TOP STORIES & HEADLINES Archives - Page 4 of 18 - National Tribal Air Association

NTAA News!

Reminder! Alaskan Tribes are invited to NTAA’s Informational Webinar for Alaskan Tribes: Tribal Consultation 101: An Introduction to the Federal Government’s Tribal Consultation with Alaskan Tribes

TODAY October 26, 2022, | 10 am – 11 am AK Time
The agenda includes:

Welcome and Introductions: Rose Kalistook and Andy Bessler, NTAA

What is Tribal Consultation and why is it Important: Pilar Thomas, NTAA Policy Advisor

How the U.S. EPA conduct Tribal Consultation: Pat Childers, Senior Tribal Coordinator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Air and Radiation
Questions and Discussion: Andy Bessler, NTAA

This informational webinar will be held via Zoom on this link:

https://nau.zoom.us/j/2828649061?pwd=akxUb08vT05UaDNuY0dmRElDRm9MZz09
Meeting ID: 282 864 9061
Password: NTAA

You can also dial into the webinar via phone using one of these phone numbers:
1-646-931-3860 US or dial toll free to 1-888-788-0099.

REMINDER! EPA: Tribal and Insular Area Grants: Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) Request for Applications OPEN! – $8 million

Applications Due TODAY: October 26, 2022

Eligible Entities: Tribal governments (or intertribal consortiums), Alaska Native Villages, or insular area government agencies which have jurisdiction over transportation or air quality

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced the availability of grant funding for tribal and certain insular area governments to implement projects which reduce emissions from the nation’s existing fleet of older diesel engines. A total of $7 million will be made available to tribal governments, or intertribal consortia, and Alaska Native villages; and $1 million will be made available to insular area governments including the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Funds may be used to upgrade and replace older, dirtier diesel-powered vehicles and equipment with newer, cleaner vehicles and technologies.

For more information and to view the full RFA, please visit https://www.epa.gov/dera/tribal-insulararea or contact Lucita Valiere, DERA Tribal Grants Lead at 206-553-8087 or via email at [email protected].

NTAA has a new Policy Resource Kit (PRK) for Tribes to help them respond to EPA’s Pre-Proposal to Regulate Greenhouse Gases from the Power Sector by March 23, 2023!

Recently, EPA requested comments regarding their intent to address power sector rules related to:

Greenhouse Gas (GHG) New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) for New, Modified, and Reconstructed Fossil Fuel-Fired EGUs under CAA section 111(b);
Developing Proposed GHG Emission Guidelines Under CAA Section 111(d); and
Review of the Residual Risk and Technology Review (RTR) for the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS)

EPA is asking five questions related to their pre-proposal that can be read here.

You can learn more from EPA here and at this link: Docket ID: EPA-HQ-OAR-2022-0723. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the opening of a non-rulemaking docket for public input. The purpose of this docket is to solicit public input on the Agency’s efforts to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases from new and existing fossil fuel-fired electric generating units (EGUs). The goal of this non-rulemaking docket is to gather perspectives from a broad group of stakeholders. This docket will be open for public comment until March 27, 2023. The EPA will provide a separate opportunity for public comment on any future proposed rulemaking(s) for EGUs through a formal comment period. A formal comment period will be announced in the Federal Register notice of any future proposed rulemaking(s).

You can submit your comments to EPA via this link by March 27, 2023. Learn more how to submit comments to EPA here.

NTAA’s PRK for Tribes to use to submit their comments to EPA by the comment deadline of March 27, 2022. This is a pre-proposal opportunity for public comment. EPA will be seeking another round of public comment and Tribal Consultation when a draft rule is released by EPA later in 2023. NTAA has long advocated for strong emission controls on GHG emissions that impact climate change. Tribes and Tribal Air Quality will only benefit the faster we can collectively reduce GHG emissions from existing and new stationary stories.

NTAA’s PRK includes a Tribal Template Letter to use this template that includes NTAA’s comments that will be submitted by the comment period deadline of March 27, 2023).

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/Tribes News

Ethanol – EPA approves expanded E30 demonstration project in Nebraska

PHYS.Org – Real-time air quality data can be ‘life saving’

EPA – EPA Region 7 and Haskell Indian Nations University Partner to Promote Student Career Opportunities and Environmental Outreach on Campus

Canary Media – Charts: Utilities sticking with fossil fuels despite climate pledges

Washington.Edu – A new approach, not currently described by the Clean Air Act, could eliminate air pollution disparities

Native News Online – Wisconsin U.S. Senate Challenger Speaks on Relationship with Tribes, farm Bill, Environment at Oneida Forum

The Hill – EPA takes additional step toward phasing out planet-warming gas used in refrigeration

NACAA – Washington Update

Climate Change/Energy

NBC News – Doctors decry ‘record profits’ for fossil fuel companies as climate change weighs on global health

NBC News – ‘Our horses are ready’: Native Americans and white farmers form an unlikely alliance to oppose a pipeline in the Dakotas

Fast Company – States are starting to sue the fossil fuel industry over climate change

The Hill – Biden fends off challenge to climate accounting metric

Dallas Morning News – Study: Solar and wind energy saved Texas customers more than $7 billion in 2022 so far

Utility Dive – Duke Energy to pass first $56 million wave of Inflation Reduction Act tax credits to customers

TIME – Donating to Climate Charities Might Be Better Than Buying Carbon Offsets

The Verge – Climeworks closes a chapter in early carbon removal tech

E&E News – Inside EPA’s climate strategy for power plants

BBC News – Can floating turbines harvest the world’s wind?

