United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
June 2006 EPA530-N-06-003
CONSTRUCTION
& DEMOLITION
MATERIALS:
CONCRETE
REASONS TO
MANAGE
THEM Now!
BUILDING A LOW COST C&D
LANDFILL
SALVAGING C&D
MATERIALS
RESPONSIBLY
INNOVATIVE WAYS
TO REDUCE ILLEGAL C&D
DUMPING
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Welcome to the Tribal Waste Journal
(TWJ). Each issue features a different
waste-related topic and presents
ideas, approaches, and activities
successfully employed by tribes and
villages. The Tribal Voice, an opinions
forum, also appears in each issue. The
TWJ is published annually. Previous
issues of the Tribal Waste Journal are
available at
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TRIBAL WASTE JOURNAL
1. COST SAVINGS
C&D materials are expensive to
send to a municipal solid waste
(MSW) landfill because they gener-
ally are heavy and bulky and there-
fore result in higher tipping fees. For
this reason, tribes paying to landfill
C&D materials can save money by
managing these materials separately
from their MSW waste or construct-
ing a C&D landfill. Alternately,
tribes with their own MSW landfills
will save space—which extends
landfill life by putting off future
expenditures for expansion or a new
facility—by creating a specific man-
agement plan for C&D materials.
Through ingenuity and partner-
ships, tribes can find a way to sur-
mount the financial hurdle involved
in starting a C&D management pro-
gram. By reaching out to local part-
ners and conducting a lot of the
research themselves, the Bois Forte
Band of Chippewa in Minnesota
built a model C&D landfill for a
fraction of the average cost. The
Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior
Chippewas in Minnesota creatively
obtained surplus equipment from
the United States government to
recycle concrete and asphalt.
2. CULTURAL
CONNECTIONS
Managing C&D materials is consis-
tent with traditional Native
American culture, in which every-
thing is used. Many C&D materials
can be reused by tribal members or
departments or recycled to make
new materials, lessening impact of
C&D activities on the land. For
example, the Oneida Tribe of
Wisconsin created a team to plan
building demolitions in an environ-
mentally sensitive way out of defer-
ence to cultural values. The
Shoshone Paiute Tribes of the Duck
Valley Reservation in Idaho and
WHAT ARE C&D MATERIALS?
Construction and demolition
(C&D) materials are generated
during construction, renovation,
and demolition/removal of build-
ings, roads, bridges, and non-
building structures. In some states,
land-clearing debris such as rocks,
trees, and soil also are considered
C&D materials. C&D materials
project and even regionally across
the country. The most common
waste stream are:
Wood, including plywood,
dimensional lumber, and
treated wood.
Concrete and masonry,
including bricks, mortar, and
stone.
Drywall, including sheetrock,
gypsum, plaster.
Roofing materials such as
wood, clay, and asphalt
shingles.
Metals such as ferrous metals,
aluminum, and copper.
Paper and cardboard
products.
Plastic, such as wraps,
containers, and pipes.
Other materials such as car-
peting, windows, mirrors,
ceramic and linoleum tile,
light fixtures, and insulation.
C&D materials are classified as a
solid waste and their management
is governed by RCRA Subtitle D.
EPA estimates that C&D materials
constitute between 25 and 40
generated each year in the United
State. This estimate is based upon
vidual states. This relatively broad
range represents not only differ-
state generates, but also differ-
ences in what each state defines as
C&D materials. No reliable data
are available concerning the per-
cent of C&D materials generated
by tribes in the United States.
All C&D management operations
should screen incomins
not being mixed with C&D materi-
als. The following materials and
wastes should not be handled by a
C&D operation:
Municipal solid waste (MSW)
Hazardous waste, including
household hazardous waste
Polychlorinated biphenyls
(PCBs)
Asbestos
Medical or infectious waste
Animal carcasses
Sewage or sewage sludge
Used oil
Batteries
Mercury and mercury-
containing wastes
Arsenic-treated wood (chro-
mated copper arsenate
[CCA]-treated wood)
management and disposal options
for these problematic wastes, refer
to The ABCs of C&D Debris at
or the
EPA Office of Solid Waste Web
site at . Also,
for more information on C&D
materials mana^
visit EPA's C&D Materials Web site
at .
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TRIBAL WASTE JOURNAL
Nevada educates its children on the
philosophy behind proper waste
management and the connection to
tribal tradition.
3. REDUCTION
OF ILLEGAL
PUMPING
Tribes that develop a plan
for handling C&D mate-
rials often do so with the
goal—or the positive side
effect—of curbing illegal
dumping on their lands.
For example, the
Confederated Tribes of
the Colville Reservation
in Washington formed a
committee to determine
how to prevent the illegal
dumping of C&D materi-
als, resulting in a building
contractor permitting
process that keeps tribal
lands clean.
4. EMERGENCY
PLANNING
In the unfortunate event of a natu-
ral disaster, such as a flood, or an
emergency, such as a building fire or
the collapse of an old building, hav-
ing a place to dispose of damaged
materials will prevent them from
building up or forming unattractive
and even dangerous dumps on tribal
lands. A ruinous flood struck the
Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa
Indians of North Dakota, for exam-
ple, destroying basement and lower-
level carpeting, flooring, and walls
in many homes. The tribe had to
find a way to dispose of this large
amount of damaged materials.
5. INTEGRATED
SOLID WASTE
MANAGEMENT
Finally, a strategy to manage
C&D materials should be
part of an integrated solid
waste management plan—a
broad plan outlining how a
tribe or village will reduce,
manage, or dispose of its
solid waste. When tribes
consider how to best man-
age their waste, it is logical
to think about C&D materi-
als at the same time. Marcie
Phillips, environmental
director of the Shoshone
Paiute Tribes of the Duck
Valley Reservation
describes, "When we began
our solid waste management pro-
gram, we integrated C&D manage-
ment into the program; it made
sense to manage C&D at the same
time as other waste streams."
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TRIBAL WASTE JOURNAL
THE TRIBAL
VOICE
C&D Landfill "Biggest-Cost Saver'
for Duck Valley
The Duck Valley Reservation, straddling the Nevada and Idaho border, has been disposing of its
construction and demolition (C&D) materials—concrete, bricks, some metals (primarily rebar in
the concrete), and wood unsuitable for its scrap wood monofill —in an on-reservation landfill since
1997. Operating "on a shoestring budget," the Shoshone Paiute Tribes relied heavily on "resources in their
own backyard" to build a C&D landfill that Marcie Phillips, environmental director, calls "our biggest cost-
saver." The Tribal Waste Journal (TWJ) asked Ms. Phillips to map out her tribes' blueprint for success. The
following interview confirms that key elements for a successful C&D management program include:
• Using tribal ingenuity and local resources to cut costs
• Conducting extensive research and visiting active C&D landfills
• Educating the community about what can go in a C&D landfill
• Promoting reuse and recycling of C&D materials to the community
• Developing contract specifications to reduce illegal dumping of C&D materials
• Ensuring C&D management is part of an integrated solid waste program
TWJ: Why
should tribes be
concerned with
properly man-
aging C&D
materials?
Ms. Phillips:
Every tribe
should have a C&D
landfill because it will be their
biggest cost-saver if it's designed
properly. Even if tribes don't
want a landfill or don't have
the land space, they should at
least segregate their C&D
materials and manage it sepa-
rately, because C&D landfill
tipping fees are significantly
less than municipal solid waste
landfill fees.
TWJ: What motivated your tribe
to begin a C&D management
program?
