PHOTOS FROM THE FIELD: Week of September 19 – 23, 2022
Ann Marie Chischilly, NAU’s vice president for the Office of Native American Initiatives and former ITEP director, recognizes ITEP staff onstage at the institute’s 30th anniversary celebration. Photo by Lucas Bair
PHOTOS FROM THE FIELD
Arizona Daily Sun – NAU’s Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals celebrates 30 years
TOP STORIES/HEADLINES: Week of September 19 – 23, 2022
NTAA News!
Last week, the NTAA Executive Committee (EC), TAMS Steering Committee, and ITEP staff met with EPA leadership over video calls and in person in Flagstaff last week. Many great discussions were had with a shared goal of improving Tribal air quality and enhancing relationships.
Members of the NTAA EC, TAMS SC and EPA staff met on the campus of Northern Arizona University last week. Photo by Ryan Tsingine
Top Stories
AP – Damage assessments begin in flooded remote Alaska villages
Anchorage Daily News – As Western Alaska floodwaters recede, damage assessments begin across hundreds of miles of coastline
E&E News – Why did Fiona wreck Puerto Rico? Blame climate, fragile grid.
NPR – How to help people in Puerto Rico recover from Hurricane Fiona
Indianz.com – ‘Our policy is nation-to-nation’ Tribes join President Biden for celebration at White House
The Hill – Manchin, allies turn up the heat on permitting reform
The Hill – Tensions rise amid frustration over mystery Manchin deal
Ambient Air Quality/EPA/Tribes News
National Law Review – The Inflation Reduction Act: How Do Tribal Communities Benefit?
E&E News – Permitting overhaul in peril as funding deadline looms
Arizona Republic – National Park Service pledges to work with tribes to protect cultural sites on public lands
News and Tribune – Indiana’s Miami tribe battling for federal recognition after rule changes
NPR – Apache tribes in Arizona are leading the way in saving Emory oak trees
Durango Herald – Tribes look to preserve natural sonic environment in Bears Ears
CNN – Scientists find clues to how air pollution may trigger lung cancer
Medical News Today – Lung cancer in non-smokers: Scientists find how air pollution acts as a trigger
Washington Post – A potential connection between dementia and air pollution
The Columbian – Study: Breathing polluted air affects teenagers
NASA – NASA and Google Team up to Better Track Local Air Pollution
Climate Change/Energy
AP – Analysis: UN chief, speaking to leaders, doesn’t mince words
Inside Climate News – ‘We’re Fine’: How Solar Kept the Lights On After Fiona Left Puerto Rico in the Dark
Inside Climate News – How a Successful EPA Effort to Reduce Climate-Warming ‘Immortal’ Chemicals Stalled
NPR – The U.S. will officially phase down HFCs, gases trapping 1,000x more heat than CO2
The Guardian – Vulnerable countries demand global tax to pay for climate-led loss and damage
AP – First public global database of fossil fuels launches
AP – Minnesota Ojibwe harvest sacred, climate-imperiled wild rice
E&E News – GAO: Government must boost climate resilience
The Revelator – Solar Sovereignty: The Promise of Native-Led Renewables
KRTV – Blackfeet Nation begins implementation of Climate Change Adaptation Plan
E&E News – GOP fumes over climate law. Is there a will for repeal?
E&E News – White House unveils climate bill website for consumers
Toxics/Mobile Sources
Navajo/Hopi Observer – Chinle Unified School District receives first electric school bus
Native News Online – Tribe, Conservation Groups Sue to Stop Mining Project
E&E News – Biden announces tentative labor deal to avoid rail strike
Oregon Public Radio – As Oregon pushes more electric vehicles, a gap emerges in access
Utility Dive – DOE, federal agencies to draft plan for slashing transportation carbon emissions
The Hill – Biden touts funds for EV charging network: Will be as ‘easy to find as gas stations’
White House Fact Sheet – President Biden’s Economic Plan Drives America’s Electric Vehicle Manufacturing Boom
Clean Technica – Which U.S. States Are Best For Electric Vehicles?
