United States
                       Environmental Protection
                       Agency
                    Solid Waste
                    and Emergency Response
                    (5303W)
                 EPA 530-N-99-005
                 Fall 1999
vvEPA          Native American  Network
                                                       *'„ -V?
                                                       ^""^^^^B^Sil^ป^te^w^
NTEC   NATIONAL

FORUM  LEADS

TO  ACTION

   The EPA Office of Solid
   Waste and Emergency      :
Response (OSWER) Tribal   >
Program action plans were
published in May 1999 under
the title, Response to        ;
Recommendations From the
National Tribal Environmental   :
Council's February 10-11, 1998
Albuquerque National Tribal
Forum. (EPA document #EPA/
500/R-99/002) The  action plans
outline how each office will
provide more support to tribal
governments in implementing
their waste programs in Fiscal
Years  1999-2000. EPA will also
incorporate these
recommendations into the
forthcoming QSWER Strategy
for Implementing Waste
Programs on Tribal Lands.

The following offices comprise
the OSWER Tribal Program:  the
Outreach and Special Projects
Staff (OSPS), Office of Solid
Waste (OSW), the Office of
Underground Storage Tanks
(OUST), Office of Emergency
and Remedial Response
(OERR), Chemical Emergency

 Continued on page 2, column 3
Federal Agencies

Unite To Help

Tribes  Solve Solid

Waste Problems
        The multiagency Tribal
        Solid Waste Interagency
        Workgroup plans to
        provide approximately
$1.7 million to 11 Native American
Tribes. The Workgroup, composed
of representatives from eight Fed-
eral Agencies (see sidebar), was
established in April 1998 to design
a Federal plan for helping tribes
bring their waste disposal sites into
compliance with the municipal solid
waste landfill criteria (40 CFR Part
258). The tribes will use Tribal
Open Dump Cleanup Project funds
to assist with the closure or upgrade
of their high priority open dump
sites. Funding is expected to be
finalized in fall of 1999.

The Tribal Open Dump Cleanup
Project is part of the Workgroup's
effort to coordinate Federal assis-
tance for tribal solid waste manage-
ment programs. In addition to,
assisting tribes with the closure or
upgrade of high priority
noncompliant waste disposal sites,
the Project is intended to demon-
strate the Federal Government's
ability to provide comprehensive
solid waste funding and technical
Tribal Solid Waste Interagency
Workgroup Participants
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
•  Office of Solid Waste and
   Emergency Response
•  Office of Enforcement and
   Compliance Assurance
•  American Indian Environmental
   Office
Bureau of Indian Affairs
Indian Health Services
Federal Aviation Administration
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
   Administration
U.S. Geological Survey
Department of Agriculture
•  Hazardous Waste Management
   Group
•  Rural Utilities Services
Department of Defense
assistance to tribes. The Cleanup
Project's specific goals include
assisting tribes with complet-
ing and implementing
comprehensive inte-
grated waste manage-
ment plans, devel-
oping realistic solid
waste management
alternatives,
closing or
upgrading
existing
open dumps,
and developing
postclosure
programs.

 Continued on page 6, column 1
   ) Printed on paper that contains at least 20 percent postconsumer fiber.

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                   Native    American    NetWork
           HASKELL  INDIAN   NATIONS
          UNIVERSITY  HOSTS  CERCLA
       TECHNICAL  TRAINING  SESSION
       Students train on the use ofcolorimetric indicators in the field.
     Haskell Indian Nations University
     was the site of a major delivery
of the CERCLA Education  Center's
"Field-Based  Site  Characterization
Technologies" course developed by
EPA's Technology Innovation Office
in the  Office of  Solid  Waste and
Emergency  Response.  This  5-day
course  was held at the University
from June 21-25, 1999, in Lawrence,
Kansas.

Thirty-seven participants, including
Tribal  Environmental Staff, Federal
Site Managers, and State Officials
attended this training session.
Specific Tribal technical  representa-
tives included participants from the
Quapaw Tribe of Oklahoma, Prairie
Students are instructed on emerging
and innovative chemical site
characterization techniques.
 Band of the Potawatomi Indians,
 Caddo Indian Tribe of Oklahoma,
 and the Cherokee Nation. Several
 professors  and upper level students
 in the Environmental Science
 Department at Haskell  Indian
 Nations University also participated
 in the course.

 Class participants were given
 extensive hands-on training in the
 application of numerous test meth-
 ods, sampling and analytical kits,
 field and laboratory instruments,
 statistical approaches,  and data
 quality goals and methods that are
 currently in use to perform hazard-
 ous  waste  site characterizations.
 During this training, several com-
 mercial field equipment manufac-
 turers demonstrated their products
 to the class participants.

 For  further information regarding
 this  course and others provided
free  of charge to Federal, State, and
 tribal environmental  professionals,
 please contact:
 John Quander, Env. Scientist
 CERCLA Education Center
 (703) 603-7198,  or consult
 www.trainex.org.  #•
  •SzNTEC Forum, from page 1
  s Preparedness and Prevention Office
  JCEPPO), and Federal Facilities
  5" Restoration and Reuse  Offipe
  " (FFRRO).

