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NTAA Releases the Nation’s First Baseline Needs Assessment Survey for Tribal Air Programs.

A Note from NTAA Chairwoman Carol Kriebs:

On behalf of the NTAA’s Executive Committee and staff, we thank you in advance for completing this Baseline Needs Assessment. Thank you for taking time out of your busy day to contribute to NTAA’s collective

knowledge and information needed to fund Tribes’ unmet needs to advance Tribal Air Quality Programs. Your BNA results will be made public and you can request a copy of your answers. NTAA will be providing the BNA results so that Tribes and members of the public can better understand the unmet needs for all 573 federally recognized Tribes and many other Tribal communities who work hard to bring clean air for all and the future generations. Finally, we wish to express our gratitude to the Partnership for Air Matters for their professionalism and care with NTAA’s Executive Committee to release this BNA today!

ABOUT THE SURVEY:

The National Tribal Air Association invites you to participate in a baseline needs assessment of Tribal air quality funding needs, issues and priorities. All Tribes are encouraged to submit their survey.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

1. What’s the Purpose of the Survey? The information you provide will enable NTAA to comprehensively describe Tribal ambient and indoor air quality funding needs. This information will then be used to identify the range of Tribal air quality funding needs and priorities and build Tribal air quality management
2. Is it Voluntary? Yes! Your participation in this survey is voluntary and you are free to decline to answer any question you do not wish to
3. How Long Will It Take? The survey will take between 15 – 20 minutes to
4. Is There an Incentive? Actually yes! The first 50 respondents to submit a completed survey will receive a $10 Starbucks or $10 Amazon gift card. (This is made possible through the donation of an NTAA non-profit partner, not federal funds.)
5. What if My Internet is Connection is Poor? We are happy to conduct the survey with you by telephone. If you would like to take the survey by phone, please email Sydney Janssen at [email protected] to set up a time, or call 800-717-2118, Ext. 105
6. What if I am Not Familiar to Air Quality? If you would like to familiarize yourself with air quality funding sources and concepts mentioned in the survey, please review the glossary PDF.
7. When Does the Survey Close? The survey closes on Friday, October 29th at 5:00pm Pacific Standard

TO BEGIN THE SURVEY, CLICK HERE. (If the link does not automatically open, please cut and paste this link into your

browser: https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/6420470/NTAA-Baseline-Needs- Assessment). You can also find the survey on NTAA’s website here.

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

E&E News- Spending vote Monday as agencies prepare for possible shutdown

U.S. EPA – EPA Now Hosting Biweekly National Environmental Justice Community Engagement Calls

HCN – Federal judge allows excavation work on Native massacre site

The Verge – Babies’ poop has way higher levels of microplastics than adults’

Tribal Tribune – Reintroducing Salmon back to their native habitat

NPR – Northern California Has Been Hit With A Startling Increase Of Wildfire Smoke

NPR – The Cherokee Nation Has Agreed To A $75 Million Settlement With Opioid Distributors

High Country News – 6 things you should know about the 2021 Native American Voting Rights Act

The Hill – Native American tribes call for ‘immediate action’ to protect Bears Ears National Monument: report

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

Climate Change/Energy

NPR – Children Born In 2020 Will Experience Up To 7 Times More Extreme Climate Events

The Guardian – COP26: Women must be heard on climate, says rights groups

U.S. EPA – U.S. Will Dramatically Cut Climate-Damaging Greenhouse Gases with New Program Aimed at Chemicals Used in Air Conditioning, Refrigeration

Washington Post – Young climate activists join Greta Thunberg for first major Fridays for Future strikes of pandemic

The Guardian – Children set for more climate disasters than their grandparents, research shows

The Hill – Pelosi says it would be a ‘dereliction of duty’ if infrastructure goes in ‘wrong direction’ on climate

NPR – Oregon Has A New Plan To Protect Homes From Wildfire. Homebuilders Are Pushing Back.

