Top Stories
NTAA News!
The entire NTAA family is grateful for the leadership of Carol Kriebs, NTAA’s Region 10 representative who stepped down last week as the chairwoman of NTAA. As Carol moves onto new opportunities in the lovely forests of Idaho, we all wish her well. Carol provided us all with great leadership to to help advance air quality with NTAA since 2019! Thank you Carol!
Brandy Toft, NTAA Region 5 Representative is now the Interim Chair for NTAA. Thank you Brandy for stepping up in the meantime!
Region 10 Tribes are invited to consider joining current R10 NTAA Representative Lucas Bair as a new NTAA EC Alternate Representative for Region 10 Tribes. Feel free to respond to the EPA announcement below!
The NTAA is currently seeking story submissions for the 2022 Status of Tribal Air Report!
We are asking that you draft the short story or nominate someone who you may think has a great idea! Please list or write a short paragraph below for one (or two) of the topics given in the Google Form. You may also submit another form response. DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION: Friday, February 25th, 2022
Background:
The NTAA STAR is an annual publication intended to provide an understanding of the importance and impact of Tribal air programs. As such, one of the biggest components to the STAR is the unique perspectives of air programs within Tribal communities. In last year’s STAR, there was mention of needs not being met when it comes to implementing programs or projects due to the lack of funding and infrastructure. Our hope for this STAR is to emphasize funding, and not just the need for more funding for Tribes, but more emphasis on how Tribes are utilizing funds to implement projects and programs. So please provide your success and challenge stories, we’d love to hear from you! Reach out to Mariah.Ashely@nau.edu, NTAA Community Program Coordinator, for any questions.
NTAA is working on a Policy Resource Kit to help Tribes respond to EPA’s Proposed revisions for National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for Primary Copper Smelters. Comments to EPA are due on February 25, 2022. You can find NTAA’s fact sheet here and stand by for a NTAA template letter your Tribe can use to submit comments. To learn more, visit EPA’s website here.
NTAA submitted comments to EPA this week on their proposed methane rule. The comment period closed on Monday. You can view NTAA’s comment letter here.
NEW! FOR REGION 10 TRIBES!
NTAA has a Region 10 alternate executive committee seat open. As of January 28th, 2022, Carol Kriebs (Kootenai Tribe of Idaho) has stepped down from the primary representative role and Executive Committee Chair. As the alternate R10 representative, Lucas Bair will step into the primary representative role for the remainder of the term, which will end on June 30, 2023. Thank you to Carol for her significant contributions to tribal air quality work in the region and nationally.
On behalf of NTAA and in accordance with the NTAA Executive Committee’s Bylaws, EPA staff in Region10 (R10) are facilitating a call for nominations for the alternative R10 representative for the remainder of this term. Tribal staff can nominate themselves or another person.
How to Nominate:
To submit a nomination, please send the following information to Sandra Brozusky at brozusky.sandra@epa.gov by close of business February 11, 2022.
- Nominee’s name, Tribe, and contact info
- Why this person is a good candidate, or why you are interested in the position (300 words or less)
- Please feel free to contact Andy Bessler at andy.bessler@nau.edu or NTAA EC member Lucas Bair at lucas.bair@SpokaneTribe.com if you have any questions about NTAA or the Executive Committee. For more information on NTAA can be found at https://www.ntaatribalair.org/.
Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes News
AP – EPA restores rule to limit power-plant mercury emissions
Fast Company – Tiny nanoplastics are floating in the air—and you’re breathing them in
CNBC – Biden is sending more than $1 billion to states to plug abandoned oil and gas wells
The White House – Biden Administration Tackles Super-Polluting Methane Emissions
NSF News – Bubbles of methane rising from seafloor in Puget Sound
EDF – Widespread Public Support and New Analysis Underscore Need for Powerful EPA Methane Rules
NPR – Native American tribes reach a tentative opioid settlement with J&J and distributors
E&E News – Regan vows concrete steps to confront EJ problems
E&E News – Tech giants, utility powerhouse back EPA in SCOTUS climate case
E&E News – On anniversary of Biden’s EJ order, is Justice40 delivering?
E&E News – Climate ‘champion’ sought to replace Breyer
ProPublica – EPA Rejects Texas’ More Lenient Standard for Highly Toxic Air Pollutant
CNBC – What Indigenous people can teach us about fighting climate change
Indian Country Today – Winter Olympics feature three Indigenous women
Inside Climate News – For the First Time, a Harvard Study Links Air Pollution From Fracking to Early Deaths Among Nearby Residents
Here’s your link to this week’s NACAA Washington Update
Climate Change/Energy
The Hill – Climate-driven extreme heat is ‘new normal’ for oceans: study
Roll Call – Democratic divisions fester over ‘Build Back Better’
Our Children’s Trust – Judge Rules in Favor of Montana Youth Plaintiffs, Affirms Case Can Proceed to Trial
AP News – Alaska court rules against youths in climate change lawsuit
NOLA.com – U.S. floats ideas on methane and clean power
Axios – U.S. floats ideas on methane and clean power
Axios – The social cost of carbon is about to get an update
E&E News – How a record-breaking heat wave fueled climate anxiety
MIT News – Reducing methane emissions at landfills
ITEP Tribes and Climate Change Monthly Newsletter
Toxics/Mobile Sources
Energy News – Transition to electric transportation must elevate equity beyond EVs, advocates say
CNBC – How the fossil fuel industry is pushing plastics on the world
KBAK – EV charging company helps to reduce air pollution in the Central Valley
AP News – Union Pacific announces plans for battery-electric engines
Indoor Air Quality
Native America Calling – The Menu: Indigenous Food News (Editor’s note: NTAA provided information on methane leaks from gas stoves in the last 15 minutes of the show)
CNN – Gas stoves are a threat to health and have larger climate impact than previously known, study shows
Washington Post – Gas stoves pose a big risk to the planet and your health, study says
