounce back

Mother Jones – There’s a Lot Less Pollution But Climate Change Is Still Getting Worse

Time – As the Rest of the World Plans a Green Recovery, America Is Once Again Falling Behind

Earther – Looming Landslide in Alaska Could Trigger Enormous Tsunami at Any Moment, Scientists Warn

Ensia – Cobalt Is Critical to the Renewable Energy Transition. How Can We Minimize Its Social and Environmental Cost?

NY Times – In the Shadows of America’s Smokestacks, Virus Is One More Deadly Risk

Toxics/Mobile Sources

Washington Post – EPA staff warned that mileage rollbacks had flaws. Trump officials ignored them.

Bloomberg Law – California Sues EPA, Highway Agency Over Emissions Waiver

The Guardian – Is the Covid-19 crisis the catalyst for greening the world’s airlines?

E&E News – Justices reject renewable fuel standard, NEPA disputes

Bloomberg Law – Round-the-Clock Cremations Stoke Mercury Fears for Neighborhoods

Utility Dive – Energy storage poised to tackle grid challenges from rising EVs as mobile chargers bring new flexibility

NY Times – The Pandemic Will Permanently Change the Auto Industry

Grist – Will social distancing kill car-free culture?

Reuters – Exclusive: Tesla’s secret batteries aim to rework the math for electric cars and the grid

Indoor Air Quality

E&E News – EPA packs ‘economic relief’ for industry into stove rule

American Council on Science and Health – Air Pollution And COVID-19: Stay In Or Get Out?

Be sure to subscribe to EPA’s IAQ Bulletins

TOP STORIES

NTAA Publishes a Fact Sheet on EPA’s Proposed Updates to the NAAQS for Particulate Matter

EPA is proposing to retain the NAAQS for particulate matter without changes. The NTAA is developing a full Policy Resource Kit (PRK), including a Fact Sheet, Tribal Template Letter, Informational Webinar, and Comment Letter to help your Tribe in responding to this proposal. The deadline to comment is June 29, 2020. The EPA will be holding public hearings on May 20 and May 21. The Fact Sheet can be found here and stay tuned for the rest of the PRK!

HEADLINES

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

Grist – EPA settlements are supposed to hold polluters accountable. Will coronavirus get them off the hook?

New York Times Op-ed – A Life on and Off the Navajo Nation: The reservation has some of the most coronavirus cases per capita in the country.

E&E News – Tensions flare over sluggish EPA revamp of cost-benefit rule

E&E News – Agency leans on 1870s ‘housekeeping’ law to block science

E&E News – Tribes seek delay in Trump’s Tongass rule

Grist – ‘Get the hell off’: The indigenous fight to stop a uranium mine in the Black Hills

Washington Post – The Energy 202: A Harvard study tying coronavirus death rates to pollution is causing an uproar in Washington

Wisconsin Public Radio – Tracking Coronavirus Impacts On Air Quality

EPA – North Dakota Tribes receive $810,000 to cleanup and revitalize properties

EPA – Northern Cheyenne Tribe receives $364,500 to cleanup and revitalize properties

E&E News – Watchdog to study coronavirus’ impacts on EPA

E&E News – Coal: Meet America’s 10 largest emitters

NY Times – The Trump Administration Is Reversing Nearly 100 Environmental Rules. Here’s the Full List.

Editor’s note: The “Air pollution and emissions” category tops the list in the number of both completed and total rollbacks.

NY Times – Tribal Nations Face Most Severe Crisis in Decades as the Coronavirus Closes Casinos

National Association of Clean Air Agencies – Washington Update

Climate Change/Energy

Reuters – States ask Trump administration to pay laid off oil workers to plug abandoned wells

Axios – Too hot to handle

Reuters – Life-threatening extreme heat set to trap millions indoors by 2060

E&E News – Gas peakers to renewable storage: The next climate fight?

Native Sun News Today – Pipeline loses permit, but construction continues

NY Times – Will the Coronavirus Crisis Trump the Climate Crisis?