   The genesis for the action plans was
  '•-,. the National Tribal Environmental
   Council's (NTEC)  National Forum
   to Discuss Impediments to the
   Implementation of Waste Programs,
   in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Tim
  __Fields, Assistant Administrator for
   EPA's Office of Solid Waste and
   Emergency Response led a
  ^ejegation of OSWER Senior ,, .
  .^Managers to participate in the forum
  'laWsT     f ~.   , , ,  •*• .  ,, .  *• ,, -. ,, :.- . ., -,-. r,, ,., |,. —   0
  """with tribal and other federal
  _ officials. During the forum, tribal
  """representatives, EPA senior
   management, EPA  Regional
  _ personnel, and representatives from
  -the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
  —and the Indian Health Service (IHS)
  „ held small group discussions on
 *'~ waste management issues in Indian
  _ Country.
       participating tribes put forth
 „ 106 recommendations for _________
 fLoverconiing' barriers to   l^i ________ I _.
 ^implementing waste programs in
 •T -Indian Country. As a result, each of
 : the program offices within OSWER
   began drafting action plans to
 ** respond to issues and
 *jrecoftrflpd[a!iotts, ...developed during
 &:the National Forum. A draft of the
 _ OSWER Tjribal Program action
 srplanf. was provided to participants
 -"of the National Forum and all
   federally-recognized tribes for
  -review and  comment before the
   final document was published in
   May  1999.
\ฃ".'.'..'. . ' .. "' ' '.' ..'.'. .'. - """. ' ' ' .' " " ..... ........ •'..".'.'.'. ''''..' . ' ', ""„' ; .
IP For more information contact:
^=s Charlene Dunn at
i~(2Q21260-9466_ฎ

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                 N a t i  v  e    A  m e r i c a ri    N  e two r k
            MUNICIPAL     SOLID    WASTE
                                      www.epa.gov/tribalnrisw
Pacific Northwest

Tribal Partnership

Leverages Waste

Management

Opportunities

     In 1997, 10 tribes from the
     plateau region of the
     interior Pacific Northwest
     formed the Inland Empire
Tribal Solid Waste Advisory Net-
work (TSWAN) to collectively
explore innovative waste manage-
ment techniques and advocate
responsible solid waste manage-
ment for all Native Americans.

By acting together, member tribes
have strengthened their voices in
environmental  management  issues
and  increased their opportunities  for
securing funds needed for infra-
structure development. In fact, EPA
Region 10 recently awarded
TSWAN a $31,000 solid waste
grant for Fiscal Year 1999. The
funding will allow member tribes to
develop an Intertribal Solid Waste
Management Plan and become
more self-supporting as  a nonprofit
organization.

Through TSWAN, member tribes
pursue the following objectives:
        Building a consortium for
        discussing regional tribal
        solid waste issues.
        Creating a forum for
        sharing experiences and
        successes.
        Collecting and recording
        individual tribal solid waste
       management efforts.
   •   Enabling tribes to
       participate in a national
       dialogue on solid waste
       management issues with
       Federal Agencies.
   •   Advising Federal Agencies
       on solid waste issues and
       concerns unique to Inland
       Empire Tribes.

In past years, tribes did not
effectively communicate their
challenges and solutions with each
other, so mistakes experienced by
one tribe were often repeated by
another tribe.  TSWAN members
minimize this  problem by
discussing common solid waste
issues and sharing success stories
during quarterly meetings. TSWAN
meeting participants  discuss  topics
such as recyclables collection, solid
waste management methods, and
how to generate greater concern
among Federal Agencies for tribal
solid waste management needs. The
quarterly meetings often include
representatives from EPA,  the U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban
Development  (HUD), and other
Federal Agencies, and  provide these
agencies  the opportunity to meet
with member  tribes and hear their
concerns collectively.

TSWAN has accomplished many of
its founding goals. Ultimately,
TSWAN plans to formally promote
advanced  waste  management
concepts  (such as source reduction)
through its programs and establish a
tribal solid waste database to record
individual solid waste  management
efforts. Future goals include
acquiring the  necessary funding to
establish an office to house and
maintain the tribal solid waste
database and compiling a  summary
of each member tribe's solid waste
management concerns  for
presentation to Federal Agencies.

Tribes currently participating in
TSWAN include the Coeur D'Alene
Tribe of the Coeur D'Alene
Reservation, Confederated Tribes of
the Colville Reservation, Shoshone-
Bannock Tribes of the Fort Hall
Reservation, Kalispel Indian
Community of the Kalispel
Reservation, Kootenai Tribe, Nez
Perce Tribe, Spokane Tribe of the
Spokane  Reservation,  Confederated
Tribes of the Umatilla Reservation,
Confederated Tribes  of the Warm
Springs Reservation, and
Confederated Tribes  and Bands of
the Yakama Indian Nation of the
Yakama Reservation. TSWAN has
invited all tribes in the Pacific
Northwest to join and hopes to
expand membership throughout
EPA Region 10.

For more  information about
TSWAN,  contact:
Mia Sonneck
Nez Perce Tribe,
TSWAN  Chairperson
(208) 843-7368, Ext. 2603.  #

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                  Native    American   N e t iv o r k
            MUNICIPAL     SOLID
                                      www.epa.gov/tribalmsw
                                        ASTE
                   EPA To Award Additional $450,000 in
                           Municipal Solid Waste Grants
        Through its Municipal Solid
        Waste (MSW) Grant
        Program for Indian
        Country, the U.S. Environ-
mental Protection Agency (EPA)
will provide additional funding to
support the development and
enhancement of tribal solid waste
management programs.

