TRIBAL AIR NEWS
VOLUME 8, ISSUE 1
JANUARY 2010
US EPA OAQPS
AIR TOXICS MONIT
FOR FIRST
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
EMISSSION 2
INVENTORY
SUBMISSIONS
MEET ANGEL 6
MCCORMACK
EJ CONFERENCE 7
CLIMATE POLICY 8
UPDATE
NTAA MEETS OAR AA 10
TRIBAL NAAQS
DESIGNATIONS
CALENDAR
11
11
Since an article in USA Today
addressed air toxics around schools, EPA
has been conducting air monitoring at
selected schools around the country (see
the article in the July 2009 issue of the
Tribal Air News). The Tribal School Air
Monitoring Project, the Tribal arm of the
School Air Toxic Monitoring project, now
has data for the first two locations.
Two Tribes, the Nez Perce Tribe
and the Southern Ute, completed the
initial round of monitoring at their
reservations' Tribal schools. EPA has
posted data for Sunnyside Elementary
School located on the Southern Ute Indian
Reservation near Durango, Colorado and
the Nez Perce Reservation located in
North Central Idaho. This initial data is
available at http://www.epa.gov/schoolair.
The monitoring program is slated
to continue at other Tribal school
locations throughout the nation. The
initial EPA/tribal planning team for the
project and the Tribal
Air Monitor Systems
(TAMS) Center Steering
Committee are working
together on a process to
transition the project and
the monitoring over to
the TAMS Center.
Selection of future moni-
toring locations and
logistical coordination
DATA AVAILABLE
SCHOOLS
will be routed through the TAMS
Center and steering committee.
As the transition to the
TAMS Center happens in January,
collaborative outreach efforts for the
monitoring project will also be rolled
out. Meetings with Tribes,
informational materials and other
efforts will inform Tribes throughout
the country about their opportunities
for school air monitoring . Any
Tribe will be welcome to apply or
inquire about monitoring at their
Tribal school, even those which do
not have their own monitoring
program.
For more information please
contact Angel McCormack at
mccormack.angel@epa.gov, the
TAMS center at rose.lee@nau.edu,
or visit the website (shown below).
Results for the School Air Toxic
Monitoring project will be avail-
able at: http: //www. epa. gov/
schoolair
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VOLUME 8, ISSUE 1
NATIONAL EMU
CASE STUDIED
PAGE 2
INVENT
by Sarah Kelly, Institute for Tribal
Environmental Professionals
Cody Charwood was new to the
tribal air arena when she started taking
courses from the Institute for Tribal
Environmental Professionals' (ITEP)
American Indian Air Quality Training
Program in January 2008. By the fall of
2009, she had completed an emissions in-
ventory (El) for the Red Lake Band of
Chippewa and successfully submitted that
data to the U.S. EPA's National Emissions
Inventory (NEI).
"Starting with an ITEP training was
immensely helpful in learning of the
services and support that ITEP and the
TAMS Center provide to tribes," said Cody.
She started working through the online
training for the TEISS software (see side-
bar), which is designed to help tribes com-
plete Els for their reservations. While
taking the online course, she contacted
ITEP's Angelique Luedeker with questions
about how to use TEISS.
"I assisted Cody at several points as
she completed the El. She wanted to be
sure she was on the right track," said
Angelique. "When she got it done, she sent
me the completed TEISS project."
The current version of TEISS does
LAKE BAND OF CHIPPEWA AND ITEP
not prepare files in the new data format required by the NEI's
Emission Inventory System (EIS), so Angelique took the steps
required to reformat the data. After Red Lake contacted EPA to
give ITEP their permission to submit on their behalf, Angelique
submitted their El data through the EIS gateway in October 2009.
"TEISS allowed for an easy exchange between Red Lake
and ITEP for review, formatting, coding and submittal," said
Cody.