Ensia – Desalination has guided water exchanges for Israel and Jordan. Could it play a role in the Colorado River Basin’s future?

NY Times – Bitcoin Uses More Electricity Than Many Countries. How Is That Possible?

MarketWatch – 2015 methane-gas blowout near Los Angeles leads to settlement of up to $1.8 billion

Toxics/Mobile Sources

High Country News – Wild rice sues to stop oil pipeline

The Hill – 21 states urge Biden to consider stricter car emissions rules than proposed

NY Times – After Hurricane Ida, Oil Infrastructure Springs Dozens of Leaks

PHYS.org – Microbial ‘theft’ enables breakdown of methane, toxic methylmercury

E&E – What China’s coal phaseout means for the world

E&E – Oil States Brace For Biden Methane Rule

Reuters – GM backs vehicle emissions reductions goals in EPA proposal

Indoor Air Quality

NY Times – How Bad Indoor Air Quality Can Affect Your Brain

Livescience.com – What is the Air Quality Index?

Be sure to subscribe to EPA’s IAQ Bulletins

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Inside Climate News – Does Nature Have Rights? A Burgeoning Legal Movement Says Rivers, Forests and Wildlife Have Standing, Too

Business Green – oil and gas production emissions could be double official estimates, satellite data suggests

GreenWire – What to expect from Interior and EPA this fall

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

Axios – The Toll of Environmental Racism

The Washington Post – wildfire threatens historic trees at Sequoia National Park. Fireproof blankets are the defense

E&E – Beefed-up air monitoring needed for national parks — report

E&E – Methane fee collides with EPA rules. ‘It’s very unusual’

The White House – Joint US-EU Press Release on the Global Methane Pledge

Washington Post – Anatomy of a wildfire: how the Dixie Fire became the largest blaze of a devastating summer

NY Times – The Unconventional Weapon Against Future Wildfires: Goats

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

Climate Change/Energy

Grist – The climate costs of keeping Line 5 open would be very high

Climate Signals – Atlantic Hurricane Season 2021

COP26 – UN Climate Conference UK 2021

The Hill – Facebook’s new climate change misinformation effort falls short, advocates say

Billboard – Billie Eilish, Finneas, Maroon 5, Brittany Howard & More Push Congress to Act on Climate Change Bill

AP – Drought tests centuries-old water traditions in New Mexico

Today Show – Offshore wind farms provide promising roadmap for more clean energy

Toxics/Mobile Sources

AP – Biden, world leaders push climate action, vow methane cuts

MSNBC – What Congress will ask oil execs when they testify on climate disinformation

National Observer – Major toilet paper brands are flushing our forests down the drain

Energy News Network – Solar project helps to reclaim site of notorious Boston-area toxic waste case

Gizmodo – Chevron CEO: ‘let them plant trees’

Gizmodo – E-waste from a single Bitcoin transaction is like throwing away two iPhone 12 minis

Indoor Air Quality

EPA – September is National Preparedness Month: Prepare for disasters to protect your family’s health and indoor air quality

Be sure to subscribe to EPA’s IAQ Bulletins

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If you missed this year’s virtual National Tribal Forum on Air Quality, you can watch a fun and short recap video on NTAA’s website or on ITEP’s Facebook Page! The short video includes a farewell tribute to Bill Thompson, former NTAA EC Member who recently passed and Jay Littlewolf of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe. You will be missed.

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

Greenwire – Epic battle looms as EPA prepares to revive air toxics rule

U.S. DOE’s Office of Indian Energy – Mohawk Women Cultivate Growth and Resilience Through Solar Savings

AP – Unhealthy air lingers in Montana as wildfire season drags on

The Hill – US, EU will agree to cut methane emissions: report

AP – ‘A hungry monster’: Strong winds power wildfire in Spain

PNAS – Local- and regional-scale racial and ethnic disparities in air pollution determined by long-term mobile monitoring

NPR – U.S. Tribes Are Demanding Emergency Protection For Wolves

Forbes – Are Air Pollution And Climate Change Two Sides Of The Same Coin?

