United States
, Environmental Protection Agency
Newsletter Date: Nov 13, 2007
Volumes, Issues
Inside this issue:
Web-Based Compliance Tool 2
Available
Chicago Air Toxics Meeting 2
EPA Partners with Asthma 2
Group
First Tribal Implementation 3
Rule Approved
Second Tribal Implementation 3
Rule Approved
Tribes, States and Region Work 4
Together on Primary Quality
Assurance Organizations
Interim Wildland and 4
Prescribed Burn Policy Under
Review
Asthma Partnership Formed 5
New NAAQS Review Process 5
AQS Call Center Staff 7
OAQPS Consultation Policy 8
Draft Completed
2004-06 Design Values 8
Available on Web
Flexible Permitting Rule 8
Tribes to Tribes 10
Upcoming Meetings & 11
Conferences
EPA Proposes Prevention of Significant Deterioration for
Fine Particle Pollution- Increments, Significant Impact
Levels and Significant Monitoring Concentration
(Excerpt from Rule Fact
Sheet) On September 12,
2007, the U.S. Environ-
mental Protection Agency
(EPA) proposed to adopt
key elements of the Pre-
vention of Significant De-
terioration (PSD) program
for fine particle pollution -
particulate matter less
than 2.5 micrometers in
diameter (PM2.5).
EPA sets National Ambi-
ent Air Quality Standards
(NAAQS), for six principle
air pollutants. These pol-
lutants also known as cri-
teria air pollutants include
fine particles (PM
2.5). When an industrial
facility applies for a per-
mit to emit a criteria pol-
lutant in an area that
meets the NAAQS, the
state and EPA must deter-
mine if emissions of that
pollutant will deteriorate
air quality. The action
proposes a basis for mak-
ing that determination
under the Clean Air Act.
PSD Increments
On October 17, 2006 EPA
finalized a new NAAQS
for PM2.5 and is now re-
quired by the Clean Air
Act to determine how
much of this pollutant can
be emitted in areas al-
ready meeting that stan-
dard. These determina-
tions are made under the
PSD program, which es-
tablishes three thresholds
of air quality and emis-
sions to guide states in
maintaining clean
air. These thresholds are
known as Increments,
Significant Impact Levels,
and Significant Monitor-
ing Concentrations. The
action proposed several
different options to calcu-
late the values for each of
these thresholds.
EPA is taking comment on
which of the options is the
most appropriate for each
respective threshold
Increments
An increment is a meas-
ure of how much of a pol-
lutant can be added to the
ambient air before the air
quality will significantly
deteriorate. More specifi-
cally, increments are the
maximum allowable in-
crease in ambient air con-
centrations of a criteria
pollutant from a baseline
concentration. Because
increments only apply in
areas covered by the PSD
program, they are gener-
ally known as PSD incre-
ments. EPA is proposing
three options for develop-
ing and setting PSD incre-
ments.
Significant Impact Levels
(SILs)
The SIL is a de minimis
threshold applied to indi-
vidual facilities that apply
for a permit to emit a
regulated pollutant in an
area that meets the
NAAQS. The state and
EPA must determine if
emissions from that facil-
ity will cause the air qual-
ity to worsen. The SIL is a
measure of whether a
source may cause or con-
tribute to a violation of
PSD increment or the
NAAQS, i.e. a significant
deterioration of air qual-
ity.
If an individual facility
projects an increase in
emissions that result in
ambient impacts greater
than the established SIL,
the permit applicant
would be required to per-
form additional analyses
to determine if those im-
pacts will be more than
the amount of the PSD
increment. This analysis
would combine the im-
pact of the proposed facil-
ity when added on to all
other sources in the
area. EPA is proposing
three options for develop-
ing SILs for PM2.5:
(continued on page 2)
-------
PSD Story (from page 1)
Significant Monitoring Concentra-
tion (SMC)
The third measure of air quality
being addressed in today's action
is the Significant Monitoring Con-
centration (SMC). The PSD pro-
gram requires facilities to gather
and submit 1-yearpre-application
ambient monitoring data. As part
of a permit application, the appli-
cant must conduct modeling to dem-
onstrate the impact of proposed emis-
sions on air quality. If modeling shows
an increase in ambient concentrations
of pollution by an amount less than the
SMC that EPA is proposing today, the
source is exempted from the monitor-
ing data requirement. EPA is seeking
comments on three options for calcu-
lating the SMC.
Interested parties can download
information on the proposal
from EPA's Web site at:
www.epa.gov/nsr. For more
information, call Mr. Raj Rao at
919-541-5344 or email at
rao.rai@epa.aov.