CarbonBrief – Leading economists: Green coronavirus recovery also better for economy

CarbonBrief – Analysis: What impact will the coronavirus pandemic have on atmospheric CO2?

Utility Dive – Trump’s security order could have ‘chilling effect,’ slow smart grid deployment, experts say

Bloomberg Green – Covid Crisis Will Be Overshadowed by Climate Threat, Engie Says

The New Republic – There Are Green Jobs Hiding in the Oilfields

Toxics/Mobile Sources

E&E News – Lack of rail limits U.S. ability to lower airline emissions

Reuters – U.S. pipeline regulator strikes down Washington state’s crude-by-rail safety limits

Gizmodo – The EPA Introduced the First-Ever US Airplane Carbon Regulations

Bloomberg – The Car Is Staging a Recovery, Spurring Oil’s Recovery

E&E News – Car Rules: Green group threatens to sue EPA for withholding docs

NY Times – New Breed of Pickups Mixes Horsepower and Battery Power

C&EN – CFC replacements are a source of persistent organic pollution in the Artic

CNBC – Goldman Sachs warns jet fuel demand may never fully recover from the crisis

Indoor Air Quality

Safety and Health Magazine – COVID-19 pandemic: EPA, CDC team on guidance for keeping workplaces clean when reopening

EPA – EPA Makes it Easier for Consumers to Find Safe, Effective Disinfectant Products to Use Against the Novel Coronavirus

Middletown Transcript – Carper asks if EPA plans to reverse decision stopping sale of residential wood heaters

Vox – Gas stoves can generate unsafe levels of indoor air pollution

Bloomberg – California Wants to See How Cooking With Gas Affects Indoor Air

Be sure to subscribe to EPA’s IAQ Bulletins

TOP STORIES

COVID-19 Economic Impact Check Information

The IRS has developed this webpage to help ensure everyone who is eligible receives their economic impact payment.

It’s Air Quality Awareness Week!

Stay tuned here for more information.

The theme for this year is Better Air, Better Health! Our goal is to promote events that increase air quality awareness and encourage people to check the Air Quality Index (AQI) daily. We plan to focus on the following daily topics this year, featuring one each day on the AQAW website (which will be released on May 4, the first day of AQAW):

• Monday – Wildfires & Smoke
• Tuesday – Asthma & Your Health
• Wednesday – Where’s Your AQI Coming From?
• Thursday – Air Quality Around the World
• Friday – Shout-out of state and local events

U.S. EPA would also like to share with you a new student engagement activity that was developed this year, Why I Care about Clean Air (instructions found in link), that can easily be distributed and completed from home.

Flexibility with GAP Awards during Coronavirus

EPA’s Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Grant Issues in Response to the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Public Health Emergency is available here and addresses generally applicable policies and practices. These FAQs address a broad number of issues, including grant procedures, allowable costs, disruption of services, procurement, and extensions, among other topics. Each individual work plan and award situation may be different based on your tribe’s unique situation and tribal personnel policies. We encourage you to work closely with your project officer to address your specific questions. You can also subscribe to the EPA Grants Listserv so that you may receive updates on information as it becomes available. Generally, EPA is working to provide the maximum flexibility permitted by law to continue financial assistance support to tribes and other grant recipients.  For GAP recipients, this means:

• You may continue to conduct your GAP work plan activities while teleworking.  If your current work plan activities are not suitable for telework, you may work with your project officer to re-negotiate some or portions of your work plan,
• You may request an extension of your project period, and
• If in the 4^th year of a stand-alone GAP award (the regulatory limit), AIEO is requesting a one-time waiver so that impacted GAP awards may be extended into a 5^th

Proposed Rule: Review of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Particulate Matter

EPA has published this proposal in the Federal Register, and the NTAA is developing a full Policy Resource Kit. The proposal states that no changes to the NAAQS for particulate matter will be taken at this time. The deadline to comment is June 29, 2020, and two virtual public hearings will be held on May 20 and May 21.

