Top Stories

NTAA News!

NTAA leadership just finished several weeks of meetings with EPA Leadership and shared NTAA Tribal priorities and talking points with EPA and now with you!

         On NTAA’s home page, you can find these hyperlinked NTAA’s priorities and talking points:

• NTAA FY 2024 Budget Recommendations to the National Tribal Caucus
• NTAA Talking Points and Priorities from Meeting with EPA Management 3.2.22
• NTAA Talking Points on the Power Sector Rulemaking from Meeting with EPA Management 2.23.22 

Registration for the 2022 National Tribal Forum on Air Quality is now open! Click here to register to attend in-person or virtually. NTFAQ’s Planning Committees have been busy planning this year’s forum hosted by the Miscogee Nation in Tulsa, Oklahoma, May 2-5, 2022. You can learn more about the NTFAQ and NTAA’s Annual Meeting that will take place during NTFAQ on NTAA’s website here. Be sure to contact [email protected] if you have any questions!

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes News

Axios – EPA floats path on electricity CO2 emissions — with an asterisk

E&E News – What EPA’s new power plant plans mean for carbon

NPR – Global carbon emissions from energy spiked to record highs last year

Indian Country Today – Chickahominy Tribe reacquires ancestral lands

Native News Online – Answers to an Italian Sculptor’s Questions about Native Americans

Medical Xpress – Air pollution linked to depressive symptoms in adolescents

NPR – Even many decades later, redlined areas see higher levels of air pollution

Here’s your link to this week’s NACAA Washington Update

Climate Change/Energy

Vice – The Far-Right Is Trying to Blame the Climate Crisis on Immigration

Inside Climate News – Latest IPCC Report Marks Progress on Climate Justice

Canary Media – How to shift building heat to electric? NY activists have lots of ideas

Inside Climate News – At Global Energy Conference, Oil and Gas Industry Leaders Argue For Fossil Fuels’ Future in the Energy Transition

E&E News – Biden defends energy record, blames Putin for high prices

Politico – Biden officials say they support oil and gas production. The industry is wary.

E&E News – Democrats insist they haven’t abandoned climate goals

Inside Climate News – As the US Rushes After the Minerals for the Energy Transition, a 150-Year-Old Law Allows Mining Companies Free Reign on Public Lands

E&E News – ‘Son of Build Back Better.’ Energy CEOs eye renewables’ future

Utility Dive – California prepares for $10.5M port renovations for offshore wind development

Politico – Offshore wind is set to soar. Fishing groups want to pump the brakes.

ITEP Tribes and Climate Change Monthly Newsletter

Toxics/Mobile Sources

Slate – Are Gas Prices Too High? Or Is Your Car Too Big?

The Atlantic – Drive Slow for America

Axios – Why gas prices are so high and what Biden can do about it

Reuters – CERAWEEK As EV demand rises, Biden officials warm to new mines

S&P Global – CERAWEEK: Citing concerns over China, Manchin sours on EV deployment

Reuters – CERAWEEK PG&E partners with Ford Motor on bidirectional EV charging

S&P Global – CERAWEEK: DOE’s ‘Energy Earth Shots’ requires private industry collaboration

Utility Dive – American Battery Factory plans battery cell gigafactories to support U.S. storage market

USA Today – Electric cars coming on fast: Climate worries, sinking prices put spotlight on EV sales

The Verge – EVs won’t save us from high gas prices

Indoor Air Quality

NPR – Better air in classrooms matters beyond COVID. Here’s why schools aren’t there yet

ACHR News – Pandemic Created Consumer Awareness, Increased Demand for Indoor Air Quality Solutions

8 News Now – Aria, Park MGM get top rating in Las Vegas Strip indoor air quality survey

Top Stories

NTAA News!

NTAA leadership just finished several weeks of meetings with EPA Leadership and shared NTAA Tribal priorities and talking points with EPA and now with you!

         On NTAA’s home page, you can find these hyperlinked NTAA’s priorities and talking points:

• NTAA FY 2024 Budget Recommendations to the National Tribal Caucus
• NTAA Talking Points and Priorities from Meeting with EPA Management 3.2.22
• NTAA Talking Points on the Power Sector Rulemaking from Meeting with EPA Management 2.23.22

The NTAA is in the final week seeking story submissions for the 2022 Status of Tribal Air Report!

We are asking that you draft the short story or nominate someone who you may think has a great idea! Please list or write a short paragraph below for one (or two) of the topics given in the Google Form. You may also submit another form response. DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION: Friday, March 11, 2022

The NTAA STAR is an annual publication intended to provide an understanding of the importance and impact of Tribal air programs. As such, one of the biggest components to the STAR is the unique perspectives of air programs within Tribal communities. So please provide your success and challenge stories, we’d love to hear from you! Reach out to [email protected], NTAA Community Program Coordinator, for any questions.

