TOP STORIES

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

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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 kapol.paul@gmail.com. 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

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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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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?

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On Thursday, July 15, 2021, the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis held a hearing titled “Advancing Environmental Justice Through Climate Action.” The hearing reviewed opportunities to advance environmental justice through climate action, including targeting infrastructure investments to environmental justice communities, understanding the impact of extreme heat on low-income workers and students, and supporting tribal investments in clean energy and climate resilience. Nikki Cooley, Co-Manager of the ITEP Tribes and Climate Change Program, gave testimony during the call, representing herself as a Diné woman and a climate change researcher. Click here to see the recording!

Please join NTAA in welcoming Maxine Paul of the Pueblo of Santa Ana as the latest NTAA Executive Committee member representing Region 6 Tribes! Maxine joins current R6 primary representative Craig Kreman of the Quapaw Nation as the alternate representative recently selected by the Region 6 RTOC. Visit NTAA’s website to learn more about Maxine and the rest of the NTAA Executive Committee. Congratulations to Maxine for joining the NTAA team!

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

AP – Study: Wildfire smoke may add to COVID-19 risk

Indian Country Today – Monster wildfire tests years of forest management efforts

CNN – The Bootleg Fire in Oregon is so large, it’s creating its own weather

The Hill – White House details environmental benefits plan for disadvantaged communities

Indianz.com – ‘We are home now’ – Lakota youth return home after more than a century away at Indian boarding schools

Indianz.com – Morongo Band makes history with green energy project

High Country News – The Upper Skagit Indian Tribe calls on Seattle to remove the Gorge Dam

EPA – EPA, Forest Service Release Improved Tools to Equip the Public with Information and Resources on Wildfire Smoke

Greenwire – Inside the campaign to be an EPA regional administrator

LA Times – Vaccine ‘obstinance’ is fueling Delta variant’s spread across America

E&E – EPA faces environmental justice test with coal ash

High Country News – A broken system: The number of Indigenous people who died from coronavirus may never be known

Alaska Public Media – Treasury changes ARPA rules, grants all tribes $1 million

National Association of Clean Air Agencies – Washington Update

Climate Change/Energy

The Hill – CO2 emissions on track for record in 2023, energy agency says

NY Times – ‘It Is All Connected’: Extreme Weather in the Age of Climate Change

Politico – Could the voting rights fight hinder climate and energy policies?

The Washington Post – ‘Hawkpocalypse’: Baby birds of prey have leaped from their nests to escape West’s extreme heat

The Guardian – Flagstaff declares state of emergency as Arizona hit by devastating floods

Axios – Democrats unveil carbon border tax plan

NY Times – How the Moon ‘Wobble’ Affects Rising Tides

CNN – Athletes could face the warmest Olympic Games in decades

NY Times – Deadly Flooding ‘Shows the Urgency,’ of Climate Change, Official Says

Yale Climate Connections – Environmentalist drag queen says the outdoors belongs to everyone

The Guardian – How data could save Earth from climate change

Toxics/Mobile Sources

The NM Political Report – Report documents PFAS use in fracking in New Mexico

Indian Country Today – PolyMet air permit case sent back to agency

The Guardian – ‘Lightbulb moment’: the battery technology invented in a Brisbane garage that is going global 

Utility Dive – California approves expedited pathway for near-term utility EV investments, despite cost concerns

Bloomberg – Chevron’s carbon capture struggle shows big oil’s climate hurdle

Cronkite News – Transitioning from coal is the goal – how to get there is the question

High Country News – Mining for lithium, at a cost to Indigenous religions

Indoor Air Quality

Facility Executive – Four Ways To Improve Indoor Air Quality In K-12 Schools

Fox 31 News – How to choose an air purifier for wildfire smoke

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NPR – Wildfires In The West Are Putting Parched Tribal Lands In Growing Danger

NPR – Senate Budget Has Funds To Ensure Infrastructure Works As The Climate Changes: NPR’s Steve Inskeep talks to EPA Administrator Michael Regan about his agency’s current priorities: including water infrastructure, environmental justice and clean transportation.

Washington Post – Wildfire smoke is clogging skies in the Western U.S., Canada

NY Times – Climate Change Drove Western Heat Wave’s Extreme Records, Analysis Finds

Seattle Times – Crushing heat wave in Pacific Northwest and Canada cooked shellfish alive by the millions

USA Today – Record setting ‘heat dome’ could keep West sizzling all week as wildfires burn

CNBC – The West Coast is suffering from some of the worst air in the world — these apps show how bad it is

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

Politico – Democrats unveil $3.5T go-it-alone plan to fulfill Biden’s agenda

NPR – Your Trash Is Emitting Methane In The Landfill. Here’s Why It Matters For The Climate

Indian Country Today – More unmarked graves found in Canada

Navajo-Hopi Observer – Colorado River Indian Tribes become key water player with drought aid to Arizona

The Sun – Fighting wildfires requires even more tribal, local and state coordination

The Black Wall Street Times – Congresswoman Maxine Waters warns Tribes to stop discriminating against Freedmen descendants

The Washington Post – New Virginia state park honors Native American tribes that lived on the land for centuries

The Seattle Times – Historic summit of tribes across Pacific Northwest presses dam removal on Inslee, Biden, Congress

National Association of Clean Air Agencies – Washington Update

Climate Change/Energy

Indian Country Today – Paradigm Shift: Tribe is now an owner of the power grid

The Hill – White House announces new head of climate assessment after ousting Trump-era pick

ABC News – How will the West solve a water crisis if climate change continues to get worse?

The Guardian – Biden’s clean energy plan would cut emissions and save 317,000 lives

The Hill – Energy Dept. seeks to cut cost of energy storage, boost renewables

Marketplace – Benefits of clean energy far outweigh costs, report shows

Indian Country Today – Ongoing threat: Thawing permafrost has damaged Trans-Alaska pipeline

Forbes – Highlights From The BP Statistical Review Of World Energy 2021

Carlsbad Current Argus – How Big Oil keeps a grip on New Mexico – with the help of a major lobbyist

Toxics/Mobile Sources

CNN – Volkswagen and BMW fined $1 billion for running emissions cartel

Global Banking & Finance Review – Exclusive-Shell plans to exit California joint venture with Exxon Mobil -sources

Traffic Technology Today – VIDEO: Will this car – that actually cleans the air – mean an end to inner city pollution?

ABC 11 – More reporting and resources about environmental justice

Market Watch – Just 25 mega cities produce more than half the world’s urban greenhouse gas emissions

The Hill – EPA approved toxic ‘forever’ chemicals for fracking in 2011: report

The Sacramento Bee – As wildfires intensify, California gets a grim reminder about far-reaching toxic smoke

Car and Driver – Volkswagen Reportedly Seeking Co-Investor in Electrify America

Indoor Air Quality

USA Today – The CDC has updated its mask guidelines for schools. Some states will listen, some won’t.

The Hill – EPA bans sale of COVID-19 disinfectant authorized under Trump

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