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                             ISSUES I JULY 2011

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                          nsinTr

               Waste Management:

               Open Dump Preventio
                     Featuring:
               "     • Tribal Success Stories
                     • Key Elements to Success
                , „  •/ /  • Funding Resources & More
United States
Environmental Protection Agency
Publication No. EPA530-N-11-001

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1   Open Dumping on Tribal Lands
2   Preventing Open Dumping: An Overview of Transfer Stations,
    Collection Programs, and Landfills
4   Open Dump Prevention on the Kickapoo Reservation through
    Community Cleanup Events
6   Saginaw-Chippewa: Utilizing Casino Earnings to Eliminate
    Open Dumping
8   Umatilla's Waste Management Program: Finding an Alternative to
    Open Dumping
10  Yurok Tribe Cleans its  Legacy Dump Sites: Challenges & Opportunities
12  Yakama Nation Streamlines the Cleanup of Large Open Dump Sites
14  Funding Sources
16  What isw/STARS?
17  Resources
18  Kids' Page
21  Alleviating Open Dumping on Tribal Lands: Key Elements of Success
To be placed on our mailing list or to
submit future topics, please e-mail:
Kim Katonica-Mule
U.S. EPA Tribal Solid Waste Program
katonica.kim@epamail.epa.gov

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       Open  Dumping  on  Tribal   Lands
          On March 1,2010, U.S.
          Environmental Protection
       Agency (EPA) Administrator,
       Lisa Jackson, reported to the
       National Congress of American
       Indians that open dump sites
       "... are a persistent challenge in
       tribal areas across the country.
       Hazardous waste sites and open
       dumps expose tribal residents to
       dangerous toxins and contami-
       nation of land and water. That
       presents a  serious health and
       environmental hazard. But make
       no mistake; it is also a significant
       economic obstacle." Working
       together to prevent open dumps
       on tribal lands is imperative to
       protecting the environment,
       economy, and social welfare of
       future generations.
          Open dumping continues to
       be a problem on tribal lands due
       to many factors including the lack
       of access to convenient, affordable
       disposal sites for: bulky materials,
       electronic waste (e-waste), tires,
       vehicles, and household haz-
       ardous waste. Other challenges
       include complex open dump sites
       that are difficult to clean, close,
       and maintain, as well as lack of
       funding for solid waste manage-
       ment alternatives to open dump-
       ing. In this issue of the Tribal
       Waste Journal, you will hear from
       tribal waste managers respon-
       sible for initiating, maintaining,
       and fostering support for new
       programs that provide ways to
       prevent open dumping.
          This issue aims to give a new
       perspective on open dumping
       by highlighting an assortment of
       successful  environmental pro-
       grams at various stages of devel-
"This issue aims
to put a fresh
perspective on
open dumping
by highlighting
an assortment
of successful
environmental
programs at
various stages of
development or
implementation."
opment or implementation. We
hope that your tribe can relate to
one or more of these stories and
get some new ideas to imple-
ment. To help make new solid
waste connections, the tribal
waste managers who have shared
their stories have provided their
contact information at the end of
each article. Please contact that
person if you would like to learn
more about his or her program.
    In this issue, you will find
information on the many differ-
ent types of waste you may find
in open dumps. These include
bulky items, old appliances, and
hazardous waste (such as old
paint or batteries) which are
not collected along with other
household waste. In many of the
featured stories, special programs
were initiated to focus on the
collection and disposal of these
along with other waste streams.
   It is important to have waste
management programs in place
before, or along with, efforts to
clean up open dumps. Cleaning
and closing open dumps may
only solve part of the problem.
If tribal members do not have
another means of disposal, new
open dumps may occur. To
help you determine sustainable
alternatives to open dumping,
we have included information
on different waste management
strategies for your tribe. These
include building a new transfer
station or initiating a new collec-
tion service for tribal members.
   Based on  the stories enclosed
in this issue, we developed a list
of six key elements of success.
These key elements include: col-
laboration, support, education,
sustainability, perseverance, and
respect. Keep  an eye out for these
elements as you read through the
issue.
JULY 2011
                                               '
                                                      --.