Registration for the 2022 National Tribal Forum on Air Quality is now open! Click here to register to attend in-person or virtually. NTFAQ’s Planning Committees have been busy planning this year’s forum hosted by the Miscogee Nation in Tulsa, Oklahoma, May 2-5, 2022. You can learn more about the NTFAQ and NTAA’s Annual Meeting that will take place during NTFAQ on NTAA’s website here. Be sure to contact [email protected] if you have any questions!

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes News

E&E News – EPA floats 2 options for slashing truck emissions limits

E&E News – Lawmakers release fiscal 2022 spending deal

E&E News – White House names EPA, Energy and USGS nominees

Indian Country Today – High Court hears Native law cases

Indian Country Today – Oklahoma, tribes tension compared to western states

The Conversation – IPCC reports still exclude Indigenous voices. Come join us at our sacred fires to find answers to climate change

E&E News – EPA science advisers unanimously back tighter soot limits

E&E News – Interior advances large solar project on Nev. tribal land

The Guardian – ‘The good fight’: Roebuck Plains Station and its return to Indigenous owners

Yale Climate Connections – The power of the sun: cleaning water and charging cell phones in the Navajo Nation

Desert Sun – Wildfire season is coming again — or maybe it’s now all year long

The Hill – Biden forgets a key message on the environment: Balance

Here’s your link to this week’s NACAA Washington Update

Climate Change/Energy

The Guardian – Q&A: Has the IPCC’s bleak warning of climate breakdown been heard?

Reuters – Analysis: As Russia avoids energy sanctions, oil majors flee but TotalEnergies stays

CNBC – How the war in Ukraine and climate change are shaping the nuclear industry

EPA – EPA Publishes State-Level Greenhouse Gas Emissions Data, Resources to Promote State Action on Climate

The Hill – Average gas price highest in over a decade

Grist – ‘Pain at the pump’: The highly flammable politics of American gas prices

E&E News – Grid operators’ ‘seam’ study paves way for renewable expansion

BuzzFeed – Here’s What The New Climate Report Says About The Future Of My 1-Year-Old Daughter

WSJ – Let Alaska Sell American Energy to the World

The Hill – IPCC warns preventing climate catastrophe is nearly out of reach

Fast Company – How to get past despair and take powerful action on climate change

ITEP Tribes and Climate Change Monthly Newsletter

Toxics/Mobile Sources

E&E News – EV buyers face long waits, price hikes above sticker cost

E&E News – War shakes up market for EVs, batteries

Utility Dive – Inflation, production backlogs hit electric transit bus manufacturer Proterra

The Verge – Tesla wins approval for German Gigafactory but still has to meet conditions

Axios ­– The cold hard truth about electric vehicles in winter

PBS – Cow burps are a major contributor to climate change — can scientists change that?

The Hill – What damages should the feds consider when regulating carbon?

Indoor Air Quality

Air Quality News – New study explores impact of indoor air pollution on child health

Azo Nano – Using Nanotechnology to Improve Indoor Air Quality

Clean Link – Green Seal, Healthy Schools Campaign Launch First National Standard For School Air Quality

Top Stories

NTAA News!

NTAA welcomes the newest member of the NTAA Executive Committee for Region 10 Tribes Caleb Minthorn!

Caleb works in the Air Quality Office for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation and will serve as the alternate representative on the NTAA EC with primary representative Lucas Bair. Please join us in welcoming Caleb to the NTAA EC! To learn more about NTAA’s EC, click here.

The NTAA is currently seeking story submissions for the 2022 Status of Tribal Air Report!

We are asking that you draft the short story or nominate someone who you may think has a great idea! Please list or write a short paragraph below for one (or two) of the topics given in the Google Form. You may also submit another form response. DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION: Friday, March 11, 2022

The NTAA STAR is an annual publication intended to provide an understanding of the importance and impact of Tribal air programs. As such, one of the biggest components to the STAR is the unique perspectives of air programs within Tribal communities. So please provide your success and challenge stories, we’d love to hear from you! Reach out to [email protected], NTAA Community Program Coordinator, for any questions.

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes News

CNN – The Supreme Court is hearing a major case on EPA’s authority over planet-warming gases. Here’s what’s at stake.

Reuters – Analysis: Who pays? UN climate report reignites global fight for compensation

Indian Country Today – Native officials speak out against Russia

Greenwire – Big environmental questions await Supreme Court pick Jackson

Native News Online – Tesla Signs Deal with Minnesota-Based Nickel Mine; Mine Could Violate Treaty Rights, Threaten Water, Rice, Fish, & More in the Mississippi River Watershed

E&E News – 15 years of Supreme Court climate fights come to a head Monday

E&E News – Supreme Court case could snarl Biden climate agenda

KUNC – Tribes will get $1.7 billion for water rights settlements as part of federal infrastructure spending

Inside Climate News – How One Native American Tribe is Battling for Control Over Flaring

Fox Business – 15 states sue EPA over new oil and gas rules, Paxton says Ukraine war shows ‘need for energy independence’

Here’s your link to this week’s NACAA Washington Update

Climate Change/Energy

E&E News – State of the Union: All the energy takeaways

E&E News – How Russia’s invasion could hamper Biden’s climate agenda

NBC News – Supreme Court takes up EPA’s power to limit greenhouse gas emissions

NPR – Climate change is killing people, but there’s still time to reverse the damage

Time – The IPCC Is Finally Using the Right Words to Talk About Climate Change Inequality and Justice

19^th News – Women of color are leading climate justice work. They’re also struggling to find funding.

