There’s still time to REGISTER!  April 26^th is the deadline. There is a $250.00 registration fee for NTFAQ attendees.  Registration fee covers admission to all sessions, Virgil Masayesva Awards Dinner, morning continental breakfasts, afternoon snack breaks, field trips, and pre-conference trainings.

We are now accepting proposals for sessions at the Tribal Lands and Environment Forum! Visit the 2023 TLEF website to learn more about this year’s forum. To submit a proposal, click “Call for Proposals” in the menu at the top of the page. Registration will open soon and link to our host hotel will be added so you can make your lodging reservations at a special reduced rate. More information is coming soon – we look forward to seeing you in Syracuse, or online!

Register here to learn more about EPA’s webinar for Tribal College and University students!

Top Stories

EPA – Funding for Tribes in the Inflation Reduction Act

CNN – EPA preparing to release strict vehicle emission rules

Engadget  – NASA launches powerful air quality monitor to keep an eagle-eye on pollution

NACAA Washington Update – This Week in Review

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/Tribes News

MIT News – Study: Shutting down nuclear power could increase air pollution

The Washington Post – Air pollution may raise risk of dementia, analysis says

Toxics/Mobile Sources

AP News- AP sources: EPA car rule to push huge increase in EV sales

AP News – Challenge to Biden ‘Cost of Carbon’ policy dismissed

JD Supra – EPA Proposes Stricter Mercury and Air Toxics Standards for Power Plants

The Guardian – Exxon’s new ‘advanced recycling’ plant raises environmental concerns

CNN – EPA proposes new regulations on toxic gas used to sterilize spices and medical equipment

Indoor Air Quality/Environmental Justice

Newswires – What We Breathe Matters : Air Allergen & Mold Highlights 320 Case Studies Linking Health Issues to Indoor Air Quality

Yahoo News – Protecting Building Occupants and Workers from Exposure to Mold and Other Common Asthma Triggers

WBEZ Chicago – Microsoft abandons project mapping Chicago’s air pollution

NSTA – Laboratory Air Quality Is Nothing to Sneeze At

We are now accepting proposals for sessions at the Tribal Lands and Environment Forum! Visit the 2023 TLEF website to learn more about this year’s forum. To submit a proposal, click “Call for Proposals” in the menu at the top of the page. Registration will open soon and link to our host hotel will be added so you can make your lodging reservations at a special reduced rate. More information is coming soon – we look forward to seeing you in Syracuse, or online!

Register here to learn more about EPA’s webinar for Tribal College and University students!

Top Stories

EPA.gov – Statement by Administrator Regan on the President’s FY 2024 Budget

E&E – EPA environmental justice office has cash, staff but no boss

NACAA Washington Update – This Week in Review

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/Tribes News

EPA.gov – EPA Announces $3M Each to Missouri and Nebraska to Fund Innovative Projects That Tackle Climate Pollution

The National Law Review – Can We Be Good Neighbors? EPA Finalizes Plan To Reduce Interstate Air Pollution

Nature – Tribal Youth use seed bombs to heal wildfire damaged lands

Toxics/Mobile Sources

E&E – Can EVs unplug from China? 3 things to watch from Treasury.

The Guardian – Power Move: Stacey Abram’s next act is the electrification of the US

E&E – Whitehouse spotlights financial toll of oil dependence

Indoor Air Quality/Environmental Justice

CNN – ‘Equal opportunity to be healthy’: Stricter air pollution standards would benefit some populations more than others, study says

CBS Colorado – Community group taking air quality studies into its own hands: “they’re feeling unheard, they’re feeling hopeless”

DOE.gov – DOE Finalizes Efficiency Rules for Room Air Conditioners and Portable Air Cleaners

We are now accepting proposals for sessions at the Tribal Lands and Environment Forum! Visit the 2023 TLEF website to learn more about this year’s forum. To submit a proposal, click “Call for Proposals” in the menu at the top of the page. Registration will open soon and link to our host hotel will be added so you can make your lodging reservations at a special reduced rate. More information is coming soon – we look forward to seeing you in Syracuse, or online!