When asked why Red Lake decided to submit their data to
the NEI, Cody answered, "Besides fulfilling our grant obligations,
our program realizes the value of sharing knowledge and informa-
tion, and, furthermore, the importance of cooperation between
agencies. Red Lake hoped to provide useful data that would
address a data gap, as well as to use in air dispersion modeling,
risk assessment screening, and tracking emission trends on
regional and national levels. Shortly after Red Lake had submitted
data, a positive relationship has been cultivated with the State
agency in collaborating and sharing of information. It was also
important that Red Lake would be represented in regional
decision-making processes."
ITEP is currently working with the TEISS developer to
update the program so it will prepare data in the format needed to
submit to the NEI through the EIS. The updated TEISS version
will be available in early 2010.
ITEP provides assistance to tribal staff in all aspects of El
development. TEISS is available to all federally recognized tribes
at no cost. Contact Angelique Luedeker at
Angelique.Luedeker@nau.edu or Sarah Kelly at
Sarah.Kelly(ginau.edu for assistance or to get a copy of TEISS.
XEISS : Tribal Emission Inventory Software Solution
Tribal environmental professionals have long needed an easy-to-use
computer software application to calculate, organize, store, and report on air
pollution emissions occurring within Indian Country. To this end, the
Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP), in partnership
with the Tribal Data Development Working Group (TDDWG) of the
Western Regional Air Partnership (WRAP), contracted Lakes
Environmental to create the Tribal Emissions Inventory Software Solution
(TEISS). The TEISS provides guidance on what type of data to enter,
conducts calculations and unit conversions, and creates clear reports and
maps that support the needs of tribal air quality programs, the USEPA, and
regional planning organizations (RPOs) addressing air quality issues. By
developing their own air emission inventory data, tribes may play an active
and constructive role in the regional and national planning processes.
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TRIBAL AIR NEWS
PAGES
IMPLEMENTS DATA FLOWS THROUGH
THE NATIONAL EXCHANGE NETWORK
By Christopher Horan, Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community
1 he Exchange Network is a partnership among states, tribes, and the United States Environmental Protection
Agency (US EPA) that is revolutionizing the exchange of environmental information internally and externally. Partners
on the Exchange Network share data efficiently and securely over the Internet. This new approach is providing real-time
access to higher quality data ~ saving time, resources, and money for partner states, tribes, and territories.
Partners on the Exchange Network establish and maintain servers called Network Nodes that are securely
connected on the Internet. A Node is a partner's single point of presence on the Exchange Network and serves as the
exchange point for all data requests and submissions. Network Nodes have the ability to automatically listen for and
submit requests and submissions. Nodes are secure and authenticate all requests for data.
The Exchange Network works because partners agree to use a common vocabulary to define data exchanges.
Incorporating data standards developed by the Environmental Data Standards Council, trading partners develop XML
schemas and Data Exchange Templates (DETs) that standardize and identify the way environmental information is
shared, so internal and external partners can obtain and understand the data they need when they need it. The Salt River
Pima Maricopa Indian Community (SRPMIC or Community) received grant funding through the Exchange Network to
implement air quality related data flows.
SRPMIC is a federally-recognized Indian tribe, located in Maricopa County, AZ. The Community is situated
within a large metropolitan region with a population of over 2 million people that includes the cities of Mesa and Tempe
to the south, the cities of Phoenix and Scottsdale to the west and the cities of Fountain Hills and Scottsdale to the
HcuwA 1 : oLoco/tkm at vh& diAjaal LonuruuvLta
.egend
^j Tnbal Land Boundary
Urban Area
Locator Map
Continued on the next page.
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VOLUME 8, ISSUE 1
PAGE 4
CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE
reservation's northern boundary. The SRPMIC,
established by Executive Order in 1879, is home to
over 10,000 O'Odham (Pima) and Piipaash (Maricopa)
members residing within a 54,000 acre reservation. The
SRPMIC's location within a dense urban region results
in a broad range of economic development and land
uses which, in turn, lead to a variety of pollution
sources. The SRPMIC includes 12,000 acres of
agricultural cultivation, large-scale aggregate mining
operation and municipal solid waste landfill operations.
