United States Environmental Protection Agency Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5303W) EPA 530-N-00-003 Spring 2DDD www.epa.gov/osw v>EPA Native American Network Shoshone-Paiute of Duck Valley Shine in Waste Management Efforts A s a sovereign nation that /\ straddles Idaho and -/ jJSTevada—as well as two EPA Regions—the Shoshone- Paiute Tribes' Duck Valley Reservation had no shortage of experienced help to draw on when developing its integrated solid waste management plan (ISWMP). The creativity, teamwork, and leadership essential for the program's success, however, had to come from within the community. For years, the reservation's 1,600 residents used home burning barrels and 15 different open-pit dumps to dispose of everything from household trash to medical wastes, animal carcasses, and chemical containers. With strong Tribal leadership and partnerships with many public and private organizations, the reservation implemented a waste management program that is a model for rural, remote areas throughout the Country. In fact, EPA Region 9 recognized the reservation in April 1999 with an Outstanding Environmental Achievement Award. Building Leadership from Within. Protecting the environment and the health of the reservation's residents required more than closing open-pit dumps. The reservation needed a more comprehensive, integrated approach to waste management that included reducing, reusing, and recycling waste—an approach that required initiative and commitment from community members. After receiving a 3-year municipal solid '. waste grant from EPA in 1997, a solid waste committee of Tribal residents began to develop the ISWMP. Continued on page 6, column 1 TASWER pjtpard Elects ^Officers ^ In a meeting held November 20, -' -T999"7the Tribal Association on ~ Solid Waste and Emergeny ^Response (TASWER) Board fleeted its officers. The mission *" of the TASWER Board is to _ .provide a government-to- -~ government mechanism that allows federally recognized Tribes to be proactively involved *- in the legislative and regulatory r process of Congress and EPA. UjjThe Board consists of one Tribal ^representative from each of the __ jQine EPA jRegions with federally ^recognized Tribes, a '^ Representative from Alaska, and •«— two at-large representatives. ~xt JT ?" Currently, TASWER is planning ^thedevelopment of a Tribal '*~SEmergency Response Training ^'SOtose, and injDonj unction with %^theJJniversity of Georgia, the ^development of a Tribal „ Composting course. -F The TASWER Board members ^and officers are identified below. ~ Continued on page 2, column I > Printed on paper that contains at least 20 percent postconsumer fiber. ------- Native American Network ,*!!!! r'ltHIIISn Jin ill Illll III TlfllillT I If" T "I ' liiSL,,Regis Mohawk Tribe ;!i • 4< arcie Phillips i J^yir^%ritaTl^ec^n P/o_gram RY ..... Olympic ™«Bhvitorimental Director ' ::;:: Igiugig 'Village 'Council : ;, TREASURER ' ; * Gerald Wagner Environmental Programs Director Blackfeet Nation Calvin Murphy Executive Director I""Cherokee tribal Utilities ' Eastern Band of Cherokee , i in Earl Hatley Environmental Program Director Quapaw Tribe of Oklahoma 'i Roy Spoonhunter ''Environmental Program Coordinator i | | Prairi'e'l'l'anci'of Potawatomi Indians ,:;E, ' ;':! ".^ . IHlY^ginii Washington IRA Council Secretary Native Village of St. Michael Cynthia Pilot {Environmental Director Louden Tribal Council Delano u£>atch'* Miller Public Utilities General Manager r Confederated Tribes of the ; Warm Springs Reservation Sheila Sevenstar Environmental Specialist ( Qierokee Nation r in i i" i For further information, contact Jeff Tomhave, TASWER Executive Director at (202) 331-8084 or at 1001 Connecticut Avenue, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20036-5504 © Getting the Environmental Message Out Flyers, bumper stickers, refrigerator magnets? How does your Tribe get the message out on waste reduction, recycling, or solid waste management efforts? Several Tribes have devised clever and innovative ways to reach out to the community and encourage participation in environmental efforts. Public education plays a key role in the success of Tribal waste management programs. To promote proper waste management, you need to share environmental information with community members and encourage their support and participation. Posters, cartoons, fact sheets, flyers, special events, and radio and newspaper stories are a few ways to reach out to your community. Check out what other Tribes are doing to increase acceptance of their waste management