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EPA Homepage Website
http://. vosemite.epa.gov/rlO/
tribaLNSF
Region 10 Tribal
Newsletter
LETTER
Vol. XV No. VII
July 1,2006
Work Shops and Conferences
July 31-August 1, Multi-Stakeholders' Public Meeting on Designated Uses and Use Attainability
Analyses, Sheraton Seattle Hotel, 1400 Sixth Avenue, Seattle, WA. See page 1 Q
August 1-3, Pacific Northwest Tribal Air Network Workshop, Seattle, WA. See page 2 *
August 21-25, Tribal Leaders Summit, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation,
Pendleton, OR. See page 1.*
August 28-31, SAIGE, Anchorage, AK. www.saise.ors
September, 24-28, Tribal Science Conference, Quinault Beach Resort Casino WA. See page 2 t
October 19-21, NIEA, Anchorage, AK. www.niea.ors
October 25-26, Region 10/NWIFCA, 4th EPA/Washington Tribes Environmental Symposium, TEA
For information: Fran Wilshusen 360/438-1181 x 351, fwilshus(a)nwifc.ors
November 2-5, 28th Annual AISES Conference, Detroit, MI. www.aises.ors
Region 10 Tribal
Newsletter is published
Mothly at no charge
To receive a copy call:
AK..Rob 907/271-6323
ID.. Arlene 208/378-5749
OR. .Don 503/326-5015
WA.. Alison....360/753-8185
RIO Tribal Leaders' Summit*
Join us in Pendleton, Oregon
at the Wildhorse Resort and
Casino August 21st-25th.
Experience the culture of the
Confederated Tribes of the
Umatilla Indians as you discuss
critical environmental issues
with leaders from the EPA and
tribes from Alaska, Idaho,
Oregon, and Washington.
Registration forms are ready for
the 2006 EPA Region 10 Tribal
Leaders' Summit. The Web
page is available at:
http://www. umatilla.
nsn. us/2006EPAsummit. html.
Multi-Stakeholders' Q
The Water Environment
Federation and the EPA have
entered into a co-sponsorship
agreement to host a public
meeting on designated uses and
use attainability analyses
(UAAs). This meeting is the
last in a series of three planned
on these topics.
The goals: 1-to help educate
the public on current Water
Quality Standards regulations,
policy, and practice related to
designated uses and use
attainability analysis, 2-to
provide the public with an
opportunity to join in
discussions, ask questions, and
provide feedback, and 3-to
complement and inform as a
series of discussions, EPA is
holding with its Clean Water
Act Co-Regulators.
Attendance at the meeting is
free of charge; however, you
must pre-register to attend.
Please complete the online
registration form at:
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http://www. tetratech-
ffx. com/stakeholders/
registration, cfm.
PNTAN *
The Pacific Northwest
Tribal Air Network (PNTAN)
workshop (August 1-3) is
recommended for all tribal air
quality professionals and their
supervisors. Tribal housing
administrators are invited to
attend also. There will be
several topics of interest
including the health effects
associated with improper
woodstove maintenance and
usage, woodstove changeout
program and other related
material.
Travel and hotel expenses
will be reimbursed for all
positions at the conclusion of
the workshop. To receive the
reimbursement full attendance
is required. Room Reservations
can be made at the Crown Plaza
Hotel across from the EPA
Region 10 Offices. A block of
rooms have been set aside.
When reserving your room,
mention the Pacific Northwest
Tribal Air Network (PNTAN)
to receive the discounted price
of $149.00. To reserve a room,
please call: 800/521-2762 or
206/464-1980. Info: Kristin
208/267-3519x567 or
kristin(a)kootenai. org.
Tribal Environmental
Science^
Save the date! The National
EPA-Tribal Science Council
will sponsor the National Tribal
Science Conference at the
Quinault Beach Resort and
Casino on the Olympic
Peninsula in Washington on
September 24-28, 2006. The
conference will provide a forum
to conduct training, exchange
information, and address
selected issues on science topics
to include traditional knowledge
of importance in Indian country.
EPA and tribal leaders and staff
working on environmental
science topics, such as those
working with tribal
organizations, tribal colleges,
universities, and other federal
agencies, are encouraged to
attend.
The National forum on Tribal
environmental Science Web site
has been launched! You can
visit the Web site, register for
training sessions and activities,
and submit abstracts and posters
under the call for papers for
presentation during the
conference at: http://www.
scgcorp. com/TribalScience.
The Deadline for the "Call
for Papers" has been extended!