                                         Tribal Waste Journal  1

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       Preventing  Open  Dumping:
       An   Overview  of  Transfer  Stations,
       Collection  Programs,   and   Landfills
I           any environmentally safe
           alternatives to open dump-
       ing exist. Some include transfer
       stations, collection programs
       and landfills. These types of
       alternatives may be managed by
       the tribe, a contractor, or via a
       partnership (tribe-to-tribe, tribe-
       to-local government, etc.). The
       resources available to your tribe
       will help you identify the best
       ways to manage your  solid and
       hazardous waste.

       Transfer Stations
       Transfer stations, or convenience
       centers, serve as a central collec-
       tion site for waste from multiple
       sources (via personal vehicles,
smaller trucks, etc.). The ag-
gregated waste is transferred via
large haul trucks to regulated
disposal sites such as landfills
or waste-to-energy facilities.
According to "Waste Transfer
Stations: A Manual for Decision-
Making," available at www.epa.
gov/waste/nonhaz/municipal/
pubs7r02002.pdf, "[transfer
stations serving rural or tribal
areas tend to be small. They
are optimally located within a
reasonable driving time from the
service area's largest concentra-
tion of homes and businesses."
When planning a successful
transfer station, it is important to
consider the following:
        What is a Pay-As-You-Throw Program?
        Traditionally, fees for curb-side garbage pickup are the same for every
        household employing the service. Each household is charged via mu-
        nicipal tax base, or via fixed fee, regardless of the amount of garbage
        collected. For example, if you only generate one bag of trash, but your
        neighbor clears out their home generating 10 bags of trash, you both
        pay the same for the garbage pick-up service. The Pay-As-You-Throw
        (PAYT) program differs in that it charges each household based on
        the amount of garbage thrown away either per bag or by weight. The
        PAYT program, also known  as "unit pricing" or "variable-rate pric-
        ing," acts as a financial incentive to decrease the amount of garbage
        generated. Reduction is accomplished through recycling materials,
        composting organic waste, and reducing the amount of garbage  gener-
        ated to begin with through source reduction (purchasing products with
        less packaging, etc.). Many PAYT resources such as videos, tool  kits,
        booklets, lessons learned, success stories, and fact sheets are available
        on EPA's PAYT website at www.epa.gov/payt. To help determine wheth-
        er PAYT is right for your community, visit EPA's website on SMART
        BET (Saving Money and Reducing Trash Benefit Evaluation Tool) at
        www.epa.gov/waste/conserve/tools/payt/tools/smart-bet/index.htm.
•  central location to collection
   routes;
•  access to major transportation
   routes;
•  site size requirements;
   sufficient space for onsite road-
   ways, queuing, and parking;
   truck and traffic compatibility;
   ability for expansion;
   space for recycling, compost-
   ing, and public education;
•  buffer space;
•  gently sloping topography;
•  access to utilities;
   zoning designations and
   requirements.
   Issue 2 of the Tribal Waste
Journal focused on transfer sta-
tions tips, tools, resources, and
success stories. It is available at
www.epa.gov/waste/wycd/tribal/
pdftxt/twj-2.pdf.

Collection Programs
Collection programs may be in
the form of a public collection,
contract collection, or private
collection. Based on the needs
of your tribe and the availability
of collection services, you may
decide to pursue one or more of
these types of programs. Some
communities use a mixture of
public and private collection
services based on the size and
distribution of residents, busi-
nesses, and industries on their
reservation. Partnering with
neighboring tribes, local govern-
ments, or commercial operations
2  Tribal Waste Journal
                                                       JULY 2011

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       to combine resources may offer
       financial savings for all involved.
          Tribes may work out pay-
       ment for collection programs in a
       variety of ways, including adding
       a fee to an existing utility bill,
       having tribal members reim-
       burse the tribal government for
       services rendered, funding the
       program through fees collected
       from alternative sources such as a
       casino fee, or having tribal mem-
       bers work out a rate with the
       private hauler. Another option
       for paying for waste collection is
       a Pay-As-You-Throw program,
       which charges customers on a
       per-volume or per-weight  basis.