programs. The Metlakatla Indian Community Environmental Office sponsored a series of posters to encourage people to reduce, reuse, and recycle. The poster series, which includes messages like Don't Trash My Forest!, Don't Spoil My Sea!, Don't Foul My Sky!, and Don't Poison My Food!, incorporates native art and culture to promote the importance of proper waste disposal. The Metlakatla Indian Community is located on the Annette Islands Reserve about 15 miles south of Ketchikan, Alaska. To view the entire series of posters, go to: http://www.epa.gov/tribalmsw/ outreach.htm and click on the poster graphic. The St. Regis Mohawk Tribe Environmental Division sponsored a series of cartoons called Kwis & Tiio: Solid Waste Management on the 'Rez to increase the community's Don't Trash My Forest! Wotf b ow guardian, Bvkig deep In ow woods. Hi* homrt beauty can bo spoBcd by bogs of garbage. Keep Bttcr otrt ot Hs home—protect our tend. REDUCE Q REUSE £J RECYCLE Metbkofia Intflon Community by: Brad and Darren Bonaparte awareness of proper solid waste management practices and to illustrate how people's disposal practices directly impact the environment. With a sense of humor, these cartoons discuss protecting the environment; reducing, recycling, and reusing; the benefits of a new transfer station; problems with open dumps; and the dangers of burning waste. The Tribe is in the process of developing additional cartoons. The St. Regis Mohawk Reservation is located in Upstate New York and straddles the border between the United States and Canada. To read the current adventures of Kwis & Tiio, go to: http://www.epa.gov/tribalmsw/ outreach.htm and click on the cartoon graphic. If you would like to share your community outreach materials with other Tribes, please contact Karen Rudek, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, at (703) 308-1682 or radek.karen@epa.gov * ------- I. 5th National Tribal Conference on Environmental Management Preserving the Bounty of the Earth Through Tribal Environmental Knowledge May 8-11, 2000 Chinook Winds Casino and Convention Center Lincoln City, Oregon ^ Convention Center in Lincoln City, Oregon CTSI (aconted^fL ^l J he Chin°°k Winds Casino and California to Southern Washington) is a "federaH ' rec IgnizeS Tr K S ml^^191"81? ranging fr°m Northern reservation located in Lincoln County Oreqon The Tri^ nn^ f^T-r^ ' ° members and a 3,666 acre - For Further Information and Registration Contact: Terry Lane Conference Manager Phone: 800-922-1399 ext 361 Natural Resources Department or541-444-8361 Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians Fax: 541-444-9688 P.O. Box 549 E-mail: ntcem5@ctsi.nsn.us S.letz, Oregon 97380 Website: http://ctsi.nsn.us ------- Conference Registration The registration fee for the conference is $125 if paid by April 14,2000. After April 14, the registration fee is $150. Payment in the form of check or money order (made payable to: Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians) must accompany your registration form. We do not accept credit cards or purchase orders. Tentative Schedule Monday, May 8,2000 Registration & Exhibit Setup Welcoming Pow Wow Tuesday, May 9,2000 Late Registration Welcome & Open Session Regional Sessions (Regions 10 & 5) Breakout Sessions Feather Dance Wednesday, May 10,2000 Regional Sessions (Region 4) Regional Sessions (Small Reservations) Regional Sessions (Region 8) Explore Lincoln City! Thursday, May 11,2000 Regional Sessions (Large Reservations & Alaska) Breakout Sessions Regional Sessions (Regions 1, 6, 9) Breakout Sessions Banquet & Closing Ceremony Keynote Speaker: Reverend Dr. Michael J. Oleksa "Intercultural Communication" 12:00 to 5:00 pm 6:00 to 9:00 pm 7:30 to 8:30 am 8:30 to 11:30 am 1:30 to 5:00 pm 1:30 to 5:00 pm 5:30 to 9:00 pm 8:00 to 9:30 am 10:00 to 11:30 am 3:30 to 5:00 pm 8:00 to 11:30 am 8:00 to 11:30 am 1:30 to 5:00 pm 1:30 to 5:00 pm 7:00 to 9:00 pm Regional Sessions: are based on EPA Geographic Regions and are designed to be a forum for Tribes to discuss pertinent issues with their regional EPA staff and other attending agencies. Large Reservations/Small Reservations: are designed to be interactive discussions with EPA staff and other attend- ing agencies on issues pertinent to Tribes with either large and/or consolidated land bases or small and/or scattered land bases. Alaska Session: is designed as an interactive forum for Alaska Tribes to discuss pertinent issues with EPA staff and other attending agencies. Field Trips: One field trip per day is planned on a space- limited, first-come, first-served basis (sign