Air Quality News – Wood burning is not a renewable energy source, campaigners say

Toxics/Mobile Sources

State of North Carolina – Executive Order # 271: Growing North Carolina’s Zero Emission Vehicle Market

NPR – Recycling plastic is practically impossible — and the problem is getting worse

Ethanol Producers – EPA approves expanded E30 demonstration project in Nebraska

Canary Media – Meet the leader in charge of doling out DOE’s $25B for novel cleantech

Utility Dive – Battery capacity in the US more than tripled since the start of 2021: report

Yale Climate Connection – Indianapolis adds more than 80 electric and electric-hybrid buses to public transit fleet

Vox – Under the hood of the electric vehicle revolution

The Hill – Federal government needs 30,000 new electric vehicles per year to meet emission goals: report

ENN – NASA Study Finds Evidence That Fuel Regulation Reduced Air Pollution from Shipping

Indoor Air Quality

Yale Environment 360 – Cancer-Causing Benzene Leaking From California Stoves, Study Finds

The Hill – Natural gas ban threats spark fear for restaurants

Inside Climate News – A New Report Suggests 6 ‘Magic’ Measures to Curb Emissions of Super-Polluting Refrigerants

Vox – Our buildings are making us sick

2022-10-26T16:30:00+00:00October 26th, 2022|TOP STORIES & HEADLINES|

NTAA News!

NTAA has a new Policy Resource Kit (PRK) for Tribes to help them respond to EPA’s Pre-Proposal to Regulate Greenhouse Gases from the Power Sector by March 23, 2023!

Recently, EPA requested comments regarding their intent to address power sector rules related to:

Greenhouse Gas (GHG) New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) for New, Modified, and Reconstructed Fossil Fuel-Fired EGUs under CAA section 111(b);
Developing Proposed GHG Emission Guidelines Under CAA Section 111(d); and
Review of the Residual Risk and Technology Review (RTR) for the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS)

EPA is asking five questions related to their pre-proposal that can be read here.

You can learn more from EPA here and at this link: Docket ID: EPA-HQ-OAR-2022-0723. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the opening of a non-rulemaking docket for public input. The purpose of this docket is to solicit public input on the Agency’s efforts to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases from new and existing fossil fuel-fired electric generating units (EGUs). The goal of this non-rulemaking docket is to gather perspectives from a broad group of stakeholders. This docket will be open for public comment until March 27, 2023. The EPA will provide a separate opportunity for public comment on any future proposed rulemaking(s) for EGUs through a formal comment period. A formal comment period will be announced in the Federal Register notice of any future proposed rulemaking(s).

You can submit your comments to EPA via this link by March 27, 2023. Learn more how to submit comments to EPA here.

NTAA’s PRK for Tribes to use to submit their comments to EPA by the comment deadline of March 27, 2022. This is a pre-proposal opportunity for public comment. EPA will be seeking another round of public comment and Tribal Consultation when a draft rule is released by EPA later in 2023. NTAA has long advocated for strong emission controls on GHG emissions that impact climate change. Tribes and Tribal Air Quality will only benefit the faster we can collectively reduce GHG emissions from existing and new stationary stories.

NTAA’s PRK includes a Tribal Template Letter to use this template that includes NTAA’s comments that will be submitted by the comment period deadline of March 27, 2023).

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/Tribes News

USDA – USDA Forest Service partners with Alliance for Green Heat to expand firewood banks nationwide

E&E News – What a Republican Congress would mean for EPA

E&E News – Feds rework rules to return human remains to tribes

E&E News – Tribes split over new Colorado national monument

AP News – Student loan forgiveness application website goes live

Utility Dive – NGOs sue EPA to force it to act on Texas’s plan exempting 8 coal-fired plants from particulate matter limits

NM Political Report – New study fingerprints methane emission sources in the San Juan Basin

AP News – Ozone hole grows this year, but still shrinking in general

EPA – EPA Issues Air Quality Advisory for Western Washington Reservations

EPA – EPA Releases 2021 Data Collected under Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program

NACAA – Washington Update

Climate Change/Energy

The Guardian – The supreme court is in session – and every case is potentially a climate one

The Guardian – The great hydrogen gamble: hot air or net zero’s holy grail?