Reuters – Serbian protesters demand more action to stop industrial pollution

Climate Change/Energy

NPR – The Federal Government Sells Flood-Prone Homes To Often Unsuspecting Buyers, NPR Finds

AP – Biden pitches spending plan as key to fight climate change

Modern Farmer – How Has Hurricane Ida Affected Agriculture and Food?

The Hill – More people see climate change as personal threat: survey

Vox – Grass is good. Lawns are terrible.

Thomson Reuters Foundation – Global conservation forum votes to protect Amazon forest from ‘apocalyptic scenario’

Yale Climate Connections – Global warming isn’t just a natural cycle

Toxics/Mobile Sources

NY Times – Harvard Says It Will Not Invest in Fossil Fuels

Axios – The high stakes of the natural gas branding battle

The Hill – Reconciliation measure including repeal of Arctic refuge drilling advances

Reuters – Albemarle expects stellar 2022 earnings on surging lithium demand

Energy Monitor – Oil industry flaring needs immediate action to keep net-zero hopes alive

Vox – How to end the American obsession with driving

Indoor Air Quality

NY Time – 6 Questions to Ask About Covid and Air Quality at Work

NPR – Research Finds Wildfire Smoke Makes Indoor Air Unhealthy Too

Greener Ideal – Are Candles Really Bad for Indoor Air Quality at Home?

The Washington Post – A hospital says it won’t deliver babies after staffers resigned over coronavirus vaccine mandate

Be sure to subscribe to EPA’s IAQ Bulletins

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Bloomberg – Satellites Spot Methane Plumes Over U.S. Caused by ‘Routine Work’

Politico – Automakers gear up for an all-electric future

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

Nasdaq – Alphabet’s (GOOGL) Nest Hub Introduces Air Quality Feature

EPA – EPA Tools for Communities Cleaning Up after Hurricane Ida

Cronkite News – Chickasaw woman gets USDA post, one in a string of Indigenous nominees

Indian Country Today – Tribes lose bid to block digging at lithium mine

Indian Country Today – Oklahoma Tribes governor still at odds over McGirt

Climate Change/Energy

The Washington Post – Nearly 1 in 3 Americans experienced a weather disaster this summer

The 19^th – Risk of gender-based violence increases during natural disasters like Hurricane Ida. Better preparation is key

TIME – A Climate Solution Lies Deep Under the Ocean—But Accessing It Could Have Huge Environmental Costs

Kake – Environmental groups ask Congress to fund billions of dollars in climate measures in reconciliation

Energy News – Ponds, reservoirs could host floating solar in space-constrained Massachusetts

CPR News – How A Colorado Coal Plant Could Become A Massive Battery For Renewable Energy

Reuters – Explained: The state of the U.S. electric vehicle charging network

Toxics/Mobile Sources

Freight Waves – Cool Mountain Transport receives EPA SmartWay certification

CDL Life – EPA slaps diesel repair shops with fines for ‘defeat device’ violations

NY Times – A Century Ago, Miners Fought in a Bloody Uprising. Few Know About It Today.

Wall Street Journal – Chevron Girds for Activist Challenge After Exxon’s Proxy Battle Defeat

CNBC – Engine No. 1 takes climate fight to other big oil companies after underdog win at Exxon

Indoor Air Quality

Public News Service – Air Quality Faces Dual Threats from Wildfires, Gas Appliances

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Welcome to new NTAA Executive Committee representatives elected in Alaska : Primary representative Rose Kalistook of the Association of Village Presidents and Alternate representative Shannon Isaacs from the Craig Tribal Association. Congratulations to Rose and Shannon on their election to represent Alaska on the NTAA Executive Committee! To learn more about the NTAA EC, click here.