up at the confer- ence). Tentative trips include Siletz Tribe Mill Site (Brownfield); Siletz River Estuary Tour; Tour of EPA National Health and Environmental Effects Research Lab, Newport. Keynote Speaker: Rev. Dr. Michael J. Oleksa The Reverend Dr. Michael J. Oleksa has spent most of his adult life in Alaska, primarily in small rural Native communities, where he has learned from direct experience the importance of intercultural understanding and interpersonal communication. With his Yup'ik Eskimo wife, he has raised four children to adult Eskerainian or Ukrainiamo status. Father Michael has presented workshops for various state and federal agencies, taught at all of Alaska's universities, and lectured nationally and internationally on intercultural topics. His published writings in the field of theology and Alaska native History are overshadowed by his four part series produced by public television in Juneau, Alaska, "Communicating Across Cultures." He has traveled widely as a delegate to the World Council of Churches and spent a sabbatical year (1995-96) at the St. Patriarch Tikhon Orthodox Theological Institute in Moscow. Agenda Topics (Tentative) • Solid Waste: Small Transfer Stations • Federal Water Quality Standards for Tribal Lands •Environmental Education • Hazardous Waste Transportation and Disposal • Alternative Energy/Pollution Reduction Alternatives • Land Management Activities and Impacts to Water Quality • Treatment as a State: Past, Present and Future • Developing Tribal Infrastructure for Managing Natural Resources • Solid Waste Recycling and Public Education Programs • Environmental Health: Indoor Air Pollution • Waste Wise-Pollution Prevention Partnership Program • Dam Removal • Air Quality-Environmental Management Systems • Underground Storage Tank Removal and Remediation • Jurisdictional Issues: Tribal, Federal, State • GIS Applications in Environmental Management • Creative Partnerships: Land, Water, Wetlands, Wildlife • Court Decisions Affecting Tribes and Their Natural Resources • Ocean/Coastal Issues • Tribal Environmental Knowledge: Developing Culturally Based Environmental Programs • Brownfields • Emergency Preparedness • Superfund and Tribes • Tribal Operations Committee & RTOCs • Water System Capacity Development: What is it? Why should we care? • Pollution and Culture: Assessing Risk to Subsis- tence Foods • Using Federal Statutes and Trust Responsi- bility to Enforce Treaty Rights • Beyond Grants: Financing Environmental Projects • Political Issues in the New Millennium • Developing and Enforcing Tribal Environmen- tal Codes • GAP & PPGs-Effective Project Management and Implementation • Sustainable Development through Comprehensive Planning • Regional InterTnbal Communi- cations Project- Federal Facilities Issues • Coastal Zone Management Act • NEPA & Fee to Trust Issues • ------- N a t i v e A m ericia k N e t w o r k MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE www.epa.gov/tribalimsw The Yurok Tribe Cleans Up: A Story of Successful Open Dump Closure After decades of unchecked open dumping on lands within the Yurok Reservation in Northern California, the Yurok Tribe cleaned up 20 illegal dump sites and virtually eliminated illegal dumping, starting with the cleanup effort at the Weitchpec dump site—long considered the worst illegal dump site in Northern California. When the Yurok Tribal Council formed in 1994, the Weitchpec dump site had, for 40 years, defied the best Tribe and County efforts to eliminate it. Used year-round by residents of the region, the dump had grown to some 1,200 cubic yards—so large that it spilled onto and covered one lane of the State highway. With the cooperation of the community and assistance from the State, Humboldt County, EPA, and Indian Health Service (IHS), the Yuroks cleaned up the Weitchpec site and changed community attitudes and behaviors. With the advent of the new Tribal government, the California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB) notified the Tribe and Humboldt County that the site was eligible for State cleanup funds because it was located on privately owned "fee" land. Tired of driving through garbage and distressed with the dump as the first impression of the reservation, Tribal staff and reservation communities worked together with the Humboldt County Department of Public Health to convince the State to make the Weitchpec site a priority for cleanup funding. CIWMB awarded $600,000 for the effort, and the cooperative project sped into action with the full support of the Tribal Council and the community. Sef