Ms. Phillips: On the reservation,
resources for waste management
have always been on a shoestring
budget. Looking at C&D waste, we
decided to manage it separately from
our municipal solid waste for finan-
cial reasons. C&D waste is heavy
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TRIBAL WASTE JOURNAL
and expensive to landfill; plus, peo-
ple can reuse or recycle many items
from the C&D waste stream.
TWJ: How does C&D materials
management fit into your integrated
solid waste management plan?
Ms. Phillips: We integrated C&D
management into our solid waste
management pro-
gram from the very
beginning. It just
made sense to
manage C&D at
the same time as
our other waste
streams. When we
started C&D land-
filling in 1997,
waste management
was new to the
reservation. We
had 15 open
dumps at the time.
We had to con-
duct a lot of edu-
cation and
outreach on waste
management,
including C&D
waste.
materials per week—approximately
10 percent of the reservation's waste
stream. We are using our GPS and
GIS capabilities to map the area so
we will know in the future where
the old pits are located.
TWJ: What resources did you find
most useful in getting your program
started?
EPA's C&D Web site
(www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/
debris-new/index.htm) is very useful
and recently provided information
that helped us manage asphalt from
a school remodeling project. The
Natural Resource Conservation
Service (www.nrcs.usda.gov) is
another great resource. Also, the
Solid Waste
Association of North
America (SWANA)
offers great guidance
and training courses.
RCRA Regulations, and
Key Word Index is yet
another excellent
resource covering the
RCRA regulations.
TWJ: Do you allow or
promote reuse of C&D
materials by tribe
members?
Horses now g
Duck Valley's
raze on the beautiful land formerly occupied by
open dump site.
Figuring out how to make a project
like this happen requires ingenuity.
For example, we saved on costs by
using tribal staff to dig the first dis-
posal cell. For the second cell, we
worked with IHS [Indian Health
Service], and for the third pit, we
arranged for one of our building
contractors to dig it in exchange for
free disposal.
The C&D cells cover about 10 to
20 acres, each of which measures
150 by 60 feet. Our C&D landfill
manages all the C&D materials gen-
erated on the reservation, as well as
materials from federal facilities with
which we have disposal agreements.
The landfill receives approximately
100 to 500 cubic yards of C&D
Ms. Phillips: When we embarked
on this project, we conducted
extensive Internet and field research
on C&D landfilling. We looked at
waste characterization studies of
tribal C&D waste streams, and we
researched what others are doing
and the types of materials they are
monofilling. But the most valuable
resource was visiting communities
with active C&D landfills. We visit-
ed towns in Texas, California,
Florida, and New Jersey. We were
very fortunate to be able to visit the
city of Beaumont, Texas—it has a
great recycling program. My man-
agement was hesitant to fund this
travel, but I told them that if we
want to do it right, we have to see
first-hand how other successful
landfills operate!
Ms. Phillips: Yes, in
fact we have some
great stories of tribal
members reusing mate-
rials that came to the
C&D disposal site.
One of my favorite examples is a
tribal member reusing exterior cedar
boards removed during the renova-
tion of a tribal building to build a
horse barn and half of a garage.
Another common practice is using
broken pieces of concrete from
building demolitions as paving
stones—secured with mortar—to
build driveways and walkways;
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TRIBAL WASTE JOURNAL
it's really beautiful. Tribal members
also reuse bricks to make flowerbeds
and wood that doesn't go into the
scrap wood monofill to make fence
posts for ranch fences.
TWJ: How does the community
find out that these materials are
available ?
Ms. Phillips: They find out through
our community outreach efforts. We
implement our entire integrated
solid waste management program in
a very community-based manner
that involves extensive community
outreach. One part of this is our
tribal environmental newsletter,
"Talking Trash," that is distributed
to community members on a
monthly basis. We also share infor-
mation through public meetings and
our extensive public education
efforts, especially through the
schools.
TWJ: How do you ensure that
C&D materials are managed proper-
ly on your reservation, especially by
outside contractors?
Ms. Phillips: Construction is
increasing within the tribe right
now; we are building a new shop-
ping center and new tribal facilities.
When it comes to big projects such
as these, ensuring that the contrac-
tors manage their waste properly is
really a hands-on, one-on-one
process. It has to be.
When contractors first come in, we
initiate the process of educating
them on C&D management
requirements through a phone con-
versation about waste management
for their project. We then follow up
with a site visit to discuss the types
of waste they will be generating and
to educate them on not dumping
illegally. We also write specifications
into the contract that requires con-
tractors to use our waste manage-
ment system.
Contractors must pay for the dispos-
al of the waste generated from their
projects. Contractors rent 40 cubic
yard roll-off containers from us to
"It takes a little hustling
to develop a program if
you don't have funding,
but most tribes would be
surprised to see the
resources they have in
their own backyard."
-Marcie Phillips,
Environmental Director of the
Duck Valley Reservation of the
Shoshone Paiute Tribes
collect C&D waste at their job site.
We charge a flat rate for the con-
tainer rental, which includes all
hauling and tipping fees. This is a
nice source of income for the tribe.
Most tribes do not have enough
money to cover operation and
maintenance of their solid waste
management programs; this type of
revenue can help make a program
sustainable.
TWJ: Did you form partnerships in
order to develop your solid waste
management program?
Ms. Phillips: Yes, we have 23 part-
ners for the whole program! There
are too many to name—EPA, IHS,
the U.S. Forest Service, USDA
Rural Development, and several
state agencies from Idaho, to name
a few. We have integrated the pro-
gram into our operations—the part-
nerships are still there if we need
them—but we run entirely on our
own now.
TWJ: What advice do you have for
other tribes attempting to manage
their C&D materials?
Ms. Phillips: Tribes should strive to
run an integrated program incorpo-
rating all phases and types of waste
management, including C&D.
Educating people on what can go in
a C&D landfill, as well as broader
waste management practices, is crit-
ical. When you begin researching
your program, it is very helpful to
conduct Internet research and to
review EPA resources, university
resources, and other tribal programs.
It takes a little hustling to develop a
program if you don't have funding,
but most tribes would be surprised
to see the resources they have in
their own backyard.
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TRIBAL WASTE JOURNAL
Bois Forte Builds Low-Cost C&D Landfill
While most construction and demolition (C&D) disposal
facilities cost $500,000 to $1 million to design and
build, the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa's small-scale,
low-tech operation cost just a fraction of that—only $100,000.
Today, numerous other tribes strapped for cash but determined to
begin similar programs are asking, "How did you do so much with
so little?" Darin Steen, the Bois Forte environmental services direc-
tor, happily recounts the secrets to the tribe's success. Above all, he
says, "We did a lot of the work ourselves. I gathered lots of docu-
ments and spoke to many people in designing and developing our
landfill. We also did much of the site preparation ourselves. Doing
it yourself can be a lot cheaper than hiring a consultant."
Other key factors in designing a successful program include:
• Taking advantage of free technical assistance
• Maintaining close working relationships with several federal and local agencies
• Capitalizing on existing infrastructure and resources
• Collaborating with other tribal departments on program operation and maintenance
,
One of the keys to the Bois Forte
Tribe's success was its ability to work
with different agencies in designing
and constructing its site.
"There is a lot of free
technical assistance
available to tribes
from the EPA
regional offices, IHS
[Indian Health
Service] engineering
services, and BIA [Bureau
of Indian Affairs]." In addition to
federal agencies, Mr. Steen encour-
ages tribes to develop partnerships
with state and local agencies, local
universities, and local facilities and
companies.