Web-based Compliance Tool Available for Tribes
The U.S. Environmental Protec-
tion Agency has launched a new
Web-based Tribal Compliance
Assistance Center that provides
comprehensive compliance as-
sistance and pollution preven-
tion information for regulated
activities in Indian country. The
center can help tribal environ-
mental professionals and facility
owners comply with environ-
mental regulations and get in-
formation on topics including
waste management, air and wa-
ter resources, drinking water,
and public safety. Viewers can report
a complaint to EPA, find out the com-
pliance status of facilities in Indian
country, learn how to apply for fed-
eral grants, and locate specific per-
sonnel at EPA and other federal
agencies.
EPA has 15 Web-based compliance
assistance centers on agriculture,
auto repair, automotive recycling,
chemicals, construction, federal fa-
cilities, health care, metal finishing,
paints and coatings, printed wiring
board, printing, transportation, tribal
and U.S. borders.
Tribal Compliance Assistance
Center: http://www.epa.gov/
tribalcompliance/index.html
More information on EPA's
compliance assistance centers:
http://www.epa.gov/
compliance/assistance/centers/
index.html. The OAQPS contact
for this information is Roxanne
Smith, smith.roxanne@epa.gov
Tribal Participation at Air Toxics Meeting in Chicago
The Air Toxics Monitoring Data
Analysis Workshop was held
October 2-4, 2007, at the
Westin Hotel in Chicago IL.
Approximately 125 attendees
shared and discussed results
from national, regional, state,
local, and tribal air toxics data
analyses performed over the past
year. Among the presentations
were "Phoenix Area Monitoring for
the Joint Air Toxics Assessment Pro-
ject", Leroy Williams, Gila River In-
dian Community Department of En-
vironmental Quality, and
"Characterization of Benzene and
Other Air Toxics in Akwe-
sasne", Cassie David, Saint
Regis Mohawk Tribe. The
workshop agenda and pres-
entations are available at
http://www.epa.gov/ttn/amtic
/airtox-daw-2007. html.
Page 2
Tribal Air News
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EPA Approves First Ever Clean Air Act Plan for
Reducing Air Pollution Developed by a Tribe
(Excerpts from EPA Region 2 air news
release and internal news article) On
Oct. 30, 2007 The U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) announced
that the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe
(SRMT) has become the first tribe
nationally to receive approval of a
plan to protect air quality under the
federal Clean Air Act. The plan, for-
mally known as a Tribal Implementa-
tion Plan (TIP), is a set of federally
enforceable regulatory programs
that identify how a tribe will achieve
and maintain standards for principal
air pollutants identified by EPA.
"By formally adopting this compre-
hensive plan to combat air pollution,
the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe has
demonstrated environmental leader-
ship in the greatest of Akwesasne
traditions," said Alan J. Steinberg,
Regional Administrator after he
signed the milestone document.
Under the provisions of the Clean Air
Act, tribal nations that meet eligibility
criteria can be treated in the same
manner as a state for the purpose of
developing clean air plans. The Saint
Regis Mohawk Tribe met the required
criteria for developing a plan to protect
the air quality within the exterior
boundaries of the reservation. In 2007,
the St. Regis met all the necessary crite-
ria for EPA to approve the tribal plan by
completing the public hearings re-
quired for the adoption of the environ-
mental plan. The environmental pro-
"The Saint Regis Mohawk
Tribe has demonstrated
environmental leadership
in the greatest of
Rkwesasne traditions"
grams included in the tribe's plan cover
air quality standards for sulfur dioxide,
particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide,
ozone and other sources. It also in-
cludes measures to deal with permit-
ting, open burning, and other enforce-
ment activities
Located in northern-most New
York State and bisected by the
United States-Canada border, the
Mohawk Territory is home to ap-
proximately 10,000 people. The
tribe promotes lifestyles that re-
spect, protect and enhance the
environment for "the next seven
generations at Akwesasne."
EPA and the SRMT have been
working together to tackle envi-
ronmental issues since the late
80's. The SRMT Environmental
Division has an accomplished air
quality program. The SRMT air
quality program operates an air
monitoring station; issues burn
permits; provides indoor air ser-
vices; and performs special
monitoring projects for air toxics.
To view the Tribal Implementa-
tion Plan, please visit: http://
www.srmtenv.org/pfd files/
airtip.pdf. For more information
on the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe
and the EPA Tribal Program, visit
http://www.epa.gov/tribalportal/
index.htm .
