United States Environmental Protection Agency Solid Waste And Emergency Response (OS-340) EPA/530-SW-91-002 Issue #3 Summer/Fall1991 **EPA Native American Network A RCRA Information Exchange Around the Regions The Campo Experience Campo Indian Reservation is one of the Kumeyaay (Koo- me-YAI) tribes of San Diego County, California. The his- toric territory of the Kumeyaay stretches from northern San Diego County into the north- ern Baja (Mexico). The three main bands of the Kumeyaay are the Ipaay, the Tipaay, and the Pai Pai (entirely in Mexico). Nine reservations in the county from the Tipaay band of the Kumeyaay include the Barona, Viejas, Jamul, Capitan Grande, Cuyapaipe, Manzanita, La Posta, Sycuan, and the Campo. The total Tipaay population is about 1,500. To improve our economic status, the Campo members began a solid waste project in 1987. Under the General In This Issue The Campo Experience Money Matters IHS and Solid Waste Council System, a framework was developed by the Tribe to structure the administration of a solid waste program. Ulti- mately, the business side of the project was separated from Tribal politics, and the Campo Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was created to maintain Tribal control of the project. The Tribe maintained the financial resources for expertise when needed and developed standards that met or exceeded California's. Enforcement powers for the Tribal agency were developed. With this framework in place, the Tribal corporation negotiated with seven major waste firms. The Tribe's conditions were so strict that it took several months to find a company willing to meet them. The process culminated in September 1990, when the General Council voted to approve the conditional lease to a waste management firm. The condition in the lease is an acceptable Environmental Impact Study (EIS). The Department of the Interior's policy requires BIA involve- ment as the lead agency for Icontinued on p. 2) Recycling Project at Cherokee Reservation Last year the North Carolina Community Club Council composed of officers from all 10 community development clubs on the Cherokee Reser- vation decided to clean up the Reservation and to do some- thing about the environment. Following a seminar on waste management recycling, spon- sored by the Cherokee Reser- vation Cooperative Extension Service and the Community Club Council, a Recycling Committee was established. The Committee faced a number of problems, including funding and finding a site for the center. The recycling center was constructed from funds donated by civic organi- zations, clubs, and private businesses and individuals. (One lady even gave the prize money she won in the local garden contest!) The Eastern Band of Cherokees gave the committee a small piece of property for the recycling center, and the Oconoluftee Job Corps contributed the workers for its construction. (continued on p. 2) ------- Campo (continued from p. I) the EIS. Campo EPA also has a role as a cooperating agency in the EIS process. The Tribe's permitting system follows the EIS process. The Campo EPA issues two permits, one for construction and one for upeiating. Butli penults uuiitaiii requirements binding the operator to Tribal control, not only on the Reservation, but also to the origination and quality of the waste stream off the Reservation. Lacking sufficient Tribal or federal funds to develop our infrastructure, the Tribe in- cluded several requirements for funding from the project devel- oper. These include: • Costs for developing the solid waste code; • Costs for developing the solid waste regulations; • Costs associated with construction and operat- ing permits; • Costs for developing the solid waste management plan; and • Costs for EIS review by Campo EPA A tax on the project was negotiated, and starts at $12,500 per month. When the project is fully operational, it will be about $50,000 per month. The tax is dedicated to Tribal use in its regulatory program, and is in addition to royalties and lease payments negotiated. Several projects drafted or initiated by the Tribe to date include erosion control, reforestation, trash collection service, fire department, junk car removal, open dump cleanups, and technical education. The technical education program encourages Tribal members to pursue degrees in the fields of engineering, math, and science in order to miti- gate Tribal reliance on outside technical support. The Tribe pays for tuition and books, and provides transportation. The Campo EPA currently upeiaLes with a sLaff uf five. Expansion plans are expected to reach 10 by next year (not counting the Fire Department). The people of Campo Reser- vation feel that developing Tribal capabilities and main- taining Tribal governance on our lands are crucial to our survival and our continuance as a people. It is a social legacy our ancestors fought to give us, and a contemporary policy we will fight to preserve. —Contact; Mike Connelly, Campo Band of Mission Indians. (619) 478-9046 Cherokee Recycling (continued from p. 1) The recycling center is a joint effort by all segments of the Community: the commu- Dedication of Cherokee Recycling Cenfer 2 Native American Network nity club members, extension homemakers, local busi- nesses, 4-H clubs and other youth organizations, the Cherokee school, industries, churches, and local families. The Cherokee Elementary Student Council placed collection containers around the Reservation. Three hun- dred bags of trash were col- lected this spring in the Reservation-wide cleanup. Webster Enterprises, a Recycling Center, picks up the recyclables weekly. The money that is received from the center will be used on our new nursing home that should