The continued urbanization of this region has
encroached on the Community boundaries, with major
highways such as the Pima Loop 101 (HWY 101-Pima
Freeway), Loop 202 (Red Mountain Freeway) and
Beeline Highway (AZFIWY 87) coursing through the
Community. This growth continues to significantly
increase the number of mobile sources and resultant air
pollution.
The two data flows that have been
implemented are the Emission Inventory System (EIS)
and Air Quality System (AQS). AQS contains ambient
air pollution data collected by EPA, state, local, and
tribal air pollution control agencies from thousands of
monitoring stations. AQS also contains meteorological
data, descriptive information about each monitoring
station (including its geographic location and its
operator), and data quality assurance/quality control
information. The Office of Air Quality Planning and
Standards (OAQPS) and other AQS users rely upon the
system data to assess air quality, assist in Attainment/
Figure 2: Screen shot of Graphical User Interface
EIS
Non-Attainment designations, evaluate State
Implementation Plans for Non-Attainment Areas,
perform modeling for permit review analysis, and
perform other air quality management
functions. AQS information is also used to
prepare reports for Congress as mandated by the
Clean Air Act.
The EIS is the new information system
for storing current and historical emissions
inventory data. The system is EPA's compilation
of estimates of air pollutants discharged on an
annual basis and their sources. The compilation
includes emissions estimates submitted by State,
Local and Tribal air pollution control agencies,
estimates calculated by Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA), and emissions obtained from
other sources. EPA uses the system to track
emissions over time, develop regional pollutant
reduction strategies, set and analyze regulations,
perform air toxics risk assessments including
inhalation risks and multi-pathway exposures,
model air pollutant dispersion and deposition,
and measure environmental performance as
required by the Government Performance and
Results Act.
After implementing these data flows, the
Community is able to communicate
environmental data information quickly to
external organizations, and, more importantly, to
the SRPMIC Tribal Community Members. It is
important to thank the National Exchange Net-
work for its progressive work in the data
management field which helps protect the
Community.
Username *
Password *
Confirm Password *
christopherhoran
Save
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Figure 3 : Screen shot of EIS schema details
El S Facility 666
Facility Site
Facility Identification
Emissions Unit
v
Unit Identification
Unit Emissions Process
Details Provided I Optional details have not been filled
x nr
x +
X + U
X +
x + i
x + a
x + a
X ]
x + a
x +
Process Identification
Reporting Period
Operating Details
,
Supplemental Calculation
Parameters
Reporting Period
Emissions
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TRIBAL AIR NEWS
PAGE 6
MEET ANGEL MCCORMACKON DETAIL TO OAQPS
My name is Angel McCormack and I am
excited to have the opportunity to be here at Research
Triangle Park working in the Office of Air Quality
Planning and Standards on national tribal issues. I am
a member of the Nez Perce Tribe from Lapwai, Idaho
and the mother of two beautiful girls. Taking this
position has been an adventure even before entering
the building, moving first to Seattle, Washington and
now RTP, North Carolina.
The Nez Perce Tribe has blessed my decision
to take on this opportunity to work with EPA in an
effort to assist in more effective collaboration and
communication with tribes regionally and nationally. I
recently completed an assignment in Region 10 (RIO)
with the Air, Waste and Toxics program and gratefully
thank them for all the wonderful experience. Before
being at RIO, I began work in December 1999 with
the Nez Perce Tribe's air quality program. I worked in
as many aspects of the program as possible, including
developing and implementing the Tribe's Smoke
Management Program.
My personal goals for the work at RTP are to
share what I have learned in working for and with
Tribes for many years and to learn what I can from
the years of experience available at EPA. I look
forward to becoming a pivotal part of the team and
assisting where I can giving input, feedback, and
sharing information. In the positions I've held in the
past, I have worked very hard to better understand the
delicate balance of working between agencies, tribes
and the public. By doing this work, I feel that a
bridge can be built to keep work moving forward
achieving clear outcomes and objectives.