EPA – EPA Releases 2021 Data Collected under Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program

AP – NJ sues oil, gas firms, trade group over climate change

E&E News – 5 state-level races that could alter the energy transition

E&E News – Clean energy transition gains speed, despite global tumult

Protocol – Why the $100 per ton target for carbon removal may be ‘pure fantasy’

Phys. Org – Discovery of microbial pathway that may help combat methane emissions

NPR – ‘Water batteries’ could store solar and wind power for when it’s needed

CNBC – The ‘bummer’ of the $7,500 electric vehicle tax credit: Its full value may be hard to get

Toxics/Mobile Sources

E&E News – Highway carbon rule an early test of SCOTUS climate ruling

E&E News – How much mining is needed to save the planet?

Inside Climate News – Indigenous Leaders in Texas Target Global Banks to Keep LNG Export Off of Sacred Land at the Port of Brownsville

TIME – Scientists May Have Just Cracked the Code on Fast Electric Car Charging

CNBC – Inside the only lithium producer in the U.S., which provides the critical mineral used in batteries by Tesla, EV makers

Los Angeles Times – Ports reveal unprecedented surge in harmful emissions; officials blame COVID-19 logjam

Holland & Knight – The Inflation Reduction Act: Provisions and Incentives for Local Governments

The Hill – EPA raises discrimination concerns in ‘Cancer Alley’

Medical News Today – Researchers find toxic particles in lungs, brains, and liver of unborn babies

Inside EVs – More Positive EV News From Energy Agency, But Emissions Outlook Bleak

Indoor Air Quality

Vox – The next frontier for climate action is the great indoors

The White House – Readout of Last Week’s White House Summit on Improving Indoor Air Quality

CBS News – Some U.S. cities banning new gas appliances in effort to combat climate change

GlobeNewswire – Green Builder Media Releases The Healthy Home Handbook

2022-10-19T17:04:00+00:00October 19th, 2022|TOP STORIES & HEADLINES|

NTAA News!

NTAA has a new Policy Resource Kit (PRK) for Tribes to help them respond to EPA’s Pre-Proposal to Regulate Greenhouse Gases from the Power Sector by March 23, 2023!

Recently, EPA requested comments regarding their intent to address power sector rules related to:

Greenhouse Gas (GHG) New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) for New, Modified, and Reconstructed Fossil Fuel-Fired EGUs under CAA section 111(b);
Developing Proposed GHG Emission Guidelines Under CAA Section 111(d); and
Review of the Residual Risk and Technology Review (RTR) for the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS)

EPA is asking five questions related to their pre-proposal that can be read here.

You can learn more from EPA here and at this link: Docket ID: EPA-HQ-OAR-2022-0723. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the opening of a non-rulemaking docket for public input. The purpose of this docket is to solicit public input on the Agency’s efforts to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases from new and existing fossil fuel-fired electric generating units (EGUs). The goal of this non-rulemaking docket is to gather perspectives from a broad group of stakeholders. This docket will be open for public comment until March 27, 2023. The EPA will provide a separate opportunity for public comment on any future proposed rulemaking(s) for EGUs through a formal comment period. A formal comment period will be announced in the Federal Register notice of any future proposed rulemaking(s).

You can submit your comments to EPA via this link by March 27, 2023. Learn more how to submit comments to EPA here.

NTAA’s PRK for Tribes to use to submit their comments to EPA by the comment deadline of March 27, 2022. This is a pre-proposal opportunity for public comment. EPA will be seeking another round of public comment and Tribal Consultation when a draft rule is released by EPA later in 2023. NTAA has long advocated for strong emission controls on GHG emissions that impact climate change. Tribes and Tribal Air Quality will only benefit the faster we can collectively reduce GHG emissions from existing and new stationary stories.

NTAA’s PRK includes a Tribal Template Letter to use this template that includes NTAA’s comments that will be submitted by the comment period deadline of March 27, 2023).

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/Tribes News

E&E News – Flush with cash, EPA could toughen methane rules

E&E News – Regan aide eyed to lead EPA environmental justice office

E&E News – Years into fracking boom, air regulators can’t keep up

Washington Post – EPA is ‘falling behind’ on power plant rules, report says

You can view the report mentioned in the article here.

Wisconsin Public Radio – Despite 2 decades of progress, Wisconsin still isn’t meeting national air quality standards

Yahoo News – Methane plume from ruptured Nord Stream is visible from space

E&E News – Inside the environmental justice movement’s big win

E&E News – Biden’s promise to tribes faces test in Great Lakes

U.S. EPA – EPA Launches Updates to Environmental Justice Mapping Tool EJScreen

U.S. News and World Report – State Pollution Rankings: Measuring exposure to pollution and related health risks

Nature – A 28-day, 2-year study reveals that adolescents are more fatigued and distressed on days with greater NO₂ and CO air pollution

NACAA – Washington Update

Climate Change/Energy

The Guardian – ‘The US dammed us up’: how drought is threatening Navajo ties to ancestral lands

E&E News – EPA power plant rules could be part of bigger initiative

Bloomberg – Coal Revival Threatens to Push Power Sector Emissions to Record

E&E News – What a Supreme Court case on pigs means for renewable energy

E&E News – U.S.-Saudi relations take a hit as OPEC cuts oil production

E&E News – FEMA plan sparks fears of renewables slowdown

The Hill – West Coast leaders sign agreement to expand regional climate collaboration

San Francisco Chronicle – Children exposed to air pollution before age 5 show significant changes to brain structure

Purdue University News – Something’s in the air: It’s nanoplastic pollution

Toxics/Mobile Sources

E&E News – Can anti-coal tactics work against plastics?