Indoor Air Quality
UConn Today – White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy Recognizes UConn’s Indoor Air Quality Initiative Fighting COVID-19
Campus Safety Magazine – Improve Your School’s Indoor Air Quality with Federal ARPA Funds
KGW8 – How to make sure wildfire smoke stays outside
Wiley Online Library – HEPA filters of portable air cleaners as a tool for the surveillance of SARS-CoV-2
UPCOMING CALLS/EVENTS/NOTICES: Week of September 19 – 23, 2022
UPCOMING CALLS/EVENTS/NOTICES
Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes
NEW! On Friday, September 16, 2022, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released the final determinations of attainment status for air quality standards for smog. Here is a link to the press release.
As required by the Clean Air Act, EPA is finalizing determinations for whether certain areas have attained the National Ambient Air Quality Standards that EPA established for ground-level ozone in 2008 and 2015 by the deadlines required under the law. Breathing ozone can cause coughing and a sore or scratchy throat, make it more difficult to breathe, inflame and damage airways, make lungs more susceptible to infection, aggravate lung diseases such as asthma, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis and increase the frequency of asthma attacks. These determinations are an important step in ensuring that all areas of the country achieve healthy levels of ozone air quality, and that areas of the country that are not currently achieving health-based standards adopt additional measures required by the Clean Air Act to reduce ozone pollution. Summary fact sheets and prepublications of each rule can be found through the announcements box at: https://www.epa.gov/ground-level-ozone-pollution.
NEW! Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs; Your Tribal Nation by the Numbers: Census Bureau Webinar
September 27, 2022, | 3:00 PM EDT | Register Here
During this U.S. Census Bureau training you will learn how to access demographic, socioeconomic, and housing data about American Indian and Alaska Native populations, reservations, and trust lands. The workshop will teach novice data users, grant writers, and planners to navigate and use Census Bureau data products from the Decennial Census and the American Community Survey to benefit tribal communities.
Register today for EPA’s series of webinars, listed below, for grant applicants and recipients in September! Participants will hear from EPA staff about key aspects of the grants process and have the opportunity to submit questions. Additional information on each webinar as well as registration information can be found below. Advance registration is required, and you must register for each webinar separately.
- NEW! EPA Grants Webinar Series Registration – Complying with EPA Assistance Agreements
September 22, 2022 | 2;00 PM – 3:00 PM ET | Register Here
Learn how to identify key policies and procedures to be a grant recipient that effectively expends and documents the use of EPA grant funds.
NEW! U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) FY2022 Appropriations
This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS serves as nonpartisan shared staff to congressional committees and Members of Congress. It operates solely at the behest of and under the direction of Congress. Information in a CRS Report should not be relied upon for purposes other than public understanding of information that has been provided by CRS to Members of Congress in connection with CRS’s institutional role.
Tribal Forestry Student Summit: Investing in the Future of Tribal Forest Resources Management and Wildland Fire
October 12–14, 2022 | Click Here for More Details
Mark your calendars for this hybrid event, featuring in-person and virtual participation options, to address tribal workforce development. This summit is designed for students in forestry or related resource management programs across the country. For more info, including agenda and summit details, please visit eri.nau.edu/tribal-forestry-student-summit.
NC Radon Program Social Media Toolkit
The NC Radon Program has created a free Radon Social Media Toolkit for your use. The materials are in both English and Spanish. All of the materials are in a Google Docs folder. To access this social media toolkit folder
EPA’s Community and Tribal Programs Group has a publicly facing Tribal Actions and Events calendar for all to use!
This calendar is also linked under the “Tribal Air and Climate Resources” webpage under the “Policy and Planning” heading available at https://www.epa.gov/tribal-air. The purpose of the calendar is to ensure that our Tribal partners are kept apprised of EPA activities that are relevant to them. If you have any questions about the calendars or any recommendations on how EPA can improve upon the calendars please do not hesitate to reach out to Toni Colon (colon.toni@epa.gov) and/or Loren Fox (fox.loren@epa.gov) with any feedback.
New Air Knowledge E–Learning Content
The Air Knowledge training team is pleased to announce the availability of new air quality training materials!
These e-learning courses and modules are at the foundational learning level and are available to tribal, state, and local air agencies through our learning management system (LMS) and to the public here. The website was recently enhanced to provide additional self-instructional and instructor-led training materials.
The new materials include:
- A course that explains the key historic events that led to air pollution control legislation and describes progress made with air pollution control since the passage of the Clean Air Act,
- A course that explains the basic components of state and tribal implementation plans,
- A module that generally defines the transport and fate of air pollutants and how transport and fate are influenced by meteorology and topography,
- A module that explains the basic aspects of an air emissions inventory, and
- A module that explains the purposes and types of air emissions inventories, including the inventories that the EPA develops.