REMINDER! Greetings from the TAMS Center! We are announcing a call for nominations for the Virgil Masayesva Environmental Excellence Award Further information and nomination form can be accessed at the TAMS Website.

Virgil Masayesva Tribal Air Programs Excellence Award

– https://www7.nau.edu/itep/main/tams/docs/forms/TAMS-VMAward-NomForm_2023.docx

Deadline for the VM Award Nominations – March 24, 2023

Top Stories

EPA.gov – Statement by Administrator Regan on the President’s FY 2024 Budget

CNBC – Here are the most polluted cities in the US and world

NACAA Washington Update – This Week in Review

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/Tribes News

CNN – Only 13 countries and territories had ‘healthy’ air quality in 2022

EPA.gov – EPA Announces Final “Good Neighbor” Plan to Cut Harmful Smog, Protecting Health of Millions from Power Plant, Industrial Air Pollution

Nature – Ohio train derailment: scientists scan for lingering toxics

Toxics/Mobile Sources

The Guardian – World can still avoid worst of climate collapse with genuine change, IPCC says

The Guardian – Big oil firms touted algae as climate solution. Now all have pulled funding

Indoor Air Quality/Environmental Justice

Sierra Club – Close Polluter Loopholes Now–Clean Air Can’t Wait!

TVO Today – Waiting for big changes to rules about indoor air quality? Don’t hold your breath

Boston Childrens Hospital – Study seeks to identify household triggers for chronic lung disease in children

Free Webinar for The National Electric Vehicle Initiative for Tribal Nations

You are invited to join the Economic Development, Energy, and Infrastructure Committee of the White House Council on Native American Affairs to discuss the National Electric Vehicle Initiative for Tribal Nations on Wednesday, March 15th, from 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm Eastern Time.

This meeting will provide an overview of a new initiative to ensure that Tribal Nations are part of the EV future of the country. The meeting will include an overview of the federal resources for EV development to be equitably shared and supportive of Tribal economies towards the physical buildout of a national EV network that includes Tribal lands and Native communities. This meeting will be facilitated and hosted by the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals’ Tribal Clean Transportation Program.

This event is free and open to the public on Wednesday, March 15th from 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm ET. You can register and attend by clicking here.

REMINDER! Greetings from the TAMS Center! We are announcing a call for nominations for the Virgil Masayesva Environmental Excellence Award Further information and nomination form can be accessed at the TAMS Website.

Virgil Masayesva Tribal Air Programs Excellence Award

– https://www7.nau.edu/itep/main/tams/docs/forms/TAMS-VMAward-NomForm_2023.docx

Deadline for the VM Award Nominations – March 24, 2023

Top Stories

Whitehouse.gov – President Biden’s Fiscal Year 2024 budget requests $12.083 billion

EPA News Release – Biden-Harris Administration Announces Availability of $16 Million for Pollution Prevention in Environmental Justice Communities

EPA – Indoor Environments – Overview of EPA’s State & Tribal Indoor Radon Grants Program 2022

NACAA Washington Update – This Week In Review

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/Tribes News

GAO.gov – Wildfire Smoke: Opportunities to Strengthen Federal Efforts to Manage Growing Risks

The Guardian – Revealed: the 10 worst places to live in US for air pollution

The Mancunion – Clean air, clean mind: The impact of air pollution on our brains

Toxics/Mobile Sources

USC Price – Pollution Paradox: Study finds L.A. residents who drive less are exposed to more air pollution

EHS Daily Advisor –  Back to Basics: Hazardous Air Pollution

The Pulse – EPA proposes new rules for toxic pollutants discharged from coal-fired power plants

Indoor Air Quality/Environmental Justice

NBC DFW – Dallas Air Quality Monitoring Program to Collect Pollution Data

Nature – Indoor air is full of flu and COVID viruses. Will countries clean it up?