Second Tribal Implementation Plan Approved
On November 14, 2007 EPA announced
in the Federal Register the approval
and promulgation of a Tribal Imple-
mentation Plan (TIP) submitted by the
Mohegan Tribe of Indians of Connecti-
cut. The TIP establishes an enforceable
cap on nitrogen oxide emissions from
stationary sources owned by the Mohe-
gan Tribal Gaming Authority and lo-
cated within the external boundaries of
the Mohegan Reservation. This action is
intended to help attain the National
Ambient Air Quality Standards
(NAAQS) for ground-level ozone. This
action is being taken in accordance
with the Clean Air Act.
On September 6, 2007 (72 FR 51204)
EPA published a Notice of Proposed
Rulemaking (NPR) for the Mohegan
Tribe of Indians of Connecticut. The
NPR proposed approval of the Mohe-
gan Tribal Implementation Plan (TIP)
consisting of a tribal ordinance, entitled
"Area Wide NOX Emissions Limitation
Regulation," that establishes nitrogen
oxide (NOX ) limit on emissions from
stationary sources owned by the Mohe-
gan Tribal Gaming Authority and
located within the external
boundaries of the Mohegan Res-
ervation. The formal TIP was
submitted by Mohegan Tribe of
Indians of Connecticut on May 4,
2005 and amended on August 22,
2007. For more information visit
http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/
EPA-AIR/2007/November/Day-
14/a22221.htm
Page 3
Tribal Air News
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Agreements for Two Primary Quality Assurance
Organizations in Region 1
In October, the State of
Maine Department of Envi-
ronmental Protection (DEP),
the Aroostook Band of
Micmac Indians, the Pas-
samaquoddy Tribe Pleasant
Point and the Penobscot Na-
tion reached an agreement
for establishing a Primary
Quality Assurance Organiza-
tion (PQAO). The Common-
wealth of Massachusetts DEP,
the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay
Head (Aquinnah), and the
U.S. Environmental Protec-
tion Agency Region 1 expect
to finalize a second agree-
ment for a PQAO later in No-
vember. These are the first
PQAOs negotiated between
federal, state and tribal
agencies and cover all crite-
ria air pollutant monitoring
sites within the boundaries of
each state operated by these
agencies. EPA Region 1 is
included in the second
PQAO as it operates an air
monitoring site at its Re-
gional Laboratory in Chelms-
ford, MA.
All participating agencies
are using the same or similar
EPA approved quality assur-
ance project plans and stan-
dard operating procedures
for the collection of criteria
air pollutant data. All modifi-
cations and site changes will
be documented and have
prior approval by the EPA
Region 1 Quality Assurance
Office. The state agencies
will provide quarterly audits
on all the criteria pollutant
monitors using the same stan-
dards and personnel for all
sites in their respective
PQAO. All the participants
also agree to meet once a
year to discuss air issues of
common concern and to pro-
vide oversight on the com-
mon air quality monitoring
program. EPA Region 1 also
agrees to continue providing
certification for all ozone cali-
brators used in both PQAOs.
The state agencies further
agree to provide a common
laboratory, and to provide
training to all site operators in
each PQAO on an as needed
basis. All criteria air pollution
data and quality assurance
data will be entered in the
EPA AQS air quality data sys-
tem either by the state
agency, EPA Region 1 or the
respective tribe. All ozone
and continuous PM 2.5 data
will also be reported to EPA's
AIRNOW web page on an
hourly basis.
By combining the air monitor-
ing sites in each state in a
PQAO, EPA Region 1, the
State of Maine DEP, the Com-
monwealth of Massachusetts
DEP and the five tribal envi-
ronmental agencies will be
able to better ensure quality
and uniformity in the air qual-
ity data being used for air
quality forecasting and map-
ping throughout the State of
Maine, the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts and on the
Tribal Lands in these states.
In addition, this action will
allow all agencies to save
resources by reducing the
number of required inde-
pendent NPAP audits and PEP
audits. For additional infor-
mation contact Norm Beloin at
beloin.norm@epa.gov
"By combining the air
monitoring sites in
each state in a PQAO,
EPA Region 1, the
State of Maine DEP,
the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts DEP
and the five tribal
environmental
agencies will be able
to better ensure
quality and uniformity
in the air quality data"
Interim Wild I and and Prescribed Burn Policy Under Review
EPA has been pursuing the
completion of the document
Interim Air Quality Policy on
Wildland and Prescribed
Burns. This document pro-
vides guidance on mitigating
air pollution impacts caused
by fires in the wildlands and
the wildland/urban interface.