From its creation, the Bois Forte
Environmental Program has been
cultivating partnerships to help
achieve its solid waste goals.
Starting in 1993, the tribe worked
with BIA and IHS to close its open
dumps and open two transfers sta-
tions. By 1994 the two transfer sta-
tions were completed and open for
business, and by 1995, the tribe's
new solid waste management
system was in place. Under this
system, tribal members are
required to haul their trash to
the transfer stations and pay
for disposal.
In 1996, when the Bois Forte
Tribe received a HUD grant to build
20 new homes on the reservation,
managing C&D materials became a
new concern. With assistance from
EPA, the tribe developed an inte-
grated solid waste management
plan, and included C&D materials
management in this process. The
tribe determined that shipping the
C&D materials from the demolition
of the abandoned buildings and new
construction to an off-reservation
licensed or permitted C&D disposal
facility was too expensive, so it
decided to open its own C&D land-
fill instead.
Looking for help in designing and
building the C&D landfill, Mr.
Steen turned to old friends—a pro-
fessor from Bemidji State University
and some IHS engineers. As a way
to reduce construction costs, they
looked for design options that most
efficiently used the tribe's existing
resources.
"We did a lot of the work
ourselves. Doing it your-
self can be a lot cheaper
than hiring a consultant."
—Darin Steen,
Environmental Services Director,
Bois Forte Band of Chippewa
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TRIBAL WASTE JOURNAL
The first step in designing the C&D
landfill was finding a suitable site.
The tribe selected a two-acre site
adjacent to the closed open dump.
This site had several features that
allowed the tribe to take advantage
of existing infrastructure. For exam-
ple, the group decided to use the
clay excavation pit previously dug to
provide cover material for the tribe's
open dump closures as the disposal
area. Using this pit saved the tribe
excavation costs and, because the
soil is clay, it does not require soil
improvement or a synthetic liner
system to protect ground water. In
addition, the site is contained inside
the open dump area's fenced and
locked perimeter, and a road already
leads to the site and only needed to
be extended to reach the C&D
management area. Finally, a ground
water monitoring system is already
installed for monitoring the closed
dumpsite. To reduce construction
costs, the tribe extended the road
and prepared the disposal area itself.
Taking advantage of its well estab-
lished relationship with neighboring
St. Louis County, the tribe consult-
ed with county officials on develop-
ing design and operation standards
for the site. The tribe asked St.
Louis County officials about their
C&D guidelines and consulted the
federal RCRA Subtitle D Part 257
and 258 solid waste landfill regula-
tions. The tribe and county's excel-
lent relationship is based upon years
of collaboration and mutual support
on several waste management issues.
The tribe and county, for example,
worked together to close the tribe's
open dumps and build its transfer
stations. The county also collects
the tribe's scrap metal, white goods,
and tires for recycling, and collabo-
rates with the tribe on periodic
community household hazardous
waste collections.
For the Bois Forte Environmental
Program, establishing partnerships
applies to internal parties too.
Environmental Program staff work
closely with the Bois Forte Tribal
Housing Authority and Department
of Public Works (DPW) on opera-
tion and maintenance of the C&D
landfill. Because the C&D landfill
only accepts the tribe's C&D mate-
rials, the site is opened only as
needed. Whenever the Housing
Authority generates C&D materials,
it coordinates use of the landfill
with the Environmental Program.
These two programs also work
THE BOIS FORTE
LANDFILL ACCEPTS THE
FOLLOWING MATERIALS:
• Concrete
• Lumber
• Asphalt shingles
• Wall board (e.g., sheet
rock)
• Windows
• Plastic
• Insulation
IT DOES NOT ACCEPT:
• Liquid wastes
• Paints
• Hazardous waste
closely to promote source reduc-
tion—whenever possible, the
Housing Authority removes and
reuses windows, doors, and lumber
pieces that are in good condition
when demolishing buildings. The
Environmental Program also uses a
loaned DPW bulldozer and other
equipment and staff for C&D land-
fill operations.
To assist the Housing Authority and
promote proper C&D management
on the reservation, the tribe pur-
chased a tandem-axle hydraulic
THE ABCS OF C&D DEBRIS
From June 15 through 17, 2004, the Bois Forte Band of
Chippewa Indians hosted "The ABCs of C&D Debris" training
course at its Fortune Bay Resort. The training course, developed
with assistance from EPA Region 5 and the Bois Forte Band, cov-
ered the gamut of C&D materials management. Fourteen instruc-
tors delivered presentations on such topics as tribal-specific
issues, planning and funding, C&D waste reduction, C&D recy-
cling, C&D landfills, waste screening, and safety.
Twenty-two registered tribal members from EPA Regions 5, 7, 8,
9, and 10 attended the training. A pre-course survey revealed
that 80 percent of the attendees felt that they had limited knowl-
For a copy of "The ABCs of C&D Debris: Tribal Construction and Demolition Debris Management Training Course,
visit EPA's Waste Management in Indian Country Web site at
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TRIBAL WASTE JOURNAL
10
NAMBE PUEBLO PARTNERS WITH THE
PRIVATE SECTOR FOR LANDFILL
Establishing yet another type of partnership—a tribal-private sector col-
laboration—the Nambe Pueblo Reservation in New Mexico is making
its combined MSW and C&D disposal facility a reality. Working
through the Nambe Pueblo Development Corporation (NPDC)—a trib-
the tribe has reached an agreement with a non-tribal, private company
called MTC Industries to develop, build, and manage the facility.
Under this agreement, the tribe provides the land and retains majority
ownership in the endeavor (51 percent). MTC Industries, with 49 per-
cent of the ownership, is funding the construction and operation and
maintenance of the facility, including supplying all the trucks and
Natural Resources (DENR) also plays a role by providing oversight for
the NPDC and ensuring that environmental regulations are followed.
While MSW and C&D materials will be deposited together at this 100-
acre site, the tribe plans to continue separating and reusing as much of
the C&D materials as possible before disposal. For several years, the
tribe has been crushing waste concrete for use as a base material for
roads. This recovered gravel also is available for tribe members at no
cost for use in driveways, private roads, and other landscaping proj-
ects. Any unused recovered material is sold to local construction com-
panies. The tribe also separates rebar from concrete before crushing
and recycles it as scrap metal. In addition, any usable lumber is
removed from the debris and either given to tribal members or sold for
reuse.
According to Steve Romero, water quality technician and former direc-
tor of the DENR, "The project is a win-win situation for the tribe and
MTC because the tribe has the land to lease and can make money off
tipping fees, while MTC has the money to fund the project. It also
should provide a foundation for economic development and create job
opportunities for the Nambe Pueblo." To increase tipping fee revenues,
the tribe has agreements to accept MSW waste from the surrounding
communities, including the Los Alamos National Laboratory.
processing
ed by the Nambe Pueblo, waiting for
rative effort with MTC Industries.
Bois Forte's hydraulic trailer and small
roll-off bins help control C&D manage-
ment and generate revenue for the tribe.
trailer and five small roll-off bins in
2002. The Housing Authority, con-
tractors, or homeowners can rent
these open-top containers from the
Environmental Program for a flat
fee. This fee covers roll-off delivery
to the construction site, hauling to
the landfill, and a moderate tipping
fee. For only $20,000—that is,
$12,500 for the trailer and $1,500
for each roll-off—the Environmental
Program has found an effective way
for promoting proper C&D manage-
ment and generating revenue.