Murguia, Planning Director for: the Yurok Tribe and its environmental programs, coordinated task forces, obtained training for Tribal cleanup crews, and worked with staff from EPA Region 9 to publicize the campaign. EPA's primary role was to WASTE MANAGEMENT IN INDIAN COUNTRY provide technical assistance for the project. EPA Solid Waste Circuit Rider Bob Shelnutt helped the Yuroks define technical issues, seek out resources, and facilitate solutions. Murguia also helped lay the ! groundwork with IHS to establish the severity of the reservation's dumping problem, and EPA Region 9 staff : worked with IHS to obtain financial assistance. IHS put up $ 150,000 to build a transfer station to contain the waste before it was hauled to a county; landfill. The State supplied lands ; previously used by the California Department of Transportation for the transfer station, and Humboldt County took responsibility for hauling and disposing of the refuse. "The Weitchpec cleanup was truly a joint effort involving the Tribe, the community, the county, and the State," Murguia said. The Weitchpec cleanup not only removed a huge eyesore and public nuisance, it also improved air quality by removing the need for periodic burning of the refuse heap. Rats and other vermin that could spread disease quickly diminished, and, slowly, wildlife returned to the area. The cleanup also reflected well on the new Tribal government. Pride in the reservation grew, and the collective sentiment that illegal dumping would not be tolerated increased the sense of community. Spurred by the success at Weitchpec, the Yurok Tribal Council declared dumping illegal. The Yuroks began to educate the community on waste reduction and proper disposal methods to reduce the cost of operating the transfer station. With funding from IHS, the Tribe hired a private contractor to help develop a recycling and source reduction education program. Subsequently, the education program was presented in local elementary schools and at community and Tribal Council meetings. Concurrently, the Center for Indian Development at Humboldt University received funding and assistance from EPA to develop a household hazardous and solid waste education curriculum that Humboldt County elementary schools implemented in 1995. Continued on page 5, column 2 ------- Native American Network MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE www.epa.gov/tribalmsw Tribes Undertake Goal-Oriented MSW Grant Projects Through its Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Grant Program for Indian Country, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) promotes effective integrated solid waste management practices to federally recognized Tribes and Tribal organizations. In 1997, eight demonstration projects received awards ranging from $50,000 to $100,000 per year for up to 3 years. In 1999, EPA awarded an additional $450,000 in MSW grants to Native American Tribes and Tribal consortia. The recipients are using the monies to help develop sustainable solid waste management plans, expand community education and outreach programs, encourage n"ew partnerships, and pursue innovative technologies. The following descriptions highlight how these Tribal projects help support EPA's goals for the MSW Grant Program. Goal 1: Promote the development and Implementation of sustainable, comprehensive integrated waste management programs. The Navajo Nation Environmental Protection Agency (NNEPA) is working cooperatively with the Nation's Division of Community Development (DCD) to create an integrated solid waste strategy for the next 10 to 20 years. The strategy will investigate and address transportation issues, enforcement needs, infrastructure development, waste generation, and waste reduction options for the Navajo Nation. The Seminole Tribe of Florida is using its grant to implement integrated municipal solid waste programs to divert recyclable and organic waste materials from the waste stream. The effort includes a new transfer station and recycling and composting programs that will save the Tribe money. These programs reduce the need for long-distance transportation and solid waste disposal fees. The St. Croix Chippewa Indians are exploring and implementing cost-saving strategies in the delivery of solid waste management services to the Tribal community. The grant will help the Tribe promote and implement waste reduction, reuse, and recycling to reduce excessive costs and help sustain the solid waste management program. Goal 2: Expand community participation in the management of solid waste in Indian Country. The