It identifies the responsibili-
ties of wildland owners/
managers and state/tribal air
quality managers to work
together to coordinate fire
activities, minimize air pol-
lutant emissions, manage
smoke from wildland and
prescribed fires managed for
resource benefits, and estab-
lish emergency action pro-
grams to mitigate the un-
avoidable impacts on the
public.
During the month of Septem-
ber and October, conference
calls with tribal, state and
locals agencies and inter-
ested parties have been held
to receive comments on the
policy and guidance de-
scribed in the current draft.
EPA intends to complete the
document in the summer of
2008. The document can be
found at:
http://www.epa.gov/ttn/oarp
g/tl/memoranda/firefnl.pdf.
For additional information
contact Charlene Spells
spells.charlene@epa.gov
Picture courtesy of Minnesota
Dept. of Natural Resources
Page 4
Tribal Air News
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EPA and Allies Against Asthma Form Partnership
EPA and Allies Against
Asthma have formed a
partnership to reduce
asthma in communities
and are encouraging
tribal environmental pro-
fessionals and tribal
health centers to join the
"Communities in Action for
Asthma-Friendly Environ-
ments Network".
The Network provides
community-based asthma
programs a platform for
real-time learning that
can drive the ongoing
improvement of asthma
care and access to cutting
edge tools and resources.
To become part of this
interactive Network visit
www. asthmacommunityn
etwork.org or for more
information contact Chris
Griffin at (202) 343.9421
or griffin.chris@epa.gov.
The Great Lakes Region
Asthma Forum was held
on February 8-9 in Chi-
cago. Over 140 partici-
pants from mid-western
asthma programs at-
tended the forum.
The Nottawaseppi Huron
Band of Potawatomi Michi-
gan, the Bois Fort Band of
Chippewa Minnesota, the
Grand Traverse Band of
Michigan, and the Great
Lakes Inter-Tribal Council
of Wisconsin were in at-
tendance. For additional
information regarding the
Forum, please contact
SheilaBatka(312)886-
6053 or Lara Lasky (312)
353-5614.
The New National Ambient Air Quality Standards Review Process (see chart on page 6)
The National Ambient Air Quality
Standards (NAAQS) program is
one of the largest regulatory pro-
grams managed by EPA. Be-
cause of this, the program is often
in the spotlight. Recently, that
spotlight has focused on the
process by which the NAAQS are
reviewed and revised. Accord-
ing to the Clean Air Act, EPA is
supposed to review the NAAQS
for each criteria pollutant—lead,
particulate matter, ozone, sulfur
oxides, nitrogen oxides, and car-
bon monoxide—every five years
and decide whether any revi-
sions to existing standards are
appropriate.
On December 15, 2005, Deputy
Administrator Marcus Peacock
requested a "top-to-bottom" re-
view of the process by which
NAAQS are reviewed and re-
vised. An internal EPA work-
group was formed which focused
on four main topics: how to im-
prove the timeliness of the re-
views, how to ensure that the
most up-to-date scientific infor-
mation would be considered,
how to clarify the differences be-
tween scientific and policy judg-
ments; and how to characterize uncer-
tainties in scientific and technical in-
formation.
Following a year-long process, which
included consultations with the Clean
Air Scientific Advisory Committee
(CASAC) (an external body of experts
established under the Clean Air Act
and charged with advising the Admin-
istrator on the science and on the stan-
dards themselves), stakeholder
groups, and congressional staff, the
Deputy Administrator directed the
Agency to institute several major
changes in the NAAQS review process
(see http://www.epa.gov/ttn/naaqs/
memo process for reviewing naaqs.
pdf for a copy of the memo).
First, OAQPS and ORD will now work
together to issue a single integrated
plan to guide the entire review. The
planning process will begin as soon as
the prior NAAQS review is completed
to ensure that the most policy-relevant
scientific questions are at the heart of
the next review of a standard.
Second, the voluminous Criteria Docu-
ment—used in former reviews to criti-
cally evaluate all the new scientific
studies—will be replaced by a more
concise "Integrated Science As-
sessment" document that contains
an evaluation and synthesis of the
most policy-relevant new science.
Third, OAQPS will revamp the Risk
and Exposure Assessments, mak-
ing them more concise and focused
on key results.
Finally, the Staff Paper will be re-
placed by an advance notice of
proposed rulemaking (ANPR) con-
taining a policy assessment that
reflects Agency views, rather than
staff views. This will ensure that
the Agency hears a wide range of
views regarding potential changes
to the NAAQS.
CASAC will continue to provide
advice to the Administrator on all
key elements of the NAAQS re-
view. Each review will continue to
involve a series of consultations
and peer reviews by CASAC.