Revenue from the trailer rentals and
tipping fees at the site are used to
help cover a portion of the opera-
tion and maintenance costs for the
site and pay back the tribal DPW for
use of its equipment and staff. To
help educate the community on the
use and availability of this equip-
ment, the Environmental Program
distributed a one-page fact sheet
describing the roll-offs.
Looking back, Mr. Steen acknowl-
edges that developing the C&D
landfill was an easy sell to the tribal
council. Owning and operating such
a facility fit in nicely with tribal poli-
cies of self-governance and self-suffi-
ciency. The C&D site also helps
reduce transport and disposal costs
and keeps money and resources with-
in the tribe. "Overall, it was a pretty
smooth process," Mr. Steen recalls.
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11
TRIBAL WASTE JOURNAL
Creative Collaboration Brings Bi
Gains to North Dakota Tribe
For tribes in North and South Dakota, the winds of change
are clearing away old mistrusts and misgivings about the
Feds, making way for a new level of cooperation. The Turtle
Mountain Band of Chippewa partnered with the Indian Health Service
(IMS), the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development (RD)
Agency, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), and the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) in the early 1990s to build a sustainable solid
waste program. The team closed an open dump, built a transfer station
and C&D landfill, is in the process of cleaning up approximately 20,000
tons of stockpiled waste, and purchased necessary heavy equipment.
Describing its collaborative efforts as a "good marriage," the team shared the
secrets of its success with the TWJ. From Turtle Mountain's experience, you will learn how:
• Federal agencies formed close connections among themselves to better serve tribes.
• Turtle Mountain built its solid waste program using federal engineering and technical assistance
and funds.
Cultivating Cooperation
The seeds of Turtle Mountain's suc-
cess in the tribal/federal partnership
were planted with a memorandum
of understanding (MOU) signed in
2000 by many federal agency
regional directors. While this docu-
ment could have easily remained a
"paper promise" to work together,
field officials from IHS, RD, and
BIA made it work by determining
Jack Sorum (IHS) and Mitchell
Latucer (Turtle Mountain) at the
Turtle Mountain waste site.
how to align the divergent missions
of their agencies for tribal benefit.
"We [RD, BIA, and IHS] all have
different missions," explains RD
civil engineer Rod Beck. "After
signing the MOU, we began at the
field office to figure out where we
could overlap to supplement each
others efforts."
According to Brent Rohlfs, a solid
waste coordinator with the
Aberdeen Area IHS and a licensed
professional engineer, this level of
coordination makes the Turtle
Mountain project unique. "The
funding available to IHS to provide
assistance does not match the level
of need," Mr. Rohlfs explains. "The
Turtle Mountain clean-up project is
unique because it coordinates the
efforts of many partners." Thus, it
allows the full range of agency
resources available to be brought to
the table in support of tribal needs
and requirements.
Mr. Rohlfs' position is another
unique aspect of the project that
contributed to its success. Mr.
Rohlfs focuses exclusively on tribal
solid waste issues. Generally, opera-
tions and maintenance coordinators
"The Turtle Mountain
clean-up project is unique
because it coordinates the
efforts of many partners."
—Brent Rohlfs,
Solid Waste Coordinator
Aberdeen Area IHS
and tribal utility consultants are
responsible for water, sewage, and
solid waste issues—with water issues
usually the priority.
Cooperation between the tribal
environmental division and the
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TRIBAL WASTE JOURNAL
tribal council is
just as critical to
success. Mitchell
Latucer, Turtle
Mountain solid
waste director,
kept tribal council
members informed
and up-to-date on
the project, which
is especially impor-
tant for long-term,
multi-year proj-
ects, as new tribal
council members
are elected and take office. As Mr.
Latucer explains, "It can take
months for the tribe to get the fund-
ing and paperwork together and
additional time for the tribal council
to get up to speed and move forward
on a project."
Finding Funds
The arena of federal grants is not
only competitive, but it requires
perseverance and patience to
become proficient at complying
Turtle Mountain's new transfer station.
Wastes requiring proper disposal.
with a myriad of application rules,
deadlines, and required studies and
documentation. Fortified by their
strong relationship, Turtle
Mountain and the federal agencies
plunged head-on into this world and
aggressively pursued funds from
numerous agencies. The work paid
off. "These partnerships not only
helped us get the necessary money
to fund the projects," Mr. Latucer
explains, "but IHS and RD also pro-
vided essential support and techni-
cal assistance."
OTHER TRIBAL/FEDERAL
VRTNERSHIPS
u * on Turtle Mountain's success, t>
ships with federal agencies:
Spirit Lake Reservation received $845,000 from
IHS and RD in 2001 to build a large transfer sta-
tion and a C&D landfill and an additional
$662,000 for collection and transfer station
equipment in 2003.
Three Affiliated Tribes on Fort Berthold
Reservation receiver1 "'O from IHS and RD
in 2004 for Phase I of its solid waste management
project. This money was used for the purchase of
collection equipment, construction of a storage
and office building, and development of a ~ '
landfill
The huge pile of
waste at Turtle
Mountain, com-
bined with the
need to find
funding for all
components of a
solid waste pro-
gram, convinced
the tribe and fed-
eral officials to
opt for a phased
approach to fund-
ing. In 1995 the
tribe obtained
funding from IHS
to construct a
transfer station
and BIA and RD
money for equip-
ment to operate
and maintain it.
Specifically, RD's
grant funds helped purchase equip-
ment, such as a hook truck, a pup
trailer, and the roll-off containers
for hauling waste from the transfer
station to the neighboring landfill.
Using the grants as efficiently as pos-
sible is another key to Turtle
Mountain's financial successes. For
example, as Jack Sorum, an IHS trib-
al utility consultant, explained,
"Rural Development does not pro-
vide engineering services to tribes, so
tribes are often forced to use Rural
Development's grant money to pur-
chase these services. IHS can provide
engineering services to tribes for free.
By enlisting our help, [tribes] can
make Rural Development's money go
farther. It is a good marriage for all of
us." At the tribes' request, IHS pre-
pared the preliminary engineering
report section of the RD grant appli-
cation for Turtle Mountain. This 20-
to 25-page report provides the engi-
neering analyses and assessments of
the project's technical needs and
includes the environmental review as
required under the National
Environmental Protection Act
(NEPA).
Before engineers finished building
the transfer station, however, the
tribe needed to buy equipment to
haul its stockpiled municipal solid
waste (MSW) to the nearest permit-
ted landfill—a 252-mile roundtrip,
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13
TRIBAL WASTE JOURNAL
TURTLE MOUNTAIN TACKLES C&D MATERIALS
A key component of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa's cleanup effort is its C&D landfill. This landfill
allows the tribe to separate C&D materials from stockpiled waste and dispose of them for significantly less than
shipping it off site for disposal. While the unlined cells are relatively small and are expected to fill up quickly, the
site design allows the tribe to excavate more cells as needed.
The amount of C&D materials managed by the tribe varies from year-to-year. In 2005, the C&D landfill received
35 to 40 tons of cement, wallboard, wood, asphalt shingles, and other C&D materials each week. In comparison,
the transfer station currently processes 100 tons of MSW each week. The amount of C&D materials could increase
significantly in the near future as the tribe recently condemned an entire 100-home housing unit due to black
mold infestation. The tribe is in the process of determining how to manage the materials from the demolition.
Other unanticipated events, such as a flood several years ago, can generate large amounts of C&D materials.