Axios – Climate change gets pushed out of the spotlight

AP News – EXPLAINER: What does Ukraine invasion mean for energy bills?

Grist – A record-breaking offshore wind lease sale signals a new era for development

Reuters – Exclusive: U.S. utilities push White House not to sanction Russian uranium

Greenwire – Uranium may regain ‘critical’ status despite USGS move

ITEP Tribes and Climate Change Monthly Newsletter

Toxics/Mobile Sources

Yale Environment 360 – Why Methane Is a Large and Underestimated Threat to Climate Goals

Grist – The Postal Service plans to spend billions on gas-powered vehicles

Washington Times – White House moves to fight climate ‘denialism’ amid calls to end fossil-fuel crackdown

E&E News – Nev. lithium mine advances with state permit approval

High Country News – How a Tacoma gas facility started a fight over climate change, sovereignty and human rights

Transport Topics – Infrastructure Spending Among Themes for Biden’s State of the Union

US DOT – Air Travel Consumer Report: December 2021, Full Year 2021 Numbers

Indoor Air Quality

ACHR News – Cloud Connected Product Gives Homeowners Indoor Air Quality Peace of Mind

ABC 7 News – Krafft Service Corporation returns to discuss how to improve your indoor air quality

Top Stories

NTAA News!

The NTAA is currently seeking story submissions for the 2022 Status of Tribal Air Report!

We are asking that you draft the short story or nominate someone who you may think has a great idea! Please list or write a short paragraph below for one (or two) of the topics given in the Google Form. You may also submit another form response. DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION: Friday, February 25th, 2022

The NTAA STAR is an annual publication intended to provide an understanding of the importance and impact of Tribal air programs. As such, one of the biggest components to the STAR is the unique perspectives of air programs within Tribal communities. In last year’s STAR, there was mention of needs not being met when it comes to implementing programs or projects due to the lack of funding and infrastructure. Our hope for this STAR is to emphasize funding, and not just the need for more funding for Tribes, but more emphasis on how Tribes are utilizing funds to implement projects and programs. So please provide your success and challenge stories, we’d love to hear from you! Reach out to [email protected], NTAA Community Program Coordinator, for any questions.

NTAA has released a new template letter that Tribes can use to respond to EPA’s Proposed revisions for National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for Primary Copper Smelters. Comments to EPA are due on February 25, 2022. You can find the template letter here and find NTAA’s fact sheet here. To learn more, visit NTAA’s website here or EPA’s website here.

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes News

E&E News – White House releases EJ mapping tool amid rising scrutiny

E&E News – EPA: Power plant emissions spiked last year

Grist – A federal permitting agency will take emissions, environmental justice into account

AP News – Race excluded as WH rolls out climate justice screening tool

AP News – White House spending targets social justice; criteria vague

Indian Country Today – Tribal college part of NASA plan

Vox – How to clear the air in the most polluted cities on Earth

Grist – In Chaco Canyon, a moratorium on oil and gas leases might be too little too late

Reuters – Biden voices support for new U.S. mines, if they don’t repeat past sins

The Hill – Supreme Court rebuffs Dakota Access appeal

Here’s your link to this week’s NACAA Washington Update

Climate Change/Energy

Bloomberg – How the Supreme Court Could Decide Biden’s Climate Future

E&E News – Why the White House never released its 2030 climate strategy

Axios – The U.S. is now energy independent

The Guardian – The great greenwashing scam: PR firms face reckoning after spinning for big oil

Public Service News – Voters in AZ, West Worried About Water, Climate Change

CNN – Biden administration freezes new oil and gas drilling leases after court rules against key climate tool

WPI – New Negative-Emission Construction Material Could Help Mitigate Climate Change and Improve Infrastructure 

Time – An Effort to Make the American Corn Industry Climate-Friendly Has Turned Into a Political Melee in the Midwest

Reuters – U.S. EPA commits to increasing biofuel use, targets not yet finalized

NPR – Soot is accelerating snow melt in popular parts of Antarctica, a study finds

Inside Climate News – Researchers Say Science Skewed by Racism is Increasing the Threat of Global Warming to People of Color

ITEP Tribes and Climate Change Monthly Newsletter

Toxics/Mobile Sources

Grist – The Biden administration is updating truck pollution standards

Reuters – Mercedes-Benz foresees EV-only production lines within a few years

Vox – The mystery of methane gone missing

Turlock Journal – Air District receives $36.5M to deploy zero-emission trucks in the Valley

CNBC – Toyota and Yamaha are developing a hydrogen-fueled V8 engine

Financial Times – Tesla’s reverse on battery cells signals shift for electric vehicles

The Guardian – Oil and gas facilities could profit from plugging methane leaks, IEA says

CNBC – Airbus plans to test hydrogen engine on A380 jumbo jet to fly in 2026

Indoor Air Quality

Medical Xpress – Omitting indoor air quality from COVID-19 guidance for shelters and long-term care homes is a grave mistake

Modern Building Services – Why our buildings should be safe havens for good indoor air quality

Top Stories

NTAA News!