More detailed information about the contents of these new materials can be found in the attached document.
To access the courses and modules on the LMS (https://epaapti.csod.com), tribal air agencies and organizations can register, log in, and refer to the “What’s New” section on the home page. All other users (the public, international community, academia, industry, EPA staff, etc.) can access the courses and modules on the Air Knowledge interim website.
NTAA Upcoming Calls
Contact Andy.Bessler@nau.edu if you have any questions about any call! *Registration instructions* When you register for the GoToWebinar, please remember to include your Tribe, Region, or Organization in parenthesis after your last name. This allows you to see everyone on the call and prevents us from conducting a rollcall, ultimately saving everyone’s time.
Woodsmoke Work Group: This work group meets Bi-Monthly and includes Tribal and EPA professionals with an interest in woodsmoke issues in Tribal communities. Contact andy.bessler@nau.edu to join the call! | Thursday, September 22, 2:00 PM ET |
Alaska Air Work Group: Join this work group to hear updates from EPA and Alaskans working on air quality. Contact andy.bessler@nau.edu to join the call! |
Wednesday, September 28, 10 am AK or 2 pm ET |
NTAA / EPA Air Policy Update Call: Join this monthly meeting to hear updates from EPA on important air quality and climate policy updates as well as updates around the country related to Tribal Air Programs. Calls are usually on the last Thursday of every month unless it falls on a national holiday. Contact Carolyn.Kelly@nau.edu to join the call! | Thursday, September 29, 2 pm ET |
Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Work Group: This work group meets Bi-Monthly and includes Tribal and EPA professionals with an interest in indoor air quality in Tribal homes and other buildings. Contact andy.bessler@nau.edu to join the call! | Thursday, October 20, 2 pm ET. |
The Institute for Tribal Environmental Professional (ITEP)
Click Here for ITEP’s new Tribal Environmental Management and Planning Online Courses. Sign up for a self-paced course hosted by ITEP’s Waste and Response and Tribal Air Quality programs. New courses have been added, so check it out!
ITEP’s American Indian Air Quality Training Program (AIAQTP) hosts the Building Performance: Improving IAQ in Cold Climates, Residential Building Science Review, Radon Fundamentals, Quality Assurance Fundamental, Writing a Quality Assurance Project Plan, Emissions Inventory Fundamentals, and Emissions Inventory Advanced.
AIAQTP Schedule and Registration
Recorded Webinars
Looking for more information check out the Tribal Air Quality Media Space Channel. Recent webinars include an Introduction to Air Quality Programs, Emissions Inventories, Remote Professional Assistance, and Woodstoves in Indian Country. Older classics include a series on Air Quality Planning for Wildland Smoke, Tribal Air Program and Grants, Data Management, and the Clean Air Act.
ITEP’s Tribes and Climate Change Calendar includes conferences, trainings, webinars, and other events related to tribes and climate change.
EPA Tools and Resources Webinar Series
Click here to see all past and upcoming webinars hosted by the EPA.
Climate Change / Energy
The Climate Adaptation Forum will host an event on the negative impacts of climate change on the U.S. housing market, potential opportunities, and the need for affordable, climate-resilient housing. September 30, at 9:00 am ET.
ENERGY STAR Webinar Series: ENERGY STAR will offer several webinars on Portfolio Manager. These webinars explain how to navigate different parts of Portfolio Manager, from basics to advanced features.
September 7 – 21, 2022, All Times in ET | Click Here For More Information and Registration
- September 20, 2022, 1:00 PM Portfolio Manager 301
- September 21, 2022, 12:00 PM Ask the Expert
NEW! Department of Energy (DOE) Better Buildings: Show Me the Money: Financing Decarbonization Projects
September 27, 2022, | 11:00 AM ET | Register Here
You’ve received approval for a decarbonization project, but how will you fund it? Learn about the carbon financing mechanisms Better Buildings Financial Allies use in their firms and others along with practical steps to identify and source capital from grants, third party investors, bonds, and more.
EPA has updated the Tribal Greenhouse Gas Inventory Tool
EPA’s free, spreadsheet-based Tribal Greenhouse Gas Inventory Tool
This year’s updates include:
- An optional market-based method to calculate Scope 2 emissions from electricity purchased through contractual instruments, such as Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs).