The MSW Grant Program is a
capacity-building  program that
promotes effective integrated solid
waste management (ISWM) prac-
tices to federally  recognized tribes
and tribal organizations.  For Fiscal
Year 1999,  EPA will award
$450,000 in MSW grants to 10
Native American tribes or multitribe
organizations. The tribes will use
these funds to develop solid waste
management plans, expand commu-
nity education and outreach pro-
grams, and  explore options  to
reduce waste and maximize recy-
cling.

The MSW Grant Program (see
sidebar), focuses on tribal projects
that strive to include all aspects of
integrated solid  waste management
including source reduction,
recycling, composting,  and
combustion  or landfilling. EPA also
looks for programs that are
comprehensive,  addressing planning
and program development,
education, training,  and
implementation.

Tribes awarded MSW grants are
encouraged  to engage  community
members in their solid waste
management planning and cleanup
activities. The MSW Grant Program
places strong emphasis  on
cooperation  and  partnerships
between tribes, the  surrounding
communities, and other Federal or
nonfederal agencies to  help
leverage resources and  ensure the
program's sustainability beyond  the
EPA funding period.

Successful programs should
demonstrate measurable results
such as volume and types of
materials diverted from landfills,
development of an integrated solid
waste management plan, or
implementation of a community
education and outreach  campaign.
The projects also  are intended to
alleviate or  reduce impacts on
human health and the environment
by limiting  access to open dumps or
converting organic materials into
useful compost.

Ultimately,  EPA envisions that
information  obtained and lessons
learned by tribes engaged in MSW-
grant-funded projects can be shared
with other tribes to aid in their
efforts to address  solid waste
management issues. Tribes that
receive funding could offer
technical assistance via  conference
calls, workshops,  and other general
information  dissemination.

For more information, please visit
the tribal website  at www.epa.gov/
tribalmsw or contact:
Beverly  Goldblatt
U.S.  EPA
(703) 308-7278.   *
                    vetooment and implementation of sustainable, comprehensive, integrated waste
                       rams!
              e community participation in the manaaement of solid waste in ndian Gountrv.
            rage partnerships between tribes, surrounding communities, and other Federal or nonfederal
            pupum
            les.


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                -N a t i v e    A m e r i e a it   N e two irk-
           m  y  M  i ci  PAL    SOLI
                                    www.epa.gov/tribalmsw
                                      AST.E
         New Training and Technical
   Assistance Directory for Tribal Solid
           Waste Managers Available
        EPA has compiled a new
        Training and Technical
        Assistance Directory for
        Tribal Solid Waste
Managers to help tribal leaders and
environmental personnel identify
currently available municipal solid
waste (MSW) technical
assistance and
training
resources.
This guide is
divided into
four broad solid
waste topic areas:
Waste and Pollu-
tion Prevention;
Recycling;
Composting; and
MSW Collection,
Transfer, and Disposal.

The wide range of techni-
cal assistance listed in the
guide includes information
related to the various solid waste
challenges faced by the tribes.
Some of the assistance options
include:

   technology and information
   exchange forums
•  workshops
    resource and referral networks
•   partnership-building programs
    hotlines
   clearinghouses
•  onsite assessments
Many of the identified organizations
publish outreach materials such as
newsletters, fact sheets, and guides,
and offer library resources. Some
groups offer training videos, audio
tapes, software, satellite broad-
       casts, and curricula and
        training packages. Infor-
         mation on formal solid
         waste management
          training through  certifi-
           cation courses and
            programs, continuing
            education  and
              extension programs,
              and college and
               university degree
                programs is also
                included.
                 Assistance is
                  also available
                  in electronic
          formats including web
   sites, list servers, databases, and
online newsletters.

Copies of Training and Technical
Assistance Directory for Tribal Solid
Waste Managers are available
through EPA's RCRA,  Superfund,
and EPCRA Hotline. The Hotline
operates from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m.
e.s.t. Monday through Friday. Call
(800) 424-9346 or (800)  553-7672
(TDD for hearing impaired) and ,
request document  number EPA530-
B-99-007. This  document also can
be viewed online or downloaded
from the Internet at www.epa.gov/
tribalmsw/pdftxt/training.pdf. ฉ
                                     ASTE  MANAGE-

~ he EP Aj| Wa?te Manage-   *

ggnas'
         reorganized_and
ated to better serve the
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            and Alaska    j
            The scope of   j
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             -
          |Jy outreach
      ^ase studies^ynj|ng  ]
  gTaMprogramlriformation,
     ^wi&y^^^K-^^K;?^-^^
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            .a^

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                  Native   American    NetWork
EPA Prepares for

Fifth National

Tribal Conference

on Environmental

Management

        The Fifth National Tribal
        Conference on
        Environmental
        Management,  tentatively
scheduled for May 2000, will
provide  an opportunity for tribal
environmental professionals  and
leaders to convene in a national
forum and address major issues
across all  environmental programs.
Through a national search, EPA is
currently seeking a tribal cosponsor
to manage the Conference.  Final
selection of the  cosponsor is
targeted for September 1999.

In the next few  months more
information will be available about
the upcoming Fifth NTCEM via
direct mail and on the EPA Tribal
Waste Programs web site.   Please
mark your Spring 2000 calendars to
attend.