Because the National-EPA
Tribal Science Council desires
to see as many tribal
environmental professionals and
scientists share their work with
other tribes, federal agencies
and tribal colleges and
universities, they have extended
the deadline for submitting
abstracts, posters and exhibits
for the National Forum Tribal
Environmental Science. The
deadline has been extended to
Friday, July 7, 2006 Please
see the "Call for Papers" and
conference announcement
(above and on the website
below) for details. You are
encouraged to submit your
scientific environmental work
that falls into any of the four
conference themes: Air, Water,
Earth, and Community Health.
You may also obtain the
"Call for Papers" from the Web
site and register for the
conference, training courses,
activities and field trips at:
http://www. scscorp. com/Tribal
Science. To visit the Tribal
Science Council's website:
http://www. epa.sov/osp/tribes/a
nnounce/event. htm.
Region 10 Administrator
Region 10 Administrator,
Michael Bogert, will resign as
of July 8, 2006. Ron
Kreizenbeck will serve as
Acting Regional Administrator
starting July 10,2006.
Tribal Draft Guidance
The EPA is seeking public
comment on its draft Guidance,
executive order 13175:
Consultation and Coordination
with Indian Tribal Governments
("Guidance"). This draft
Guidance addresses the
provision of Executive Order
13175 ("EO 13175") and how
EPA generally intends to
implement EO 13175 in
connection with the relevant
EPA activities. EPA is seeking
public comment on this draft
Guidance in order to provide
EPA with a broad range of
experiences and perspective as
the draft Guidance is finalized.
Comments must be submitted
on or before July 18, 2006.
Submit your comments
identified by Docket ID no.
EPA-HQ-OA-2006-0248 by
one of the following methods:
* http://www.resulations.sov.
•E-mail: OEI.Docket(a)Jepa.£ov
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Docket,
Environmental Protection
Agency, Mailcode: 2822T,
12 Pennsylvania Ave., NW.,
Washington, DC 20460. Direct
your comments to: Docket ID
No. EPA-HQ-OA-2006-0248.
EPA's policy is that all
comments received will be
included in the public docket
without change and is made
available online at:
http://www. regulations, gov.
To view the document go to:
http://epa.sov/fedrsstr, then
"search" EPA-HQ-OA-2006-
0248.
LGR
The Local Governments
Reimbursements (LGR)
program provides federal funds
to local governments for costs
related to temporary emergency
measures conducted in response
to releases or threatened
releases of hazardous
substances. The program serves
as a "safety net" to provide
supplemental funding (up to
$25,000 per incident) to local
governments that do not have
funds available to pay for these
response actions. Eligible local
governments include cities,
towns, townships, counties, and
federally-recognized Indian
Tribes, among others. Typical
incidents include transportation
accidents, abandoned drums,
former methamphetamine labs,
chemical spills and accidents, as
well as threats that any
hazardous substance may be
released. If local hazardous
material responders incurred
expenses to an incident on tribal
lands or within their
jurisdiction, tribes may seek
cost reimbursement from the
EPA within one year of the
response.
Further information on the
program can be found at:
http://www. epa.sov/superfund/
prosrams/er/lsr/index. htm.
NRC
The National Response
Center (NRC) is the sole federal
point of contact for reporting oil
and chemical spills. To report a
spill, contact 800/424-8802 or
202/267-2675 or visit their Web
page: http://wmv.nrc.uses.mil
and click on services and web
reports. The NRC operates 24
hours a day, 7 days, a week, 365
days a year.
New Wetlands Rules
EPA and U. S. Army Corps
of Engineers are proposing a
new rule to ensure more
effective wetlands restoration
and preservation nation wide.
The agencies' rule, being
published for public comment,
proposes improved science and
results-oriented standards to
increase the quality and
effectiveness of wetlands
conservation practices under the
Clean Water Act (CWA).
"We are accelerating the pace
of wetlands restoration and
conservation," said Benjamin
H. Grumbles, EPA assistant
administrator for Water.
"We are focusing on a
watershed approach for
improving wetlands
conservation in this proposed
rule," said John Paul Woodley
Jr., assistant secretary of the
Army (Civil Works). "This
approach helps us fulfill the
promise President Bush has
made "to protect, improve and
create new wetlands and other
aquatic resources."
The proposed rule:
•Responds to recommendation
of the National Research
Council to improve the success
of wetland restoration and
replacement projects; »Sets
clear science-based and results-
oriented standards nation wide
while allowing for regional
variations; • Increases and
expands public participation;
•Encourages watershed-based
decisions; and •Affirms the
"wetlands mitigation sequence"
requiring that proposed projects
fully avoid and minimize
potential wetland impacts.
Wetlands provide important
environmental functions
including protecting and
improving water quality and
providing habitat to fish and
wildlife. Wetlands are also
critically important areas for
storing flood-waters and can
reduce damage from storm
surges caused by hurricanes.