EPA is transitioning to this new
process gradually. The table on
page 4 represents the proposed
schedule for the criteria pollutant
reviews.
Page 5
Tribal Air News
-------
Projected NAAQS Review Schedule (developed Sept, 2007)
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Page 6
Tribal Air News
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Level 1 Call Center Staff 1st row: Debra Velasquez, Di-
rector,2nd row : Felecia Prince, Marion Shelton, Florence
Poole, Kecia Salmon 3rd row :Willie Williams, Sunil Va-
san,
Air Quality System (AQS) Call Center(s)...Getting to Know the People Trying to
Help You
Does is seem like every time you call the AQS Call Center you
rarely talk to the same person? Does the AQS system receive so
many calls that it's manned by an army of staff night and day?
Well... that's really not the case. For AQS, EPA provides user assis-
tance at three different levels, based upon the type of help needed.
EPA has a number of information management systems that utilize
helpdesks or call centers. In order to provide resource efficien-
cies, the EPA Office of Environmental Information has consolidated
an EPA Call Center in Washington DC to provide basic assistance,
which is considered Level 1 assistance. All calls initially go to the
Washington Call Center which is open from 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM
EOT. Troy Paylor or Rosetta Jones are also Level 1 responders that
happen to be situated in RTF, NC. The phone rings at their desks as
if they were in DC.
When calling the helpdesk, the user must identify his/herself as an
"AQS user" because Level 1 personnel support multiple applica-
tions. The Level 1 personnel will take your call and open a "ticket"
that will be used to track your particular issue (s). The Level 1 per-
sonnel can handle most simple questions or issues related to reset-
ting passwords or basic AQS application problems. They will listen
to the callers issue and then determine whether a Level 2 Client
Service person is best suited to handle the particular issue. The
Level 1 personnel will transfer the "ticket" to the Level 2 group in RTF, NC. who are more
knowledgeable about the AQS system. The Level 2 Client Service staff provide the pri-
mary support for the AQS system and are available for 8:00 AM to 6:30 PM EOT. Staff
members present the monthly new user orien-
tations course and the bimonthly question and
answer session set up specifically to help
tribal AQS users. Of the four Level 2 person-
nel, tribes will most likely be talking to Tom
Lewis or Pamela Mclntyre. They will do their
best to help solve your problems.
In addition to Levels 1 and 2, there is also a
Level 3 database support service. Sanjai
Singh and Tom Conklin provide primary sup-
port for the Oracle database environments.
They add new users to the Oracle account and generate new passwords and account
emails and provide specialized Oracle support for the helpline.
There is also a separate helpdesk for central data exchange (CDX) questions. EPA
encourages our AQS users to call the CDX Helpdesk when they know they have a
CDX problem (such as their CDX pass-
word). However, whenever there is a
>Vv doubt about whom to call then call
the EPA Call Center. They will know
which helpdesk should be assisting the
user. The CDX Helpdesk can be reached
I at 1-888-890-1995 or
EPACDX@CSC.COM.
RTF Level 1 Responded
Troy Paytor and Rosetta Jones
Level 2 Support L-R: Ed. Peckham, Tom
Lewis, Pamela Mclntyre, Ryan oudteaux
Database Support Services (Level 3)
S;ii]j;ti Singh Tom Cmiklin
Although it seems complicated the three levels of support have been developed to
provide the assistance needed while utilizing the talents and resources as wisely as
possible. If you have an AQS question, problem, or issue, please contact the AQS
Helpdesk by calling the EPA Call Center at 1-866-411-4372 or email them at
"epacallcenter@epa.gov".
Page 7
Tribal Air News
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OAQPS Finishes Tribal Consultation Policy Guidance Document
EPA believes early and meaningful
tribal involvement is consistent with
the federal trust responsibility to fed-
erally-recognized tribes and furthers
the Agency's overall goal of protect-
ing human health and the environ-
ment. With this is mind, OAQPS has
completed the document titled: Con-
sulting with Indian Tribal Governments.
This document describes OAQPS'
views regarding tribal consultation
and assists OAQPS personnel in re-
viewing EPA actions for effects on
tribes and consulting with tribes.