       Landfills
       Compared to open dumps -
       "areas where waste is disposed
       of without proper  controls" -
       landfills follow prescribed  laws
       and regulations aimed at pro-
       tecting human health and the
       environment, including regular
       application of cover, controlled
       access to the sites, and other
       environmental controls. Under
       the Resource Conservation and
       Recovery Act (RCRA) (40  CFR
       258), the federal government reg-
       ulates the operation of municipal
       solid waste landfills (MSWLF).
       EPAs RCRA website, www.epa.
       gov/waste/nonhaz/municipal/
       landfill/msw_regs.htm, provides
       detailed information on MSWLF
       regulations. More  information
       on flexibility requests is available
       in the draft document, "Site-
       Specific Flexibility Requests for
       Municipal Solid Waste Landfills
       in Indian Country," located at:
       www.epa.gov/waste/nonhaz/mu-
       nicipal/landfill/indian/siteflex.
       htm.
Costing Tools for Transfer
Stations, Collection Services,
and Landfills
To assist tribes with determin-
ing the economic feasibility of
tribally-operated waste manage-
ment services, EPA Region 9 de-
veloped the "Tribal Solid Waste
Program Costing Tool." This tool
focuses on potential planning,
construction, operation, and
maintenance costs associated
with collection services, transfer
stations, and/or landfills. When
deciding among the three op-
tions, it is very important to first
undergo a feasibility study to get
the overall picture of the amount
of waste  generated from tribal
members, non-tribal residents,
tribal government operations,
businesses, schools, casinos, etc.
In addition, a feasibility study
will help assess the costs of waste
collection using different alterna-
tives. The costing tool provides
information on different types
of funding, including the fund-
ing of start-up materials as well
as determining a sustainable
funding  source such as user fees.
The costing tool can be found
at www.epa.gov/region9/waste/
tribal/resources.html.
    In 2000, EPA Region 5
developed the "Illegal Dumping
Economic Assessment (IDEA)
Cost Estimating Model." The
model helps to determine the
costs associated with open dump-
ing and its economic impact on
a community. The Microsoft
Excel application is free and
available for download from the
EPA Region 5 Illegal Dumping
Prevention Project website at
www.epa.gov/reg5rcra/wptdiv/il-
legal_dumping/index.html.
                  ng among
the three options,  it  is
very important to first
undergo a feasibility
study to get the overall
picture  of the amount
of waste generated from
tribal  members, non-
tribal  residents, tribal
government operations,
businesses,
casinos, ef
JULY 2011

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      Open  Dump  Prevention  on  the
      Kickapoo  Reservation  through
      Community  Cleanup  Events
         Through tribal leadership and
         community participation,
      a shift from open dumping to
      responsible waste management
      took place on the Kickapoo
      Reservation, Brown County,
      Kansas. This shift aligns with
      the tribe's mission to "enhance
      the quality of life for the tribe,
      its members and its commu-
      nity, while preserving its cul-
      ture and retaining its right to
      self-governance by protecting
      tribal sovereignty and its assets,"
      Responsible waste management
      helps preserve the tribe's mission
                         and creates a sustainable commu-
                         nity for future generations.
                            In 2000, 14 open dump
                         sites scarred the 19,200-acre
                         Kickapoo Reservation. These
                         dumps consisted of a myriad
                         of wastes; some of which dated
                         back 40 years. Dumping had
                         persisted on the reservation
                         because of the lack of a viable
                         disposal method for bulky and
                         metal items such as used mat-
                         tresses, broken refrigerators, and
                         other appliances. Vehicle tires
                         were also widely distributed
                         across the open dump sites.
   To eliminate open dumping,
Kickapoo Tribe's Environmental
Program, under the Natural and
Cultural Resources Division,
holds an annual "community
cleanup" event on the reserva-
tion. The cleanup event works in
two ways. First, several days are
spent collecting trash scattered
across the reservation that has
accumulated in ditches, particu-
larly along roadways. Secondly,
Environmental Program staff
drive around the reservation
collecting bulky items and metal
goods left curb-side by tribal
                         Spotlight on: Electronic Waste (e-Waste)
                                                                PLUG-IN TO
                                                                eCYCLING'
                                                                WITH U.S.  EPA
Recycling of e-waste includes used electronic goods such as
televisions, computers, printers, phones, fax machines, etc.
EPA encourages the re-use of electronics by first ensuring
that it is in working order and donating it to an organization,
school, or community. Recycling electronics enables manu-
facturers to strip precious metals, copper, and engineered
plastics, all of which require considerable energy to process and manufacture, from your electronics
for re-use. Additional information on e-Waste  may be found at www.epa.gov/waste/conserve/materials/
ecycling/basic.htm.
4  Tribal Waste Journal
                                                                           JULY 2011