HEADLINES

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

EPA – EPA Provides Grant Funding to Support Environmental Justice Communities Impacted by COVID-19

E&E News – Tribes: Pandemic relief starts flowing

NBC News – 173 years, $170: Why Irish people are donating to help Native Americans hit by coronavirus

EPA – Science Advisory Board Issues Comments on Agency’s Draft Strengthening Transparency in Regulatory Science Rulemaking

Editor’s note: the NTAA has developed a Policy Resource Kit in response to this SNPRM, and will be submitting a comment letter opposing the proposal on May 18.

Alliance for Green Heat – EPA amending wood heater deadline to address pandemic sales slump

AU News – Ozone layer: Largest ever tear over the Arctic has closed

EPA – EPA, CDC Release Guidance for Cleaning and Disinfecting Spaces Where Americans Live, Work, and Play

Indian Country Today – Virtual meetings set for drilling plan near Chaco national park

Indian Country Today – Pressure mounts as tribes seek more time on drilling plan

National Association of Clean Air Agencies – Washington Update

Climate Change/Energy

AP – Judge cancels hundreds of oil, gas leases in Montana

Bloomberg – TC Energy Says Montana Ruling Could Delay Keystone XL by a Year

AP – Takeaways from renewable energy’s struggles amid pandemic

NBC – Cheap oil? A pandemic? No big deal for renewable energy, experts say

Indian Country Today – Virus darkens prospects for solar, wind projects

NY Times – Billions in Clean Energy Loans Go Unused as Coronavirus Ravages Economy

Reuters – Next risk? Coronavirus pandemic underscores climate health threats

Business Insider – How climate change could make infectious diseases even more difficult to combat in the future

E&E News – An Alaska glacier collapsed. Warming was the likely trigger

E&E News – Is gas really better than coal for the climate?

Yes! Magazine – Carbon Emissions Turned Back 10 Years

NY Times – Emissions Declines Will Set Records This Year. But It’s Not Good News.

CarbonBrief – IEA: Coronavirus impact on CO2 emissions six times larger than 2008 financial crisis

NY Times – The Business of Burps: Scientists Smell Profit in Cow Emissions

Toxics/Mobile Sources

Bloomberg – Single-Use Plastics Make a Comeback on Pandemic Fears

EPA – EPA Announces Cooperative Agreement to Support the National Tribal Toxics Council (NTTC)

EPA – EPA Highlights Enforcement Actions against Those Who Violate the Defeat Device and Tampering Prohibitions under the Clean Air Act

Indoor Air Quality

Grist – Study: Gas-powered appliances may be hazardous for your health

Utility Dive – Elevating energy efficiency – At last!

YubaNet – How to Reduce Your Exposure to Indoor Air Pollution during COVID-19 Related Lockdowns: New Guide

Be sure to subscribe to EPA’s IAQ Bulletins

TOP STORIES

Welcome to Mariah Ashley, the new National Tribal Air Association Program Coordinator!

After a thorough search, Ms. Ashley comes to NTAA after working for ITEP’s Climate Change Program. Previous to that, she had more than three years of progressive experience as the Operations Manager for the Black Mesa Water Coalition. BMWC is an indigenous-led, grassroots organization that focuses on food sovereignty, cultural and Indigenous knowledge, as well as empowering Diné youth through organizing. As a member of the Navajo Nation, Ms. Ashley has also worked for the Navajo Nation’s Division of Natural Resources in the Water Management Office as an intern. Ms. Ashley holds an Associate Degree of Applied Science from Diné College and a Bachelor of Applied Science in Environmental Science with a Geology Emphasis from Northern Arizona University. Ms. Ashley joins the NTAA staff to support the NTAA Executive Committee, NTAA member Tribes, and Tribal air programs across Indian Country on May 4th. Please join us in welcoming Mariah to NTAA! You can reach her at [email protected].

TAMS Steering Committee Nomination

The TAMS Steering Committee is composed of a rotating roster of tribal environmental professionals and ex officio members who meet regularly to discuss tribal air quality monitoring and other air quality technical support needs. Nomination is open until May 31, 2020. Nominate a recipient here.