E&E News – U.S. shift on child labor may scramble EV sector

E&E News – General Motors launches electric grid division

U.S. EPA – Biden-Harris Administration Will Double Clean School Bus Rebate Awards to Nearly $1 Billion

Forbes – Toxic Air Pollution Particles Can Get Into Fetus Brains, Lungs, Livers, Says New Study

Safety4Sea – Analysis of shipping emissions reveals larger effect of air pollution than previously thought

Energy Monitor – Can electric boats decarbonize shipping?

Indoor Air Quality

The Guardian – How high fuel bills can worsen air pollution in our homes

U.S. EPA – EPA Announces Nationwide Outreach Initiative to Reduce Lead Exposure in Underserved Communities

Consumer Reports – How to Protect Yourself From Indoor Air Pollution and Other Hidden Home Hazards

2022-10-12T17:12:17+00:00October 12th, 2022|TOP STORIES & HEADLINES|

NTAA News!

NTAA is preparing a Policy Resource Kit for Tribes to respond to EPA’s three upcoming power sector rules, with intended proposal dates for Spring 2023. If Tribes are interested in requesting government-to-government consultation with the EPA during the pre-proposal period, please contact Regina Chappell at (919) 541-3650 or email at [email protected] by September 30, 2022.

The EPA is addressing the following three upcoming power sector rules, with intended proposal dates for Spring 2023:

GHG Emission Guidelines for existing EGUs under Clean Air Act (CAA) section 111(d);
GHG New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) for new, modified, and reconstructed EGUs under CAA section 111(b); and
Review of the Residual Risk and Technology Review (RTR) for the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS)

NTAA’s PRK will include a template letter that Tribes can use to respond to EPA’s specific questions for consideration. More information on the rules can be found here https://www.epa.gov/stationary-sources-air-pollution/nsps-ghg-emissions-newmodified-and-reconstructed-electric-utility for 111(b), and https://www.epa.gov/stationarysources-air-pollution/mercury-and-air-toxics-standards for MATS RTR. This consultation will be conducted in accordance with the EPA Policy on Consultation and Coordination with Indian Tribes (https://www.epa.gov/tribal/forms/consultation-andcoordination-tribes). The Agency invites you and your designated consultation representative(s) to participate in this process. The EPA’s anticipated timeline for the consultation period is expected to extend from September 1, 2022, to October 17, 2022.

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/Tribes News

AP News – US shift away from coal hits tribal community in New Mexico

Inside Climate News – Mobile Homes, the Last Affordable Housing Option for Many California Residents, Are Going Up in Smoke

The Hill – EPA allies support stronger safeguards for dangerous PFAS ‘forever chemicals’

Gizmodo – Ex-PG&E Execs Agree to $117 Million Wildfire Settlement

Axios – U.S. pushes for aviation emissions cuts at key summit meeting

The Hill – Congress needs to break the continuing pattern of inadequate EPA funding

Gizmodo – Fossil Fuel Industry May Be Seriously Undercounting Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Protocol – This carbon capture startup wants to decarbonize the world’s biggest polluters

Climate Change/Energy

The Hill – Fed announces pilot program on climate risk with six major banks

The Guardian – The climate crisis? We’ve been investigating it for more than 100 years

Yes Magazine – Residents are a City’s Best Source of Climate Change Data

CNN – This 100% solar community endured Hurricane Ian with no loss of power and minimal damage

Inside Climate News – The Plastics Industry Searches for a ‘Circular’ Way to Cut Plastic Waste and Make More Plastics

Mother Jones – Bitcoin’s Climate Impact Is Worse Than We Thought

Climate Change News – Researchers push to make polluters put carbon back in the ground

New Scientist – Most major carbon capture and storage projects haven’t met targets

Utility Dive – The Inflation Reduction Act upends hydrogen economics with opportunities, pitfalls

E&E News – Wind and solar are booming, but emissions aren’t falling

Toxics/Mobile Sources

AP News – Biden pledge to make federal fleet electric faces slow start

AP News – Methane blast in Baltic Sea highlights global problem

The Wall Street Journal – Nikola Tries to Ignite Market for Its Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Trucks

The Hill – US leaders can help win the EV battery race

Reuters – Oil and gas methane emissions could be solved this decade, experts say

The Guardian – The American EV boom is about to begin. Does the US have the power to charge it?