-------
       members. Requests to assist
       tribal elders in moving heavy
       items from inside their home
       to the curb are encouraged and
       honored. To ensure participation
       in the events, the Environmental
       Program staff regularly updates
       the tribal websites calendar
       of events, distributes flyers at
       community events, posts large
       informative signs at each housing
       cluster, and publishes informa-
       tion about the event in the tribal
       newsletter.
           Tribal member support
       of the cleanup event over the
       past ten years has enabled the
       Kickapoo Tribal Government to
       provide an array of solid waste
       collection events through the
       Environmental Program. In
       2008, the annual cleanup event
       became a twice-a-year event.
       Continued success of the event
       provides momentum for the
       tribal government to support
       other waste management initia-
       tives on the reservation, includ-
       ing a tire collection campaign, an
       electronic waste  (e-waste) event,
       and a recycling program. From
       2008 to 2011, the Environmental
       Program has removed and
       recycled 3,015 tires from open
       dumps on the reservation.  Once
       the tires were removed, the
       Environmental Program was
able to fully clean and close half
of the open dumps in only two
weeks. In addition, e-waste col-
lection events were held in 2009,
2010, and 2011, each yielding
six pallets worth of phones, fax
machines, computer monitors,
television sets, and copy ma-
chines that would have otherwise
been dumped. Nearly two tons
of recyclables were collected over
the course of one year from tribal
government  offices and local
businesses. The Environmental
Program also started recycling
services at the school and casino
located on the reservation. The
casino recycling effort started in
August 2010 with tin and shred-
ded paper. In April 2011, a card-
board baler was purchased by the
Environmental Program for use
at the casino. Thus far, 7,747.5
pounds of tin, 8,772 pounds
of shredded paper, and 15,400
  The Environmental Program
  has changed the behavior of
  tribal  members from relying
  on open dumps to relying
  on the community cleanup
  events. New waste collection
  and management initia-
  tives on the reservation have
  targeted problematic waste
  streams with great success.
pounds of cardboard have been
diverted from the waste stream
and recycled.
    For more information on the
Kickapoo Tribe's activities, con-
tact Luke Terry, Environmental
Director, at 785-486-2601,
Extension 1 or luke.terry@ktik-
nsn.gov. The Kickapoo Tribe
website is located at http://ktik-
nsn.gov.
                             Spotlight on: Household Hazardous Waste
          Many products that are found in homes contain potentially corrosive, toxic, ignitable, or reactive ingredients.
          When discarded these products are called household hazardous wastes (HHW). Common HHW include
          paints, cleaners, oils, batteries, and pesticides. If mixed and disposed together with regular household waste,
          these products may contaminate air, water, or soil depending on their final disposal method (landfill or incin-
          eration). Additionally, dumping toxics down drains or storm sewers creates a direct and immediate negative
          impact to your environment. Proper disposal  is essential to protecting human health and the environment.
          EPA encourages HHW collection programs that may be facilitated by your local transfer station or tribal gov-
          ernment. For more information, visit EPA's HHW website www.epa.gov/waste/conserve/materials/hhw.htm.
JULY 2011
                                             Tribal Waste Journal  5