The Status of Tribes and Climate Change Report (STACC) is now available for download! The STACC Report seeks to uplift and honor the voices of Indigenous peoples across the U.S. to increase understanding of Tribal lifeways, cultures, and worldviews, the climate change impacts Tribes are experiencing, the solutions they are implementing, and ways that all of us can support Tribes in adapting to our changing world. This report was convened by the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP) Tribes and Climate Change Program and written by the STACC Working Group. Find out more information about the working group by clicking here.

Members of the NTAA Executive Committee and staff met virtually with EPA’s Deputy Administrator Janet McCabe yesterday along with Jane Nishida of the Office of International and Tribal Affairs and leadership from EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation.

Today, NTAA leaders will be meeting with office directors from EPA’s Office of Transportation and Air Quality, the Office of Atmospheric Programs, the Office of Radiation and Indoor Air and the Office of Environmental Justice. These meetings are part of NTAA’s regular communication with EPA leadership to help advance Tribal air quality. Specifically, NTAA leaders discussed the recommendations from the 2021 STAR and a NTAA letter sent last week to OAR leadership on the proposed $50 million of ARP funding for air monitoring.

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

The Hill – Cutting air pollution levels could raise life expectancy by 2 years: study

The Hill – The major emitter that’s missing from climate negotiations

US News – Gaps in US Wildfire Smoke Warning Network Leave Many Exposed

NBC News – ‘All we can do’: Firefighters attempt to merge California wildfires in effort to control one

New York Post – Air Pollution linked to schizophrenia, depression: study

The Guardian – ‘Our future might not look the same’: wildfires threaten way of life in California’s mountain towns

TIME – California’s Wildfire Problem Could Be Solved by a Few Legal Changes

Cronkite News – Solutions and struggle: COVID relief highlights complexity of issues facing Native people

Cronkite News – Yurok Tribe in Northern California grows solutions in soil of crises

Time – “It’s Critical That The Rivers Continue to Flow.” Environmental Activist Nicole Horseherder on Reclaiming Water Rights for Native Americans

National Association of Clean Air Agencies – Washington Update

Climate Change/Energy

AP – Ida’s sweltering aftermath: No power, no water, no gasoline

The Conversation – Hurricane Ida turned into a monster thanks to a giant warm patch in the Gulf of Mexico – here’s what happened

The Nevada Independent – Report: Extreme temperatures disproportionately affects minority, low-income communities stuck in ‘heat islands’

NPR – Greenhouse Gas Levels Are The Highest Ever Seen — And That’s Going Back 800,000 Years

The Hill – Judge rebuffs red states’ challenge to Biden’s ‘social costs’ of greenhouse gases

The Hill – Biden administration to ‘revise’ regulations for solar, wind on public lands

NY Times – 40 Million People Rely on the Colorado River. It’s Drying Up Fast.

E&E News – Dems’ reconciliation plans: ANWR drilling halt, lease overhaul

Crosscut – Inside the latest Indigenous push to stop a massive copper mine

Indian Country Today – Panel considers future of coal-fired power plant

Wall Street Journal – West Virginia Creates Jobs Farming Lavender at Former Coal Mines

Toxics/Mobile Sources

American Lung Assc. – Two-thirds of Voters Nationwide Support Investments in Zero-Emission School Buses

EDF – EPA Expected to Act Soon on Mercury and Air Toxics Standards

Axios – The other job for batteries in boosting the electric vehicle market

KTRK – Colonial Pipeline temporarily shuts down 2 fuel lines as Hurricane Ida makes landfall

Reuters – Biden infrastructure plan takes on EV charging’s inequality problem

E&E – EVs are ‘unfeasible,’ Postal Service says

The Verge – FAA grants could clean up airport emissions

Indoor Air Quality

Salt Lake Tribune – Why indoor air can be just as bad as the pollution outside — and what you can do about it

KHN – As Schools Spend Millions on Air Purifiers. Experts Warn of Overblown Claims and Harm to Children

Bloomberg Law – Indoor Air Pollution Remains a Deadly—and Unregulated—Problem

Santa Clarita Valley Signal – How This Sweden Based Air Filtration Company Camfil is Improving Air Quality in Classrooms at US Schools. Reports Explains

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NTAA partnered with the Tribal Air Monitoring Support Center’s Steering Committee and the National Tribal Caucus to comment on EPA’s proposed $50 million for air quality monitoring from the Biden Administration’s American Rescue Plan. Click here to read the letter sent on August 24, 2021. 