Indoor Air Quality

Consumer Report – Is Your Gas Range a Health Risk?

Consumer Report – How to Protect Yourself From Indoor Air Pollution and Other Hidden Home Hazards

PR Newswire – GREENHECK SUPPORTS HEALTHY INDOOR AIR IN SCHOOLS

eSchool News – How schools can become air quality champions this year

Globe Newsire – TSI and Building4Health Join Forces to Manage Indoor Air Quality to Optimize Occupant Health

2022-10-05T17:28:15+00:00October 5th, 2022|TOP STORIES & HEADLINES|

NTAA News!

REMINDER! The Tribes and Climate Change Program (TCCP) would like to invite you to attend today’s webinar on the implications of the recent Supreme Court ruling for EPA greenhouse gas emissions regulations and a discussion of the Biden Administration’s climate Executive Orders. See details and flier below and attached and share with any interested networks!

September 28, 2022| 10am Pacific |1pm Eastern | Click Here to Register

“On June 30, the U.S. Supreme Court delivered its ruling on West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), limiting the EPA’s authority under a provision of the Clean Air Act to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from the power sector” (University of Colorado Boulder Today, 2022).

NTAA is preparing a Policy Resource Kit for Tribes to respond to EPA’s three upcoming power sector rules, with intended proposal dates for Spring 2023. If Tribes are interested in requesting government-to-government consultation with the EPA during the pre-proposal period, please contact Regina Chappell at (919) 541-3650 or email at [email protected] by September 30, 2022.

The EPA is addressing the following three upcoming power sector rules, with intended proposal dates for Spring 2023:

GHG Emission Guidelines for existing EGUs under Clean Air Act (CAA) section 111(d);
GHG New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) for new, modified, and reconstructed EGUs under CAA section 111(b); and
Review of the Residual Risk and Technology Review (RTR) for the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS)

NTAA’s PRK will include a template letter that Tribes can use to respond to EPA’s specific questions for consideration. More information on the rules can be found here https://www.epa.gov/stationary-sources-air-pollution/nsps-ghg-emissions-newmodified-and-reconstructed-electric-utility for 111(b), and https://www.epa.gov/stationarysources-air-pollution/mercury-and-air-toxics-standards for MATS RTR. This consultation will be conducted in accordance with the EPA Policy on Consultation and Coordination with Indian Tribes (https://www.epa.gov/tribal/forms/consultation-andcoordination-tribes). The Agency invites you and your designated consultation representative(s) to participate in this process. The EPA’s anticipated timeline for the consultation period is expected to extend from September 1, 2022, to October 17, 2022.

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/Tribes News

The Hill – Biden declares major disaster in Alaska after severe storm

Huff Post – Wildly Popular And Under Attack: The Political Battle Over America’s Public Lands

High Country News – Trump tried to open Alaska lands to resource development — what will Biden do?

High Country News – Yak Titʸu Titʸu Yak Tiłhini say it’s time to return Diablo Canyon lands to Indigenous hands

The Guardian – ‘Dramatic’ rise in wildfire smoke triggers decline in US air quality for millions

E&E News – Special hiring power boosts EPA infrastructure, regional teams

Indian Country Today – Deb Haaland celebrates decades of Indigenous education

Climate Change/Energy

E&E News – Manchin backs off permitting reform in spending bill

E&E News – Manchin’s permitting overhaul: Not dead yet

Seattle Times Op-Ed – Stop sacrificing Indigenous sacred sites in the name of climate change

Business Insider – The climate crisis and the energy transition are exacerbating inequality, putting those least responsible in the worst position

Inside Climate News – Senate Votes to Ratify the Kigali Amendment, Joining 137 Nations in an Effort to Curb Global Warming

Utility Dive – DOE opens $7B hydrogen hub funding opportunity, issues draft production standard

Inside Climate News – The Pathway to 90% Clean Electricity Is Mostly Clear. The Last 10%, Not So Much

USA Today – Humanity healed the ozone hole. Can we do the same for climate change?

Seattle Times – Stop sacrificing Indigenous sacred sites in the name of climate change

Toxics/Mobile Sources

Utility Dive – How the Inflation Reduction Act is heating up an already active market for critical metals in EV batteries

NPR – Federal money is now headed to states for building up fast EV chargers on highways

Thomson Reuters Foundation – Cost of crypto: Report says U.S. bitcoin as dirty as 6 million cars

AP News – US Sen. Warnock: Electric car tax credit needs ‘flexibility’

CNBC – EV sales to hit all-time high in 2022, IEA says, but more work needed to put world on net-zero path

Grist – To ensure access to electric cars, some activists are calling attention to ‘charging deserts’

Indoor Air Quality

ACHR News – Indoor Air Quality and Decarbonization: A Healthy Balance

Phys. Org – Indoor air quality experiments show exposure risks while cooking, cleaning

2022-09-28T18:26:38+00:00September 28th, 2022|TOP STORIES & HEADLINES|

NTAA News!