EPA has supported the National
Tribal Conference on
Environmental   Management-the
NTCEM-since  1992.  The
conference has taken place every
other year and  has been
cosponsored by the Eastern Band of
Cherokee Indians  and the
Confederated Salish and Kootenai
Tribes.

The Fourth NTCEM in May 1998
was cosponsored by the Prairie
Island Indian  Community.
During the 3-day  conference, more
than 700 participants and  150
Indian Nations  took part.  The
conference was held at the Treasure
Island Resort and  Casino on the
Prairie Island Indian Community in
Welch, Minnesota.  The theme of
the conference was "Promoting
Strength, Unity, and Self-
Determination to Protect Indian
Country." Participants were
welcomed by tribal executives, and
dignitaries of the EPA, BIA, the
City of Redwing, and the U.S.
Congress.

Overall, 38 technical  sessions were
presented, covering such topics as
enforcement issues, tribal
emergency  response and
preparedness,  environmental
justice, solid waste management
alternatives, air and water quality,
tribal environmental  agreements,
EPA grants, Brownfields Initiative,
and  international indigenous
concerns.  One hundred and
twenty-seven  panelists gave
presentations during the  conference,
offering insights, experiences, and
challenges based on ongoing
environmental  projects in Indian
Country.  All who attended are
indebted to the tribe for making it a
huge success.  Heather Westra,
Tribal Environmental  Manager and
Conference Coordinator, earned
everyone's  respect  and appreciation
for managing a successful
conference.

Continued on page 10, column 3
Solid Waste Workgroups, from page 1
Project funds are available to all
federally recognized tribes and
Alaskan native villages, and to
multitribe organizations whose
membership consists of federally
recognized tribes or villages. This
year's funds will be available to
tribes whose sites are considered
high priority threats to human
health and the environment,  and
who have comprehensive integrated
solid waste management plans
either in place or under significant
development.

All applications were examined and
ranked according to specific criteria
developed by the Workgroup. Other
factors considered in final funding
decisions were:

•   The site's ranking in the Indian
    Health Service's 1997
    Report—Open Dumps on
    Indian Lands.
•   Information provided by the
    tribe describing tribal support
    for solid waste management
    planning.
•   The extent of community in-
    volvement.
•   The sustainability of the project.
•   The tribe's proposed plan of
    action.
Using the information gathered
during the grant application pro-
cess, the Workgroup plans to devise
a strategy to promote further assis-
tance to tribes in their efforts to
address solid waste management
needs.  If funding is available, the
Workgroup intends to solicit and
fund additional projects in future
years.

For further information, please
contact:
Beverly Goldblatt
U.S. EPA
(703) 308-7278, or
Melanie Barger Garvey
(202) 564-2579.  *

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                  N  at  i v e   A m  e  r i  c :a n    Net  w  o  r k
          Plan to Enhance the Role  of States and Tribes in the
 Superfund Program:  State and  Tribal Enhanced Role Initiative
        For years, States and Tribes
        have been developing
        Superfund capabilities
        through  EPA's technical
and financial support. EPA is
further encouraging participation by
States and Tribes to clean up
Superfund sites through the State
and Tribal Enhanced Role Initiative.

In November 1996, the Office of
Solid Waste arM-Ernersency Re-
         JKS^a |IS|t8*^-^?
sponse
                 Compliance
Assurance  bE) comrmssioned ^
the StatejM Tribal Enhanced Role
       j^Mtir-- -  •  •'.-'."'  "    ._.,...,-
                which  EPA
worked^with State and Tribal
      asss"-" f"™"    Y         ""•"*
partners in  developing a national
approah for States and Tribes to_
take a tfnore active role in identify-
ing,  managing, and cleaning up
Superfund sites. EPA is testing this
approach^ through national  pilots to
determine which recommendations
and strategiesT^work and which need
improvement, r   _•...'..
The initiative includes working, with
Tribes and States to gauge tKe^leVeT""
of readiness to  assume program
responsibilities;  identifying  techni-
cal and  financiah:assistance needed-._
for States and Trib&^to perforrn"""~"""
these activities; negotiating
program agreement to formally
document  roles and responsibilities^.
in an enhanced ,partnersMp_jg_^5'ef*
implement Superfund; "and incorpo-
rating unique considerations  for
Tribal  participation.

The State  and Tribal  Enhanced Role
Initiative allows capable States and
Tribes  to equitably share Superfund
program responsibilities,  resulting
 in more appropriate cleanups of
 hazardous  sites. The process  of
 integrating the initiative is begin-
 ning with the implementation of,
 nine national Tribal pilots as  fol-
 lows:

    IAroostook Band of Micmac
    Indians and Passamaquoddy
 Tribe of Maine
 This pilot will develop the tribes'
 long-term  operation and
jnaintenance (O&M) capabilities on
" tribal TancOF and"possibly ~atr.^,>y
 Superfund  sites in Maine-through../'
:;r,,-'"„",' ,,' J , "; ,- ,,V. ,,r.' ..i '-	'. ' .'•',. ,--'i-' •-',,- ,;- . • ,v ' -,.,- j~^ j*  ..-nafzsf/f1*..
 training  on health and  safety, ""     'n
 groundwater monitoring, soil-gas   /,
 monitoring, and innovative
 sampling  techniques.              ,

2     Mississippi Band of
     Choctaw Indians
 This pilot  serves to develop tribal
 Superfund  capabilities  in
 emergency  preparedness and
 response, thus enabling the tribe to
 effectively  respond to oil and
 hazardous  substance spills  and
 perform environmental assessments
   tribal lands. EPA is enhancing
     tribe's  capabilities  through   -^
 tfalnirig  6a "sampling prb'ceduresT^%ป
, sampling plans, hazardous
"materials, anH~monitoring v/ell
 installations, as; well as additional
 relatecLtopics. EPA will also
 'conduct a- tribal infrastructure
 assessment and provide related
 technical resources.