The document will help OAQPS intro-
duce staff and managers to the basics
of government-to-government consulta-
tion with American Indian governments
within the context of the work performed
in OAQPS. It provides a background to
the subject matter that involves many
important, historical, complex, and chal-
lenging issues. The document will help
policy, guidance or regulation writers
determine if there are impacts or effects
on tribes, and if so, how to proceed. For
the purpose of this document, the term
"action" refers to any policy, guidance,
or regulation developed by OAQPS. This
can include actions such as the area
source regulations, National Ambient Air
Quality Standards (NAAQS) implementa-
tion, and guidance. The Consultation
Policy was posted on the OAR
Tribal Website (http://
www. ep a. go v/air/trib al/
announce.html)
in August for review by the inter-
ested tribes. OAQPS will be con-
ducting an internal OAQPS training
course entitled "Working Effec-
tively with Tribes" in November
and plans to use tribal comments to
revise this document prior to the
meeting. Therefore, OAQPS would
welcome any comments on the
document. For further information
on the document contact Yvonne
Johnson at:
Johnson.yvonnew@epa.gov
2004-2006 Air Quality Design Values on Air Trends Web Site
The 2004-2006 air quality design value
spreadsheets and other updates are
now posted on the EPA Air Trends Web
Site http://www.epa.gov/air/airtrends/
A new feature is a space to keep last
year's version of the design value
spreadsheets posted and kept avail-
able rather than have them disappear
from public view.
In addition to the design value spread-
sheets, we have updated the "fact
book" pages to give more details on
concentrations and AQI values, similar
to what once appeared in the full-length
Air Quality Trends reports.
See http://www.epa.gov/air/airtrends/
factbook.html and http://
www. epa. gov/air/airtrends/
aqi_info.html
The information are not formal or
final EPA findings, and are sub-
ject to revision. Some design
values have detailed qualifying
information in footnote form.
Flexible Air Permitting Rule Proposed (Excerpts from Rule Fact Sheet)
In 1990, Congress amended the Clean
Air Act to require all States to develop
operating permit programs. These
programs require an operating permit
for each industrial facility that is a
"major source" of air pollution. These
permits clarify which underlying fed-
eral air pollution control requirements
(applicable requirements) apply to the
source and requires the source to
track its compliance with meeting
these requirements.
On August 28, 2007, the U.S. Environ-
mental Protection Agency (EPA) pro-
posed revisions to both the clean air
operating permits (title V) and the new
source review (NSR) programs under
the Clean Air Act. These proposed
revisions would make more broadly
available a new approach to air permit-
ting known as a "flexible air permit".
Flexible air permits would encourage
pollution prevention, provide in-
creased flexibility, enable industrial
facilities to make rapid changes to re-
spond to market demands, save re-
sources for state permitting authorities,
and improve public information.
Under the operating permits program,
a flexible air permit would explain its
operational plans and possible changes
to those plans for the duration of the
permit term - typically 5 years — and
the state, local or tribal air quality per-
mitting authority would include permit
conditions to ensure protection of pub-
lic health and the environment for all of
those operating conditions. These
flexible permits do not provide
approval for operational changes
not within the scope of conditions
considered at the time of the per-
mit application, and facilities
would still be required to meet
their requirements under the
Clean Air Act.
Interested parties can download
the notice from EPA's web site on
the Internet under recently signed
rules at the following address:
http://www.epa.gov/nsr. For fur-
ther information about the pro-
posed rulemaking, contact Mi-
chael Trutna at:
trunta.michae ;@epa.gov
PageS
Tribal Air News
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Tribal Air Monitoring Support Center Steering Committee Meets...Global
Climate Change, Mercury and Indoor Air Technical Assistance on the Table
The Tribal Air Monitoring Support (TAMS) Center is the first technical training center designed specifi-
cally to meet the needs of tribes involved in air quality management in Indian Country and is co-
managed by the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP), located at Northern Arizona
University in Flagstaff; EPA; and tribal air quality professionals. In order to provide some direction to
the TAMS, a seven member Steering Committee, made up of tribal environmental professionals from
federally recognized tribes or inter-tribal organizations, meets every 6 months to discuss progress,
strategize and plan on what technical assistance needs to be pursued based upon current environ-
mental issues. The TAMS Committee convened for their bi-annual meeting on October 23-25 in Las Ve-
gas at the TAMS Training Center.
The meeting began with the introduction of the TAMS Steering Committee and their new members
which include:
• Bill Thompson- Penobscot Indian Nation
• Micah Gibson - Yurok Tribe
The remaining members of the Steering Committee include:
• Steve Crawford- Passamaquoddy Tribe-Pleasant Point
• Lyn Hall - Bad River Band of Chippewa
• Ryan Callison - Cherokee Nation
• Jason Walker- Northwestern Band of Shoshone Nation
Jim Woods - Makah Indian Tribe
Outgoing members of the Steering Commit-
tee were Ondrea Barber from the Salt River
Pima-Maricopa Indian Community and Tony
Basabe from the Swinomish Tribe who were
thanked for their service over the past two
years. In addition, Merhdad Khtabi was
recognized for all his hard work during his
tenure as acting director for ITEP while they
searched for a new director, Calbert
Seciwa, who was hired earlier this year.