- Revised Emissions & Generation Resource Integrated Database (eGRID) factors from 1990 through 2019, as available.
- Updated default stationary energy emission factors and heat contents.
- Kerosene and distillate fuel oil as additional stationary energy fuel types.
Find the updated Tribal community and government operations modules and users’ guides here. Are you a long-time inventory tool user with questions about the new updates? Or is this your first GHG inventory? Join this webinar or upcoming offices hours to learn more and ask questions:
Toxics/Mobile Sources
NEW! U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) EV Grid Assist: Accelerating the Transition initiative Webinar Series
September 8 – November 10, 2022
This webinar series is part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) EV Grid Assist: Accelerating the Transition initiative. It aims to support decision makers by providing timely information on a wide range of topics important to the integration of electric vehicles and the grid. To learn more about the EVGrid Assist initiative or to download a recording of past webinars, visit www.energy.gov/evgridassist.
- Charging Station Design – Part 1, September 27, 2022, 3:00 PM – 4:30 EDT, Register Here
- Load Forecasting, October 3, 2022, 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM EDT, Register Here
- Rates and Incentives, October 25, 2022, 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM EDT, Register Here
- Planning for the future, November 10, 2022, 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM EDT, Register Here
EPA Past SmartWay Webinars and Events
To address these trends and challenges, EPA developed the SmartWay program.
Launched in 2004, this voluntary public-private program:
- provides a comprehensive and well-recognized system for tracking, documenting and sharing information about fuel use and freight emissions across supply chains
- helps companies identify and select more efficient freight carriers, transport modes, equipment, and operational strategies to improve supply chain sustainability and lower costs from goods movement
- supports global energy security and offsets environmental risk for companies and countries
- reduces freight transportation-related emissions by accelerating the use of advanced fuel-saving technologies
- is supported by major transportation industry associations, environmental groups, state and local governments, international agencies, and the corporate community
View the SmartWay timeline and learn about the program’s achievements and key milestones reached since SmartWay’s launch in 2002. Our progress to making freight in the supply chain more sustainable and efficient is due to the vision, commitment and hard work of SmartWay Partners and Affiliates! Two Decades of Progress: SmartWay Partnership Milestones (PDF)(1 pg, 345 K, June 2021, EPA-420-H-21-001). Click Here to view past webinars and upcoming webinars
Indoor Air Quality
NEW! EPA Webinar: Improve Indoor Air and Breathe Healthier Air in Houses of Worship & Other Facilities
September 20, 2022, | 6:30 PM (ET) | Register Here
This webinar will focus on how Houses of Worship can improve and protect the indoor air of their worship centers and facilities, to make the indoors safe and healthy for members of the faith communities and those working in faith facilities. The webinar will include a discussion on effective ways to improve indoor air quality, including reducing indoor pollutants such as mold, safer chemical use and integrated pest management, as well as the importance of outdoor air, ventilation and other topics. There will be up to 60 minutes of presentation and at least 30 minutes of Q and A for participants to engage with the presenters.
National Radon Training Event in Seattle, Washington
October 24 – 26, 2022, | Register Here
The Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors invites you to join us for our National Radon Training Event in Seattle, Washington October 24 – 26, 2022. It’s an exciting time as we get to meet again in person!
Available Now: An Introduction to Radon Gas in Homes Webinar Recording
EPA’s Indoor Environments Division recently hosted a webinar to provide an overview of the key basic facts of radon – what it is, what it does to us, how we measure it, how we reduce our exposure, and where to find resources and additional information. A recording of An Introduction to Radon Gas in Homes is now available online. The recorded webinar features a presentation by Bruce Snead, Director of Engineering Extension at Kansas State University and director of the National Radon Program Services effort for EPA since 2009.
EPA: A Fact Sheet for Tribes on State and Tribal Indoor Radon Grants
EPA’s Indoor Environments Division is pleased to announce the State and Tribal Indoor Radon Grants (SIRG) Program Fact Sheet. This fact sheet has information on SIRG eligibility, matching requirements, allowable activities, EPA contacts, and more. EPA works collaboratively and values our tribal partnership to support healthy indoor air quality (IAQ) in tribal communities. We work together to develop tools and resources that address the health and the safety of tribal members when it comes to indoor air quality.
Please visit the Indoor Air Quality in Tribal Communities or State Indoor Radon Grants (SIRG) Program and Resources pages to learn more and download the fact sheet.