HEADLINES

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

Department of the Interior – White House Re-Establishes Council on Native American Affairs to Support Continued Inter-Agency Coordination with Indian Country

ABC News – Tribes urge Treasury to disburse coronavirus relief funding

BBC – How air pollution exacerbates Covid-19

The Guardian – Coronavirus detected on particles of air pollution

Bloomberg News – Virus Prompts California to Study Air Pollution, Public Health

Grist – The world is on lockdown. So where are all the carbon emissions coming from?

EPA – Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians Recognized as EPA WasteWise National Tribal Partner of the Year

EPA – Kickapoo Nation School Students in Kansas Win EPA Environmental Award, as EPA Celebrates Earth Day and Environmental Education

Desert Sun – Environmental groups sue EPA over smog, air quality rules in Imperial County

E&E News – Study: Agency sat on $16M in enforcement funds

Yes! Magazine – What We Can Learn About Resilience from Indigenous Leaders

Indian Country Today – ‘Indian Country is particularly vulnerable to COVID-19’

USA Today – Native American tribes have been hit hard by coronavirus, and they’re battling red tape to get help

National Association of Clean Air Agencies – Washington Update

Climate Change/Energy

Indian Country Today – Court ruling puts pipeline projects across the country on hold

Indian Country Today – Tribes’ billion dollar oil industry…and now?

The Week – How to bail out the oil industry without destroying the planet

E&E News – Here’s what an oil bailout could mean for emissions

Huffpost – Falling Oil Prices Breathe New Life into an Old Idea: Nationalize the Industry

NPR – It’s Hard To Think About Climate Change During A Pandemic. Here’s how to stay Engaged.

Colorlines – Earth Day: Deadly Impact of Climate Change and COVID-19 Collide in Low-Wage Earning Communities

High Country News – How climate research continues during stay-at-home orders

ENN – Reducing the Carbon Footprint of Artificial Intelligence

NY Times – Here’s How Coronavirus Could Raise Cities’ Risk for Climate Disasters

Toxics/Mobile Sources

Cleveland Scene – Failure to Support Vehicle Pollution Standards Hurts GM in Customer Survey

Air Quality News – New database for car buyers reveals vehicle pollution levels

Indoor Air Quality

Salt Lake Tribune – Wyoming tribes face unique challenges in coronavirus fight

WISC News – Chemists look for ways to assess and improve indoor air quality

Be sure to subscribe to EPA’s IAQ Bulletins

TOP STORIES

American Lung Association – Remembering Janice Nolen

A nationally recognized air quality expert and author of key air quality reports has died. Janice Nolen, a longtime American Lung Association official, died at her home on April 15, 2020. Ms. Nolen directed the Lung Association’s actions in air quality regulatory advocacy and litigation. Her work in this area resulted in the strengthening of the national air quality standards for ozone and particle pollution. She led the National Radon Action Plan Leadership Council that developed the U.S. National Radon Action Plan to reduce radon risk in five million homes. She formerly served on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Air Act Advisory Committee.

Editor’s note: The NTAA is deeply saddened by the loss of Janice Nolen. She was a great advocate for clean air and friend of the NTAA. If you would like to offer well-wishes and condolences to Janice’s family, please consider the following sites:

• Joseph Gawler’s Sons Funeral Home
• Everhere: Janice Nolen

To honor Janice’s memory, the American Lung Association has created the Janice E. Nolen Healthy Air Internship, ensuring younger professionals continue the important work of protecting our nation’s air quality. If you would like to make a donation in memory of Janice Nolen, your gift will continue Janice’s legacy with this dedicated internship to mentor young advocates.

The American Lung Association has released the 2020 State of the Air Report.