I can be reached at: mccormack.angel(giepa.gov or
919-541-3588.
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VOLUME 8, ISSUE 1
PAGE 7
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE CONFERENCE IN JANUARY
aJJ aJ
1 he US Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA), Office of Air Quality
Planning and Standards (OAQPS), the
National Institute of Environmental Health
Institute (NIEHS) Worker Education and
Training Program (WETP) and Dillard
University will co-sponsor a conference
entitled Environmental Justice (EJ). Air
Quality. Goods Movement and Green Jobs
on January 25-29, 2010 in New Orleans, LA.
This conference will highlight best
practices and provide tools, information, and
resources to communities and agencies to
improve their capacity to make measureable
improvements in air quality in overburdened
communities.
If you are interested in helping your
community become more effective in
addressing environmental justice issues,
please consider attending this conference to
learn more about using collaborative problem
solving, analytical tools and governmental
databases, as well as governmental programs and
funding sources.
The major topics of discussion at the conference
are:
Goods Movement - new initiatives to reduce the
impacts of transporting goods or produce.
Sustainability/Green Jobs - sustainability in the
context of jobs aimed at preserving ecosystems and
reducing consumption.
Ambient Air/Climate Change - impacts of ambient air
pollutants and greenhouse gases on disproportionately
affected communities.
Hazardous Waste Cleanup/Job Training - impacts and
challenges of hazardous materials, waste exposure and
cleanup activities.
For more information or to register for the EJ
Conference, please visit the following website: http://
www.cleanairinfo.com/ejconference.
If there are additional questions, please contact
Lena (Vickey) Epps-Price at (919) 541-5573 or epps-
price. lenaigjepa. gov.
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TRIBAL AIR NEWS
PAGES
(Climate change is the greatest
environmental challenge of our time and now,
more than ever, the world is eager for U.S.
leadership and action on this issue. The U.S. is
answering the call to act and 2009 has been a
landmark year for climate action at the EPA. In her
address to the United Nations Climate Change
Conference in Copenhagen on December 9, 2009,
EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson noted that 2009
will have a "place in history as the year when the
United States Government began seriously
addressing the challenge of greenhouse gas
pollution and seizing the opportunity of clean-
energy reform."
It has been an active and dynamic time at
the Agency and EPA has proposed and finalized
several climate-related regulations in the past year.
While the Administrator has said that the Obama
Administration supports a comprehensive legisla-
tive solution to climate, she has emphasized EPA's
commitment to science and the law by addressing
climate change in a common-sense, reasonable and
responsible way that will make important progress.
Here is a quick summary of the climate
change highlights of 2009:
California Waiver
On June 30, 2009, a final decision was
issued granting California's waiver request,
enabling the state to enforce its greenhouse gas
(GHG) emissions standards for new cars and light
trucks. California had initially requested this
wavier in 2005 but the previous Administration had
denied the request. Thirteen states have formally
adopted California's GHG rules and four others are
poised to adopt them. Furthermore, the granting of
the California waiver is broadly supported by
several national automobile manufacturing
organizations and most of the major auto
companies. For more information, visit
www. epa. gov/otaq/climate/ca-waiver .htm.
Proposed Light-Duty Vehicle GHG Emission
Standard
EPA proposed this rule, the first-ever
national GHG emission standards under the Clean
Air Act, on September 15, 2009 jointly with the
Department of Transportation (DOT). Known as the Clean
Car Rule, this rule proposes new standards for both GHG
emissions (under the EPA's program) and fuel economy
(under the DOT's CAFE program) and will apply to
vehicles that are responsible for almost 60 percent of all
U.S. transportation-related GHGs. The rule represents the
second phase of EPA's response to the Supreme Court
decision in Massachusetts vs. EPA (the final Endangerment
Finding, see below, is the first phase). EPA hopes to have a
final rule in place by March 2010. For more information,
visit www .epa. gov/otaq/climate/regulations .htm.