NTAA seats New Chairwoman and Secretary!

NTAA would like to congratulate Syndi Smallwood for becoming the new chairwoman of NTAA! Syndi serves as the Environmental Director of the Jamul Indian Village, Region 9, in California. NTAA would also like to congratulate Billie Toledo for becoming the new secretary for NTAA! Billie is from the Prairie Band of Potawatomi Indians, Region 7, in Kansas. Visit NTAA’s website to learn more about NTAA’s Executive Committee here.

NTAA welcomes the newest NTAA Member Tribe, The Rappahannock Tribe, Region 3, in Virginia! Join us in welcoming them to the family of 154 NTAA Member Tribes! If you and/or your Tribe would like to join the Rappahannock Tribe and NTAA as a member, please visit NTAA’s website here!

The NTAA is currently seeking story submissions for the 2022 Status of Tribal Air Report!

We are asking that you draft the short story or nominate someone who you may think has a great idea! Please list or write a short paragraph below for one (or two) of the topics given in the Google Form. You may also submit another form response. DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION: Friday, February 25th, 2022

The NTAA STAR is an annual publication intended to provide an understanding of the importance and impact of Tribal air programs. As such, one of the biggest components to the STAR is the unique perspectives of air programs within Tribal communities. In last year’s STAR, there was mention of needs not being met when it comes to implementing programs or projects due to the lack of funding and infrastructure. Our hope for this STAR is to emphasize funding, and not just the need for more funding for Tribes, but more emphasis on how Tribes are utilizing funds to implement projects and programs. So please provide your success and challenge stories, we’d love to hear from you! Reach out to [email protected], NTAA Community Program Coordinator, for any questions.

NTAA has released a new template letter that Tribes can use to respond to EPA’s Proposed revisions for National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for Primary Copper Smelters. Comments to EPA are due on February 25, 2022. You can find the template letter here and find NTAA’s fact sheet here. To learn more, visit NTAA’s website here or EPA’s website here.

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes News

The Washington Post – Biden Administration Sets Interim Greenhouse Pollution Cost Estimates

E&E News – EPA pushes school ventilation upgrades as mask mandates fall

NM Political Report – Clean Future Act heads to House floor

Politico – Biden’s climate agenda stalls, and progressives fume

E&E News – White House CCS guidance exposes environmental justice rifts

E&E News – Inflation news throws more cold water on ‘Build Back Better’

E&E News – A devastating blaze picked a fight with scientists

The Hill – Biden administration announces green manufacturing push

High Country News – The first answer for food insecurity: data sovereignty

Grist – Climate change brings thinner, more unstable ice to the Great Lakes

Indian Country Today – An Indigenous Super Bowl champion

Here’s your link to this week’s NACAA Washington Update

Climate Change/Energy

NBC News – U.S. megadrought worst in at least 1,200 years, researchers say

NPR – Ocean water along U.S. coasts will rise about one foot by 2050, scientists warn

E&E News – With climate bill stalled, Democrats push EJ agenda

AP News – UN to finalize science report on how warming hits home hard

Montana Public Radio – Youths suing Montana over climate change will have their day in court

Politico – Climate investing ‘boycott bills’ flood state capitals

The Guardian – Facts give lie to claim record oil money is being poured into green projects

The Washington Post – Manchin wants ‘good things on climate.’ What does that mean?

Utility Dive – US senators express bipartisan support for hydrogen as states vie to become hydrogen ‘hubs’

NPR – How climate change is forcing cities to rebuild stormwater systems

The Independent – Super Bowl heatwave – you can thank climate change

The Hill – Congress must find common ground on climate

ITEP Tribes and Climate Change Monthly Newsletter

Toxics/Mobile Sources

E&E News – Who wants Biden’s EV-charging money? Everybody

USA Today – Fact check: EV transition does not require every gas station in the U.S. to go electric

Bloomberg Green – Sticking With Gas-Guzzlers Over EVs Could Delay Postal Upgrade

Reuters – U.S. energy department advances $6 bln nuclear plant program

CNBC – These 23-year-old Texans made $4 million last year mining bitcoin off flare gas from oil drilling

The Guardian – Experts skeptical of Shine Energy’s proposed ‘flexible’ coal power station

Utility Dive – PJM stakeholders advance interconnection reform plan to speed process, clear clean energy backlog

Grist – Biden’s 500,000 EV charging stations get a $5 billion start

Axios – How artificial intelligence could help fuel the electric vehicle revolution

Indoor Air Quality

Why is this Happening? – 50 min. Chris Hayes Podcast – An Indoor Clean Air Act? with Dr. Linsey Marr

E&E News – EPA pushes school ventilation upgrades as mask mandates fall

9News – Cooking with gas could create in-home air pollution

RE Journals – Is indoor air quality now an incentive for employees? Honeywell study suggests it is

Top Stories

NTAA News!