NTAA recently published a fact sheet for Tribes to better understand EPA’s Strategic Plan. EPA’s Strategic Planning process is used to move EPA’s policy priorities into action. Click here to view the NTAA fact sheet and check back for updates when EPA releases the draft plan for public comment.

Click here to view NTAA’s latest Monthly Update Video from Craig Kreman in Region 6 ! Each month, EC members provide updates from their region and from NTAA for Tribes. Check out previous NTAA Monthly Video Updates here !

On behalf of the late Bill Thompson, NTAA EC Member for Region 1, his son is seeking donations to help build a home for their mother—a dream that she and Bill shared before his unexpected passing. He writes :

My father took good care of my mother. He always worked hard, and eventually found his path in the protection and betterment of the environment, specifically air quality. He was deeply committed to this work and contributed to this field on a national level, serving in many capacities for both the Tribal and Federal government.

One of the commitments that Bill made to my mother was to build her a new home on their family lot on Oak Hill, where my father grew up. They were forced to leave that home when we were younger due to the state of disrepair that the house was in. It was sad for them to leave and it has always been their dream to return. In addition to losing her soulmate on July 25th, my mother has also lost many of the dreams that the two of them had for their lives together. This is the one dream that I do not want her to lose. Returning to the family land meant so much to them both, and to the rest of our family. 

My hope is that we can all come together and make that dream come true for them. 

You may donate at this link https://gofund.me/c7c041c6. If you could please take the time to read the story and consider donating. If you are unable to donate, please share with your friends. If folks would rather donate directly they can contact me at [email protected]. We have a savings account designated for this fundraiser. Thank you!

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

Politico – Schumer: Infrastructure bills would curb emissions 45 percent

Indian Country Today – Indian Country is on fire

AP – Why it takes months to subdue some wildfires

Minneapolis Star Tribune – Greenwood fire doubles, grows to 30 square miles

Eos – The Health and Climate Benefits of Reducing Air Pollution

High Country News – Living Water: Three generations of Apsáalooke revive a river

National Association of Clean Air Agencies – Washington Update

Climate Change/Energy

The Hill – Greenhouse gas concentrations, global sea levels hit record highs in 2020: NOAA

Grist – Welcome to the Pyrocene

NY Times – A Tidal Wave of Water and at Least 21 Deaths as Floodwaters Ravage Rural Tennessee

Bloomberg Green – Western U.S. Bakes and East Is Deluged in a Summer of Extremes

Axios – U.S. clean power sees record growth

Democracy Now! – Lawmakers Call on Biden to halt Enbridge Line 3 Pipeline as Police Step Up Attacks on Protesters

E&E News – Line 3 is about to come online. What will Biden do?

The Guardian – A billion children at ‘extreme risk’ from climate impacts

Grist – Good news: The media is getting the facts right on climate change

The Atlantic – All These Simultaneous Disasters Are Messing With Our Brains

Bloomberg – California to Build Temporary Gas Plants to Avoid Blackouts

Navajo Times – Lake Powell sees decreasing levels as drought continues

BIC Magazine – U.S. Department of Energy announces $24MM to capture carbon emissions directly from air

Toxics/Mobile Sources

The Hill – Fracking linked to surface water quality for first time in new study

The Hill – Biden EPA loosens Trump rule limiting states’ ability to reject pipelines