Final Mandatory GHG Reporting Rule
This final rule was signed by the Administrator on
September 22, 2009, and emissions monitoring is set to
begin on January 1, 2010. This rule requires reporting of
GHG emissions by suppliers of fossil fuels and industrial
gases, manufacturers of vehicles and engines, and facilities
that emit 25,000 metric tons or more of carbon dioxide
equivalent (CO2e) per year. An estimated 85 percent of the
total U.S. GHG emissions, from approximately 10,000
facilities are covered by this rule. The rule covers emissions
of the six major GHGs including carbon dioxide (CO2),
methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons
(HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride
(SF6) and other fluorinated gases. Data collected through
the reporting program will provide a better understanding
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VOLUME 8, ISSUE 1
PAGE 9
of where GHGs are coming from and will guide
development of the best possible policies and programs
to reduce emissions. For more information, visit
www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/
ghgrulemaking.html.
Proposed PSD Tailoring Rule
This common-sense rule was proposed on
September 30, 2009 and applies to permits under the
Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) program.
A PSD permit is required before a new industrial
facility can be built or an existing facility can expand in
a way that increases emissions. GHGs (especially CO2)
are emitted in much greater mass than other pollutants,
so regulating GHGs under the Clean Air Act could
otentially trigger permit requirements for millions of
small sources. In order to avoid placing an undue
burden on small businesses around the country, EPA is
proposing to tailor the PSD permit program to apply
only to the largest facilities - those emitting at least
25,000 tons of CO2e a year. These facilities account for
nearly 70 percent of the GHG emissions in the U.S. It
makes sense to remove smaller sources from
permitting, however, there may be other cost-effective
ways to address their emissions. For more information,
visit www.epa.gov/nsr/actions.html.
Reconsideration of Johnson Memo
This reconsideration, also announced on
September 30, 2009, requests public comment on when
certain pollutants, including CO2 and other GHGs,
would be subject to regulation and covered under the
permitting provisions of the Clean Air Act. The
original memo by then-Administrator Stephen Johnson
indicated that the PSD permitting program would apply
only to pollutants that are subject to the CAA or EPA
regulation. CO2 was not considered to be in either
category, but the events related in this article could
change that regulatory landscape. For more
information, visit www.epa.gov/nsr/guidance.html.
Final Endangerment Finding
On December 7, 2009, the Administrator
finalized the "Endangerment Finding" that greenhouse
gases threaten both the public health and the public
welfare, and that GHG emissions from motor vehicles
contribute to that threat. By issuing this finding, EPA is
responding to the 2007 Massachusetts v. EPA Supreme
Court decision, in which the court found that
greenhouse gases are air pollutants under the Clean Air
Act. The Court held that EPA must determine whether
or not emissions of greenhouse gases from new motor
vehicles cause or contribute to air pollution which
endanger public health or welfare, or whether the
science is too uncertain to make a reasoned decision.
The action does not itself impose any requirements
on industry or other entities. It does, however, pave
the way for EPA to finalize the proposed GHG
emission standards for light-duty vehicles (see
"Proposed Light-Duty Vehicle GHG Emission
Standard" above) and other possible rules. For more
information, visit www.epa.gov/climatechange/
endangerment.html.
Tribal Climate Listening Session (non-regulatory)
In addition to the regulatory actions listed
above, EPA's Office of Air and Radiation teamed up
with the National Tribal Air Association (NTAA) to
host a tribal listening session on climate change on
November 23, 2009. Over 60 callers participated in
the session and comments were heard from tribes
around the country. Gina McCarthy, the EPA
Assistant Administrator for the Office of Air and
Radiation, participated in the call and asked tribes to
continue to send documentation, comments,
observations, and papers on how climate change is
currently impacting their communities. NTAA
compiled these comments and observations and the
resulting documents are available through NTAA
(kcronin@ntec. org).