Be sure to subscribe to CodeTalk, HUD’s Office of Native American Programs newsletter, for webinars and opportunities!
RESOURCES AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES: Week of September 19 – 23, 2022
RESOURCES & FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
NOW HIRING!
NEW! ITEP is Hiring a Community Program Coordinator!
The Tribes and Climate Change Program (TCCP) works with federally-recognized Tribes throughout the U.S on climate adaptation and mitigation planning and outreach. The Environmental Education and Outreach Program (EEOP) works to raise interest of Native American students in environmental careers and to assist schools in improving environmental science literacy.
The Community Program Coordinator, Senior will lead the work of managing the internship program for the TCCP and EEOP by overseeing the recruitment of internship host sites and recruitment, on boarding, mentoring, and management of the interns hired for the summer and academic year. The EEOP and TCCP supports approximately 30 internships annually, with potential for growth over time.
This position reports to the managers of ITEP’s Tribes and Climate Change Program (TCCP) and the Environmental Education Outreach Program (EEOP). It is preferred the position will be located in Flagstaff, AZ with a remote or hybrid work option available as needed. Click here to learn more!
Spark Northwest: Project Manager (1 or 2)
Application Deadline: September 23, 2022 | Click Here for More Details
Spark Northwest is seeking a dynamic Project Manager to join our team of local clean energy innovators. This person will lead our Access Solar program, which expands clean energy to groups that have been traditionally excluded from opportunities due to barriers related to policy, capacity and financing. This position is one-part community engagement, meeting Tribal entities and community-based organizations where they are at to build capacity for clean energy planning and development. It is another part project management, providing step-by-step assistance to walk projects from design through funding and installation. This requires sensitivity and responsiveness to each group’s culture and workflow. We are especially seeking candidates with a mixture of these skills – community engagement and project management – and we do not require technical knowledge of clean energy. We have experts who will be standing ready to bring someone up to speed in that area.
TAMS Tribal Air Monitoring Technology Specialist Being Age 55 or Older is Good for The Environment! The Senior Environmental Employment (SEE) Program offers unique opportunities in Scientific, Technical, and Administrative / Office support for individuals aged 55 and over to support the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) through a grant administered program through National Older Worker Career Center (NOWCC). This is a unique program where your talents, expertise and experience will truly be valued. The EPA provides a wonderful work atmosphere, and you’ll be working side-by-side with EPA staff that are doing important work every day.
Pay & Benefits: Pay rate: $18.01 /hr.
Benefits: Paid Health Insurance Premium if working 30+ hours per week, Paid Vacation, Paid Sick Time, Paid Federal Holidays plus one Individual Holiday, and optional Vision and Dental Insurance available. Must be U.S Citizen and age 55 or older to apply. The duties of this position must be performed onsite at the EPA office location in Las Vegas, NV. For Full Description and to Apply Click Here
The Clean Energy Corps is hiring. We need talented, diverse, kind, and hardworking people like you to join this team.
With the passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Clean Energy Corps is charged with investing more than $62 billion to deliver a more equitable clean energy future for the American people by:
- Investing in American manufacturing
- Creating good paying jobs
- Expanding access to energy efficiency and clean energy for families, communities, and businesses
- Delivering reliable, clean, and affordable power to more Americans
- And building the technologies of tomorrow through clean energy research, development, and demonstrations
You can find a great listing of Indian Country jobs on NCAI’s website here.
Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes
NEW! Department of Energy (DOE) Announces $32 Million to Reduce Methane Emissions from Oil and Gas Sector
Applications Due October 4, 2022, at 11:59 p.m. ET. | For full details and areas of interest, read the FOA here.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced up to $32 million in funding for new monitoring, measurement, and mitigation technologies to help detect, quantify, and reduce methane emissions across oil and natural gas producing regions of the United States. After carbon dioxide, methane is the most abundant greenhouse gas (GHG) warming our planet, and methane emissions contribute significantly to the GHG intensity of natural gas. The projects awarded through this funding opportunity announcement (FOA) will help ensure an efficient, resilient, and leak-tight U.S. natural gas infrastructure, while supporting President Biden’s national goal to cut global methane emissions by 30% from 2020 levels by 2030.
All interested applicants must register and submit application materials through FedConnect; register here for an account. All questions about the FOA must also be submitted through FedConnect.