Initially, the tribe had trouble choosing a site for the C&D landfill because the transfer station, capped open
dump, and waste stockpile already occupied a large portion of the available 23 acres. IHS assisted the tribe with
identifying a suitable location for the C&D landfill and also pre-
pared the engineering design. In accordance with plans and spec-
ifications, the tribe's contractor built two C&D cells with the nec-
essary access roads and an access ramp with a 10:1 slope for
easy access and truck safety. The two cells constructed to date
have cost $36,252.
Prior to completing the C&D landfill, the tribe hired a contractor
to remove and recycle scrap metal from the stockpiled waste. IHS
helped the tribe hire the contractor by assisting with developing a
request for proposal. The contractor hired by the tribe removed
and recycled 420 tons of scrap metal. Unfortunately, according to
Mr. Latucer the expense of paying the contractor to do this "ate up
any revenues the tribe might have generated through scrap metal
sales. In the future, however, we expect to begin generating rev- This ta" Pile of mfal wa.ste. .V^ST°"? °f the
are required to separate metals from the overall waste stream."
so it worked with IHS and RD to
obtain the necessary funds.
According to Mr. Latucer, a signifi-
cant portion of the waste was C&D
materials, both from ongoing hous-
ing construction on the reservation
and from household items that were
ruined in a flood.
Unfortunately, as the pile grew, so
did its potential to harm tribal
members and their lands. In fact,
EPA Region 8 and the tribe ranked
removing the solid waste at the
Turtle Mountain site as a top priori-
ty. These actions put the problem
on a fast track to resolution. As a
precautionary measure, the tribe
and IHS installed monitoring wells
to watch for ground water contami-
nation associated with the tempo-
rary waste storage site.
To begin disposing of the waste from
this massive pile, the tribe entered
Phase II of the project, which
entailed building a C&D landfill
and cleaning up and closing the
waste site. Again, the tribe succeed-
ed in securing funds in 2003 from
IHS and RD to accomplish these
tasks. The tribe contributed addi-
tional funds to the effort. A portion
of this money allowed the tribe to
buy a front-end loader.
During Phase II, at the request of
the tribe, IHS worked to:
• Design the inert/C&D
waste cell.
• Provide the technical specifica-
tions for the tribe to include in
its request for proposals.
• Select a site for the C&D cell.
• Assist the tribe in soliciting
outside contractor bids to con-
struct the cell.
By 2004, everyone's efforts had paid
off with a fully functioning solid
waste program, including a fee struc-
ture to make the program sustain-
able. "The greatest obstacle to
success," according to Mr. Rohlfs, "is
developing a self-sustaining program.
It's hard to get over the final hump."
Now, all that remains is removing
the final 3,800 tons of stockpiled
waste and closing the site.
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TRIBAL WASTE JOURNAL
14
TIPS FOR TAP PING INTO RD'S NATIVE
AMERICAN SET-ASIDE CRANT
In 2005, Congress appropriated $16 million for the
Native American Set-Aside Grant. These
funds are designed to help federally
recognized Indian tribes pay for all
disposal facilities. For solid waste
projects, RD's Rural Utilities Services
(RUS) will pay for all aspects of con-
structing a new facility, or repairing or
upgrading an old one, including facility
construction, equipment, waste
cleanup, legal fees, and land purchases.
Tribes can apply for these grants year
round, though the target date is April 1 of
each year. Typical grant amounts range
from $100,000 to $500,000. Each state
decides whether an application qualifies for trib-
al set-aside consideration, then submits the
RD gives this advice for tribes interested in
applying for solid waste funding:
Contact your state RD RUS program direc-
tor. Ask for the required information to subm
a preliminary funding application. This appli-
ratio. To find the director's name on the
Web, go to an-
click on "state offices."
Obtain an engineer from your IMS Office
of Environmental Health and Engineering
or hire a private consultant. The engineer
can help you work on the preliminary
application and educate you on RD's
Set up a meeting with the state
RD RUS program director or
specialist to discuss your project
and funding possibilities. Only
ble for a 100-percent grant.
work with your engineer to complete
the full application, including the environ-
mental review and the preliminary engineer
the best/most cost-effective approach to the
problem. The environmental review can take
from one month to a year, so it is recommended
that your engineer complete it before submitting the full application.
Sharing the Secrets
of Success
A decade of shared experience in
cleaning up open dumps and helping
tribes establish sustainable solid
waste programs has given the
IHS/RD team time to fine-tune its
model for success. Most importantly,
federal officials acknowledge that
building a solid waste program is not
easy or quick. It requires staying
power. At times, the process can feel
overwhelming and fraught with diffi-
culty. For those tribes willing to
commit their time, energy, and tal-
ents to the long-term process, how-
ever, the rewards are substantial: a
cleaner, healthier environment and
a renewed sense of pride in their
lands.
The federal team provides the fol-
lowing advice for tribes looking to
follow Turtle Mountain's model:
• Have a sustainable solid waste
management plan in hand.
Tribes should aim to develop a
solid waste management plan
independently before they
approach other agencies "so
they know what they are ask-
ing for," says Mr. Sorum. "In
fact," he adds, "many federal
agencies require that the tribe
have a solid waste management
plan in place before a project
will be funded." In addition,
federal agencies are more likely
to support a sustainable pro-
gram or project. Devise a
method of sustaining your
program/project once the grant
money runs out, such as a fee
structure. For the Turtle
Mountain project, the tribe
supports the transfer station's
operation and maintenance
through a user fee attached to
residents' water bills from the
rural water system, and private
haulers pay a tipping fee at the
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1 5
TRIBAL WASTE JOURNAL
transfer station. Residents pay
private haulers for waste collec-
tion services.
• Form a team. Mr. Beck sug-
gests that tribes team up with
IHS and apply for RD grants so
that "everyone is working to
solve one problem." To do this
you need to contact the right
people. In IHS, start with your
tribal utility consultant or your
Division of Sanitary Facility
Construction contact. In RD,
start with the state engineer or
Rural Utility Service Program
Director and ask about the
availability of tribal set-aside
funds and how to access them
(for more information, see the
Tips for Tapping into RD's
Native American Set-aside
Grant side-bar on page 14).
• Get help. Ask for help and
advice on improving your
application. In some cases, you
might have to go beyond your
local contact to get the assis-
tance you need. Enlist the
help of other agencies where
appropriate, as Turtle
Mountain did by having IHS
complete the preliminary engi-
neering report for RD's applica-
tion.
• Match funds. Mr. Sorum
explains that tribes can increase
their chances of receiv-
ing funding by: 1) pro-
viding a tribal
match or securing
a match from
another
agency or
party (such as
RD) and 2) making
the solid waste project a
tribal priority. Listing it as
your tribe's number one priority
and securing matching funds
will "greatly enhance your
chances for being successful,"
Mr. Sorum advises. Historically,
"These partnerships [with
federal agencies] not only
helped us get the neces-
sary money to fund the
projects, but IHS and RD
also provided essential
support and technical
assistance."
—Mitchell Latucer,
Solid Waste Director
Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa
he says tribal grant requests less
than $500,000, even though the
total project cost might exceed
this amount, have been
more successful in getting fund-
ed by agencies such as RD, IHS,
and BIA.
Develop a memorandum of
agreement (MOA). Once you
secure funding, develop an
MOA that spells out each
party's roles and responsibili-
ties. An MOA provides a blue-
print for any project and will
help it be better managed. For
example, Turtle Mountain
signed an MOA with IHS and
RD to document responsibili-
ties of the agencies and the
tribe, how contractors would be
procured, and how the project
funding was to be used. Tribes
also can enter into a three-way
MOA with a federal agency
and a private consultant or
organization. These types of
agreements typically are done
at the tribal council or tribal
business council level, not at
the tribal department level.