According to ALA, “This report is dedicated to Janice E. Nolen, the leading force behind the history of this report and a tireless champion of lung health and healthy air.” This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Clean Air Act, which is responsible for dramatic improvements in air quality. Despite this, a new report from the American Lung Association finds nearly half of the nation’s population – 150 million people – lived with and breathed polluted air, placing their health and lives at risk. The 21st annual “State of the Air” report finds that climate change continues to make air pollution worse, with many western communities again experiencing record-breaking spikes in particle pollution due to wildfires. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the impact of air pollution on lung health is of heightened concern. The 2020 “State of the Air” report analyzed data from 2016, 2017 and 2018, the three years with the most recent quality-assured air pollution data. Notably, those three years were among the five hottest recorded in global history.

Coronavirus Virtual Town Hall: Improving Health within Our Communities, Wednesday, April 22, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM, Eastern Time

The Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian Health and Indian Health Service will hold a virtual town hall meeting on April 22 and 29 from 2-3 pm EDT. Target audience: Public health nurses, community health representatives (CHR), health educators, and others working on the frontlines of COVID-19 prevention in Indian Country. Objectives include:

• Understand the current state of COVID-19 disease
• Highlight community-based response activities
• Provide information on key resources

With an opportunity for Q & A with the experts. Register for the webinar here.

The National Association of Clean Air Agencies releases a “Clean Air Educational Activities and Resources” document

In response to COVID-19 and the closure of schools across America, federal, state, local and Tribal clean air agencies are making available educational activities and resources to teachers, parents and students providing opportunities for continued learning while staying safe at home. This document lists some of the outstanding educational resources that have been made available. We will continue to update this list as we learn about more educational resources.

HEADLINES

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

New York Times – 50 Years of Earth Day: What’s Better Today, and what’s worse

Indian Country Today – EPA rejects Obama-era rules on air quality; critics cite COVID-19 link

Safety and Health Magazine – Amid COVID-19 pandemic, lawmakers urge EPA to extend comment periods

Medium – The Most Quiet of Killers

EPA – EPA Finalizes MATS Supplemental Cost Finding and “Risk and Technology Review”

NY Times – E.P.A. Weakens Controls on Mercury

The Hill – Green groups, coal companies push to have EPA power plant rollback scrapped

AP – ‘They’re killing us,’ Texas residents say of Trump rollbacks

NPR – 10 Years after Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, Industry Says It’s Better Prepared

Anchorage Daily News – Pebble mine opponents lose court case over 2014 EPA report

Reuters – A breath of fresh air

NPR – Climate Change Undercuts Air Pollution Improvements

EPA – Children’s Healthy Learning Environments Grant Initiative RFA June 2020

EPA – EPA Announces Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resources for State, Local, and Tribal Governments

Indianz – Indigenous celebrate victory against Dakota Access Pipeline, but remain wary of Judge Boasberg

Utility Dive – 14 states press EPA to rescind coronavirus-driven enforcement policy as NGOs file lawsuit

National Association of Clean Air Agencies – Washington Update

Climate Change/Energy

NY Times – A crash course on climate change, 50 years after the first Earth Day

Reuters – Coronavirus crisis threatens to cut off clean electricity lifeline for poor

The New Yorker – The Coronavirus and Climate Change, the Great Crises of Our Time

NBC News – Is fungus the answer to climate change? Student who grew a mushroom canoe says yes.

Grist – Can ‘carbon-smart’ farming play a key role in taking on climate change?

Reuters – With bees on decline, mechanical pollination may be solution

Huffpost – The Fight to Stop Fossil Fuel Financing Is Poised To Get Some Powerful New Allies

Ensia – How Can We Best Protect Our Global Life-Support System In Times Like These?

Ensia – Three Workable Strategies for Putting a Big Dent in Methane, the “Other” Greenhouse Gas

E&E News – CEO: Oil drilling, fracking could drop another 60%

E&E News – BLM reviews CO2 pipelines, but will anyone build them?