EIN News – Improve Indoor Air Quality in Schools with Available ESSER Funds

REMINDER! Greetings from the TAMS Center! We are announcing a call for nominations for the Virgil Masayesva Environmental Excellence Award Further information and nomination form can be accessed at the TAMS Website.

Virgil Masayesva Tribal Air Programs Excellence Award

– https://www7.nau.edu/itep/main/tams/docs/forms/TAMS-VMAward-NomForm_2023.docx

Deadline for the VM Award Nominations – March 24, 2023

Top Stories

The Hill – EPA outlines another $550 million toward addressing environmental inequity

Forbes  – Air Pollution Might Make People 16% More Likely To Die From Heart Disease

NACAA Washington Update – This Week in Review

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/Tribes News

Science Alert – Air Pollution Is Making Human Bones More Brittle, Study Suggests

Science News – Air pollution made an impression on Monet and other 19th century painters

The Tyee – Can We End Deaths from Air Pollution?

Toxics/Mobile Sources

Afro News – EPA moves to restore rule on mercury from power plants

The Guardian – Ohio rail crash: toxic waste removal suspended amid contamination fears

Alaska Beacon – Alaska lakes’ levels of ‘forever chemicals’ revealed as officials ponder actions to reduce risks

Indoor Air Quality/Environmental Justice

WKYT – Home air quality could be a threat to cardiac health

Forbes – Clean Air Can Boost Children’s Lung Capacity

Grist – Why the White House’s environmental justice tool is still disappointing advocates

Acceptance letters for NTFAQ presentations/panels/workshops/trainings have been sent out! Thank you to everyone who applied. We’re looking forward to another great event.

Keep an eye out for registration early March.

Top Stories

EPA – Air Sensor Loan Programs: Promoting Air Quality Education by Bringing Sensors to You!

Native Science Report – Will Teslas Become the New Rez Car?

NACAA Washington Update – This Week in Review

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/Tribes News

American Heart Association – Mom’s exposure to air pollution, even before pregnancy, may raise baby’s heart defect risk

Forbes – Air Pollution More Dangerous Than Previously Understood: Here Are The Biggest Health Risks And How To Reduce It

Psychology Today – 7 Ways to Help Protect Your Brain From Air Pollution

Toxics/Mobile Sources

E&E – EPA undoes Trump-era power plant rollback

Earthjustice – EPA Reaffirms Mercury and Air Toxics Standards will Save Lives

Autoblog – For EV drivers, realities may dampen the electric elation

Indoor Air Quality/Environmental Justice

Homes & Garden – This is what is making your home dusty, and what to do about it

Caltech – Paul Wennberg discusses gas stoves and other factors that can contribute to poor indoor air quality

E&E – Biden orders agencies: Do more on racism, environmental justice

REMINDER! Greetings from the TAMS Center! We are announcing a call for nominations for the Virgil Masayesva Environmental Excellence Award and for two (2) open positions on the TAMS Steering Committee. Further information and the nomination forms are online and can be accessed at the TAMS Website.

Virgil Masayesva Tribal Air Programs Excellence Award

– https://www7.nau.edu/itep/main/tams/docs/forms/TAMS-VMAward-NomForm_2023.docx

Deadline for the VM Award Nominations – March 24, 2023

TAMS SC Nominations Forms:

TAMS Steering Committee Nomination Form

– https://www7.nau.edu/itep/main/tams/docs/forms/TAMSSCNomForm_022023.docx

– https://www7.nau.edu/itep/main/tams/SCommittee/SC_overview

 Deadline for TAMS SC Nominations – February 17, 2023

Top Stories

The Hill – EPA announces second $1 billion round of infrastructure funding for Superfund cleanup

The Hill – Democrat says Biden’s EPA air pollution limit doesn’t go far enough

ScienceAlert – Air Pollution isn’t only bad for Lungs, Say Studies. It’s also bad for Mental Health