The NTAA is currently seeking story submissions for the 2022 Status of Tribal Air Report!

We are asking that you draft the short story or nominate someone who you may think has a great idea! Please list or write a short paragraph below for one (or two) of the topics given in the Google Form. You may also submit another form response. DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION: Friday, February 25th, 2022

Background:

The NTAA STAR is an annual publication intended to provide an understanding of the importance and impact of Tribal air programs. As such, one of the biggest components to the STAR is the unique perspectives of air programs within Tribal communities. In last year’s STAR, there was mention of needs not being met when it comes to implementing programs or projects due to the lack of funding and infrastructure. Our hope for this STAR is to emphasize funding, and not just the need for more funding for Tribes, but more emphasis on how Tribes are utilizing funds to implement projects and programs. So please provide your success and challenge stories, we’d love to hear from you! Reach out to [email protected], NTAA Community Program Coordinator, for any questions.

NTAA is working on a Policy Resource Kit to help Tribes respond to EPA’s Proposed revisions for National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for Primary Copper Smelters. Comments to EPA are due on February 25, 2022. You can find NTAA’s fact sheet here and stand by for template letter your Tribe can use to submit comments. to learn more, visit EPA’s website here.

NEW! FOR REGION 10 TRIBES!

NTAA has a Region 10 alternate executive committee seat open. As of January 28^th, 2022, Carol Kriebs (Kootenai Tribe of Idaho) has stepped down from the primary representative role and Executive Committee Chair. As the alternate R10 representative, Lucas Bair will step into the primary representative role for the remainder of the term, which will end on June 30, 2023. Thank you to Carol for her significant contributions to tribal air quality work in the region and nationally.

On behalf of NTAA and in accordance with the NTAA Executive Committee’s Bylaws, EPA staff in Region10 (R10) are facilitating a call for nominations for the alternative R10 representative for the remainder of this term. Tribal staff can nominate themselves or another person.

         How to Nominate:

To submit a nomination, please send the following information to Sandra Brozusky at [email protected] by close of business February 11, 2022.

• Nominee’s name, Tribe, and contact info
• Why this person is a good candidate, or why you are interested in the position (300 words or less)
• Please feel free to contact Andy Bessler at [email protected] or NTAA EC member Lucas Bair at [email protected] if you have any questions about NTAA or the Executive Committee. For more information on NTAA can be found at https://www.ntaatribalair.org/.

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes News

The Guardian – ‘Carbon footprint gap’ between rich and poor expanding, study finds

E&E News – EPA clashes with Fla. over use of Trump WOTUS rule

The Hill – Biden administration sides with tribes over North Dakota in mineral dispute

E&E News – How states could topple Biden’s Justice40 goals

The Washington Post – Urban air pollution affects 2.5 billion people worldwide, study says

Science – Global assessment of oil and gas methane ultra-emitters

The Hill – EPA science advisers recommend tighter soot air quality standards in draft document

CNN – EPA to bring back mercury pollution rules that were nixed under Trump administration

Indian Country Today – Nooksack Tribe demands retraction from United Nations

Here’s your link to this week’s NACAA Washington Update

Climate Change/Energy

AP News – Biden extends Trump-era solar tariffs, but loosens some

Bloomberg – Landmark Study Validates Satellite Tracking of Giant Methane Leaks

CNN – All the Beijing snow is human-made — a resource-intensive, ‘dangerous’ trend as planet warms

E&E News – House OKs China bill packed with energy, enviro spending

Yale Climate Connections – 12 reports identify small but steady steps forward in 2022

The Guardian – A third of Americans are already facing above-average warming

Canary Media – Chart: How 11 states are building the US offshore wind industry from scratch

Fast Company – Climate change means Alaska will be able to grow more food—now is the time to start planning

USDA – USDA to Invest $1 Billion in Climate Smart Commodities, Expanding Markets, Strengthening Rural America

ITEP Tribes and Climate Change Monthly Newsletter

Toxics/Mobile Sources

WBUR – Communities of color get more gas leaks, slower repairs, says study

Washington Examiner – White House looking at options to lower gas prices amid surge

Fortune – Ford’s CEO just made a convincing case to break his company up and go full EV

Wall Street Journal – Where Is There More Lithium to Power Cars and Phones? Beneath a California Lake.

Axios – Electric vehicles will shake up gas stations

Indoor Air Quality

Air Quality News – Half of PM2.5 from domestic burning comes from outdoor sources, says stove industry

News Direct – The Importance of Indoor Air Quality

Ris Media – HUD Announces $4 Million Radon Testing Notice of Funding Opportunity

Business Wire – Global Radon Detector Markets, 2021-2028: Increasing Importance and Awareness of Indoor Air Quality & Positive Impact of Radon Related Codes and Standards – ResearchAndMarkets.com

News Wires – IAQ Distribution Encourages SoFi Stadium to Prioritize Indoor Air Quality in Advance of Super Bowl

Medical News Today – Improvements in air quality may slow down the rate of age-related cognitive decline

Top Stories

NTAA News!