In addition to these efforts by the EPA,
Congress is moving forward with several legislative
proposals to address climate change. Most of these
efforts focus on the use of a cap and trade program to
reduce emissions, but other policy tools, including
energy efficiency and renewable energy, are being
discussed. Finally, there has been renewed
engagement with the international community on
climate change, culminating in the United Nations
Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen last
month.
Contact: Wilson.Erika@epa.gov
For the most
recent action on
climate change
at the EPA, visit
www.epa.gov/
climatechange.
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TRIBAL AIR NEWS
PAGE 10
By Bill Thompson,
National Tribal Air Association
In early October, leaders of
the National Tribal Air Association
(NTAA) met with the Assistant
Administrator (AA) for the US
Environmental Protection Agency's
Office of Air and Radiation (EPA
OAR), Gina McCarthy. The picture
here shows the meeting, and a
beautiful basket that Rose Kalistook
wove for Gina. Because EPA
employees are not allowed to accept
personal gifts, Gina held the Native
American artwork for a photo to
immortalize the moment.
Our meeting was a success. I
opened the meeting by thanking her for meeting
with us, and noted to her that this was the first
time, and hopefully not the last, that the AA of
OAR and NTAA had ever met. After
introducing ourselves, I gave a brief accounting
of NTAA, and stated our famous caveat that "we
do not speak for All Tribes..." and explained
why. We all reiterated this periodi-
cally throughout the meeting.
We hit all of our points in a
'''. ' ^M conversational give and take, and
Gina's countenance exhibited 100
percent engagement and concern.
This is simply a brief ac-
' count; Stephen and I will give a
J fuller summary of the meeting soon.
[NTAA representatives] each did
exceptional work in representing the
intentions of our Executive
Committee. We told her our
intention was to have an ongoing dialogue with
her, and to meet again in six months.
Who wants to go next?"
Pictured, from left to right, are: Bill Thompson of NTAA and TAMS, Rose Kalistook of Alaska Upik, Gina McCarthy,
James Tempte of Southern Ute, Stephen Hartsfield of NTAA and Bob Gruenig of NTAA.
Photo by Laura McKelvey
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VOLUME 8, ISSUE 1
PAGE 11
You may have been wondering what is going on
with Tribal National Ambient Air Quality Standards
(NAAQS) designations, and how the ozone NAAQS
reconsideration and upcoming NAAQS reviews will impact
Tribes, states and EPA Regions where Tribes are located.
OAQPS has been working with various OAR and OGC
representatives to develop a Tribal Designations Policy that
will facilitate national consistency and uniformity for
implementation.
OAQPS expects for the Tribal Designations Policy
and associated information materials to be available on the
Tribal Air Website in early 2010. We will provide a story
with more details in the April issue of the Tribal Air News.
Contact: Tom Link, link.tom@epa.gov
Tribal NAAQS designations information will be
available on the EPA Tribal Air website at:
www.epa.gov/air/tribal
January 12 -14: Developing Environmental Codes and Ordinances, San Diego, CA (ITEP)
January 12-15: Introduction to Tribal Air Quality, Flagstaff, AZ (ITEP)
January 2628: Environmental Justice Conference, New Orleans, LA (OAQPS)
March 9: Sustainable Skylines/Sustainability for the Seventh Generation
Kickoff Workshop, Washington, DC (OAQPS)
June 6-10: 2010 National Tribal Science Forum, Traverse City, MI
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Tribal Air News
US_EPA OAQPS, C304-03
Research Triangle Park, NC 211 \ 1
Phone: 919-541-5646
E-mail: mccullough.melissa@epa.gov
Tribal Air News is produced by the Environmental Protection Agency's
Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards,
Outreach and Information Division,
Community and Tribal Programs Group.
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
Melissa McCullough (mccullough.melissa@epa.gov)
We're on the Web!
www. epa.gov/oar/tribal
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