Last week, the NTAA Executive Committee (EC), TAMS Steering Committee, and ITEP staff met with EPA leadership over video calls and in person in Flagstaff last week. Many great discussions were had with a shared goal of improving Tribal air quality and enhancing relationships.

Members of the NTAA EC, TAMS SC and EPA staff met on the campus of Northern Arizona University last week. Photo by Ryan Tsingine

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/Tribes News

EPA – Deputy Administrator McCabe and National Tribal Caucus Chair Wagner Co-Chair 2022 National Tribal Operations Committee Meeting

National Law Review – The Inflation Reduction Act: How Do Tribal Communities Benefit?

E&E News – Permitting overhaul in peril as funding deadline looms

Arizona Republic – National Park Service pledges to work with tribes to protect cultural sites on public lands

News and Tribune – Indiana’s Miami tribe battling for federal recognition after rule changes

NPR – Apache tribes in Arizona are leading the way in saving Emory oak trees

Durango Herald – Tribes look to preserve natural sonic environment in Bears Ears

CNN – Scientists find clues to how air pollution may trigger lung cancer

Medical News Today – Lung cancer in non-smokers: Scientists find how air pollution acts as a trigger

Washington Post – A potential connection between dementia and air pollution

The Columbian – Study: Breathing polluted air affects teenagers

NASA – NASA and Google Team up to Better Track Local Air Pollution

Climate Change/Energy

AP – Analysis: UN chief, speaking to leaders, doesn’t mince words

Inside Climate News – ‘We’re Fine’: How Solar Kept the Lights On After Fiona Left Puerto Rico in the Dark

Inside Climate News – How a Successful EPA Effort to Reduce Climate-Warming ‘Immortal’ Chemicals Stalled

NPR – The U.S. will officially phase down HFCs, gases trapping 1,000x more heat than CO2

The Guardian – Vulnerable countries demand global tax to pay for climate-led loss and damage

AP – First public global database of fossil fuels launches

AP – Minnesota Ojibwe harvest sacred, climate-imperiled wild rice

E&E News – GAO: Government must boost climate resilience

The Revelator – Solar Sovereignty: The Promise of Native-Led Renewables

KRTV – Blackfeet Nation begins implementation of Climate Change Adaptation Plan

E&E News – GOP fumes over climate law. Is there a will for repeal?

E&E News – White House unveils climate bill website for consumers

Toxics/Mobile Sources

Navajo/Hopi Observer – Chinle Unified School District receives first electric school bus

Native News Online – Tribe, Conservation Groups Sue to Stop Mining Project

E&E News – Biden announces tentative labor deal to avoid rail strike

Oregon Public Radio – As Oregon pushes more electric vehicles, a gap emerges in access

Utility Dive – DOE, federal agencies to draft plan for slashing transportation carbon emissions

The Hill – Biden touts funds for EV charging network: Will be as ‘easy to find as gas stations’

White House Fact Sheet – President Biden’s Economic Plan Drives America’s Electric Vehicle Manufacturing Boom

Clean Technica – Which U.S. States Are Best For Electric Vehicles?

Indoor Air Quality

UConn Today – White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy Recognizes UConn’s Indoor Air Quality Initiative Fighting COVID-19

Campus Safety Magazine – Improve Your School’s Indoor Air Quality with Federal ARPA Funds

KGW8 – How to make sure wildfire smoke stays outside

Wiley Online Library – HEPA filters of portable air cleaners as a tool for the surveillance of SARS-CoV-2

2022-09-21T16:58:51+00:00September 21st, 2022|TOP STORIES & HEADLINES|

NTAA News!

Reminder! NTAA member Tribes are welcome to join a NTAA member Tribe Feedback Call on Thursday, September 15^th at 2 pm ET. This call will provide NTAA members the opportunity to provide their feedback to NTAA leadership as well as hear a briefing on NTAA’s recent meetings with EPA leadership. If you are a member and did not receive a calendar invitation, please contact NTAA’s Carolyn Kelly at [email protected] to get the invite!

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/Tribes News

AP News – EPA head: Advanced nuke tech key to mitigate climate change

Energy News Network – ‘High and dry’: How toxic coal ash could be the next opportunity — or the next broken promise — for the Northern Cheyenne tribe

E&E News – What to expect on permitting reform as Congress returns

E&E News – The methane rule is under review. Here’s what it would do

One Green Planet – NYC Announces New Effort to Monitor Air Quality to Reduce Pollution

Indian Country Today – A billion dollar plan to save coal

AP – EPA denies Cheniere Energy request for LNG pollution waiver

Reuters – Nicole Mann says she is proud to be first Native American woman in space

KVPR – Smoke from ag burning contributes to long-term health effects for Valley Latino residents

Climate Change/Energy

AP – California weathers heat wave without rolling blackouts

The Hill – The crucially important points ESG critics are missing

Utility Dive – DOE moves to fund additional nuclear-coupled hydrogen projects

The NM Political Reporter – NMED works on rules to limit carbon dioxide emissions from coal-fired power plants

E&E News – How energy, environment issues are playing in Senate races

Energy Monitor – What if the Biden administration financed the replacement of every coal plant in the US?