E&E News – How the pandemic upended climate politics

NY Times – The ‘Profoundly Radical’ Message of Earth Day’s First Organizer

ENN – Stanford Researchers Find Methane Lakes from U.S. Water Heaters Are High, But Fixable

Toxics/Mobile Sources

Santa Maria Times – Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians named Waste Wise ‘Partner of the Year’ by EPA

BBC – Climate change: ‘Bath sponge’ breakthrough could boost cleaner cars

Bloomberg – Electric Vehicles Buoyed by a Backlog and Fresh Air

E&E News – Economic toll endangers key climate goal: Cleaner cars

High Country News – Uranium mining threatens our home, the Grand Canyon

Indoor Air Quality

Inhabitant – How clean is your indoor air?

Be sure to subscribe to EPA’s IAQ Bulletins

TOP STORIES

2020 Tribal DERA RFA is open!

EPA’s Office of Transportation and Air Quality is now soliciting applications nationwide for the 2020 Tribal Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) funded projects that achieve significant reductions in diesel emissions and diesel emissions exposure, particularly from fleets located in areas designated as having poor air quality. EPA anticipates $2 million will be awarded to eligible Tribal applicants for two to eight grants. The deadline for submission of applications is Thursday, July 9, 2020, at 11:59 p.m. (ET). More information can be found in the Mobile Sources Resources & Funding section below.

The Tribal Healthy Homes Network, ITEP and NTAA participated in a webinar last week on COVID-19 Cleaning and Disinfecting Tribal homes. Click here to view the recorded webinar.

ITEP’s American Indian Air Quality Training Program would like your feedback!

While ITEP is not currently able to provide in-person trainings for Tribes on air quality issues due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we can make ourselves available to provide tribes with webinars and on-line learning opportunities.  Answering the questions at this link will greatly aid us in understanding how best we can meet your current training needs. If you have any questions, contact [email protected]

HEADLINES

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

EPA – EPA Proposes to Retain NAAQS for Particulate Matter

Axios – EPA declines to change air quality standards despite health risks

Salon – Higher rates of air pollution linked to more COVID-19 deaths, study shows

NPR – A Treacherous Choice and a Treaty Right

NPR – With Coronavirus Lockdown, India’s Cities See Clear Blue Skies as Air Pollution Drops

High Country News – Casino closures in Indian Country hit core tribal services

Grist – Coronavirus could cause the first big emissions drop in a decade

EPA – EPA Takes Corrective Action on Standards for Coal-Refuse Power Plants

EPA – EPA Requests Comments on Designations and Recommendations for Recycled-Content Products

Emory – Emory scientists working with NASA to map air pollution and its impact on health

NASA – NASA Satellite Data Show 30 Percent Drop In Air Pollution Over Northeast U.S.

National Association of Clean Air Agencies – Washington Update

Climate Change/Energy

U.S EPA – Latest Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks Shows Long-Term Reductions, with Annual Variation

E&E News – Want to cut CO2? Here’s a technology playbook

Green Tech Media – 7 Transmission Projects That Could Unlock a Renewable Energy Bounty

LA Times – Should we spend billions on clean energy? It worked during the last crisis

The Hill – Democrat questions WH transparency in rollback of bedrock environmental law

Vanity Fair – “Climate Change Is Exacerbating…Risks”: Stressed by Coronavirus, First Responders Prep for a Dangerous Summer

E&E News – Exxon moves to slash methane emissions at 1,000 sites

E&E News – How ending the price war on oil could affect emissions

Yes! Magazine – How the Climate Change Generation Is Redefining Community

High Country News – Tribal nations demand response to climate relocation

CarbonBrief – Deep emissions cuts this decade could prevent ‘abrupt ecological collapse’

CarbonBrief – Analysis: Coronavirus set to cause largest ever annual fall in CO2 emissions

Utility Dive – Clearer picture of coronavirus-driven grid load declines emerges in US after weeks of lockdowns

SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry – Don’t Look to Mature Forests to Soak up Carbon Dioxide Emissions

NPR – Carbon Emissions Are Falling, But Still Not Enough, Scientist Say

Toxics/Mobile Sources

EPA – EPA Proposes Money-Saving Updates to Existing Gasoline, Diesel, Other Fuels Regulations