The meeting was a mix of progress reports
from the Steering Committee and presenta-
tions on particular topics of current interest
| like climate change, indoor air quality ini-
tiatives, the National Performance Evalua-
tion Program, AirNow mapping and AQS.
The meeting included a strategic planning
exercise which led to the Steering Commit-
tee forming subcommittees to pursue issues related to global climate change and mercury. Informa-
tion on the TAMS center can be found at: http://www4.nau.edu/tams/index.html
Mehrdad Khatabi (left) receiving certificate of appreciation
from Barrel Harmon (middle) EPA, OAR Tribal Lead and Cal
Seciwa (right) ITEP Director
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Tribal Air News
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Local Articles and Activities to Help Tribal Communities
The following article will
be a new feature in the
Newsletter. The intent is
to highlight the local
activities that are
accomplished by those
in the tribal communities
trying to make a positive
difference, however big
or little, to the health,
welfare and environment
of their communities.
If you have something
that you'd like to
contribute, please
email it to us. We'll try
and get it in the next
newsletter.
W I N D
Wecowsin means "wind" or "air." In this little comer of the Community Flyer, there will appear each
month something from your tribe's Department of Natural Resources Air Quality Program. Any feed-
back, comments, complaints, or questions are welcomed. Bill Thompson, Air Quality Manager and John
Banks, DNR Director welcome your thoughts and opinions.
The idea of this column is to promote Clean Air practices in each of our homes, in our personal behav-
iors throughout each day, in line with our Penobscot cultural value system.
The idea of this column is to promote Clean Air practices in each of our homes, in our personal behav-
iors throughout each day, in line with our Penobscot cultural value system.
In no way is this column meant to be an indictment of anything that you choose to do. Instead, this is in
place as a simple thought-provoking tool, to reveal some good ideas and some interesting notions
-On Burning Trash Outside-
Wecowsin is an article
written by Bill
Thompson, the Air
Quality Manager From
the Penobscot Nation
located on Indian Island,
Maine. Bill writes the
article with a "down-
east" flavor
Bill Thompson during an excur-
sion to Red Rocks afterthe Oct.
Tribal Air Monitoring Support
(TAMS) Steering Committee
Meeting
Do you know what a burn barrel is? Take a 55 gallon metal barrel, open the top up like a can of
1 green beans and puncture holes around the bottom sides for good ventilation. Next, throw trash
in and ignite. It's a useful device for destroying private documents and things that you wouldn't
want identity thieves to get their hands on. However, burn barrels are also one of the worst con-
tributors to ground level air pollution.
There used to be a burn barrel on the Thompson property back in the day. About ten years ago
my own little family moved back to the old homestead on Oak Hill, and the woodstove was long
gone. There was only an oil-burning forced hot air furnace (that's a whole 'nother headache right
there...) so the practice of burning important papers had to be handled another way. That was
where the burn barrel came in. I found one with U.S. ARMY spray painted on it, which appeared
one fine day in the week of the Spring Cleanup. I figured it was free for the taking. (Used to be
the time of year when a lot of furniture changed hands on a rez...)
After burning off the industrial sludge that coated the inside, it made a fine burn barrel. Boy, did
we have a grand old time burning important papers. In fact, we began to burn not-so-important
papers, and next thing you know, we were burning things that ought not be burned. I'd heard
rumors about cyanide gas being given off from burning plastic, but I wasn't burning all that much.
Of course, I didn't know how much cyanide was "too much," and what was a safe level, if there
was one. I just figured that this poison was "going away" into the atmosphere. It would sort itself
out "up there."
Well, I was wrong on several counts, I tell you. No one had ever informed me that using a burn
barrel was a bad idea. I looked at it like this: it's my property, I can burn wood from my trees, I
can burn my leaves, so I figure I can burn my papers and plastic if I want to. I can do what I want
on my own property. Except that the air doesn't stay on my property. Even the rainwater travels
into the ground, washing the ash and contaminants along with it from the burn barrel, into our
communal aquifer.
Do you know what is in the smoke from a burn barrel? I'll tell you. Unlike municipal garbage
incinerators, which burn at around 2200 degrees F, burn barrels rarely even approach 500 degrees F, and often they simply
smolder. Because of the way paper is treated these days, furans, dioxins, and other halogenated hydrocarbons are emitted.