E&E – Research shows gaps in how EPA, oil industry measure methane

Grist – The EPA may finally reckon with aviation’s dirty secret: leaded fuel

Utility Dive – Electrifying 97% of the federal fleet by 2031 could save billions

S&P Global – Senators seek biofuel-blending compliance relief for US oil refineries

Indoor Air Quality

Portland State University – Improving Indoor Aur Quality During Wildfire Smoke Events

Hotel Business – Survey: Indoor air quality a concern for North Americans

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USA Today – Raging wildfires linked to thousands of COVID-19 cases and hundreds of deaths in 2020, study says

Indian Country Today – ‘Rights of Nature’ lawsuits hit a sweet spot

CNN – Crews battle Western wildfires that have caused thousands of evacuations

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

KJZZ – Years After Coal Mines Close on Navajo and Hopi Land, Some Are Concerned About Cleanup

Huffpost – Native American Voting Rights Are Under Attack In Republican-Run States

High Country News – The Apache community running to rescue its holy mountain

National Law Review – EPA, New Mexico Collaborate with Sceye on Air Quality Monitoring Initiative

E&E News – EPA offers staff new expectations on return to office

NY Times – In the West, a Connection Between Covid and Wildfires

AP – Wildfire in northeastern Minnesota grows to 1,500 acres

Harvard Health – Air pollution: How to reduce harm to your health

Politico – Drought forces first water cuts on the Colorado River. They’re just the beginning.

National Association of Clean Air Agencies – Washington Update

Climate Change/Energy

The Hill – Solar could provide 40 percent of US power generation by 2035, Biden administration says

The Hill – July was Earth’s hottest month on record

The Hill – Biden administration to review federal coal leasing, appeal injunction for oil leasing pause

VOA News – Hawaiians Look to Tradition to Cope With Climate Change

Mother Jones – To Put the Brakes on Global Warming, Slash Methane Emissions First

Huffpost – Activists Call It A ‘False Solution.’ But UN Scientists Say We Need To Suck Up CO2.

NPR – Death Toll Nears 1,300 In Haiti After Massive Earthquake, Why Earthquakes In Haiti Are So Catastrophic

The Intercept – The Era of Climate Denial is Over

Huffpost – It’s Been So Hot In Sicily That Snails Cooked Alive In Their Shells

Toxics/Mobile Sources

Grist – The other greenhouse gas: UN report sets the record straight on methane

Reuters – Analysis: Benchmark of Big Oil on methane emissions shows ‘significant gap’ between reality and reporting

Politico – Biden’s pro-car, pro-gasoline moves leave green allies fuming

The Hill – Republicans seek full tape behind Exxon sting

Oil Price – U.S. Natural Gas Dominance May Be Coming To An End

Forbes – U.S. Coal Consumption Falls To 60-Year Low

Indoor Air Quality

Harvard Health – Air Pollution: How to reduce harm to your health

Newsweek – The Importance of Indoor Air Quality Investments as Employees Return to the Office

Forbes – Isn’t It Time We Talked About Indoor Air Quality?

Science Magazine – This scientist says cleaning indoor air could make us healthier—and smarter

Be sure to subscribe to EPA’s IAQ Bulletins

TOP STORIES

NBC News – U.N. releases blistering assessment on the state of climate change

Reuters – To save the planet, focus on cutting methane – U.N. climate report

CNN – Senate passes $1 trillion infrastructure bill after months of intense bipartisan talks

Politico – Senate passes bipartisan infrastructure bill — but what comes next won’t be easy

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

EPA – EPA to Overhaul Pollution Standards for Passenger Vehicles and Heavy-Duty Trucks, Paving Way for Zero-Emission Future

The Guardian – Major climate changes inevitable and irreversible – IPCC’s starkest warning yet

The White House – FACT SHEET: Biden Administration Announces Nearly $5 Billion in Resilience Funding to Help Communities Prepare for Extreme Weather and Climate-Related Disasters

Axios – Heat wave engulfs much of U.S., as wildfires rage in West

Indian Country Today – Yurok Tribe grows solutions in soil of crisis

The One Feather – Council passes medical marijuana ordinance

The National Law Review – EPA Funding for Early Childhood Developmental Health Research Will Include Focus on Chemical Exposures

CNBC ­– Apps are helping people avoid air pollution amid record wildfires, rising temperatures

Inside Climate News – Can California Reduce Dairy Methane Emissions Equitably?