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      Saginaw  Chippewa:
      Utilizing  Casino  Earnings  to
      Eliminate  Open  Dumping
        In 2000, Tribal Council rep-
        resentatives for the Saginaw
      Chippewa Indian Tribe, located
      in Michigan, removed the recy-
      cling program from the Soaring
      Eagle Casino and Resort operat-
      ing budget. Recycling activities
      were then seen as unnecessary
      and having little economic value
      to the tribe, especially given tight
      financial constraints. However,
      the tribes Recycling Coordinator,
      Mr. Craig Graveratte, thought
      that this might not have been the
      case. Mr. Graveratte presented
      the Tribal Council with an idea
      to perform a waste audit utilizing
      tribal and county resources. This
      audit would determine the actual
      costs of the previous recycling
      program which would help
      Tribal Council best decide how
      to budget for waste management
      at the casino. After the idea was
      approved, Mr. Graveratte began
      interviewing casino manage-
      ment and housekeeping staff,
collecting data on the amount
and type of waste disposed over
a period of three months, and
presented his findings to the
Tribal Council. From this audit,
he determined that the Tribal
Council could save an estimated
$140,000 annually by recycling
just cardboard. Impressed with
the findings, the Tribal Council
immediately reinstated the recy-
cling program at the casino.
   This audit and the subse-
quently positive financial gain
through recycling sparked
interest in providing more com-
prehensive waste management
services to tribal members from
the Bands of Ojibway, includ-
ing the Saginaw, Black River,
and Swan Creek living on the
138,240-acre reservation. A gam-
ing contract was drawn between
the Soaring Eagle Casino and
Resort and the members of the
tribe. Currently, two percent of
earnings are invested into tribal
"From this audit,
he determined that
the Tribal Council
could save an
estimated $140,000
annually by  recycling
just cardboard.
Impressed with the
findings, the Tribal
Council immediately
reinstated the
recycling program
at the casino."
                             Spotlight on: Abandoned Vehicles
        Abandoned vehicles threaten the environment and health of a tribe by: attracting
        pests which may become disease vector breeding grounds, serving as a detriment
        to local businesses because of their unsightliness, producing leaking fluids that
        may seep into the soil, groundwater, and/or surface water, and by possibly contain-
        ing lead-acid batteries and mercury switches that are especially toxic and must be
        properly disposed of prior to crushing. EPA's publication, "Developing an Abandoned
        Vehicle Cleanup Program for Tribal Governments," provides a step-by-step guidance
        for developing a vehicle cleanup program for your tribe. This publication is available
        on-line at http://epa.gov/region9/waste/tribal/pdf/Abandoned_Vehicle_Guide.pdf.
6  Tribal Waste Journal
                                                  JULY 2011

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       government operations. This new
       revenue stream funds the tribal
       members' curbside trash removal
       and recycling program.
           With the momentum of its
       recycling program success, the
       Tribal Utility Authority also be-
       gan programs targeted at special
       waste streams. They collected
       used grease from grease pits,
       2,000 tires, and 2,300 pounds
       of household hazardous waste
       (HHW). The casino also initiated
       their own program to reduce
       the number of disposable cups
       being used by staff during breaks.
       By switching to reusable cups
       in 2005, the casino prevented 1
       million non-biodegradable cups
       from ending up in the landfill.
           For the Saginaw Chippewa
       Indian Tribe, the successful
       waste management operation has
       improved the health, safety, and
       welfare of the community. Mr.
       Graveratte reported that initial-
In 2007, the
Saginaw Chippewa
Indian Tribe won
the Michigan
Recycling Coalition's
Outstanding
Recycling Program
Award.
ing the curbside pick-up and
recycling program eliminated the
issue of open dumping on the
reservation.
   For more information on
the Saginaw Chippewa Indian
Tribe's environmental activities,
contact Rick Meyers at 989-772-
8810 or rmeyers@sagchip.org.
Craig Graveratte may be reached
at cgraveratte@sagchip.org. The
Saginaw Chippewa's website is
www.sagchip.org.
     Spotlight on:
     Compostable
        Material
Organic materials including
yard waste and food scraps
comprise 25 percent of the
entire amount of municipal
solid waste (MSW) generated
in the U.S. in 2008. These
materials may easily be com-
posted and reused in gardens
or on agricultural fields.  For
more information on what
can and cannot be compos-
ted and how to start your own
composting program, visit
www.epa.gov/waste/conserve/
rrr/com posti ng/i ndex. htm.
The June 2005 Tribal Waste
Journal features information
and successful tribal com-
posting success stories. This
publication is available on-
line at www.epa.gov/waste/
wycd/tribal/pdftxt/twj-4.pdf.
JULY 2011
                                          Tribal Waste Journal  7