Grist – Green transportation, from electric cars to walkable cities

Utility Dive – Global EV sales will drop 43% in 2020 due to COVID-19, lower oil prices: WoodMac

Bloomberg News – Makers of Covid-19 Disinfectants Given More Flexibility by EPA

Indoor Air Quality

Discover – Spending Lots of Time Indoors? Here’s How to Improve Air Quality in Your Home

Curbed – Breathe cleaner air everywhere

EWG – Cooped Up Because Of Coronavirus? Keep the Air Fresh

Be sure to subscribe to EPA’s IAQ Bulletins

TOP STORIES

NY Times – New Research Links Air Pollution to Higher Coronavirus Death Rates

From the article: Coronavirus patients in areas that had high levels of air pollution before the pandemic are more likely to die from the infection than patients in cleaner parts of the country, according to a new nationwide study that offers the first clear link between long-term exposure to pollution and Covid-19 death rates.

Free Webinar Today at 3 pm EDT!

Issues Affecting Native American Communities during the COVID-19 Crisis

The American Bar Association (ABA) is hosting a number of free webinars related to Covid-19. The COVID 19 crisis is affecting Native American tribes and urban communities in ways that are unique to this population in terms of health challenges, economic impact and legal issues.  This webinar will discuss how Native Americans are being impacted through this crisis both from a health perspective and an economic perspective.  This webinar will be segmented into three parts: (1) First, there will be discussion of the provisions in the stimulus packages that are directed to Native communities; (2) Second, the panelists will discuss the unique health and operational challenges in both rural and urban Native communities; and (3) Finally, this webinar will address the economic and legal impact both in the short-term and long-term in tribal communities.

Date: Wednesday, April 8, 2020 at 3:00 p.m. EDT. Register here. More information is available here.

The NTAA Requests Photos of Air Quality Work from Member Tribes

The NTAA is putting out a request for Member Tribes to send in photos to use on the cover of the 2020 Status of Tribal Air Report (STAR) that highlight work being done to improve air quality. Photos may include air monitoring equipment, staff completing assessments, education/outreach, clean energy development, clean mobility efforts, or any other air quality related image. Please include photo credit and send images to [email protected] by April 23.

National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) – COVID-19 Resources for Indian Country

HEADLINES

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

EPA – EPA Announces Extended Comment Period on Supplement to Science Transparency Proposed Rule

Editor’s Note: NTAA recorded an informational webinar for Tribes yesterday on this proposal that can be found on NTAA’s Policy Resource Kit website here.

Cronkite News – EPA defends plan to ease compliance requirements in face of coronavirus

NPR – As Coronavirus Cases Rise, Navajo Nation Tries To Get Ahead Of Pandemic

Colorlines – Native Americans Fight Multiple COVID-19 Crises

U.S. EPA – EPA to Donate Personal Protective Equipment to State and Local Responders Fighting COVID-19 across the Country

Tribal Tribune – Need something to do while stuck at home? Get ready for fire season with these suggestions

E&E News – Pandemic stalls water, tribal lands cases indefinitely

National Association of Clean Air Agencies – Washington Update

Climate Change/Energy

Yes! Magazine – Saving People from Coronavirus Can Teach Us How to Do the Same for Climate Change

Carbon Brief – Coronavirus: What could lifestyle changes mean for tackling climate change?

NPR – Pandemic Delays International Climate Change Negotiations

E&E News – Carbon Capture: EPA issues rule for CO2 injection

Toxics/Mobile Sources

The Hill – EPA loses case seeking modeling behind Obama mileage rollback

NY Times – Trump Calls New Fuel Economy Rule a Boon. Some Experts See Steep Costs.

AP – Cleanup of US nuclear waste takes back seat as virus spreads

The Hill – Advocates raise questions about proposal to allow some nuclear waste to be disposed in landfills

Indoor Air Quality

Oregon Live – 5 ways to improve indoor air quality, thwart respiratory illnesses

Huffpost – Cleaning Your Home for Coronavirus? Don’t Forget Your Indoor Air.

Be sure to subscribe to EPA’s IAQ Bulletins