Chalkyitsik Village is using its grant money to develop a model waste management plan, including public service announcements, in-class training for students, and a community cleanup. The Kickapoo Tribe of Indians' Environmental Office is conducting a year-long demonstration project to promote waste separation and recycling, and to conduct community education and outreach that support these activities. The Meskwaki Tribe is capitalizing on increased public interest in solid waste management by educating and involving the community in its programs. Outreach activities include education on composting, source reduction, and recycling, as well as sponsoring community cleanups. The Tuscarora Nation hopes to build community consensus for new solid waste regulations and enforcement codes by videotaping Tribal Elders recalling their memories of the former condition of the land and quality of life to help serve as a guide for waste management efforts. Goal 3: Encourage partnerships between Tribes, surrounding communities, and/or other Federal or non-Federal agencies. The Assiiniboine and Sioux Tribes of the For t Peck Reservation are using their MSW grant to develop a waste disposal control strategy in conjunction with the city of Poplar, MT. The funds will be used to hire a full-time employee at the transfer station site in Poplar, to properly and securely fence the site to control access, and to clean up the existing three to four open dump sites around Poplar. The Coeur d'Alene Tribe will develop and present to both Tribal and non-Tribal communities an acceptable municipal solid waste management plan that incorporates an innovative waste separation process including composting, recycling, land reclamation, and landfilling. The Tribe and project partners have formed an oversight committee to travel to existing material recovery facilities (MRFs) and assess the benefits and problems of MRF technologies. Goal 4: Increase the availability of technical assistance to all Tribes via information obtained and lessons learned. The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes are installing one test plot at their landfill to evaluate an earthen final cover that relies on a new technology called "evapotranspiration." The Tribe will Continued on page 6, column 3 ------- N a t i v e A m e r i d a ri N e t w o r k UNICIPAL SOLI www.epa.gov/tribalmsw ASTE Sleds Offer Solution to Solid Waste Situation The Alaskan Native Village of Kipnuk faced a dilemma. Trash left by community members at honeybucket (similar to a chamber pot) collecting points was easily accessible to rummaging dogs that scattered litter across the surrounding area. A major part of the village's annual Cleanup and Green-Up Program, a voluntary community cleanup project held each spring, centered around picking up the litter and trash strewn around the honeybucket stations. A survey of community members by the Kipnuk Traditional Council (KTC) identified this trash left in and around the village as a top environmental concern. The village collected trash from residents twice a week, on Mondays and Fridays, but had no permanent dumpsters for trash containment between collection days. The KTC encouraged residents to keep their trash in their arctic entryways between collection days, but the villagers were reluctant to store their trash in their homes while awaiting pickup. So the honeybucket collection sites became popular dumping grounds. During the summer, the KTC used four all-terrain vehicle (ATV) carts to haul trash to the village landfill, but winter presented another problem when the carts became immobilized by snow and the trash accumulated in the village. The KTC conceived a plan to build 10 wooden sleds outfitted with trash dumpsters and place them near the honeybucket stations for use during the winter. The sleds would be mobile, allowing the KTC to remove the waste to the landfill. They would serve as stationary dumpsters during the summer months when the ATV carts were used. The KTC received more than $5,000 for this project under the Alaska Native Health Board's (ANHB) Alaska Solid Waste Management Demonstration Grant Program. As part of the grant, the KTC was required to provide at least 5 percent matching funds. The Kipnuk Light Plant, a subsidiary of the Kipnuk Traditional Council, provided the ; equivalent of 36 percent matching' funds by paying the salary and benefits of a skilled sled builder and supplying tools for the sleds' construction. Tailored after the "all bottom sled" widely used in the region as a utility vehicle, the dumpster sled design : includes a top-mounted 4-foot-wide by 4-foot-high by 8-foot-long The Yurok Tribe Cleans Up, from, page 3 In 1997, the Tribe's new Environmental Programs Manager, : Bessie Lee, coordinated a task force of State and Tribal staff to clean up a large, less visible dump near the small community of Cappell. Beth Godfrey, EPA solid waste project officer for California Tribes and for the California Area Inter-Agency Solid Waste Work Group, worked with EPA's Superfund staff to provide funding and technic4l assistance in the cleanup of hazardous wastes at the site. Additional funding for the waste cleanup was provided by IHSandCIWMB. plywood box that will be used as a trash receptacle. It took about 6 weeks for a Raven AmeriCorps Member, under the guidance of the skilled sled builder, to build and paint 10 sleds. All the lumber and construction materials were purchased from the local lumber and hardware retailer. Marine paint was used to help the sleds hold up under harsh Alaskan winter conditions. The success of the project will be evaluated in the spring, but the KTC anticipates that it will help reduce Utter and improve the environment in the village. For more information on this project, please contact Nelson Anaver, Native Village of Kipnuk Traditional Council, at (907) 896-5515 or kipnuk2000@aol.com. For more information on the Alaska Native Health Board's Alaska Solid Waste Management Demonstration Grants, please contact Tina Long at (907) 562-6006 or TLong®anhb.org # For further background on the Weitchpec cleanup, contact Sef Murguia at (707) 444-0433 or zmurguia@yuroktribe.nsn.us. To find out more about ongoing environmental activities on the Yurok '' "•»/VA r r ' i Reservation, =£. at the same telephone number ® ------- Native American Netw|ork Shosltone-Painte, from page 1 Before planning could occur, the reservation's waste stream had to be defined. Working with local children, the committee conducted a waste assessment. The result was the Duck Valley Solid Waste Characterization Study on which the committee based the ISWMP. The 1-day assessment revealed that organics comprised the bulk of residential waste—28 percent —while 12 percent of the waste was mixed office paper. The high organic content of the waste stream prompted the committee to encourage backyard composting of household food scraps and yard waste. Changing waste disposal habits, however, would require involving and educating Tribal residents. Marcie Phillips, of the Shoshone- Paiute Tribes' Environmental Protection Program, said that "while residents are much more conscious about waste and the environment than they were a few years ago, the education process never stops." Education includes making personal visits, encouraging volunteerism from within the community, publishing a newsletter called Talking Trash, and constructing an outdoor environmental education center. To target organic waste, for example, the committee initiated a home composting pilot project that involved educating residents through visits to individual homes. The committee's goal is to have at least 80 percent of households using backyard bins. In addition, a football-field-sized environmental park will provide residents with a hands-on experience in waste reduction. It will include a playground constructed from recycled materials and a home composting demonstration. Managing Recyclables and Collecting Trash. Providing residents with a place to safely dispose of their waste is as important as education. With financial and technical assistance from the Indian Health Service (IHS), the reservation now collects trash and recyclables at a transfer station adjacent to the site of the old open-pit dumps. Residents can bring presorted recyclables, including corrugated containers, motor oil, aluminum, and white office paper, to the transfer station for collection. Collecting recyclables is the easy part; finding markets and reasonable prices for these materials is the real challenge. Current market prices for plastic and glass, for example, do not offset handling and transportation costs. However, Duck Valley can stockpile recyclables until market prices reach at least a break-even point. For materials like aluminum cans and corrugated containers, the reservation is seeking outlets in Idaho and Nevada. To ensure proper waste disposal, the transfer station is monitored twice each day. The reservation has its own solid waste truck that hauls trash to a landfill in Elko, Nevada for $20 per ton. While operating a transfer station and implementing the ISWMP can be costly, the Duck Valley's ISWMP