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       Umatilla's  Waste  Management  Program:
       Finding  an Alternative to  Open  Dumping
        In the past, tribal members liv-
        ing on the Confederated Tribes
       of the Umatilla's Reservation in
       Oregon disposed of their solid
       waste in open dumps located
       across the 172,000 acre reserva-
       tion. The municipal solid waste
       landfill criteria implemented by
       EPA in the 1990s (40 Code of
       Federal Regulations 257 and 258)
       provided insight into the poten-
       tial harm that the open dumps
       may be causing to the environ-
       ment and health of the tribal
       members. The Confederated
       Tribes quickly began to evaluate
       other solid waste management
       alternatives. Options included
       using rail to move waste to a
       regulated landfill, incineration or
       installing a new transfer station.
       They determined that a transfer
       station would be the best option
       for eliminating open dumping on
       the reservation.
          Construction of the transfer
station took place from 1999
to 2001 at a cost of $1.3 mil-
lion It was financed, in part, by
federal government funding.
The 13,000 square foot transfer
station was built by a tribally-
owned construction company.
Waste is either collected curb-
side or hauled by residents to
the transfer station seven days a
week. The waste is then pro-
cessed, and transported to an
EPA-approved landfill located
55 miles away. Recyclables and
household hazardous waste are
collected,  sorted, and stockpiled
on site and transferred to facili-
ties off site. The minimum fee
charged is $8.00 per bag to take
out waste  less than 200 pounds
or $55 per ton, which remains
competitive among other area
transfer stations. Currently,
the transfer station serves 900
residents and 93 commercial
customers throughout the
                      Spotlight on: Recycling
        Based on the total amount of trash generated on an annual basis,
        EPA estimates that a single individual living in the U.S. gener-
        ates 4.34 pounds of garbage on a daily basis. Of the 4.34 pounds
        of garbage, only 1.5 pounds of it is estimated to be recycled.
        Recycling reduces air and water pollution associated with making
        new products from raw materials.  It also reduces the amount of
        greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions contributing to global climate
        change. For more information on how recycling reduces GHG
        emissions, visit EPA's Waste Reduction Model (WARM) website at
        www.epa.gov/warm. More information on municipal solid waste in
        the U.S. may be found at www.epa.gov/waste/nonhaz/municipal/
        msw99.htm.
                      al/
Reservation. The transfer station
is currently 1,500 tons short of
reaching the optimum operation
efficiency level of 6,000 tons.
   Ms. Bonnie Burke,
Operations Manager for the
Tribal Environmental Recovery
Facility (TERF), launched an
education and outreach cam-
paign focused on the benefits of
using the transfer station. The
campaign educated people on
the hazards of open dumping
and the effects it has on both
human health and the environ-
ment. The campaign also helped
ease the transition to reducing
solid waste by recycling. Targeted
outreach and education to both
tribal elders and children was a
critical component of Ms. Burkes
campaign. Ms. Burke is conduct-
ing a survey of the participating
tribal elders requesting feedback
on the success of the curbside re-
cycling program. Umatilla is also
working with an intern to run an
afterschool program to educate
school children on recycling.
Over a period of ten years, the
amount of waste collected has in-
creased by 4,000 tons due to the
TERF staff's determination and
outreach and education efforts.
   For more information on
the Confederated Tribes of the
Umatilla Reservation's activities,
contact Bonnie Burke at 541-
276-4040 or terfmngr@gmail.
com. The tribe's website is www.
umatilla.nsn.us.
8  Tribal Waste Journal
                                                      JULY 2011