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TRIBAL WASTE JOURNAL
16
Fond du Lac's Ingenuity Makes
Demolition Recycling a Reality
Reusing or recycling heavy demolition materials can save tribes money
but buying the equipment can be a daunting prospect for some
tribes. However, this difficulty shouldn't deter tribes from pursuing
such a venture, asserts Bruce Savage of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake
Superior Chippewa in Minnesota. "Native Americans," he explains, "possess a
lifetime of experience dealing with adverse conditions and finding solutions."
True to his word, in 2001, the Fond du Lac tribe launched a concrete and asphalt
recycling program by obtaining rock-crushing equipment through the U.S. General
Services Administration's (GSA's) government surplus program. Recycling concrete and
asphalt not only saves the tribe money in waste transportation and disposal costs, but also curbs illegal
dumping and reduces the environmental impact of road construction.
Overcoming the
Financial Barrier
For more than 20 years,
Fond du Lac Construction
has handled all of the commercial
construction on the Fond du Lac
Reservation, including roads, parking
lots, convenience stores, a golf course,
the community center, and expan-
sions on the gaming casino and tribal
buildings. "The company is very busy,
as the tribe is constantly building,"
says Mr. Savage, a member of Fond du
Lac Construction's Aggregate
Division, which runs the concrete
and asphalt recycling program.
"Native Americans possess
a lifetime of experience
dealing with adverse
conditions and finding
solutions. They are innova-
tive by nature. They need
to be to survive."
- Bruce Savage, Fond du Lac
Band of Lake Superior
Chippewa in Minnesota
Looking to reduce C&D
disposal costs,
i i
reduce the impact
of construction on
the reservation, and curb illegal
C&D dumping on the reservation,
the tribe began investigating the
idea of processing concrete and
asphalt for reuse. Equipment costs
proved the most formidable barrier.
"For a tribe to start a rock-crushing
operation from scratch," Mr. Savage
explains, "would require close to $ 1
million. Acquiring and maintaining
the equipment are the biggest
costs."
Innovatively, Fond du Lac looked to
GSA as a source of surplus equip-
ment instead of trying to purchase
the equipment outright. Many tribes
might not realize that GSA main-
tains a listing of surplus equipment
and supplies. According to Mr.
Savage, any tribe that has signed a
treaty with the U.S. government
can ask its Bureau of Indian Affairs
(BIA) representative about its eligi-
bility to request these items. Fond du
Lac's road maintenance contract
with BIA also makes it eligible for
GSA surplus materials. Many GSA
surplus materials are free to eligible
groups, only requiring the recipient
to pay shipping costs.
Although access to GSA's surplus
equipment seemed a cost-effective
way to launch the program, it took
years for the tribe to secure a rock
crusher. Mr. Savage chuckles, "I spent
years searching the GSA Web site for
crushing equipment and never saw
anything listed. People used to laugh
at me when I asked about it." A GSA
district representative told Mr.
Savage he had never seen this type of
equipment available through GSA in
his 20 years on the job.
Fond du Lac's CSA-procured rock crusher
Eventually, patience and persistence
paid off. In 2001, the GSA repre-
sentative called to say some
equipment had recently become
available, and the tribe should
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17
TRIBAL WASTE JOURNAL
secure it immediately. After
extensive paperwork, Fond du Lac
acquired the crusher, and the recy-
cling operation blossomed and is
now self-sufficient. "If you can do it
efficiently, these operations can pay
for themselves," Mr. Savage says.
"You won't necessarily make money,
but you can cover the cost of new
material and save on disposal costs."
Details of the Operation
Since 2001, Fond du Lac
Construction has recycled approxi-
mately 10,000 tons of concrete and
asphalt. Generated during demoli-
tion activities on the reservation,
the concrete and asphalt are reused
as foundation materials for new
roads on the reservation.
The tribe does not generate sufficient
amounts of concrete or asphalt to
operate the crusher on a regular basis.
Instead, it stockpiles the materials
until enough is accumulated to make
processing worthwhile. Currently, the
Aggregate Division has stockpiled
approximately 30,000 tons that it will
process within a year.
As an additional benefit, Fond du
Lac also can use the rock-crushing
Crushed asphalt on conveyer belt.
equipment to separate out reusable
topsoil from construction sites. The
topsoil, which the Aggregate
Division reuses or sells for $12 to
$16 per ton, can be used for yard
finishing at private residences and
erosion control along roadsides. In
2003 and 2004, the division pro-
duced more than 60,000 tons of
screened topsoil, generating a sav-
ings of $750,000. The Aggregate
Division also uses the crushing
equipment and a wash plant to
manufacture gravel for use in septic
tanks, drain tiles, sand filters, and
other construction projects on the
reservation.
Keys to a Successful Program
Mr. Savage believes that training
and networking have helped him
create a successful operation. Before
joining the Aggregate Division, he
received two years of training from
an aggregate industry expert from
the local union hall. Mr. Savage
continues to expand his knowledge
by maintaining a dialogue with
other technicians in the field, say-
ing, "Other rock crushing compa-
nies have been very open to sharing
information and giving advice. It is
a very limited group—not many
people actually do this—but most
have been very helpful."
Success also depends on good heavy
equipment, engineering, mechanical,
welding, and math skills. "You need
to be a problem solver and be able to
fix things quickly," Mr. Savage
explains "If our crusher goes down, I
need to be able to fix it immediately,
otherwise we are losing money." For
these reasons, he thinks a lot of
Native Americans would be good in
the aggregate industry because,
"Native people are innovative by
nature. They need to be to survive."
BUILDING APPROPRIATE INFRASTRUCTURE: "WE WANTTO HAVE CLEAN LANDS."
Recycling concrete and asphalt is just one of many waste management activities underway on the Fond du Lac
Reservation. The tribe is planning to construct a 20-acre integrated waste management site to replace the existing,
undersized 0.5-acre site that houses its recycling, household hazardous waste, and C&D management operations.
While the site is estimated to cost between $1.4 million and $2.5 million, Nathan Reinbold, the tribe's environmen-
tal education coordinator, explains Fond du Lac's motivations for such an ambitious undertaking, "Because of growth
on the reservation, now is the time to build this waste infrastructure. While the $2.5 million price tag might seem
high, having an official place for C&D materials will pay off in the long run. We understand that these things do cost
a lot, but we want to have clean lands." The tribe plans to fund a portion of the facility with its own funds.
Currently, Fond du Lac extracts all C&D materials that can be reused or recycled—such as concrete, asphalt,
clean wood, and metal—from what is generated on the reservation. Wood that has not been pressure-treated,
painted, or stained is chipped with yard trimmings and composted at the tribe's composting facility. Clean wall-
board also is used as an additive in the composting process. The scrap metal is recycled. The remaining C&D
materials—including pressure-treated and painted/stained wood, asphalt shingles, plastics, and plaster—is com-
mingled and sent off site for disposal in a regional C&D landfill. The new site will include a much larger C&D
materials separation and recycling area where these activities can be performed more efficiently.