3    Leech Lake Band  of Ojibwe of
    Minnesota
 This pilot  serves to develop site-1
 specific  tribal risk assessment
 criteria that evaluate cleanup
 effectiveness by considering  tribal
 health, environment quality,  tribal
 resource  use, and cultural concerns.
 The Tribe will develop tribal risk
 assessment criteria through the
 remedy evaluation of the St.  Regis
 Paper Company  National Priorities
 List (NPL) site. This is a new
 approach, the outcome of which
 may define future tribal criteria  and
 roles at other tribal sites.

4     Pueblo Office of Environmen-
     tal Protection (POEP)^t I:
 Establishing Emergency Figr^,
 jsponse Planning ProceduTesTQfi
.*iti~a. ,..     .       ^e&lzr-f- -,-- "ff
, 'Tribal Land
     ^               trvag
    s^pilot serves ^gst
 (temerg%ncy response  procedures on
 ^i^-s'-Ei^r;^     jft^a^^Sj"".,,!!,,'.;1 ,:;,; \"^, '^-^    ,
 tnliaL lands^, from a tribal^erspective
./by" producTng"  a compf ehensive,
 user-friendly   resource-jfaining
\ . ป-„„ .-'-v" -•- ,. - ,Jr-'', - -.•- -. ' ... ':.;. •.  . ", _• 'jjji V'sisj
 manual for tribes to ;develop
 emergency response  "capability.
 POEP plans to work with 19
 Pueblos and coordinalje, with other
 tribes, tribal consortia, EPA
 Regional offices, , States, counties,
 and/or municipalities to  develop
 tribal emergency response
 protocols. The development of the
 eiriergMcy response will also
 address  hazardous  materials
 transported through  tribal lands.
               *iBSgfes,TJ

5     POEP Pilot I rf "Developing a
     Model to Incorporate Tribal
 Cultural Values into a Tribal
 Site Prioritization Process
 This pilot serves to establish a risk
 assessment procedure that
 incorporates cultural impacts into a
 tribal site prioritization and scoring
 system. After the development of a
 tribal scoring system, POEP will test
 the procedure at a tribal  site and
 compare  the results with a
 Continued on page 8

-------
   8
                  Native   American    Neti/ori
Ehanced Role Initiative, from page 7
traditional EPA site prioritization
approach,  and make
recommendations  on  incorporating
cultural impacts.  Based on the
results, EPA may consider POEP's
recommendations  in  evaluating  the
current Hazard Ranking System.
This pilot plans to increase  tribal
participation in site assessments and
the Super-fund program in general to
reveal the overall impact to a tribe.

    6POEP Pilot 111: Training for
    Bioremediation of Pesticides at
Dip Vat Sites
In this pilot, POEP plans to develop
a comprehensive  training module
detailing procedures  for assessing,
delineating,  and bioremediating
pesticide soil contamination from
sheep dip vats on Pueblo lands.
POEP will gather bioremediation
technology from EPA and the
Navajo Nation  and conduct training
with individual Pueblos through on-
site sessions, web page information,
and training videos. The results will
develop the long-term capacity of
tribal environmental  programs to
independently  remediate dip vat
sites and empower tribes to cleanup
non-NPL sites.
7Inter-Tribal Environmental
       Council (ITEC) and
Quapaw Tribe
This pilot serves to develop a strong
tribal role and capability in risk
assessments by  allowing ITEC and
the Quapaw Tribe to lead a
Remedial  Investigation/Feasibility
Study (RI/FS) at certain areas of the
Tar Creek NPL site on Quapaw
land. Ultimately, ITEC and the
Quapaw Tribe would like to
conduct more technically  complex
and long-term activities
independently. The Quapaw  Tribe
will be the first tribe to conduct an
RI/FS at an NPL site and will be a
model for future EPA/tribal
cooperative  efforts.

8Cheyenne River
    Sioux Tribe
This pilot promotes a  stronger
partnership between tribes and EPA
through tribal consultation and
participation in  determining  the
nature and extent of hazardous
substances in the Cheyenne  River
and Cheyenne River Arm  of Lake
Oahe from mining activities. In
collaboration with EPA, the tribe
will identify tribal needs and set
human/ecological  risk management
goals. During the assessment, the
tribe also will provide technical
assistance  and written comments on
risk assessments  and reports, and
define  investigation activities.

9Alaska Inter-Tribal
   Council (AITC)
AITC,  a consortium of 176 Alaskan
Native tribes, will facilitate a pilot to
develop Superfund  capabilities
among Alaskan Native villages  and
maximize  expertise  and assistance
despite wide geographic
distribution.  Tribal staff will be
trained on topics such as removal,
site assessment,  remedy selection,
and form a Superfund team to
support Superfund issues arising in
Alaskan Native villages.