NRDC – Stop Pebble Mine: Groups Urge EPA to Protect Bristol Bay

National Association of Clean Air Agencies – Washington Update

Climate Change/Energy

NPR – What The U.S. Can Do About The Dire Climate Change Report

The Washington Post – Humans have pushed the climate into ‘unprecedented’ territory, landmark U.N. report finds

Market Watch – 20 stocks for maximum growth as the world switches to clean energy

E&E News – Dems unveil budget, setting stage for massive climate bill

CNN – First on CNN: Advocacy groups ramp up pressure on lawmakers to take action on climate change

Euro News – Which country is the world leader in renewable energy in 2021?

Inside Climate News – Inside Clean Energy: Three Charts that Show the Energy Transition in 50 States

Reuters – Factbox: Paid leave, clean energy and preschool: Democrats’ $3.5 trln plan

High Country News – Who should pay for climate mitigation? Colorado looks to the oil industry.

The News Tribune – U.S. Interior Secretary sees climate change effects on coastal tribal communities

Toxics/Mobile Sources

Baltimore Sun – The best way to tax polluters, fight climate change and reduce the deficit: Raise the federal gas tax| COMMENTARY

The Hill – House Democrats urge more conservation, transportation funds in reconciliation package

National Law Review – EPA Emphasizes Climate Change Considerations in Superfund Remedies

The Guardian – Protesters against Line 3 tar sands pipeline face arrests and rubber bullets

National Academies – Environmental Resilience of Transportation Infrastructure Should Be Assessed for All Federally Funded Projects, Says New Report

Indoor Air Quality

Forbes – More Schools Defying State Governments To Impose Mask Mandates — Here’s What Could Happen Next

Smithsonian Magazine – Four Ways to Protect Yourself From Harmful Air Pollution Caused by Wildfires

Facility Executive –  Cost-Effective Strategies for Improving IAQ

Hotel Business – Survey: Indoor air quality a concern for North Americans

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TOP STORIES

NPR – Western Wildfires May Take Weeks To Months To Contain

The Guardian – US Senators unveil text of $1tn bipartisan infrastructure bill

Oregon Live – 100 years after US soldiers drove them out, Nez Perce return to bless Oregon homeland

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

Indian Country Today – Memo to Biden Administration: Less talk, more action

USA Today – Progress made but western wildfires continue to bring poor air quality across US  

CNN – Lawmakers consider withholding housing funds from tribes that discriminate against descendants of enslaved people 

The Hill – ‘The land is us’ – Tribal activist turns from Keystone XL to Line 3 

ABC News – Air pollution remained higher in minority communities during the pandemic, revealing persistent health disparities

High Country News – How yellowcake shaped the West 

KNOE News – Microplastic air pollution study continues during pandemic

The Hill – EPA announces new members of science board after firing Trump appointees

Law360 – Okla. Gov. Names New AG amid Jurisdiction Fight With Tribes

Law360 – Senator Calls For Better Native American Infrastructure

National Association of Clean Air Agencies – Washington Update

Climate Change/Energy

Bloomberg News – Infrastructure Deal Includes Billions to Fight Climate Change

New York Times – Climate in the infrastructure bill: A substantial investment in resilience