NACAA Washington Update – This Week In Review

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/Tribes News

The Daily Beast – Poor Air Quality May Explain Why Your Sports Team Is Losing

The Hill – EPA pressed to go stricter on air pollution limit

US News –  Wildfire Smoke May Send Pregnant Women Into Premature Labor

Climate Change/Energy

The New Republic – The Climate Apocalypse Will Be Googled Mapped

E&E  – U.S. coal power refuses to die. What that means for climate

AP News  – UAE’s COP28 leader: ‘Fight climate change, not each other’

Toxics/Mobile Sources

E&E – Judge backs federal approval of massive lithium mine

Gizmodo – Exxon gives up on much-hyped algae biofuels

Native Science Report – Will Teslas Become the New Rez Car?

Indoor Air Quality/Environmental Justice

The Guardian – Gas stove pollution: will air purifiers or even plants make your home safer?

Nature – Hidden harms of indoor air pollution — five steps to expose them

EHS Daily Advisor – Biden Administration’s Guidance on Climate Change and Environmental Justice

NTAA NEWS!

REMINDER! Greetings from the TAMS Center! We are announcing a call for nominations for the Virgil Masayesva Environmental Excellence Award and for two (2) open positions on the TAMS Steering Committee. Further information and the nomination forms are online and can be accessed at the TAMS Website.

Virgil Masayesva Tribal Air Programs Excellence Award

– https://www7.nau.edu/itep/main/tams/docs/forms/TAMS-VMAward-NomForm_2023.docx

Deadline for the VM Award Nominations – March 24, 2023

TAMS SC Nominations Forms:

TAMS Steering Committee Nomination Form

– https://www7.nau.edu/itep/main/tams/docs/forms/TAMSSCNomForm_022023.docx

– https://www7.nau.edu/itep/main/tams/SCommittee/SC_overview

 Deadline for TAMS SC Nominations – February 17, 2023

Top Stories

Environmental Health News – In polluted cities, reducing air pollution could lower cancer rates as much as eliminating smoking would

Firstpost – How air pollution can checkmate chess players

The EOP Inflation Reduction Act guidebook is live and an excellent resource for stakeholders!  IRA webpage with the “living guidebook” and links to the PDF and downloadable data set: https://www.whitehouse.gov/cleanenergy/inflation-reduction-act-guidebook/

NACAA – Washington Update

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/Tribes News

The Hill – UN seeks to streamline air pollution tracking

USA Today – Exposure to air pollution increases risk for anxiety or depression. What can you do?

The Columbian – In Our View: Wildfire preparation can protect health, lives

Climate Change/Energy

New Scientist – US megadrought has led to more air pollution from power plants

USA Today – UN Secretary-General: ‘No more baby steps’ on climate change

The Hill – Strong pollution standards can ensure decarbonization of the power sector

Toxics/Mobile Sources

The Hill – California neighborhoods with more EVs see better air quality, public health

Grist – States are taking aim at toxic chemicals

Earth Justice – EPA Will Consider Closing Massive Loophole Exempting Much of Toxic Coal Ash from Health Protections

Indoor Air Quality

EPA News Release – EPA Opens Public Comment Period for Indoor airPLUS Program Update

AIRMD – February Is National Care About Your Indoor Air Month

New Atlas – Genetically modified worms glow in the presence of indoor air pollution

NTAA NEWS!

NEW! Greetings from the TAMS Center!  We are announcing a call for nominations for the Virgil Masayesva Environmental Excellence Award and for two (2) open positions on the TAMS Steering Committee.  Further information and the nomination forms are online and can be accessed at the TAMS Website:

Nominations Forms:

TAMS Steering Committee Nomination Form

– https://www7.nau.edu/itep/main/tams/docs/forms/TAMSSCNomForm_022023.docx

– https://www7.nau.edu/itep/main/tams/SCommittee/SC_overview

 Deadline for TAMS SC Nominations – February 17, 2023

Virgil Masayesva Tribal Air Programs Excellence Award

– https://www7.nau.edu/itep/main/tams/docs/forms/TAMS-VMAward-NomForm_2023.docx

Deadline for the VM Award Nominations – March 24, 2023

Top Stories

The Hill – Are EPA programs creating more barriers for polluted communities?The New York Times – Depleted Under Trump, a ‘Traumatized’ EPA Struggles with its Mission