DOC Coastal Habitat Restoration and Resilience Grants for Underserved Communities, Under the IIJA – $10 million
Applications Due: September 30, 2022|
Eligible Entities: County governments, state governments, city or township governments, small businesses, nonprofits, for profit organizations, Native American tribal governments (federally recognized), private institutions of higher education, public and state controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments)
The principal objective of this solicitation is to support opportunities for underserved communities, tribes, and/or tribal entities to meaningfully engage in coastal habitat restoration activities. Through this funding opportunity, NOAA intends to support capacity building and restoration project activities that have the greatest potential to lead to habitat restoration that enhances resilience of underserved communities in marine, estuarine, coastal, and Great Lakes areas. Meaningful engagement of underserved communities is intended to ensure that communities are integral to the visioning, decision-making, and leadership for coastal habitat restoration projects; to ensure that the scope of such projects are inclusive of the priorities and needs of communities; and/or to ensure that the benefits of such projects flow back to underserved communities.
For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.
DOE Federal Loan Guarantees for Tribal Energy Development Projects – $13 million
Applications Due: September 30, 2022
Eligible Entities: any Indian tribe, band, nation, or other organized group or community, including any Alaska Native village or regional or village corporation as defined in or established pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act
On July 29, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Loan Programs Office (LPO) issued an updated solicitation for the Tribal Energy Loan Guarantee Program (TELGP) to implement direct lending authority. The update enables eligible tribes to apply for direct loans for eligible energy projects through the U.S. Treasury’s Federal Financing Bank, as authorized under The Consolidated Appropriations Act. For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.
EPA Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers Program – $50 million
Applications Due: October 4, 2022
Eligible Entities: Intertribal consortia, public and private universities and colleges, non-profits
The Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers (EJ TCTAC) Program provides grant funding to eligible applicants to establish technical assistance centers across the nation providing technical assistance, training, and related support to communities with environmental justice concerns and their partners. The new technical assistance centers will provide training, assistance, and capacity building on writing grant proposals, navigating federal systems such as Grants.gov and SAM.gov, and effectively managing grant funding. These centers will also provide guidance on community engagement, meeting facilitation, and translation and interpretation services for limited English-speaking participants. For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.
NEW! U.S. Forest Service Community Wildfire Defense Grant
Application Due: October 7, 2022 | 11:50 PM ET
A Community Wildfire Defense Grant is announced which, according to the website (https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/fire/grants), “are intended to help at-risk local communities and Tribes plan and reduce the risk against wildfire. The Act prioritizes at-risk communities in an area identified as having high or very high wildfire hazard potential, are low-income, and/or have been impacted by a severe disaster.” The webinar on the 9th is specifically for tribes.
Save the Date: The upcoming dates are available to attend the Community Wildfire Defense Grant Webinars for Applicants. Registration is now Open. To attend a webinar, follow the Registration Instructions available in the Wildland Fire Learning Portal to set-up an account.
- Applications now available. For questions regarding applications, please contact Melissa Aulisio, accessga@usda.gov
NEW! EPA: Tribal and Insular Area Grants: Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) Request for Applications OPEN! – $8 million
Applications Due: October 26, 2022
Eligible Entities: Tribal governments (or intertribal consortiums), Alaska Native Villages, or insular area government agencies which have jurisdiction over transportation or air quality
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced the availability of grant funding for tribal and certain insular area governments to implement projects which reduce emissions from the nation’s existing fleet of older diesel engines. A total of $7 million will be made available to tribal governments, or intertribal consortia, and Alaska Native villages; and $1 million will be made available to insular area governments including the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Funds may be used to upgrade and replace older, dirtier diesel-powered vehicles and equipment with newer, cleaner vehicles and technologies.