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TRIBAL WASTE JOURNAL
Salvaging Materials
Responsibly
The Oneida Tribe of Wisconsin is guided
by this creation story in its day-to-day
life and therefore has a great respect
for the Earth and a responsibility for protect-
ing the environment. This stewardship is
apparent as the tribe purchases land to fill
in the checkerboard pattern of rolling
farm land of its reservation and has had
to manage C&D materials from the reno-
vation or demolition of dilapidated build-
ings on this land. The tribe created a
Demo Team in order to maintain the cul-
tural roots by adhering to a guiding prin-
cipal of sustainable management and to
provide cost savings for the tribe
through recycling operations. Through
these practices, the team ensures that
natural resources, making up the
land in a delicate balance on the tur-
tle's shell, are conserved to support
future generations.
s°nEar,h
story,
Using Partnerships to
Manage C&D Materials
Much like the way water animals
and the Sky Woman worked togeth-
er to establish life on Earth, the
tribe forged its own coalition that
works together to ensure that
C&D materials are recovered in an
environmentally responsible manner
and either reused or recycled.
The Demo Team is a multi-depart-
mental, innovative partnership
made up of tribal staff from the
Land Management Department,
Environmental Health and Safety
Department, the Department of
Public Works, and the Cultural
Heritage Department.
Prior to the formation of the Demo
Team, the tribe landfilled the C&D
materials generated
from the renovation and
demolition of the old buildings,
wasting tons of material that could
be salvaged and reused or recycled.
Not only was the Demo Team an
opportunity for the tribe to become
environmental stewards, but also to
facilitate a streamlined salvage and
demolition process.
"One of the great successes of the
Demo Team has been dividing up
the tasks and letting people do what
they do best and are best equipped
to do," said Steve Linsken, environ-
mental planner for the tribe. "The
team really lets people play to their
strengths."
The Land Management
Department, for instance, handles
the financial and contractual
aspects of acquiring land, salvage
operations, demolition, and dispos-
al. The team recommends demoli-
tion when the cost of repair is
greater than 50 percent of the
assessed value. When the cost of
repairs is less than 50 percent of its
assessed value, the building is reno-
vated and sold to a tribal member.
Once the Land Management
Department decides whether or not
to demolish the building, the
Environmental Health and Safety
Department removes asbestos and
other hazardous materials from the
site. This department is the back-
bone for environmental stewardship
because it is responsible for ensuring
proper recycling and disposal of the
C&D materials when buildings are
demolished.
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TRIBAL WASTE JOURNAL
And finally, the Department of
Public Works (DPW) and Cultural
Heritage Department ensure that
building materials are handled in a
responsible manner and that histori-
cal items are not lost during the
demolition process. For example, if
the DPW finds salvageable items in
the building, it calls upon the
Cultural Department to identify
whether or not they are culturally
important so that they can salvage
and preserve the items.
Salvaging Benefits the
Community
Through salvage operations, the
Demo Team has the unique oppor-
tunity to strengthen community
ties by giving priority to tribal mem-
bers to receive the reusable C&D
materials.
Items frequently salvaged from con-
demned buildings include fixtures,
hand-hewn beams, doors, and win-
dows. The Demo Team reports that
the most sought-after materials are
wooden beams that tribal members
use in their own houses for structur-
al support or features such as fire-
place mantles.
Most of the time, allowing tribal
members to salvage materials works
well for all parties. Occasionally,
however, it can create problems. In
these instances, the Demo Team
uses its expertise for problem solv-
ing. In one case, a tribal member
stripped all of the metal off of the
buildings at a former pig farm, leav-
ing all the insulation lying around in
piles. As a result, the Land
"One of the great success-
es of the Demo Team has
been dividing up the tasks
and letting people do
what they do best and are
best equipped to do. The
team really lets people
play to their strengths."
—Steve Linsken,
environmental planner,
Oneida Tribe of Wisconsin
Management Department decided to
develop salvage agreements for each
party wishing to remove materials
from tribal property to ensure that
the salvaged materials are handled
in a responsible manner and that
there is no damage or destruction to
any other materials or the land.
Recycling Pays Off
Once all reusable material has been
taken out of the buildings, the
Demo Team works to remove and
separate all material that can be
recycled, such as concrete and
metal. Through reuse, the tribe con-
serves natural resources and saves
money in purchasing costs. In addi-
tion, it also generates revenue from
the sale of the C&D materials.
The tribe has capitalized on the
large volume of concrete generated
during building demolition by sepa-
rating it and contracting Braun
Recycling and Compost, a local
recycling company, to crush the
material. In 2004, the tribe demol-
ished buildings on four farms gener-
ating 4,886 tons of crushed concrete
and 386 tons of garbage, scrap tires,
and other materials. The crushed
concrete can then be reused for
roadwork and other DPW projects
such as installing and replacing cul-
verts. The tribe landfilled the
remaining waste.
Metal is also a valuable commodity
during the demolition process. In
2004, sale of 40 tons of scrap metal
from the farm demolitions generated
nearly $3,000 for the tribe.
Oneida's reclamation equipment.
Dump truck with deposits of crushed concrete ready for use.
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TRIBAL WASTE JOURNAL
Colville's Contracts Cut Illegal C&D Dumping
The Confederated Tribes of Colville Reservation take great pride in the forests, streams, rivers, and
lakes that blanket its reservation in north-central Washington. Because of its
deep connection to the land, the tribes try to keep the reservation as
pristine as possible. For example, the Colville tribes decided specifically not
to build a C&D landfill on the reservation for aesthetic and environmental
reasons. Some building contractors, however, do not have the same sense of
respect for the land; the tribes have found C&D materials littered
throughout the reservation that building contractors dumped
illegally during construction.
To stop this ongoing problem, the Colville tribes decided to
include language in building permits requiring contractors to
have their own C&D management plan. This legal agreement gives
the tribes authority to suspend construction if contractors illegally
dump C&D materials on the reservation. Coupled with a strong
enforcement presence at construction sites, the tribes have dramati-
cally reduced illegal dumping.
Managing Contractors'
C&D Materials
The idea for this C&D manage-
ment approach arose in 1999 when
the Tribal Business Council—the
body in charge of contractors—
realized it would not be able to
control illegal dumping of C&D
materials on its own. Instead, with
support and encouragement from
the Colville tribes' Tribal Council,
it formed a Solid Waste Alliance
Committee (SWAG) to investigate
ways to stop contractors from
dumping C&D materials on the
reservation. According to
the tribes' solid waste
ordinance, the SWAG
"shall consist of a min-
imum of five members
from the tribes that
have some knowledge
and/or interest in solid
waste issues."
To help bolster support of SWAG
activities, two members of the
tribal council also serve as commit-
tee members. "Having the council
involved makes a big difference,"
says Danny Joe Stensgar, the solid
waste manager for the Colville
tribes. "We resolve issues more
quickly."
Instead of taking over the handling
and disposal of C&D, the SWAG
decided to curb illegal dumping by
including language about C&D
management in building permits.
To implement this approach, the
SWAG formed the Internal Land
Use Review Board—including rep-
resentatives from various tribal
departments such as plan-
ning, environment, natu-
ral resources, water, and
solid waste—to review
all construction projects
and issue building per-
mits. The building per-
mits ensure that the
contractors recycle or dispose
of C&D materials properly and
comply with the Colville tribes'
solid waste ordinance, which pro-
hibits non-tribal members from
dumping or disposing solid waste at
any location on the reservation.
"Having the council
involved makes a big
difference. We resolve
issues more quickly."
—Danny Joe Stensgar,
Solid Waste Manager
The Confederated Tribes of
Colville Reservation
To receive a building permit from
the Internal Land Use Review
Board, contractors must complete a
Compliance Utilization Form,
which includes details of how they
plan to manage the C&D materi-
als. Contractors can choose to lease
20- or 40-yard containers from the
tribe or indicate the landfill to
which they will haul the waste.