The EOP Inflation Reduction Act guidebook is live and an excellent resource for stakeholders!  IRA webpage with the “living guidebook” and links to the PDF and downloadable data set: https://www.whitehouse.gov/cleanenergy/inflation-reduction-act-guidebook/

NACAA – Washington Update

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/Tribes News

The Daily Yonder – A Vision for Tribal Sovereignty through Sustainable Energy

EPA – EPA takes key step to stop unsafe PFAS from reentering commerce

The New Yorker – How Native Americans Will Shape the Future of Water in the West

Climate Change/Energy

Climate Connections – Dozens of billion-dollar weather disasters hit Earth in 2022

High Country News – In a warming world, California’s trees keep dying

Politico – Hawaii youth push climate claims in court

Toxics/Mobile Sources

Trains – G&W locomotives to scrap or upgrade per EPA decree in 2023

Climate Connections – Can EVs meet the needs of rural drivers? Increasingly, the answer is yes.

King 5 – This Washington study might make you think twice about your makeup choices

Indoor Air Quality

Vox – The war over gas stoves hides easier ways to fix indoor air pollution

The Guardian – These homes replaced their gas stoves – and saw a huge drop in indoor pollution

Connecticut Education Association – CT Voters Support Changes to Improve School Health

NTAA NEWS!

Top Stories

NY Times – Depleted Under Trump, a ‘Traumatized’ E.P.A. Struggles With Its Mission

E&E – EPA Unveils 100M for Environmental Justice

The EOP Inflation Reduction Act guidebook is live and an excellent resource for stakeholders!  IRA webpage with the “living guidebook” and links to the PDF and downloadable data set: https://www.whitehouse.gov/cleanenergy/inflation-reduction-act-guidebook/

Upcoming informational webinar on the newly released Request for Applications for the Environmental Justice Government-to-Government Cooperative Agreements (G2G).

There are two tribal government “tracks” in this program:  $20 million available to all federal recognized tribes, and $10 million available to “remote tribes.” Date Time (Eastern Time) Zoom Webinar Information:

January 26, 2023 (EJG2G Live Webinar) 2:00pm – 3:30pm ET Zoom Webinar Format – Applicants may ask general questions about this RFA. Visit the following link for log-in information: Join the January 26, 2023 EJG2G webinar. Registration is NOT required.

This webinar is the best way for tribes to learn about this new EPA environmental justice financial assistance program and to get answers. For more information on the EJG2G Program, Please visit: https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/environmental-justice-government-government-program for more information.

NACAA – Washington Update

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/Tribes News

Bloomberg Law – EPA Settlement sets deadlines for oil and gas air toxics rules

Ohio Capital Journal – Air quality impacting maternal, infant health of Ohions

KSL – Utah sir quality has been good, but that may change soon

Climate Change/Energy

CT Mirror – Air pollution can affect health. Climate change is worsening both

Yale Climate Connection – Researchers study how to help forests thrive in a warmer climate

Yahoo News – Secretary of energy praises Texas’s green energy production surpassing California’s

Now This News – Experts: Climate change could mean more polar bear attacks on humans

Toxics/Mobile Sources

Yale Climate Connections – Myths about fossil fuels and renewable energy are circulating again. Don’t buy them.

KOMO News – 50 years after the Clean Water Act, toxic substances are still dumped in US waterways

Inside Climate News – NOAA Climate Scientists cruise Washington and Baltimore for Hotspots – of Greenhouse Gases and Air Pollutants

Indoor Air Quality

Vancouver Sun – Parents demand B.C. schools do more to improve air quality

Clean Link – Fast Facts: How vacuum filtration helps improve indoor air

GBH – Worried about indoor air pollution from gas stovetops? Try induction cooktops