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

Top Stories

NTAA will be hosting an informational webinar for Tribes on Wednesday, January 19^th at 2pm ET to help Tribes better understand and comment on EPA’s Proposed Emissions Guidelines to Reduce Methane from the Oil and Natural Gas Industry. NTAA has also released a Tribal Template Letter for Tribes to use as well as NTAA’s new fact sheet on NTAA’s Policy Resource Kit page here. Last week, NTAA’s Chairwoman Carol Kriebs testified during EPA’s public hearing last week. You can read her remarks here. Deadline extended: Comments are now due to the EPA on January 31^st, 2022 (previously January 14^th) Comment here!

Submit your 2022 NTFAQ Presentation Abstract by January 15! | Google Form

The National Tribal Forum on Air Quality (NTFAQ) aims to support Tribal programs by fostering information-sharing and networking opportunities that are focused on building Tribal capacity in air quality management. The event’s agenda is driven by Tribal input and priorities, with a focus on increasing Tribal engagement in air quality initiatives that are relevant to tribal communities across the nation.

The NTFAQ is scheduled for May 2-5, 2022. Sample topic for presentations or trainings may include but is not limited to:

• Air Quality & Grants
• Air Quality Policy & Regulations
• Indoor Air Quality
• Air Quality Health and Research
• Technical: air monitoring, data management & analysis, emission inventories
• Tribal Case Studies: examples of Tribes implementing air quality projects & programs
• Climate Change & Air Quality
• Community engagement: youth, elders, and community leaders
• Tribal/Traditional Knowledge

If you have questions about the agenda, presentation options, or other ways to participate in the event, please contact [email protected].
Timeline:

• Letter of Notification (will include instructions and timeline): February 17th, 2022

• Presentation Materials Deadline: March 28 (if pre-recorded) April 15 (if in-person)

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes News

U.S. News – FDA Expands Booster Shots to More Kids

E&E News – Biden has no EPA air nominee as climate goals teeter

E&E News – What’s ahead for ‘Build Back Better’: 4 scenarios

E&E News – What to watch at DOE, FERC, Interior in 2022

High Country News – Indigenous feminism flows through the fight for water rights on the Rio Grande

Cronkite News – Rez ball rebirth in Chinle: Navajo Nation rebounds as pandemic takes toll

Native News Online – Court Rules Mining Rights Stay with the Feds on Oklahoma Tribal Lands

Indian Country Today – ‘America’s forgotten Indigenous rights movement’

The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act impacts almost every aspect of Alaska Native life #ancsa50

Vox – How humans could live two years longer: You can’t see particles smaller than 2.5 microns. But they kill 3.4 million people a year.

Mongabay – More trees means healthier bees, new study on air pollution shows

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

Climate Change/Energy

NPR – How 2021’s floods and heat waves are signs of what’s to come

Popular Science – Climate change disasters cost the world over $100 billion this year

NY Times – Chile Writes Its Constitution, Confronting Climate Change Head On

Nature – How researchers can help fight climate change in 2022 and beyond

Yes! Magazine – Electric Solutions to Decarbonize Your Life

NY Times – Coming Soon to This Coal Country: Solar, in a Big Way

ITEP Tribes and Climate Change Monthly Newsletter

Toxics/Mobile Sources

NPR – EPA announces tighter fuel economy standards for cars and trucks

E&E News – Regulatory fight looms over first-ever air toxics addition

Ensia – Radioactive contamination is creeping into drinking water around the U.S.

Indian Country Today – Jackpile Mine toxic legacy continues at Laguna Pueblo

The State of Massachusetts – MassDEP Files New Regulations to Reduce Emissions, Advance Market for Clean Trucks in the Commonwealth

The Office of New York Governor Hochul – Governor Hochul Announces Adoption of Regulation to Transition to Zero-Emission Trucks

NPR – Walmart sued for allegedly dumping hazardous waste in California

Indoor Air Quality

Forbes – Leaders Must Prioritize Indoor Air Quality. Here’s Why.

HSM – New WiFi indoor air quality monitor

Top Stories

EPA – EPA Finalizes Greenhouse Gas Standards for Passenger Vehicles, Paving Way for a Zero-Emissions Future

E&E News – Manchin burns climate package. What happens now?