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TRIBAL WASTE JOURNAL
Keeping the Land Clean Through Enforcement
The Colville tribes are willing to go to great lengths to
ensure that C&D materials do not litter its reservation.
Although the building permit explicitly prohibits
building contractors from illegally dumping materials
on the reservation and outlines the types of C&D
materials that can and cannot be disposed in the
leased containers—for example, hazardous materials
are prohibited (see side bar)—the tribes have found
that sometimes contractors ignore some of the terms of
their building permits. Ensuring compliance therefore
requires ongoing enforcement.
To increase compliance, a tribal enforcement officer
visits construction sites and photographs the C&D
materials that the building contractors generate. This
precaution gives the tribes evidence that certain mate-
rials belong to specific contractors, in the event that a
company illegally dumps. As an added measure, the
enforcement officer also visits the
nearby landfill and requests a
receipt that the builder dis-
posed of the waste there.
If the tribes' enforce-
ment officer finds viola-
tions to the building
permit, the officer is
authorized to write
citations and thereby
order construction to
cease. According to
Stensgar, this vigilance has
paid off. "The presence of an
enforcement officer has really cut
down on illegal dumping," he says.
HANDLING HAZARDOUS
MATERIALS
Hazardous waste contamination is a serious con-
cern in managing C&D materials. Hazardous con-
stituents such as lead, arsenic, and chrome are
common at C&D sites, as are hazardous sub-
biphenyls (PCBs).
als contamination of C&D materials by:
Identifying whether asbestos or lead-based
paint is present in a building slated for dem-
olition. If these materials are found, a certi-
Building permit language requires the con-
tractor to remove asbestos and any other
hazardous materials from the site.
Requiring contractors to separate hazardous
materials from C&D materials. The tribal
inspectors can then ensure proper handling
of each of these materials.
Requiring contractors to specify in their
Compliance Utilization Forms how much
hazardous material they will generate and
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TRIBAL WASTE JOURNAL
RESOURCES
EPA PUBLICATIONS
The ABCs of C&D Debris: Tribal
Construction and Demolition Debris
Management Training Course
This training course, developed by
TASWER and EPA, covers all aspects
of C&D materials management in
eight sessions.
Characterization of Building-Related
Construction and Demolition Debris
in the United States. EPA530-R-98-
010.
RCRA in Focus: Construction,
Demolition, and Renovation.
EPA530-K-04-005.
WasteWise Update: Building for the
Future. EPA530-N-02-003.
OTHER PUBLICATIONS
Builder's Guide to Reuse and
Recycling: A Directory for
Construction and Demolition
Materials
This 36-page booklet produced by
the Alameda (California) County
Waste Management Authority and
Alameda County Source Reduction
and Recycling Board provides practi-
cal, cost-saving tips for building pro-
fessionals on recycling asphalt, glass,
and related materials.
Building and Buying Green in Indian
Country: A Practical Guide for
California Tribes
To order a copy, call (916) 341-6306
and request Pub.# 430-04-004.
Contractors Guide. Seattle/King
County, 2002-2003
Provides recycling and waste preven-
tion information for all builders, from
the handyman and remodeler to
large commercial contractors. It is a
handbook for saving money and
resources by recycling and preventing
waste on the job site.
Recycling Construction and
Demolition Wastes: A Guide for
Architects and Contractors
This guide, sponsored by the Boston
Society of Architects, Associated
General Contractors of Massachusetts,
and the Massachusetts Department of
Environmental Protection, helps archi-
tects, engineers, specification writers,
and contractors gain an understanding
of the goals of C&D recycling and
lay the foundation for a successful
program.
Residential Construction Waste
Management: A Builder's Field Guide
This EPA-funded publication from the
National Association of Home Builders
Research Center explains cost-effective
techniques for construction waste man-
agement. This 32-page field guide pres-
ents several approaches builders can
take to manage construction waste and
provides real case studies to support the
recommended actions. Appendices
contain references and supporting doc-
uments.
WEB SITES
EPA's Construction and Demolition
(C&D) Materials Web Site
Environmental Protection, Native
American Lands: A Cultural Approach
to Integrated Environmental Studies
A curriculum written and edited by a
team of Indian teachers and commu-
nity members to ensure the cultural
integrity of American Indian lands by
preparing tribal communities to make
informed decisions about land devel-
opment, as well as to prevent house-
hold hazardous waste contamination.
King County, Washington's
Construction Recycling Web Site
Provides the tools and assistance need-
ed to achieve the highest recycling
rates possible on construction/decon-
struction projects. Tools include job site
waste guidelines, a waste management
plan template, sample waste recycling
specifications, and a directory of local
construction waste recyclers.
Resource Efficient Residential
Construction: Industry Web Directory
The Peaks to Prairies Residential
Environment Web Site provides the
following services: technical assis-
tance and referrals, industry contacts,
database of resources and publica-
tions, news, events calendar, and
frequently asked questions.
Solid Waste Association of North
America (SWANA)
SWANA offers training and certifica-
tion in eight solid waste management
disciplines, including C&D materials
management.
Tribal Pollution Prevention
A user-built collection of tribal pollu-
tion prevention resources where tribes
can share their projects, case studies,
publications, tools, events, news, or
funding opportunity with other visitors.
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TRIBAL WASTE JOURNAL
CO NTACTS
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he Tribal Waste journal would like to thank everyone who shared their stories and experiences for this
issue. Interviewee contact information is provided below for those who are interested in learning more
about specific tribal programs.
Bois Forte Reservation
Nett Lake, Minnesota
Darin Steen
Environmental Services Director
(218) 757-3543
dsteen@rangenet.com
Confederated Tribes of The
Colville Reservation
Nespelem, Washington
Danny Joe Stensgar
Solid Waste Manager
(509) 634-2810
Fond du Lac Reservation
Cloquet, Minnesota
Bruce Savage
Fond du Lac Construction—
Aggregate Division
(218)393-6902
spiritlakesugar@yahoo.com
Nathan Reinbold
Environmental Education Outreach
Coordinator
(218) 878-8023
nathanreinbold@fdlrez.com
Nambe Pueblo Reservation
Santa Fe County, New Mexico
Steve Romero
Water Quality Technician
(505) 690-9874
sromero_denr_nambe@yahoo.com
Oneida Tribe of Wisconsin
Oneida, Wisconsin
Steve Linsken
Environmental Planner
(920) 496-5347
slinsken@oneidanation.org
Shoshone Paiute Tribes of the
Duck Valley Reservation
Elko County, Nevada/Owyhee
County, Idaho
Marcie Phillips
Environmental Director
(208) 759-3100, ext. 247
ShoPaiTr8@aol.com
Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa
Indians of North Dakota
Belcourt, North Dakota
Mitchell Latucer
Solid Waste Director
(701)477-2664
meladd2001 ©yahoo.com
Indian Health Service (Aberdeen)
Brent Rohlfs
Aberdeen Area Solid Waste
Coordinator
(605)226-7451
brent.rohlfs@ihs.gov
Jack Sorum
Tribal Utility Consultant
(701) 852-0250
jack.sorum@ihs.gov
USDA Rural Development
(North Dakota)
Rod Beck
(701)530-2069
rod.beck@nd.usda.gov
ideas or success stories, send an e-mail to
Janice Johnson, creative director of the Tribal
Waste Journal, at .
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