For additional information
regarding compensatory
mitigation and how to provide
comments on the proposed
standards, see: http://www.epa.
sov/wetlandsmitisation.
(WaterWorld May)
Building Green
July 11-13 Building Green:
Sustainable & Innovative
Design for the Tribes of the
Northwest. Little Creek Casino,
Little Shelton, WA. For more
information contact NwONAP
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Grants Management Division
at: 206/220-5270.
Drinking Water Tool
The EPA has released a new
tool to assist small water
utilities trying to balance the
demand for quality water with
their financial ability to deliver.
The document is one tool in a
comprehensive program to
protect public health, support
small water systems, and keep
costs of water manageable. The
targeted systems serve 3,300
customers or fewer.
The document, "Setting Small
Drinking Water System Rates
for a Sustainable Future" will
help owners and operators
understand the full costs of
providing a high-quality and
adequate supply of drinking
water to their customers and
guide them in setting water
rates that will support these
costs. The document is
available at:
www: epcLgov/water
/infrastructure/pdf/
final ratesettins suide.pdf.
UST Compliance
On August 8, 2005, President
bush signed the Energy Policy
Act of 2005. Title XV, Subtitle
B of this act (entitled the
Underground Storage Tank
compliance Act of 2005)
contains amendments to
Subtitle I of the Solid Waste
Disposal Act, the original
legislation that created the
underground storage tank
(UST) program. This will
require major changes to the
programs, and is aimed at
reducing underground storage
tank releases to our
environment.
The UST provisions of the
Energy Policy Act focus on
preventing releases. Among
other things, it expands eligible
uses of the Leaking
Underground Storage Tank
(LUST) Trust Fund, and
includes provisions regarding
inspections, operator training,
delivery prohibition, secondary
containment and financial
responsibility, and cleanup of
releases that contain oxygenated
fuel additives.
Some of these provisions
require implementation by
August 2006; others will require
implementation in subsequent
years. To implement the new
law, EPA and states will work
closely with tribes, other federal
agencies, tank owners and
operators, and other
stakeholders to bring about the
mandated changes affecting
underground storage tank
facilities. More:
http://www. epa,£ov/oust/
fedlaws/publ 109-058.pdf.
UST in Indian Country
EPA has released for public
comment a draft document that
contains a strategy for
implementing the underground
storage tanks program in Indian
Country. EPA worked with
tribes and other partners to
develop the draft tribal strategy,
which will serve as the
foundation of future
underground storage tank work
and collaboration in Indian
Country. The strategy was
developed according to section
1529 of the Energy Policy Act
of 2005. EPA'sWebsite
provides the public with the
draft tribal strategy, as well as
details about how and where to
submit comments. Draft
strategy:
http://www. epcLsov/oust/
fedlaws/epact Q5.htm#Drafts.
Guthion
On Tuesday June 13, EPA
announced plans to ban
zainphos methyl, one of the
most widely used farm
pesticides in Oregon and
Washington , as a result of a
Seattle law suit alleging risks to
farm workers' health. The
pesticide known by the trade
name Guthion is used to kill
codling moths, which lay eggs
on or near the fruit. Once
hatched, the offspring burrow
into the fruit leaving wormy
fruit.
Drinking Water Safety
The EPA has released a new
guidance document to help
small water systems provide
safe and affordable drinking
water to their customers.
Point-of-Use or Point-of-
Entry Treatment Options for
Small Drinking Water systems
provides operators and water
officials with information about
treatment devices that can be
installed at a consumer's tap or
on the water line to a
consumer's home or building.
Point-of-Use devices, such as
reverse-osmosis filters, are
usually installed under a kitchen
sink and can comply with
drinking water standards for
such contaminants as arsenic,
lead and radium. Point-of-
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Entry devices are installed
outside the homes or businesses
and can treat an even wider
variety of contaminants.
Depending on local conditions,
the devices may reduce costs by
more than 50 percent. Info:
epa. gov/safewater/smallsys
/ssinfo. htmtttwo.
If every U.S. household
replaced three 60-watt
incandescent bulbs with three
Compact Fluorescent Lights
(CFL) it would prevent enough
pollution to equal removing 3.5
million cars from the road.
Environmental Defense
Water Efficiency Program
WaterSense a new water
efficiency program launched by
EPA will educate American
Consumers on making smart
water choices that save money
and maintain high
environmental standards
without compromising
performance.
The WaterSense program
aims to raise awareness about
the importance of water
efficiency, ensure the
performance of water-efficient
products and provide good
consumer information. The
WaterSense label will be easily
identified on products and
services that perform at least 20
percent more efficiently than
their less efficient counterparts.