The Tribes of EPA Region 5 (Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan) would like to share with you the 2021 Edition of the Tribal Air Resources Journal, Volume 13.  The Tribes in Region 5 have compiled this Journal since 2008 to promote our air achievements and successes, and share obstacles and setbacks encountered in their Tribal communities and air resources.  This year, and last, proved to be a year of testing many Tribes’ resolve and in this Journal some Tribes address how COVID has impacted their Programs.

NTAA has released a Tribal Template Letter to comment on EPA’s Proposed Emissions Guidelines to Reduce Methane from the Oil and Natural Gas Industry. You can find NTAA’s new fact sheet on NTAA’s Policy Resource Kit page here. Last week, NTAA’s Chairwoman Carol Kriebs testified during EPA’s public hearing last week. You can read her remarks here. Deadline extended: Comments are now due to the EPA on January 31^st, 2022 (previously January 14^th) Comment here!

Submit your 2022 NTFAQ Presentation Abstract | Google Form

The National Tribal Forum on Air Quality (NTFAQ) aims to support Tribal programs by fostering information-sharing and networking opportunities that are focused on building Tribal capacity in air quality management. The event’s agenda is driven by Tribal input and priorities, with a focus on increasing Tribal engagement in air quality initiatives that are relevant to tribal communities across the nation.

The NTFAQ is scheduled for May 2-5, 2022. Sample topic for presentations or trainings may include but is not limited to:

• Air Quality & Grants
• Air Quality Policy & Regulations
• Indoor Air Quality
• Air Quality Health and Research
• Technical: air monitoring, data management & analysis, emission inventories
• Tribal Case Studies: examples of Tribes implementing air quality projects & programs
• Climate Change & Air Quality
• Community engagement: youth, elders, and community leaders
• Tribal/Traditional Knowledge

If you have questions about the agenda, presentation options, or other ways to participate in the event, please contact [email protected].
Timeline:

• Call for Presentations Opens: December 1st, 2021
• Presentation Proposals Due: January 15th, 2022
• Letter of Notification (will include instructions and timeline): February 17th,
• 2022
• Presentation Materials Deadline: March 28 (if pre-recorded) April 15 (if in-person)

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes News

The Hill – White House hails ‘significant progress’ on conservation goals

The Guardian – How much air pollution do you live with? It may depend on your skin color

EPA – EPA awards over $32 million for tribal environmental programs in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest

Missoulian – EPA grants boost smoke, disease protection

The Denver Post – Biden’s EPA pick in the West aims to restore protections dropped under Trump

Indian Country Today – ‘Historic’ meeting renews push for Black Hills

Indian Country Today – Netflix’s ‘Maya and the Three’ inspires a list of Indigenous warrior princesses

Indian Country Today – Making ‘Molly of Denali’ as ‘authentic as possible’

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

Climate Change/Energy

E&E Climate Wire – Dems scramble, seethe after Manchin kills climate bill

E&E Climate Wire – ‘Top of the list’: W.Va. faces surprising climate dangers

CNN Business – Coal miners want Joe Manchin to reverse opposition to Build Back Better

Fortune – Biden’s green orders seek to rebuild global trust on climate

E&E Climate Wire – Military exempt from Biden order to cut federal emissions

NPR – In 2021, climate ambitions soared and crashed in the U.S. and around the world

The New Yorker – The Year in Climate

E&E News – Mass., Md. approve deals for massive offshore wind farms

The Hill – Energy Department announces new office for renewable demonstration projects

The Hill – Biden administration advances two large-scale solar projects in California

Toxics/Mobile Sources

ABC News – Biden boosts fuel-economy standards to fight climate change

Clean Technica – $5 Billion For Electric School Buses In US Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act

EPA – EPA Announces Plans to Use First $1B from Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Funds to Clear Out the Superfund Backlog

The Verge – The EV revolution’s next big roadblock: access to chargers

Indoor Air Quality

The Guardian – How much indoor air pollution do we produce when we take a shower?

Healthline – Will Mask Mandates Help Stop Omicron Spread? What We Know

Buildings – How a Cultural Shift in Hotel Air Quality Will Keep People Safe