Anticipated Timeline and Dates
Description | Date |
2022 Request for Applications (RFA) Opened | Thursday, August 04, 2022
|
Information Session Webinars
|
Tuesday, August 16, 2022 – 1:00 PM ET Thursday, August 25, 2022 – 3:00 PM ET Wednesday, August 31, 2022 – 7:00 PM ET
|
Deadline for Submission of Questions
|
Friday, October 14, 2022 – 11:59 PM ET
|
Deadline for Applications
|
Wednesday, October 26, 2021—11:59 PM ET
|
Anticipated Notification of Selected Applicants
|
January 2023
|
Anticipated Funding of Awards
|
February 2023
|
For more information and to view the full RFA, please visit https://www.epa.gov/dera/tribal-insulararea
For further Tribal applicant information, contact:
Lucita Valiere DERA Tribal Grants Lead Phone: 206-553-8087 Email: valiere.lucita@epa.gov
|
For further insular area applicant information, contact:
Stephanie Watson DERA Insular Area Grants Lead Phone: 202-564-1409 Email: watson.stephanie@epa.gov
|
NEW! NOAA RESTORE Science Program 2023 – $15 million
Applications Due: November 15, 2022
Eligible Entities: Institutions of higher education; not-for-profit institutions; for-profit organizations; local governments, state governments, tribal governments; and U.S. territories
NOAA RESTORE Science Program is open for proposals for projects up to five years in duration. This announcement invites proposals that request funding from researcher, resource manager, and stakeholder partnerships to execute a previously planned, collaborative research project, develop its findings and products, transfer them to an identified resource manager or management body, and apply them to a specific Gulf of Mexico natural resource management decision. A letter of intent for this proposal is due by August 16, 2022.
For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.
NEW! DOC Climate Program Office FY 2023 – $11.1 million
Applications Due: November 21, 2022
Eligible Entities: State governments, local governments, tribal governments, institutions of higher education, nonprofits, international organizations
As part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) climate portfolio within the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR), the Climate Program Office (CPO) addresses climate challenges by managing competitive research programs through which high-priority climate science, assessments, decision-support research, outreach, education, and capacity-building activities are funded to advance our understanding of the Earth’s climate system, and to foster the application and use of this knowledge to improve the resilience of our Nation and its partners.
For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.
Air Monitoring Equipment Available for Loan to State, Local, and Tribal Agencies
In 2021, EPA’s Office of Research and Development initiated the Wildfire Smoke Air Monitoring Response Technology (WSMART) Pilot, loaning air monitoring technologies to state, local, and tribal air organizations to support supplemental air monitoring in areas affected by wildfire smoke and with observational data coverage gaps. During 2022, this pilot technology loan program will continue to provide several technology types – including stationary air sensor systems and a compact mobile monitoring system – to state and local air agency monitoring staff and professional tribal air quality staff members upon request. The equipment is not available for general public use. For more information and access to the loan request webform, please visit the WSMART website:https://www.epa.gov/air-sensor-toolbox/wildfire-smoke-air-monitoring-response-technology-wsmart-pilot
For technical questions, please contact smoketech@epa.gov.
Communication Channels for NASA Funding Opportunities
Please consider signing up for the following communication channels. These channels will ensure that you are informed of student engagement and other funding opportunities:
- Register for an account with NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System (NSPIRES). You’ll need to create an account if you don’t already have one. Once you have an account you’ll be able to sign up for notifications to be alerted when new funding opportunities are released. There are sometimes opportunities released specifically for Minority Serving Institutions (including TCUs and other indigenous serving higher education institutions) so it’s good to receive the notifications to stay on top of new opportunities.
- Sign up for our MUREP Newsletterwhich goes out every 2 weeks on Fridays.
- Check our MUREP websitefor announcements regarding MUREP specific funding opportunities.
EPA recently shared documents from the May 2021 Workshop on Wildfire Smoke and Children’s Health.
The workshop summary recaps expert presentation and topics discussed during the May event. The recommendations were drafted by multistakeholder workgroups and contain a collection of evidence-based information for decision making and for developing educational materials.
You can find the documents attached and posted on the AirNow website: https://www.airnow.gov/wildfire-guide-post-publication-updates/. At this site you will also see a link to A Story of Health, a multimedia eBook from the Western States Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit that explores how our environments interact with our genes to influence health across the lifespan. The latest chapter, Sofia’s Story, explores the health effects of wildfires. Go directly to Story of Health here: https://wspehsu.ucsf.edu/main-resources/for-clinical-professionals/training/a-story-of-health-a-multi-media-ebook/. For more information, contact EPA’s Martha Berger at Berger.Martha@epa.gov.
Office of Research and Development recently conducted planning discussions regarding the WSMART program. One decision we are activating now is a testing partner loan option during periods of lower wildfire activity (winter through early spring), with loans for up to 3 months. The website FAQs were updated today to outline that option (refer to: “Can I request this equipment to try out before the next wildfire season?”): https://www.epa.gov/air-sensor-toolbox/wildfire-smoke-air-monitoring-response-technology-wsmart-pilot
To view and/or receive ITEP’s American Indian Air Quality Training Program newsletter, Native Voices, click here!