For more  information contact:
Ms. Felicia Wright
Superfund Tribal Coordinator
(703) 603-8775 or
www.epa.gov/superfund/states/
strole/index.htm  ฎ
                         UPDATED  RESOURCE  GUIDE  FOR  MINING
               WASTE  MANAGEMENT  IN  INDIAN  COUNTRY  AVAILABLE

         Iining can create environmental  problems including erosion,  chemical releases, habitat destruction, acid
          mine drainage, and surface and groundwater contamination. Publications on Mining  Waste Manage-
    ment in Indian Country includes descriptions of EPA publications designed to assist tribal leaders, environ-
    mental personnel, and the general public with  mining and mineral processing issues. The guide references
    publications relating to environmental impacts  from mining operations, mining source reduction and recy-
    cling opportunities, and innovative techniques  for waste management. Publications on mineral processing of
    specific ores, such as lead-zinc, gold,  iron, and copper,  also are listed.

    Copies of Publications on Mining Waste Management in Indian Country  are available through EPA's RCRA,
    Superfund, and EPCRA Hotline. The Hotline operates from 9  a.m. until 6 p.m. e.s.t. Monday through Friday.
    Call (800) 424-9346 or (800)  553-7672 (TDD for hearing impaired) and request document  number EPA530-
    B-99-006. This document also can be viewed online or downloaded from the Internet at
    www.epa.gov/tribalmsw/pdftxt/biblio.pdf.   -'t'-

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                  Native    A m e r I c  a  n   N  e t w  o  r k
EPA Holds Native
American Issues
Panel at National
DoD Task Force
Meeting
        EPA's Federal Facilities
        Restoration  and
        Reuse Office
        (FFRRO) presented a
Native American Issues panel at the
Defense Environmental  Response
Task Force (DERTF) meeting,
February 2-3, 1999, in San Fran-
cisco, CA. The Department of
Defense (DoD) established DERTF
to identify and recommend ways to
expedite and improve environmen-
tal restoration at closing military
installations. The DERTF member-
ship includes representatives from
DoD, EPA, the Department of
Justice, the General Service Admin-
istration, the  National Governors'
Association, the National Associa-
tion of Attorneys General, and
various public interest groups.

In addition to the DERTF confer-
ence, FFRRO and Office of Emer-
gency and  Remedial Response
(OERR) is developing a tribal site
inventory database and  various
outreach materials  to facilitate
stronger partnerships  to  assist tribal
governments. The  database  will
provide information  on  hazardous
waste sites impacting Indian Coun-
try and will include links to other
EPA databases. EPA continues to
ensure its  actions are consistent with
the protection of tribal rights.

FFRRO convened  the Native
American  Issues panel to engage in
a discussion on the unique situa-
tions involving  Native Americans
and the Base Realignment and
Closure (BRAC) program. The five-
member panel educated DERTF
members on emerging Native
American  issues and addressed
tribal notification and participation
procedures, Federal  trust  responsi-
bilities, related policies requiring
Federal Agencies to work with
federally-recognized tribes on a
government-to-
government
basis, land
transfer, eco-
nomic  develop-
ment, and
protection of
tribal rights.

Representatives
from the
Navajo Nation,
Susan ville
Indian
Rancheria,  the
Campo Band of
Mission Indi-
ans, BIA, and
Sierra Army Depot were the pre-
senters. Presentations focused on
case studies of tribal involvement at
three BRAC sites: Sierra Army
Depot, CA; Fort Wingate, NM; and
the San Diego Naval Training
Center, CA.

When  BRAC sites require cleanup
and are scheduled for closure, the
primary objective is to determine
the postclosure use. The site is
cleaned up to standards protective
of the  intended use, and the com-
munity is provided  with  opportuni-
ties for economic development.
These  properties provide Indian
Tribes  with opportunities for eco-
nomic  development, land transfer,
and/or access to archeological sites
or  other cultural resources.
                   Panelists illustrated how tribes are
                   affected differently than the rest of
                   the local community as BRAC sites
                   are cleaned up and returned to
                   communities for reuse.  For ex-
                   ample, cultural issues involve the
                   religious use of sites and protection
                   of archeological resources on tribal
                   lands. Local authorities are typically
                   given the lead in  establishing reuse
                   and  economic development priori-
                   ties at BRAC sites, but such  authori-
                                    ties  do not have
                                    a trust responsi-
                                    bility to tribes.
                                    Land transfer is
                                    particularly
                                    complicated  and
                                    came to the
                                    forefront  during
                                    a discussion of
                                    the situation at
                                    the  Susanville
                                    Indian  Rancheria
                                    (SIR).
From lett to right: Roseria Duwyenie, BIA/
   Navajo Office, Chairperson Victor
  Preston, Susanville Indian Rancheria,
        Marsha Minter, EPA HQ
                 As part of the
                 Sierra Army
                 Depot  closure,
                 SIR acquired 70
acres of land, 120 housing units, a
gas station and grocery facility, and
medical supplies  and facilities. This
necessitated  a government-to-
government  transfer, since property
transfer to tribes  is handled by BIA.
Prior to BRAC, transfer of govern-
ment property to tribes was always
handled as a deed of trust transfer.
Thus, BIA had no means  for han-
dling  a  government-to-government
transfer as required under BRAC.
SIR expressed the hope that then-
efforts in working with BIA to
modify transfer and economic
development policies would  benefit
other tribes affected by BRAC sites.