The entire NTAA family is grateful for the leadership of Carol Kriebs, NTAA’s Region 10 representative who stepped down last week as the chairwoman of NTAA. As Carol moves onto new opportunities in the lovely forests of Idaho, we all wish her well. Carol provided us all with great leadership to to help advance air quality with NTAA since 2019! Thank you Carol!

Brandy Toft, NTAA Region 5 Representative is now the Interim Chair for NTAA. Thank you Brandy for stepping up in the meantime!

Region 10 Tribes are invited to consider joining current R10 NTAA Representative Lucas Bair as a new NTAA EC Alternate Representative for Region 10 Tribes. Feel free to respond to the EPA announcement below!

The NTAA is currently seeking story submissions for the 2022 Status of Tribal Air Report!

We are asking that you draft the short story or nominate someone who you may think has a great idea! Please list or write a short paragraph below for one (or two) of the topics given in the Google Form. You may also submit another form response. DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION: Friday, February 25th, 2022

Background:

The NTAA STAR is an annual publication intended to provide an understanding of the importance and impact of Tribal air programs. As such, one of the biggest components to the STAR is the unique perspectives of air programs within Tribal communities. In last year’s STAR, there was mention of needs not being met when it comes to implementing programs or projects due to the lack of funding and infrastructure. Our hope for this STAR is to emphasize funding, and not just the need for more funding for Tribes, but more emphasis on how Tribes are utilizing funds to implement projects and programs. So please provide your success and challenge stories, we’d love to hear from you! Reach out to [email protected], NTAA Community Program Coordinator, for any questions.

NTAA is working on a Policy Resource Kit to help Tribes respond to EPA’s Proposed revisions for National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for Primary Copper Smelters. Comments to EPA are due on February 25, 2022. You can find NTAA’s fact sheet here and stand by for a NTAA template letter your Tribe can use to submit comments. To learn more, visit EPA’s website here.

NTAA submitted comments to EPA this week on their proposed methane rule. The comment period closed on Monday. You can view NTAA’s comment letter here.

NEW! FOR REGION 10 TRIBES!

NTAA has a Region 10 alternate executive committee seat open. As of January 28^th, 2022, Carol Kriebs (Kootenai Tribe of Idaho) has stepped down from the primary representative role and Executive Committee Chair. As the alternate R10 representative, Lucas Bair will step into the primary representative role for the remainder of the term, which will end on June 30, 2023. Thank you to Carol for her significant contributions to tribal air quality work in the region and nationally.

On behalf of NTAA and in accordance with the NTAA Executive Committee’s Bylaws, EPA staff in Region10 (R10) are facilitating a call for nominations for the alternative R10 representative for the remainder of this term. Tribal staff can nominate themselves or another person.

How to Nominate:

To submit a nomination, please send the following information to Sandra Brozusky at [email protected] by close of business February 11, 2022.

• Nominee’s name, Tribe, and contact info
• Why this person is a good candidate, or why you are interested in the position (300 words or less)
• Please feel free to contact Andy Bessler at [email protected] or NTAA EC member Lucas Bair at [email protected] if you have any questions about NTAA or the Executive Committee. For more information on NTAA can be found at https://www.ntaatribalair.org/.

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes News

AP – EPA restores rule to limit power-plant mercury emissions

Fast Company – Tiny nanoplastics are floating in the air—and you’re breathing them in

CNBC – Biden is sending more than $1 billion to states to plug abandoned oil and gas wells

The White House – Biden Administration Tackles Super-Polluting Methane Emissions

NSF News – Bubbles of methane rising from seafloor in Puget Sound

EDF – Widespread Public Support and New Analysis Underscore Need for Powerful EPA Methane Rules

NPR – Native American tribes reach a tentative opioid settlement with J&J and distributors

E&E News – Regan vows concrete steps to confront EJ problems

E&E News – Tech giants, utility powerhouse back EPA in SCOTUS climate case

E&E News – On anniversary of Biden’s EJ order, is Justice40 delivering?

E&E News – Climate ‘champion’ sought to replace Breyer

ProPublica – EPA Rejects Texas’ More Lenient Standard for Highly Toxic Air Pollutant

CNBC – What Indigenous people can teach us about fighting climate change

Indian Country Today – Winter Olympics feature three Indigenous women

Inside Climate News – For the First Time, a Harvard Study Links Air Pollution From Fracking to Early Deaths Among Nearby Residents

Here’s your link to this week’s NACAA Washington Update

Climate Change/Energy

The Hill – Climate-driven extreme heat is ‘new normal’ for oceans: study

Roll Call – Democratic divisions fester over ‘Build Back Better’

Our Children’s Trust – Judge Rules in Favor of Montana Youth Plaintiffs, Affirms Case Can Proceed to Trial