is currently solvent. A major challenge for any new Tribal ISWMP is sustainability. To help support the program, the reservation charges a fee to major solid waste generators, including construction contractors. The reservation also charges residents a fee that appears on their monthly electric bill. As an additional source of income, the reservation leases its solid waste hauling truck to other Tribal programs. Workiing With Partners and Giving Back to Other Tribes. Duck Valley's ISWMP owes much of its success to public and private sector partners who provided technical assistance, funding, and volunteers. The U.S. Forest Service, for example, helped pay for trees for the outdoor environmental education center, while the Idaho Power Company provided a method to collect Duck Valley's solid waste fees on monthly electric bills. In return, the reservation assisted other Tribes throughout the country with their solid waste management issues. Tribal members have spoken at several Tribal conferences, and since word of its ISWMP success has spread, many Tribes have asked Duck Valley's ISWMP coordinators to assist them on site. If you would like more information on Duck Valley's ISWMP, contact Marcie Phillips at ShoPaiTr8@aol.com © MSW. Grant Projects, from page 4 gather local environmental data to complete a site-specific flexibility review of the alternative evapotranspiration cover designs. The cover comparison will help other Tribes seeking site-specific flexibility determinations from EPA on the use of evapotranspiration covers to close open dumps and/or landfills. For more information on EPA's MSW Grant Program, or to view the descriptions of the 1997 demonstration projects, please visit the Tribal web site at: http://www.epa.gov/tribalmsw or contact Beverly Goldblatt, U.S. EPA, at (703) 308-7278, or goldblatt.beverly@epa.gov fy ------- N a t i v e Am e r i N e t w o r k Two Small Tribes Achieve Big Results Despite limited staff and resources, the Blue Lake Rancheria and Grand Traverse Band of Chippewa Tribes show that focusing on easy and inexpensive waste reduction activities can build momentum for significant results. Blue Lake Rancheria is Turning Green When Blue Lake Rancheria joined EPA's WasteWise Program in 1997, the Tribe lacked even a basic solid waste management program. Since then they have significantly reduced solid waste. In October 1999, the Tribe was recognized by EPA as the Waste Wise Partner of the Year in the Tribal Government category. Tall Chief Comet, the Tribe's environmental programs director, was motivated to address solid waste issues when he noticed the volume of waste paper generated by the Tribal office. After determining that basic recycling met his requirements, Comet placed recycling receptacles in convenient locations. Office personnel readily incorporated recycling into everyday routines, and the Tribe collected and recycled nearly 1,000 pounds of high-grade and mixed office paper, 1,560 pounds of corrugated cardboard, and 20 pounds of aluminum in 1998. Blue Lake also began double-siding new documents, saving 25 pounds of copier paper, and reusing single-sided paper for draft printouts and faxes, conserving 44 pounds of printer paper. The Tribal office also runs an Elder's Nutrition Program that serves more than 500 meals each week. The meals originally were packaged in non- recyclable PVC/vinyl bags. The Tribe decided to change the food packaging and use recyclable PET trays, which conserved 60 pounds of PVC/vinyl secondary packaging. Comet estimates that the reduced consumption of office paper and PVC/ vinyl bags saved the Tribe approximately $250. Blue Lake Rancheria continues to expand its waste reduction efforts. The Tribe intends to add composting to its food program and to bring the recycling message to the broader Tribal community. Now having to rely on a small cardboard collection site in a neighboring municipality, the Tribe has begun to explore funding for a centralized recycling center. Blue Lake Rancheria also is joining four other Tribes to form a solid waste; alliance to pool resources for community outreach and education. Grand Traverse Band of Chippewa Indians Not only does the Environmental , Stewardship Program of the Grand Traverse Band, another WasteWise partner, tackle solid waste reduction in its government offices, the Tribe also targets the reservation's hotels, casinos, and restaurants. Its dumpster collection system for cardboard and office paper recycling at the targeted establishments, has been relatively successful. One of the restaurants has even expanded