Manufacturers can certify
these products meet EPA
criteria for water efficiency and
performance by following
testing protocols specific to
each product category. In
addition, products will be
independently tested to ensure
EPA specifications are met.
These products will be available
to families and businesses early
next year. Info:
http://www. epcLgov/watersense.
Watershed Handbook
A watershed plan is a
strategy and a work plan for
achieving water resource goals
that provides assessment and
management information for a
geographically defined
watershed. It includes the
analyses, actions participants
and resources related to
development and
implementation of the plan.
The watershed planning process
uses a series of cooperative,
iterative steps to characterize
existing conditions, identify and
prioritize problems, define
management objectives, and
develop and implement
protection or remediation
strategies as necessary.
EPA is releasing a document
to help communities, watershed
organizations, and local, state,
tribal, and federal
environmental agencies develop
and implement watershed plans
to meet water quality standards
and protect water resources.
The handbook for Developing
Watershed Plans to Restore and
Protect Our Waters is designed
to help anyone undertaking a
watershed planning effort, but
should be particularly useful to
persons working with impaired
or threatened waters.
The document is structured
so that it can be followed step
by step through the watershed
planning process or so that
readers can go to individual
sections that highlight specific
technical tools for use in the
watershed planning effort.
Worksheets and checklists
are provided throughout the
handbook to help work through
the watershed planning process.
Each chapter includes
information that addresses the
key issues for each step, along
with examples to illustrate how
to apply these concepts to your
own situation.
To order a free copy, contact
the National Service Center for
Environmental Publications
(NSCEP) at 800/490-9198.
When requesting a copy of the
Handbook, refer to EPA
document number: EPA 841-B-
05-005.
Fish Guide
These fish can be eaten once
a week by adults, according to
an assessment of contamination
levels by The Environmental
Defense. Those marked with
can be eaten more than once a
week.
Wild: Anchovies, Artie Char
(color added), Atlantic Butterfish,
Black Cod (Sable, Butterfish on West
coast), 4 Black Sea BaSS (Younger
children no more than four times a
month), Haddock, Hakefwtoe, silver
and red), Hake(Chilean, Cape and
Argentine), Halibut/Pac^c only)
Older children 3 times a month, younger
children twice), Herring,
Mackerel(i4f/anf!c or Boston only).
Mahi-MahifTowwger children 3
times a month), Pacific cod.
Pacific Sand Dab(yellow tail
flounder). Pacific Whiting,
Plaice, Porgies,
Sa\mon(padf,c), Sardines,
Shad, Smelt, Soleferoy ,petrale
-------
, rex ,yellowfin), S Ol Q(Dover;English or
lemon, older children 3 times a month, younger
children twice), White Fish.
Farmed: Carp,
Striped Bass(rockfish), Tilapia,
TlCOUt(rainbow), TlCOUt(steelhead) .
Shellfish: ClamS(«orf/?er« quahogs),
ClamS(^4f/a«ft'c surf, butter, Manila, ocean
quahog, Pacific geoduck, Pacific littleneck and
soft-shell), (^TaO(Dungeness, snow),
DungeneSS.'(ToM«ger children once a
week), Crab * (Florida stone, Jonah, king),
Cray fl sh(United States) ,
Lobster (American, Children 2 to 4 times a
month), MuSSel ^(farmed blue; wild blue,
children 2 to 3 times a month),
MllSSel SfNew Zeland green,
Mediterranean), {jyStQTSffarmed Eastern
and Pacific), ScallopS(*ay; Northeast,
Canadian sea), Shrimp (wild American
pink, white, brown,), Shrimp (spot prawns
and northern shrimp), Squid, Spiny
, United States, and
Australia).
Air Fresheners
A new study suggests that
household cleaners and air
fresheners - particularly those
with pine, orange and lemon
scents - may emit harmful
levels of toxic pollutants.
Exposure to some of these
pollutants and their byproducts
may exceed regulatory
guidelines when used
repeatedly or in small, poorly
ventilated rooms, researchers at
the University of California-
Berkley and Lawrence Berkeley
National Laboratory concluded.
Among the conclusions of the
four year study: • A person
who cleans a shower stall for 15
minutes with a product
containing glycol ethers -
known toxic air contaminants -
may be exposed to three times
the recommended one-hour
exposure limit. • Using air
freshener in a child's room
along with an air purifier that
creates ozone can result in
formaldehyde levels 25%
higher than the state of
California recommends.
Formaldehyde is a known
carcinogen.
Terpenes (an unsaturated
hydrocarbon from plants)
widely used to give cleaning
products and air fresheners a
pleasant, fruity scent, raised
concerns. The scientists found
that terpenes mix with ozone in
the air to create formaldehyde.
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