CNBC – Inflation Reduction Act could push workers toward the climate industry

The Hill – How will Biden handle his first major climate decision after Inflation Reduction Act?

Fast Company – 650,000 efficient houses and 7.2 million free heat pumps: How the Inflation Reduction Act will impact U.S. homes

USA Today – Antarctica’s Florida-sized ‘Doomsday Glacier’ is ‘holding on today by its fingernails,’ study says

AP – What’s happening with Ukraine’s threatened nuclear plant

Toxics/Mobile Sources

AP News – 17 states weigh adopting California’s electric car mandate

CNBC – EV tax credit complexity in Biden’s climate law could throw cold water on car manufacturers

VOX – It’s the end of the car as we know it

The Riverbanks News – CARB $$ Replaces Heavy-Duty Trucks With Clean Technologies

Reuters – Shipping project explores ways to cut methane emissions from industry

Gizmodo – Making Batteries Out of Crab Shells May Be a Great Idea

CNBC – How electric vehicle manufacturing could shrink the Midwestern job market

Indoor Air Quality

Yahoo! Finance – Indoor Air Quality Compromised by the Pollution Exposure

Happi – GBAC Forms New Educational Working Group for Indoor Air Quality

WCNC – ‘Students perform better’: Schools look to improve HVAC air quality as COVID protocols change

2022-09-07T23:07:31+00:00September 7th, 2022|TOP STORIES & HEADLINES|

NTAA News!

NEW! NTAA member Tribes are welcome to join a NTAA member Tribe Feedback Call on Thursday, September 15^th at 2 pm ET. This call will allow NTAA members to provide their feedback to NTAA leadership and hear a briefing on NTAA’s recent meetings with EPA leadership. If you are a member and did not receive a calendar invitation, please contact NTAA’s Carolyn Kelly at [email protected] to get the invite!

NEW! The National Tribal Air Association is pleased to announce its newest Member Tribe. The Swinomish Indian Tribal Community. The Swinomish Indian Tribal Community is a federally-recognized tribe occupying the Swinomish Reservation in Washington. They are committed to improving the lives and well-being of our tribal members through social and cultural programs, education, economic development, and resource protection. NTAA now includes 156 Tribes in the roster of NTAA member Tribes! If you and/or your Tribe wish to join NTAA, learn how to join here for free!

NEW! The National Tribal Air Association is pleased to announce its newest Policy Advisor Committee (PAC) member, Andrea Gelatt, who is Of Counsel with Jill Grant & Associates. She is experienced in environmental law and tribal issues and will assist the National Tribal Air Association with its continued mission to advance air quality management policies and programs consistent with the needs, interests, and unique legal status of American Indian Tribes and Alaska Natives. Andrea joins NTAA’s newest Policy Advisors, Lisa Gover, and Richard Du Bey. Learn more about NTAA’s PAC here.

NEW! The National Tribal Air Association is pleased to announce its newest associate member, Franklyn Tranquilino Telles. Franklin is currently attending Northern Arizona University’s Ph.D. in Earth Sciences and Environmental Sustainability Program. Franklin’s career objective is to work in a position where he can use my experience to develop further and share his research and education skills while mentoring and promoting students’ academic success. Welcome aboard, soon-to-be Dr. Telles!

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/Tribes News

AP News – EPA waives fuel rule in 4 states after Indiana refinery fire

HuffPost – Colo. Leaders Call On Biden To Protect Public Lands Via Drilling Ban, New Monument

The Gazette – New Colorado Springs exhibit explores Indigenous perspectives on ecology, climate change

The Register-Guard – Rewilding the West with wolves and beavers will curb climate change

ABC News – New book makes argument for addressing climate migration

Climate Change/Energy

TIME – Trees Are the Secret Weapon of America’s Historic Climate Bill

E&E News – FDR built a ‘Great Wall of Trees.’ Could Biden do the same?

The Guardian – ‘It’s a deal with the devil’: outrage in Appalachia over Manchin’s ‘vile’ pipeline plan

PBS – As price of natural gas surges, so do household energy bills

Consumer Affairs – Consumers face much higher natural gas prices this winter

Reuters – U.S. says had constructive talks with India on Russian oil price cap plan

The Hill – GOP targets powerhouse Wall Street firms over investments meant to fight climate change

The Hill – DOE awarding $540 million to ramp up clean energy research

Toxics/Mobile Sources

Utility Dive – California sets road map to complete ban on gasoline-powered vehicle sales by 2035

NPR – California wants to end sales of new gas cars by 2035. Here are 4 key roadblocks

NPR – California’s phasing out of gas-powered cars will require infrastructure changes

Canary Media – Lunar Energy enters solar+battery field with $300M investment

CBS News – Electric vehicles are essential in limiting global warming. Experts say they need a clean power grid to maximize their potential.