Nasty business right there. Also, burn barrels give off high levels of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, cya-
nide, formaldehyde and heavy metals such as arsenic, lead, barium, cadmium, and mercury, to name a few. Had I known this
back then, of course I would have stopped burning trash outside. For important papers, I bought one of them shredders for
twenty bucks back when Service Merchandise was still around. (Continued on page 12)
Page 10
Tribal Air News
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Upcoming Me js/Conferences
2008 Symposium on Innovating for Sustainable Results:
2005 Symposium on Inno-
vating for Sustainable Re-
sults: Integrated Strategies
for Climate, Energy and
the Environment will pro-
vide participants with an
opportunity to learn about
some of the key innova-
tion challenges of the
day. This event is being
held January 7 - 10th,
2008, in Chapel Hill,
North Carolina in the
heart of the University of
North Carolina campus.
Representatives from EPA
and other federal agen-
cies, state, local and tribal
governments, and the
not-for-profit community
will be attending. Busi-
ness and industry repre-
sentatives will be attend-
ing by invitation. On Janu-
ary 8th and 9th, partici-
pants will hear plenary
presentations and select
from a variety of session
topics that explore how to
realize the full potential of
innovative strategies, us-
ing holistic approaches to
achieve sustainable re-
sults, and collaborating
for environmental prob-
lem-solving. Participants
will also have an opportu-
nity to attend pre- and
post-symposia workshops
on January 7th and 10th.
The 2005 Symposium on
Innovating for Sustainable
Results builds upon a se-
ries of State-EPA Environ-
mental Innovation Sympo-
sia and National Air Inno-
vation Conferences. Co-
sponsors include the U.S.
EPA, the Council for Ex-
cellence in Government,
and the Environmental
Council of the States. For
more information, visit
www.excelgov.org/
sustainableresults
2008 Conference on Managing Environmental Quality Systems
The EPA Quality Staff
sponsors an annual con-
ference on managing
quality systems for envi-
ronmental programs.
This conference is a na-
tional forum for dissemi-
nating and exchanging
information on managing
the quality of environ-
mental data; discussion
and action on issues of
national concern; train-
ing; and technical pres-
entations. The 2008 EPA
Conference on Managing
Environmental Quality
Systems will take place
April 21-24, 2008 in Seat-
tle, Washington. More
information on this event
is coming soon. The Web
Site for this conference is:
http://www.epa.gov/
quality 1 /meeting.html
Over the last 5 years, EPA
has had quality assurance
sessions devoted to am-
bient air monitoring that
have been attended by
some tribes.
State Implementation Plan (SIP) Training
Tribes have the right and
opportunity to review and
comment on State Imple-
mentation Plans. Over the
last two years, EPA has
been helping interested
tribal staff in their under-
standing of the SIP process
and how to effectively rep-
resent tribal concerns to
state agencies. We have
held four high successful
workshops to assist tribes
get involved in the SIP
process and to build rela-
tionships with states.
These were held in Chi-
cago, San Diego, Okla-
homa City and Seattle.
Two more workshops are
planned for the new fiscal
year. One was held in An-
chorage, Alaska Novem-
ber 6-8, 2007 and the sec-
ond in scheduled for Kan-
sas City, Kansas May 6-8,
2008. More information
will be provided on the
OAR Tribal Website.
Each workshop is tailored
to meet the needs of tribes
attending the workshop.
The instructor team in-
cludes federal experts in
the CAA and state SIP ex-
perts.
Volume 5, Issue 3
Page 11
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We're on the Web
http: //www. epa. gov/air/tribal/
The Tribal Air News is produced by the Environmental Protection Agency's
Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards . The newsletter is produced
quarterly and is distributed electronically. For more information about the
newsletter, or to contribute stories and pictures contact:
Laura McKelvey: mckelvey.laura@epa.gov
or
Mike Papp: papp.michael@epa.gov
Community and Tribal Programs Group
WeCOWSin (from page 10)
Works like a charm. I'd advise investing in a shredder that makes confetti, because that
would be a nightmare for some junk poker to try to tape back together...
Why, here's a shredder that runs on hamster power, and then there is the manually operated
shredder (scissors)...
There is always a better way to
go about doing something. It just
takes a little bit of thought, and
some consideration for those
around you. There aren't that
many of us who come from this
little island; we are like an en-
dangered species: rare and pre-
cious. Let's take care of our-
selves and each other, and we
will all breathe a little easier.
Next time: What you gonna do with all them leaves, chummy?
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