begin construction in the very near future at Cherokee. The Eastern Band of Chero- kees and the Recycling Com- mittee received a grant from U.S. EPA Region IV to employ one person to keep the recy- cling center open and to teach environmental education in the communities and schools. Currently our center is oper- ated on Saturdays by different volunteer organizations and civic groups. Plans are under- way to establish mini-recycling centers in all communities of the Reservation. We also plan to hold an environmental education workshop called "Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle" in Octo- ber. The workshop will leach community leaders, volun- teers, and other interested people about recycling and provide training on environ- mental education for use in school projects. Mary Jane Letts, Cooperative Extension Agent on the Cherokee Reser- vation and Marilyn Cole, Community Development (continued on p. 3) ------- Cherokee Recycling (continued from p. 2) Specialist with NC State University are coordinating the workshop. The Reservation population is working very hard toward improving their environment. At the recent dedication of the recycling center, Driver Pheas- ant, the Education Outreach Coordinator of the Cherokee Museum, opened the cer- emony with a quote from Chief Seattle: "You did not weave the web of life; you are merely a strand in it. Whatever you do to the web, you do to yourself." Chief Seattle's statement explains the Indian's view of the sacredness of the earth. —Contact: Eddie Almond, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, (704) 497-6611 Money Matters EPA Science Scholarships for Native Americans EPA has awarded a $120,000 grant to the Ameri- can Indian Science and Engi- neering Society (AISES) to fund a college scholarship program for students who qualify on the basis of aca- demic achievement and a commitment to the needs and culture of American Indian tribes. The scholarships are $4,000 per student for one year of study and are awarded on a competitive basis. Appli- cants must: (1) be accepted for full-time study at an accred- ited four-year college or uni- versity, having completed at least two years of college work with a minimum grade point average of 2.5 (students in graduate programs also are eligible); (2) major in one of the environmental science or engineering disciplines, to include chemistry, biology, biochemistry, chemical engi- neering, environmental sci- ence, hydrology, environmen- tal economics, toxicology, entomology, and other related disciplines; (3) submit a brief statement explaining when and how knowledge of tribal culture was acquired (work experience, study, living on a reservation); (4) submit an essay of 250 words or less stating personal commitment to environmental protection on tribal lands; and (5) agree to work summers on a reserva- tion or at EPA, if a professional job is offered. Scholarship awards are scheduled to be announced at the annual AISES meeting in Washington, D.C., in November 1992. —Contact Dick Long mire, (703) 308-8553 — Bulletin Board — Second U.S. Conference on Municipal Solid Waste In response to the overwhelming success of the First U.S. Conference on Municipal Solid Waste, EPA is sponsoring the Second U.S. Conference on Municipal Solid Waste in June 1992. The Conference will offer more than 30 sessions and workshops on planning, legislation, and all aspects of solid waste management. Nine main areas will be covered: integrated planning and management; ©eonomios and costs of solid waste management; reduction and reuse; recycling and composting; combustion; land disposal; education and outreach; and special wastes. Anyone interested in participating as a panelist or speaker needs to submit a brief abstract of the proposed topic and a brief professional biographical sketch, by October 22, 1991 to: Bhawna Agarwal Assistant Conference Planner SWANA/GRCDA; P.O. Box 7219 Silver Spring, MD 20910 (301) 585-2898; FAX: (301) 589-7069 Contact: Susan Mann, MSW Conference Coordinator, EPA, (202) 260-6263. Memorandum of Agreement The Environmental Protection Agency, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Indian Health Service, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development have signed a Memorandum of Agreement concerning environmental protection on Indian lands. The agreement defines the responsibilities of the four agencies with respect to controlling and preventing pollution on Indian lands and allows for close cooperation by the agencies in fulfilling mutual obligations to tribes. Contact: Martin D. Topper, (202) 260-5051. —!¦ .. OSW'i Peer Match Pnjran EPA's Office of Solid Waste has a variety of programs designed to assist communities with managing municipal solid waste. One such program, funded by the Municipal and Industrial Solid Waste Division (MISWD), is the Peer Match program. This program is designed to ¦match" experts in municipal solid waste management with communities seeking solutions to their specific problems. For example, if a community is interested in starting a recycling program, an expert with experience in working with a community of that size, with the same basic requirements, is "matched" to that community. The program is operated through grants to the International City Managers Association (ICMA) and the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA, formerly GRCDA). Contact: Sarlth Guerra of ICMA at (202) 962-3649 or Charlotte Frola of SWANA at (301) 585-2898. Native American Network 3 ------- IHS and Solid Waste Money Matters (continued) The Aberdeen, South Dakota area office of the Indian Health Service (IHS) encompasses four states in which there are 16 Indian reservations. Many of