Energy Monitor – EV smart charging: A golden opportunity for distribution system operators

Indoor Air Quality

NW News Network – Scientists work to protect indoor air quality from wildfire smoke

Business Wire – Media Alert: AIHA Exposure Scientist Aims to Address Poor Indoor Air Quality in Schools, Health Risks to Students

Open PR – Indoor Air Quality Monitor Market Current Trends Competitive Landscape, Sales, Share, Outlook 2028 | By Application GrayWolf, TSI, E Instruments, Bacharach, 3M

2022-08-31T17:00:17+00:00August 31st, 2022|TOP STORIES & HEADLINES|

NTAA News!

The 2022 Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA): A Reference Summary for Clean Air Agencies

In the wake of this weekend’s passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, here is a quick and informal brief for the National Association of Clean Air Agencies (NACAA) members that unpacks what’s in the law in plain English. This quick NACAA brief includes three sections: a summary of the overall provisions and two lists of all the programs funded by the IRA (one for all the funding going through EPA, and one for funding going through other Federal agencies). These lists include the purpose, dollar amount, eligible recipients, and the page number of the bill so you can go look for yourself what Congress intended for the money. More news to follow!

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/Tribes News

Gothamist – NY deploys labs on wheels to measure air pollution block by block

Clean Technica – New Report Details 2 Major Air Pollutants & Related Health Impacts In More Than 7,000 Cities

Denver Post – Colorado regulators tell Suncor to better monitor air pollution from oil refinery north of Denver

Grist – Wildfire smoke is choking Indigenous communities

Desert Sun – House passes wildfire and drought package that includes $250 million for Salton Sea

Protocol – Carbon dioxide removal is growing. So is the need for a code of conduct.

AP News – Heavy rain forces road closures, flood watches in Arizona

Mother Jones – Watch: Western Cities Are in a Bind as the Colorado River Runs Dry

Climate Change/Energy

The Hill – Nearly all marine species face extinction if greenhouse emissions don’t drop: study

E&E News – Climate law seen driving ‘demand destruction for fossil fuels’

E&E News – The top 10 emitting power plants in America

E&E News – U.S. emissions up 2.5% in first half of year

Axios – White House: Climate law could slash related damages by up to $1.9 trillion

Axios – Biden administration pressed on EV charging payment equity

NPR – Federal judges deal the oil industry another setback in climate litigation

Politico – Hot deals: A consumer’s guide to the new climate law

Inside Climate News – The New US Climate Law Will Reduce Carbon Emissions and Make Electricity Less Expensive, Economists Say

Politico – Energy secretary guardedly optimistic about gas prices

Thomson Reuters Foundation – Migrants share lessons with U.S. to improve climate resilience

Canary Media – Chart: Which sectors will drive biggest emission cuts under climate bill?

The Guardian – Solar panels: how to fix your energy bills while the sun shines

Toxics/Mobile Sources

Protocol – Indiana has a $100 million EV plan. Black communities say they’re being left out.

Energy News Network – Federal electric bus program leaves Chicago, other school districts behind

CBS News – These electric vehicles qualify for tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act

Quartz – The new US climate law has a gigantic methane leak

CBS News – How roundabouts improve traffic safety and lower carbon emissions

Protocol – How GM plans to make its ambitious EV goals reality

Indoor Air Quality

The Hill – Greens ask EPA to ban new natural gas heating

NBC News – Asthma deaths rose during the pandemic. Climate change may make it worse.

Spokane Public Radio – Scientists work to protect indoor air quality from wildfire smoke

Bloomberg Law – Climate Bill Improves Air Quality Despite Fossil Fuel Benefits

2022-08-24T16:45:35+00:00August 24th, 2022|TOP STORIES & HEADLINES|

NTAA News!

REMINDER! Clean School Bus Rebates Application deadline is this Friday, August 19, 2022. SAM.gov entity registration required.

EPA is offering $500 million in rebates for electric and low-emission school buses. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law of 2021 authorizes EPA to offer rebates to replace existing school buses with clean and zero-emission (ZE) models. The 2022 Clean School Bus (CSB) Rebates process includes SAM.gov account registration, application submission, review and selection by EPA, purchase order submission and request for payment, payment receipt, new bus delivery and old bus replacement, and close out.

NEW! The 2022 Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA): A Reference Summary for Clean Air Agencies

In the wake of this weekend’s passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, here is a quick and informal brief for the National Association of Clean Air Agencies (NACAA) members that unpacks what’s in the law in plain English. This quick NACAA brief includes three sections: a summary of the overall provisions and two lists of all the programs funded by the IRA (one for all the funding going through EPA, and one for funding going through other Federal agencies). These lists include the purpose, dollar amount, eligible recipients, and the page number of the bill so you can go look for yourself what Congress intended for the money. More news to follow!