Climate Change/Energy
NEW! DOE Community Geothermal Heating and Cooling Design and Deployment – $13 million Applications Due: October 11, 2022
Eligible Entities: Unrestricted
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced the Community Geothermal Heating and Cooling Design and Deployment Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), which will award $300,000–$13 million for projects that help communities design and deploy geothermal district heating and cooling systems, create related workforce training, and identify and address environmental justice concerns. The FOA will support the formation of U.S.-based community coalitions that will develop, design, and install community geothermal heating and cooling systems that supply at least 25% of the heating and cooling load in communities.
- For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.
Join NCAI’s Climate Action email listserv here!
Sign up for the Alliance for Green Heat’s newsletter!
To view and/or receive ITEP’s Climate Change newsletter, click here!
Toxics/Mobile Sources
Performance Reports on Electric Trucks Operating in Four Key Freight Markets Now Available!
A new series of five reports documenting the performance of 13 electric trucks are now available from the North American Council for Freight Efficiency (NACFE), a SmartWay Affiliate. NACFE’s Electric Trucks Have Arrived report series provides key metrics and consistent data sets and presents important findings and insight into how these electric trucks operate to meet the operational demands of four critical freight markets. The report series is based on a comprehensive range of real-world data collected by NACFE during its Run on Less – Electric (ROL-E) truck demonstration conducted last fall. The series of reports also draws on extensive field research, studies, interviews, and related documents published by NACFE on the development and emergence of electric trucks in recent years.
For the Electric Trucks Have Arrived series, thirteen fleets and truck manufacturers paired up and collaborated with NACFE for its ROL-E demonstration. They agreed to equip their electric trucks with instruments and to continuously track, collect and provide NACFE with key data points, driver experience, and other information on the performance of the trucks over the course of three weeks last fall. Each of the Electric Trucks Have Arrived reports covers specific market segments served by the participating fleets, as follows:
- Three electric terminal tractors
- Three electric delivery vans/step vans
- Three electric medium-duty box trucks, and
- Four electric heavy duty regional haul tractors
A fifth report, Electric Trucks Have Arrived: Documenting a Real-World Electric Trucking Demonstration provides an overview of the demonstration project, including details on the methods used to select the fleets that participated in the project, routes, and equipment, and the metrics that measured the 13 participating pairs of fleets and truck manufacturers.
Among its key findings, NACFE concludes that ROL-E demonstrates that for the market segments covered, the technology supporting electric trucks is mature enough for fleets to make investments in the production of commercial battery electric vehicles. It expects continuous improvements will be rapid as these technologies gain market share and that the environmental benefits of reducing emissions are significant for replacing traditional diesel and gasoline-based vehicles.
To access one or more of the reports available as part of the NACFE Electric Trucks Have Arrived series, click on the respective links above. For more information on NACFE, visit www.nacfe.org.
Indoor Air Quality
NEW! The Indoor Air Quality Association’s Emerging Professional Scholarship Fund was created to offer early career professionals the opportunity to further develop their understanding and expertise within the IAQ field. For the 2023 program, they are pleased to offer the following:
IAQA 2023 Annual Meeting & Expo Travel Award & IAQA University Award
One candidate will receive a $2,000 travel stipend award for hotel, airfare, and miscellaneous expenses, complimentary IAQA 2023 Annual Meeting & Expo registration, and the 50- course bundle. Two candidates will receive the 50- course bundle for IAQA University featuring all four S.M.A.R.T. Education Courses/Badges –value up to $3250 (access for a period of 18 months). Click here to apply!
Resource for Healthy Indoor Air Quality
Check out the website https://forhealth.org/ for many resources related to healthy homes and indoor air quality!
The Tribal Healthy Homes Network (THHN) has a webpage dedicated to Funding Opportunities! Additionally, THHN has developed a Funding Guide for American Indian and Alaska Native Communities.
Most Recent Listing: EPA Rules from the Federal Register can be found here.
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PHOTOS FROM THE FIELD: Week of September 6 – 9, 2022
Mary Peltola has been fishing on the Kuskokwim since she was a child. Liz Ruskin/Alaska Public Media
PHOTOS FROM THE FIELD
NPR – Mary Peltola, the first Alaska Native heading to Congress, journeys home to the river