AP News – Alaska court rules against youths in climate change lawsuit

NOLA.com – U.S. floats ideas on methane and clean power

Axios – U.S. floats ideas on methane and clean power

Axios – The social cost of carbon is about to get an update

E&E News – How a record-breaking heat wave fueled climate anxiety

MIT News – Reducing methane emissions at landfills

ITEP Tribes and Climate Change Monthly Newsletter

Toxics/Mobile Sources

Energy News – Transition to electric transportation must elevate equity beyond EVs, advocates say

CNBC – How the fossil fuel industry is pushing plastics on the world

KBAK – EV charging company helps to reduce air pollution in the Central Valley

AP News – Union Pacific announces plans for battery-electric engines

Indoor Air Quality

Native America Calling – The Menu: Indigenous Food News (Editor’s note: NTAA provided information on methane leaks from gas stoves in the last 15 minutes of the show)

CNN – Gas stoves are a threat to health and have larger climate impact than previously known, study shows

Washington Post – Gas stoves pose a big risk to the planet and your health, study says

Top Stories

The NTAA is currently seeking story submissions for the 2022 Status of Tribal Air Report!

We are asking that you draft the short story or nominate someone who you may think has a great idea! Please list or write a short paragraph below for one (or two) of the topics given in the Google Form. You may also submit another form response. DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION: Friday, February 25th, 2022

Background:

The NTAA STAR is an annual publication intended to provide an understanding of the importance and impact of Tribal air programs. As such, one of the biggest components to the STAR is the unique perspectives of air programs within Tribal communities. In last year’s STAR, there was mention of needs not being met when it comes to implementing programs or projects due to the lack of funding and infrastructure. Our hope for this STAR is to emphasize funding, and not just the need for more funding for Tribes, but more emphasis on how Tribes are utilizing funds to implement projects and programs. So please provide your success and challenge stories, we’d love to hear from you! Reach out to [email protected], NTAA Community Program Coordinator, for any questions.

NTAA hosted an informational webinar on EPA’s Proposed Methane Rule, January 19, 2022 that you can view here.

The following slide shows were used in the webinar shown above:

Moms Clean Air Force Presentation

Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) 

NTAA’s Presentation

NTAA’s PRK for Tribes includes:

• NTAA Fact Sheet on EPA’s Proposed Rule on Emissions Guidelines to Reduce Methane from the Oil and Natural Gas Industry
• You can also access a Template Letter in NTAA’s Policy Resource Kit for Tribes to submit comments to EPA by January 31^st.
• NTAA’s comment letter will be submitted on the comment deadline.

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes News

Indian Country Today – Hoping for an end to yearslong treaty rights fight

Reuters – Do not assume COVID pandemic reaching ‘end game’, warns WHO

KPIX – NorCal Tribal Group Reclaims California Redwood Forest

The Hill – EPA announces pollution monitoring program in vulnerable Southern communities

The Pratt Tribune – Tribal land sales have funded many current American Universities

The Mercury – Rare, ‘terrifying’ winter Big Sur fire burns down to iconic Highway 1 bridge

E&E – EPA seeks input on candidates for ozone standards review

HCN – EPA prohibits White Mesa Mill from receiving Superfund waste

Cronkite News – Vicious circle: Tribal broadband program hindered by lack of broadband

Cronkite News – As tribes wait for investigation to conclude, debate over Indian schools continues

Here’s your link to this week’s NACAA Washington Update

Climate Change/Energy

Nexus – Permits for Public Lands Drilling Up During Biden’s First Year

USA Today – Climate change denial on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and TikTok is ‘as bad as ever’

NY Times – Can works like ‘Don’t Look Up’ get us out of our heads?

Axios – Rihanna’s foundation pledges $15 million to fight for climate justice

The Intercept – Pipeline Giant Enbridge Uses Scoring System to Track Indigenous Opposition

The Guardian – Oil firms accused of scare tactics after claiming climate lawsuits ‘a threat to US’

CNBC – The dust has settled on COP26. Now the hard work begins

NY Times – Old-Fashioned, Inefficient Light Bulbs Live On at the Nation’s Dollar Stores

USA Today – ‘Code Red’ Heat: The climate emergency is sending more kids of color to the emergency room

Nexus – Shell’s Permian Sell-Off Unlikely To Reduce Climate Pollution

The Hill – Biden launches green buildings partnership with states, cities

MSNBC – ‘Give Manchin the pen’: Markey, Khanna on how to get climate in Build Back Better

ITEP Tribes and Climate Change Monthly Newsletter

Toxics/Mobile Sources

The Hill – GM announces record $7B investment in electric vehicle plants

E&E News – The 2022 EVs that matter most for climate

Greenwire – Pebble mine developer does away with Washington lobbyists

Grist – Abandoned oil well counts are exploding — now that there’s money on the table

Utility Dive – DOE, DOT scramble to hire ‘Energy Corps,’ roll out EV charging network

Minneapolis Star Tribune – Enbridge says it has fixed aquifer ruptured while building Line 3 oil pipeline in Minnesota

Indoor Air Quality

The Hill – Biden announces green buildings initiative

San Francisco Chronicle – Why is air quality so bad in the winter? How wood-smoke pollution and “temperature inversions” work in the Bay Area

Top Stories

Be sure to join today’s NTAA Informational Webinar on EPA’s Proposed Methane Rule at 2pm ET. You can register and attend NTAA’s webinar here. The 1 ½ hour webinar will include a Panel Discussion with:

• NTAA’s Ian Fisher and Laura McKelvey
• American Lung Association’s Laura Kate Bender
• Moms Clean Air Force’s Shaina Oliver and Celerah Hewes
• EDF’s Eric Kills a Hundred and Edwin LaMair

You can learn more and comment from NTAA’s Policy Resource Kits page here.