its recycling activities to include glass, tin, and plastic. The hotels on the reservation implemented another successful resource conservation project by letting guests choose whether they would like their sheets and towels changed every day. Door hangers and postcards left on the hotel beds describe the environmental savings that accompany fewer washings. ! High staff turnover and the lack of formal orientation for new hires has made it difficult to conduct environ- mental training, but Patty O'Donnell, who is solely responsible for handling the reservation's solid waste management issues, visits new hires to ensure they have recycling bins at their desks and to inform them of the materials the Tribe recycles. She even provides a handy magnet that lists all these materials and explains how to recycle. Other employee education activities include incorporating the recycling and buying recycled messages on pay stubs, sending out recycling reminders to all employees, and including environmental articles in the monthly newsletters distributed to all Tribal members and offices. O'Donnell encourages household waste reduction by giving out the recycling magnets and free composting bins. Even with the large number of establishments on the reservation and the single staff person available to spearhead waste reduction efforts, the Grand Traverse Band of Chippewa Indians has made notable progress toward protecting the environment. For more information on EPA's WasteWise program, please visit then- website at: http://www.epa.gov/ wastewise, call the WasteWise Helpline at (800) EPA-WISE (372-9473), or e-mail ww@cais.net # ------- Native American NetWork U. S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY Tribal Calendar of Events (Revised as of December 1999) MARCH 2000 30-4/1 American Indian Science & Engineering Society (AISES) 13" Annual National American Indian Science and Engineering Fair St. Paul. MN RiverCenter Karen Yarnamoto (505) 765-1052 or kareny©aises,org or www.aises.org APRIL 2000 9-12 Region 6 The Gulf of Mexico Program Tribal Chiefs in the Five Gulf Coast States, Gulf of Mexico Symposium Mobile, AL Terry Nines Smith (228) 688-1159 16-18 American Indian Environmental Office (AIEO) Tribal Caucus and national Indian Work Group (NIWG) Annual Meeting Foxwood, CT Clara Mtekles, NIWG (202) 260-7519 Theresa Fleming, TOG (202) 260-3986 17-20 National Tribal Environmental Council (NTEC) and Manshantucket PequotTribe NTEC Annual Conference - 2000 Ways to Protect Mother Earth Foxwoods Casino, CT (505) 242-2175 or www.ntec.org 18-20 EPA Region 8, hosted by Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewas EPA Region 8 Regional Tribal Operations Committee Meeting Belcourt, ND MAY 2000 1-4 Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians (ATNI) ATNI Mid-year Conference Couer d'Alene, ID (503) 241-0070 ortribes@atni.org 1-5 EPA Office of Water Water Quality Standards Academy ;,;,"„, (Special session for Indian Tribes) Chicago, IL Greg Smith, Great Lakes Environmental Ctr. (EPA contractor) (614) 487-1040 8-11 Confederated Tribes of SileJz. Indians Fifth National Tribal Conference on Environmental Management (800) 922-1399 ext. 361, (541) 444-8361; , ntcem5@ctsi.nsn.us; or http://ctsi.nsn.us/Envmgt/index.html 23-26 EPA Office of Envirnomental Justice (OEJ) NEJAC Meeting - Policy Issue: Public Health & Environmental Justice Atlanta, GA Danny Gogal, OEJ (202) 564-2576 JUNE IZOOO 12-16 Inter-Tribal Timber Council (ITC) and Nez Perce Tribe ITC Annual Conference Lewiston, ID (503) 282-4296 25-2£l National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) Mid-Year Conference Juneau, AK NCAI, Washington, DC (202) 466-7767 JULY J'OOO 11-13 EPA Region 8, hosted by Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes EPA Region 8 Regional Tribal Operations Committee Meeting Polsqn, MT NOTE: Periodically, the calendar is updated. Please report any changes to Clara Mickles, AIEO at (202) 260-7519 or e-mail at Mickles.Clara@epamail.gov by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Solid Waste. The views expressed in Native American Network are those of.the *Mrl or represent EPA policy. Providing Tribes with information about OSWER programs and related activities is the purpose of the Afebva American NuSwtSfk. Contact us with your ideas for future articles, or submit your own articles for publication. Editor; Stephen B. Etsitty (703) 305-3194 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of SolW Waste (5303W) 401 M Street, SW Washington, D,C. 20460 Official Business Penalty for Private Use $300 ------- |