High Country News – Climate change wreaks havoc on the electricity grid 

The Hill – Five key energy components of the bipartisan infrastructure bill

The Hill – ‘The land is us’ — Tribal activist turns from Keystone XL to Line 3

CPR News – Methane From Abandoned Coal Mines Could Be Key To Fight Climate Change – If Only It Made More Money Energy – DOE Awards $12 Million to Tribal Communities to Maximize Deployment of Energy Technology

Reuters – Two U.S. companies seek extension of trump-era solar tariffs

New York Times – Biden’s Climate Plans Are Stunted After Dejected Experts Fled Trump

NBC News – Earth’s energy imbalance removes almost all doubt from human-made climate change

CNN – Curbing climate change is auto mechanics, not rocket science

Toxics/Mobile Sources

Greenwire – How Biden’s EPA waste office pick could bolster equity goals

Energy News Network – Social cost of methane changes the equation for Colorado utility policy

Reuters – Biden wants U.S. automakers to pledge 40% electric vehicles by 2030 – sources

Indoor Air Quality

The Conversation – Air pollution exposure is shifting from outdoor to indoor – here’s why

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TOP STORIES

Upcoming Oil & Natural Gas Methane Rule

Comment deadline: Friday, July 30, 2021

The NTAA has created a template letter that your Tribe can use to comment on the EPA’s Upcoming Oil and Natural Gas Methane Rule, which is a pre-proposal public outreach effort by the EPA. The template letter can be downloaded here, or found on the PRK page of the NTAA’s website.

PBS News Hour – Wildfires are increasing health risks of already-polluted regions of the U.S., experts warn

AP – EXCLUSIVE: Biden mileage rule to exceed Obama climate goal

Los Angeles Times – Bipartisan infrastructure deal could advance as soon as today after breakthrough in talks

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

Political Pro – EPA advisers eye improving air quality equity

National Geographic – Wildfire smoke blowing across the U.S. is more toxic than we thought

Seattle Times – How to prepare for wildfire smoke in your home, car and while outdoors

Taos News – Nonprofit helps Native tribes utilize their natural resources

NPR – Without Enough Water To Go Around, Farmers In California Are Exhausting Aquifers

Vox – The West is burning. Climate change is making it worse.

Yahoo – How wildfires can impact soil and cause it to repel water

Yale Environment 360 – U.S. power sector sees biggest one-year drop in emissions in more than two decades

The Independent – Cutting air pollution levels ‘improves brain function and lowers risk of dementia’, studies suggest

National Association of Clean Air Agencies – Washington Update

Climate Change/Energy

Science – U.N. climate panel confronts implausibly hot forecasts of future warming

The Hill – Shocking video shows salmon almost boiled alive in heat wave

Lakeland PBS – White Earth Gives 48-Hour Cease-and-Desist Order to Enbridge

The Guardian – The cost of cooling: how air conditioning is heating up the world

Washington Post – How to cool down your home without relying on air conditioning

AP – Landslides, monsoon flooding kill over 100 in western India

Inside Climate News – A Triple Whammy Has Left Many Inner-City Neighborhoods Highly Vulnerable to Soaring Temperatures

Rolling Stone – Want Proof We Need a Civilian Climate Corps? Look No Further Than Louisiana

Vox – Our bodies can adapt to hotter conditions – but there’s a limit

The Guardian – Marijuana farmers blames for water theft as drought grips American west

Toxics/Mobile Sources

U.S. Department of Justice – Justice Department and EPA Reach Clean Air Act Settlement with Advanced Flow Engineering for Selling Defeat Devices

Houston Chronicle – U.S. natural gas exports to Mexico established a new monthly record in June 2021

Wall Street Journal – gas engines, and the people behind them, are cast aside for electric vehicles

Fast Company – This new study debunks one of the biggest criticisms of electric vehicles

Indoor Air Quality

NPR – Masks Will Return To The U.S. House And White House After The CDC Changes Guidance

USA Today – CDC and doctors call for masks in school. Will states, schools follow guidelines?

Be sure to subscribe to EPA’s IAQ Bulletins