The meeting was attended by
chairmen from Susanville Indian

Continued on page 12, column 3

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                   Native    American   Network
AISES  and EPA
Complete Inaugural
Summer Internship
Program
         EPA and the American
         Indian Science and
         Engineering Society
         (AISES) recently com-
pleted the first Summer internship
program  for the recipients of the
EPA Tribal Lands  Environmental
Science Scholarships. The inaugural
class of 10 EPA/AISES interns
comprised undergraduate  and
graduate  students from various
universities and colleges, including
tribal  colleges. Through a coopera-
tive agreement with AISES, EPA
provided scholarship support to
AISES members and a  10-week
summer internship  program in
various EPA program offices.
The following AISES intern profile
is a result of a combined effort of
AISES interns Renae Schmitt and
Karletta Chief. Ms. Schmitt wiU be a
junior at Creighton University in
Nebraska, majoring in Environmen-
tal Science and Spanish. She
worked in the Office of Solid Waste
and assisted in the  production of
this newsletter. Ms. Chief has
completed course work for a Mas-
ters Degree in Environmental
Engineering/Science at  Stanford
University in  California.

Karletta Chief—In Her Own Words:
Working  in the Office of Emer-
gency and Remedial Response
(OERR) proved to be a valuable
experience. The OERR internship
exposed me to a variety of working
relationships between EPA Head-
quarters and tribal  organizations
regarding  abandoned  hazardous
waste sites. Felicia Wright, my
mentor, assigned various tasks  and
a primary project which helped me
to understand the working dynam-
ics and cooperative efforts on tribal
environmental issues. During the
first weeks, I attended a one-on-one
training session on the  Hazard
Ranking System (HRS). The HRS
training familiarized me with the
complexities of the  Superfund
ranking process and prepared me
for my summer project.
My summer project involved the
Pueblo Office of Environmental
Protection's (POEP) Pilot II incorpo-
rating tribal cultural values into a
tribal  site  prioritization  and scoring
system. My role in the POEP project
included preliminary research of
tribal  environmental groups work-
ing to  quantify  cultural impacts
from a hazardous waste site. This
internship  project gave me the
experience of environmental  work
with  a tribal perspective.
As an environmental engineering
and science masters  student, I am
clearly aware of Superfund sites.
This  internship, however, allowed
me to  experience real-life applica-
tions of the Superfund ranking
processes  and activities. I now
realize that various  nontechnical
areas are important in working on
environmental issues. These include
writing project summaries, articles,
and briefings, and understanding
environmental policy. Some current
issues OERR is working on include:
Columbia  River Inter-Tribal Fish
Commission (CRITFC)  cultural and
subsistence impacts, Navajo Nation
Brownfields  Assessments,  and
Pueblo Office of Environmental
Protection (POEP) Cultural Assess-
ments/Site Prioritization Incorpora-
tion. My time at EPA exposed me to
the range of career fields in EPA
and allowed me to understand EPA
as a whole entity, with its diverse
work across  the United States. More
importantly,  it allowed me to
understand and participate in
current tribal environmental
projects. My EPA summer intern-
ship was a rewarding experience
that continues to fuel, direct, and
emphasize my long-term  career
aspirations and commitment to
Native Americans and tribal envi-
ronmental issues.

If you would like to know more
about the EPA/AISES Scholarships
or the Summer Internship program
please contact Marlene  Regelski at
(202) 260-7284.   ฎ
Fifth National Tribal Conference,
from page 6

While EPA provides financial
support to the tribal cosponsor to
plan and manage the conference,
and assists in the planning, the tribal
cosponsor has the ultimate
responsibility and final decision  on
all conference matters. EPA  and the
tribal cosponsor work diligently  to
highlight tribal capability  and
leadership during all phases of
conference planning and  followup.
As a first step toward planning the
conference agenda, EPA's Office of
Solid Waste  is announcing a
preliminary call for workshop
session proposals from all interested
parties.  Workshop proposals
should contain a title for the topic, a
brief abstract of the issues, a
proposed list of speakers,  and the
time needed  to present the topic  (1
or 1.5 hours).  All workshop
proposals can be submitted to:
Stephen Etsitty, EPA OSW
401 M  Street, SW (5303W)
WasMngton,  DC  20460
Fax (703) 308-8638 '
etsitty.stephen@epa.gov   O

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                  Native    Am e r  i c  a ri    N  e  t w  o r k
                                                                                                   ,11
                     RCRA Subtitle C Social Siting Criteria
                      Draft Brochure  Under Development
          As hazardous  waste
          facilities are  sited
          and permitted,  local
           communities often have
a variety of legitimate concerns
involving perceived and/or real
changes in their quality of life (i.e.,
cultural/social, economic, location,
and nuisance concerns). Quality of
life concerns encompass a broad
array of issues from those that are
human health and environmental in
nature, to those that are primarily
social or economic.

Although issues regarding human
health and the environment are
considered  during the hazardous
waste permit process under the
Federal  Resource  Conservation and
Recovery Act (RCRA) or its State
counterparts, many of the commu-
nity quality of life concerns, such as
those of a social or  economic
nature, fall outside the scope of
RCRA and may not be covered by
State laws and regulations. This
should not, however, diminish the
legitimacy of the  community's
concerns and the need to address
them promptly, honestly,  and
thoroughly  when siting a hazardous
waste facility.