the tribes here have had an increased awareness of solid waste. All of the tribes have organized collection systems and 75 percent have some type of organized solid waste disposal. Thirty-three percent of the tribes have a solid waste program which is organized in a formal manner. Not only is there geographi- cal diversity in this region of the Upper Great Plains, but also diversity in the way solid waste services are provided on each reservation. For example: Three tribes have established their own disposal systems. Each system has regular cleanups, perimeter fencing to control access, and litter control fencing. Each tribe also has attempted to control unauthorized burning. Six reservations pay a modest (but increasing) fee to haul wastes off site. Off-site disposal could reduce the tribes' potential liability for the waste. Two tribes first began disposal programs in 1990: The Pine Ridge Reservation as a result of the Bluelegs Deci- sion (see story in last issue) and the Fort Berthold Reserva- tion as a result of the Tribe taking a strong leadership role and federal assistance. Undoubtedly, tribal interest in and concern about solid waste issues has increased because of the Blue Legs case. The anticipation of the new EPA landfill regulations also has increased tribal aware- ness. — Contact: Doug Jensen, IHS, (605) 226-7451 Multimedia Assistance Agreements for Indian Tribes EPA's 1991 appropriations provide Administrator William Reilly with authority "to make grants to 'Federally recognized Indian tribes'. . . fui the development of multimedia environmental programs." EPA has developed the national policy guidelines for this two- year program and identified about $1.2 million within the budget to implement the program in FY 91. Federally recognized tribes and tribal consortia are eligible to receive multimedia assis- tance agreements. The pur- poses of the grants are to support tribal environmental program management capac- ity-building tailored to indi- vidual tribal needs; foster compliance with environmen- tal statutes; and establish a communications capability with federal, state, and local agencies. Under these grants, tribes can develop environ- mental program infrastruc- tures, environmental codes, and the capacity to perform inspections, monitoring, planning, assessment, and corrective actions. The grants are administered and managed at the regional level. Interested tribes are encouraged to contact your EPA Regional Indian Program Coordinator for more informa- tion about the program and grant applications. —Contact Katie Biggs, (202) 260-5078 Note: Senator McCain of the Indian Senate Select Commit- tee on Indian Affairs has introduced the Indian Environ- mental General Assistance Program Act of 1991 (S.668). This bill provides for capacity- building for tribes arid tribal consortia through grants for planning, developing, and establishing environmental protection programs on Indian lands in all media, including solid and hazardous waste. Technical Assistance Grants (TAGs) Promote Community Involvement TAGs provide funds to community groups living near Superfund sites on the Na- tional Priorities List (NPL) so they can get expert advice to independently monitor and interpret the detailed technical studies and information related to Superfund site cleanups. Eight Superfund sites (already on or proposed for listing on the NPL) are on Native American lands. EPA believes public partici- pation in remedy selection for cleanups is vital. Those most affected by the Superfund site need to be well-informed to better understand and articu- late their concerns. Most of the information relevant to clean- ups, however, is highly techni- cal data that is difficult for the average person to understand. With an initial TAG award of $50,000, a group of concerned and affected citizens can bridge the knowledge gap by hiring a technical advisor from one of the appropriate sci- ences, such as geology, toxi- cology, or epidemiology. The advisor's job is to translate and (continued on p. 6) 4 Native American Network ------- Insights Learning to Protect Mother Earth According to Native Ameri- can prophecy, the Red man, not,all the king's horses and all the king's men, will put the Earth back together again. That process, however, will take a lot of technical help from non-Native American neighbors, if you ask Michael Benedict, a Mohawk Indian and solid waste manager for his tribe in Hogansburg, New York. Benedict was one of 10 tribal representatives at the first Native American Work- shop on Solid Waste Manage- ment held June 24-26 at the University of Michigan School of Natural Resources (U-M, SNR) in Ann Arbor, Michigan. One of the primary goals of the workshop was to expose participants to state-of-the-art technology at various stops along the waste stream. Tribal representatives visited a municipal landfill, a commer- cial hazardous waste landfill, an incinerator, a major manu- facturer and waste generator, and recycling and ecology centers. The group also lis- tened to presentations by experts in atmospheric sci- ence. hazardous waste treat- ment, and natural resource administration, among others. The workshop was the latest in a series of training programs that Dr. Paul Nowak, professor of Natural Resources and Director of Continuing Education at U-M, SNR, has developed for EPA to assist tribes in understanding and implementing the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. The workshop was par- ticularly timely because Native Americans are under increas- ing pressure from commercial waste handlers to site facilities on Indian lands. With up to 80 percent unemployment on reserva- tions, it is difficult for tribes to reject lucrative