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes News

E&E News – EPA to review rules for largest source of lead in air

Indian Country Today – Tribal sovereignty ballot initiative smashes threshold

Inside Climate News – In the Latest Rights of Nature Case, a Tribe Is Suing Seattle on Behalf of Salmon in the Skagit River

Mongabay News – By cultivating seaweed, Indigenous communities restore connection to the ocean

ABC News – Low-income schools facing string of challenges after natural disasters: Report

The Hill – GOP senator blocks Biden EPA nominees over coal plant decision

Indian Country Today – Setting a climate course when politics divides

Indian Country Today – Vicious circle: Tribal broadband program hindered

Here’s your link to this week’s NACAA Washington Update

Climate Change/Energy

Reuters – How the White House hopes to save Biden’s Build Back Better bill

E&E News – DOT to allot $27B to fix bridges, ensure climate resilience

E&E News – Interior reveals plans for orphan well cleanup

E&E News – EPA tackles coal-to-crypto industry trend

Energy Wire – Power companies back EPA climate authority at Supreme Court

The Guardian – Global heating linked to early birth and damage to babies’ health, scientists find

Grist – Biden is ending Trump’s war on green appliances — but not very quickly

Reuters – Emissions set to rise with global power demand – IEA

ITEP Tribes and Climate Change Monthly Newsletter

Toxics/Mobile Sources

NBC News – California’s Salton Sea is a potential hotspot for lithium production

CNBC – How the U.S. fell behind in lithium, the ‘white gold’ of electric vehicles

The Guardian – Chemical pollution has passed safe limit for humanity, say scientists

The Verge – Bill Gates’ climate fund looks to funnel billions into carbon removal, green hydrogen, and more

Indoor Air Quality

PR Newswire – Johnson Controls Unveils Industry-First OpenBlue Indoor Air Quality as a Service Solution to Help Organizations Keep Occupants Safe and Healthy

Yahoo! Finance – North America HVAC System Market to Hit USD 58.56 Billion by 2028; Awareness Regarding Maintaining Indoor Air Quality to Augment Market Growth: Fortune Business Insights™

Street Insider – Clean Air Matters; How Effective Clean Air Technology Is Becoming Essential to a Healthy Future

Top Stories

E&E News – ‘Heartbreaking’: 2021 climate-related disasters killed 688

Indian Country Today – America’s forgotten Indigenous rights movement: The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act impacts almost every aspect of Alaska Native life

CNN – The last 7 years have been the warmest on record as planet approaches critical threshold

Space.com – Satellites reveal record high methane concentrations despite reduction pledges

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes News

Indian Country Today –  ‘We’re being wrapped in poison’ A century of oil and gas development has devastated parts of northern Oklahoma. Now the Ponca Tribe is fighting back

E&E News – Democrats request probe of White House EJ actions

E&E News – Meet the EPA staffers key to Biden’s goals

Phys.org – Common clay materials may help curb methane emissions

MIT News – Understanding air pollution from space

Healio News – Air pollution levels linked to 16% of pediatric asthma cases globally

Helsinki Times – Long term exposure to air pollution may heighten COVID-19 risk: Study

Here’s your link to this week’s NACAA Washington Update

Climate Change/Energy

Inside Climate News – US Emissions Surged in 2021: Here’s Why in Six Charts

Inside Climate News – Five Climate Moves by the Biden Administration You May Have Missed

Axios – White House expands clean energy push as legislation stalls

E&E News – Tina Smith isn’t giving up on her clean electricity program

Bloomberg – Challenge to EPA’s Climate Authority Heads to Supreme Court

The Hill – Biden administration seeks reversal of Trump move opening up more Arctic drilling

ITEP Tribes and Climate Change Monthly Newsletter

Toxics/Mobile Sources

E&E News – Postal Service: Here’s the price tag for 100% EVs

Indian Country Today – Tribes concerned about plan to power nuclear lab

E&E News – About-face: GM agrees to Calif. tailpipe emissions rule

The Hill – EPA to assess impact on endangered species before signing off on pesticide ingredients

Green Car Reports – Research could help extend EV battery life by 30%, slow degradation

Indoor Air Quality

Axios – Why we need to wear better masks

The Guardian – Covid loses 90% of ability to infect within 20 minutes in air – study

Exclusive: Findings highlight importance of short-range Covid transmission