Over the past year, the  RCRA
Environmental  Justice/Public
Participation Team of the Office of
Solid Waste, Permits and State
Programs Division, Permits Branch
has been working  with  members of
the National Environmental Justice
Advisory Council's  (NEJAC) Waste
and Facility Siting Subcommittee to
develop a brochure  that addresses
community quality of life concerns
related to the siting  of hazardous
waste facilities. This brochure is
intended to be used as a vehicle for
sharing experiences in working with
communities by suggesting creative
mechanisms that address commu-
nity quality of life concerns. EPA
encourages industry  and State,
tribal, and local governments/
agencies to take these factors into
consideration when planning for
and siting hazardous waste facilities
and to work closely with communi-
ties starting in the early stages of the
decision-making process.
      RCRA Subtitle C
      Social Siting
      Criteria
On July 27,  1999, EPA's Office of
Solid Waste  (OSW) hosted the
RCRA Subtitle C Facility Siting
Criteria Stakeholders' Roundtable  in
Arlington, Virginia. The stakeholder
roundtable was designed to  be  a
forum for stakeholders to discuss
issues,  exchange ideas and  posi-
tions on  social siting considerations,
and share experiences that have
been successful in addressing
community quality of Life concerns.
OSW believes that the roundtable
was a necessary step in  developing
a brochure that is accurate and
useful to industry and tribal, State,
and local governments,  and also in
ensuring that quality of life issues in
the siting of RCRA hazardous waste
facilities are accurately developed
and covered in the final brochure.

The roundtable  panel included
representatives of State, tribal
(Laura Weber of the St. Regis
Mohawk Tribe's  Environmental
Division), and local governments/
agencies; environmental justice
communities;  industry;
environmenal advocacy  groups;
and other Federal Agencies that
have substantial  experiences in
many aspects of facility siting. The
general  public was invited to come
and observe the  discussions and
give comment during several brief
open  periods.

A copy  of the draft brochure is
available and roundtable notes will
be made available at a later date
through  the RCRA Information
Center,  (RIC), located at Crystal
Gateway I,  First Floor,  1235
Jefferson Davis Highway,  Arling-
ton, VA 22202,  (703) 603-9230.
The Docket Identification number is
F-1999-SSRN-FFFFF.
Before it is finalized,  the draft
brochure will be revised based on
comments from the roundtable and
other comments OSW is expecting
to receive.
For more information contact:
Ms. Freya Margand
U.S. EPA, Office of Solid Waste
401 M Street SW (5303W)
Washington, DC  20460
(703) 605-0633
margand.freya@epamail.epa.gov   *•

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                    Native   American   N e t iv o r k
BUYING RECYCLED
SATELLITE
FORUM

     On November 9, 1999, from
     11 a.m. to 1 p.m. (e.s.t), the
U.S.  Environmental Protection
Agency in partnership with local
governments will present a national
satellite forum entitled Buying
Recycled: The Real Story
About Cost, Availability,
and Quality. This is a
free,  interactive
program designed to
provide  governments,
businesses,  and  other
organizations with  in-
sights on ways to purchase
quality, competitively priced
recycled  products.

This forum is being presented in
support of America Recycles Day
by  EPA's Waste Wise program and
the Buy Recycled Business Alliance
(BRBA).  The forum will feature
Richard Keller from the Maryland
Environmental Service, a nationally
recognized trainer on  buying
recycled products. He  has  con-
ducted over 125 seminars on how
to buy products  with recycled
content, and will share with the
audience proven  strategies for
buying  recycled  products.

Viewers will have the opportunity
to call in their questions. Also
  featured will be government and
       business  members from  both
         the WasteWise and BRBA
         programs:  Eric Nelson,
          Environmental Purchas-
           ing Coordinator,  King
           County,  Washington;
          Bob Langert, Director of
         Public and  Community
       Affairs, McDonald's Corpo-
      ration;  and Susan McCloskey,
President, Office Plan.

  If you are interested in hosting a
site or attending this forum, visit the
WasteWise web  site at:
www.epa.gov/wastewise/wwsf  or
e-mail wwsf@erg.com or
fax (703) 841-1440.  ฎ
DoD Task Force Meeting, from page 9
Rancheria, Susanville, CA; Lajolla
Indian Reservation, Valley Center,
CA; and Manzanita Tribe of
Kumeyaay, Boulevard, CA. A
representative for the Campo  Band
of Mission Indians and the former
special assistant to President Clinton
on Native American Affairs ad-
dressed the DERTF members  during
the public comment period.

The panel presentation is a signifi-
cant milestone in EPA's  goal to
consult with  tribes and work with
them proactively on environmental
matters affecting Indian  Country.
Developing an understanding  and
awareness of tribal issues will
expedite  and improve environmen-
tal restoration at those installations
impacting Native American natural
and  cultural  resources. The DERTF
proceedings  are available at
www.dtic.mil/envirodod/brac/
dertf.html.
For  more  information contact:
Marsha Minter
(202)  260-6626
minter.marsha@epa.gov,  or
www.epa.gov/swerffrr.   %
Nativo .American Network Is published by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Solid Waste. The views expressed in Native American Network are those of the
authors, and do not necessarily reflect or represent EPA policy. Providing tribes with information about OSWER programs and related activities is the purpose of the Native
American Network. 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 Solid Waste (5303W)
    401 M Street, SW
    Washington, D.C. 20460

    Official Business
    Penalty for Private Use
    $300

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