industry proposals. Many, therefore, are agonizing over decisions about hosting waste disposal facili- ties. The Choctaw Indians of Mississippi, represented by environmental specialist, Alan Bates, recently turned down a proposal for a hazardous waste landfill on their reserva- tion Rates said the reservation also has problems with illegal dumping. Paul Schmeichel of the Intertribal Council of Michigan was approached by a company wanting tu build air incinerator on Indian land in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. David Hales, former Director of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, suggests that Native Americans might learn from Michigan's experi- ences—mistakes and suc- cesses alike—with solid waste management. He offers the following questions for screen- ing companies that want to use tribal land: "How is the company planning to pay? Is it cash up front and then does the cash disappear, or is the company going to provide some kind of equity forth e tribe? "Where will the jobs be and who's going to get which jobs?" "To what degree will the company facilitate the siting? What kind of investment, without strings, is it willing to commit to making an evalua- tion of environmental effects? Will it give the tribe a couple of million dollars up front to hire its own expert?" "What about the future of the land itself?" Hales concluded that, "Once you accept a hazardous waste facility, for all practical pur- poses you've made a perma- nent commitment, particularly in regard to water resources such as aquifers and potential contamination." He added that it's important to inform and involve the public in the decision-making process. The workshop participants also agreed that they needed to determine how to handle their own waste. "More and more people on my reservation are interested in RCFA," observed Timothy Chavez. Chavez is a Pueblo Indian and Environmental Health Techni- cian for IHS in San Fidel, New Mexico. Participants were particu- larly impressed by the Ann Arbor Recycling Center's partly automated materials separa- tion. The nonprofit business, supported by a combination of public and private funds, even has trucks that can sort trash at the curb. Basically, the Center attempts to recycle material back into products of highest value. Instead of making cluster board out of newspaper, newspaper is recycled back into newspaper again and again. A common problem for Tribes is the lack of a viable market. Because of the remoteness of many reservations, there are no markets nearby. Discussions of negotiation strategies, risk analysis, political and social ramifications, and technical information were heavily laced with the Native American's sense of spiritual relationship with the land. Upon viewing the deep, plastic-lined scars at a hazard- ous waste landfill, one partici- pant reflected, "It was like a (continued, on p. 6) Native American Network 5 ------- Insights (continued, from p. 5) death iii the family. What I mw today totally violated the spirit of my culture's beliefs as to how we were created." In addition to imparting a wealth of information, the workshop "helped break down myths about the federal government," said Patrick Padia of Fort Duchesne, Utah. He also thought it helped to The RCRA/Superfund Hotline and the Emergency Planning & Community Right-to-Know Hotline operates Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., EST. To contact the RCRA/ Superfund Hotline, call: 1- 800-424-9346; TDD 1-800- 553-7672 (hearing foster greater trust among Tribes. Others seemed to agree. By the conference's end, Arlene Luther (Navajo) and Phyllis Young, representing the Standing Rock Sioux, were excitedly plotting future action together. Although skeptical of indus- trial quick-fixes, Young was optimistic about finding an eventual meeting place between evolving industry and timeless Native American beliefs. impaired). In Washington, D.C. the number is (703) 920- 9810; TDD (703) 486-3323. To contact the Emergency Planning Hotline, call: 1-800- 535-0202; TDD 1-800-553- 7672 (hearing impaired). In Washington, D.C. the number is (703) 920-98777: TDD (703) 486-3323. TAGS (continued from p. 4) communicate the technical data to community members through a variety of methods that include public meetings, newsletters, pamphlets, etc. A group of "affected" individu- als (affected may mean actual or threatened ecuuumiu ui health effects) may apply for a TAG award. Tribal governments, as political subdivisions are ineli- gible, but tribal members who form individual groups are eligible. The applicant(s) must complete the TAG application form and meet certain criteria before any award can be made. EPA already has awarded a TAG to the Akwesasne Task Force on the Environment for the General Motors-Massena Superfund site in Hogansburg, New York. —Contact: Melissa Schapiro, (703) 308-8340 Hofline Information EDITOR'S NOTE: The views expressed in Native American Network are those of the authors and do no+ necessarily reflect or represent EPApoiicy. the intent of Native American Network'sto provide a diverse array of information for those interested in environmental issues in Indian country, and to provide a forum for information exchange among tribalgovernments, EPA, other federal agencies, and state and local governments. Office of Solid Waste U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 401 M Street, S.W. OS-305 Washington, D.C. 20460 Official Business Penalty for Private Use $300 Now You Know... The average household generates more than 20 pounds of household hazardous waste per year. As much as 100 pounds can accumulate in the home and remain there until the family moves or cleans it out. ------- |