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          The  Importance of Outreach and Education in Open Dump Prevention
          Community members are more
          likely to support and participate
          in new waste management pro-
          grams when they are involved in
          the planning process from the
          very beginning. When develop-
          ing alternatives to open dump-
          ing on your reservation, consider
          creating an outreach plan to
          ensure all tribal members are
          well-informed and engaged in
                    all of the various aspects of the
                    process. Key elements in an
                    outreach plan include:
                    • Target audience, including
                      children and tribal elders;
                    • Outreach goals;
                    • Targeted message tailored for
                      each audience; and
                    • Appropriate outreach
                      method(s) (see Table 1 for
                           ideas which can be used indi-
                           vidually or combined).
                         Once you begin outreach,
                         ensure that you are responsive
                         to community feedback and
                         continually modify methods and
                         the message to address com-
                         munity concerns and changing
                         program goals.


          Table 1. Comparing Tribal Outreach Methods
          Method
          Signage
          Inserts/
          Flyers/
          Articles
Investment of Time/Labor
Low. Develop message for sign
and set up at sites.
Low. Develop message for flyer
and distribute.
Monetary Cost
Low-Medium. Dependent on the
quality of the signs (i.e., tem-
porary versus permanent).

Low. Paper, printing/photocopy-
ing, labor.
Effectiveness
Low-Medium. Tribal members
will have to read and respond
to signs.

Low-Medium. Message must be
compelling to tribal members
so they read and remember it.
          Door-        Medium-High. Canvassers must
          to-Door      dedicate afternoons/evenings
          Campaigns   over a set period of time to
                      promote message.
                            Low-Medium. If volunteers
                            agree to canvass, costs wil
                            down.
                       stay
          Outreach to
          Schools
Medium-High. Dependent on
size of event(s) and activities
planned.
          Meetings     Medium-High. Dependent on
          and         size of event(s) and activities
          Community   planned.
          Events
Medium-High. Dependent on
size of event(s), activities
planned and materials needed.
                            Medium-High. Dependent on
                            size of event(s), activities
                            planned and materials needed.
Medium-High. Talk to residents
one-on-one to address their
concerns.
High. Potentially large audi-
ence; reaches children and
their families; fun events can
help residents find favor with
your message.
                            High. Potentially large/diverse
                            audience; fun or memorable
                            activities can draw residents  to
                            your message.
          Workshops/
          Training
Medium-High. Dependent on
size of workshop and training
activities planned.
Medium-High. Dependent on
size of workshop or training
activities planned and materials
needed.
High. Provide specific train-
ing to audience, address
their questions and concerns.
Helpful when introducing new
programs.
              For more information, Chapter 6 of the "Tribal Decision Maker's Guide" provides additional
           information on Public Education and Community Outreach and includes tribal examples. This
           document may be found at: www.epa.gov/waste/wycd/tribal/index.htm.
              EPA Region 9's Tribal Solid Waste Outreach website, www.epa.gov/region9/waste/tribal/out-
           reach.html, provides outreach documents such as brochures, fact sheets, and suggested school cur-
           ricula focusing on waste management.

JULY 2011
                                                                  Tribal Waste Journal   9

-------
      Yurok  Tribe  Cleans their  Legacy  Dump
      Sites:  Challenges  &  Opportunities
                                   sites on the reservation: Roaches
                                   Creek, Johnson's Road, and
                                   Tully Creek. Each site presented
                                   unique challenges such as the
                                   Roaches Creek site's hill-side lo-
                                   cation that required a helicopter
                                   to assist the cleanup. Johnson's
                                   Road was the largest and least
                                   accessible of all three sites and
                                   required more than half of the
                                   grant money for the cleanup.
                                   Hazardous waste accumulation
   The Yurok Tribe is located
   across 63,035 acres in
California. A nine-member tribal
council represents 5,000 enrolled
members and oversees 200 tribal
government employees.
   Under an $800,000 grant
sponsored by the California
Integrated Waste Management
Board in August 2008, the Yurok
Tribe cleaned and closed the
three largest legacy open dump
        Vehicle Roundup and Disposal in
        the Klamath River Watershed
        The Yurok Tribe collaborated with the Hoopa and Karuk tribes
        to collect 400 vehicles from the Klamath River Watershed using
        funding leveraged from IGAP and state grants. The project began
        with a door-to-door education and outreach campaign to 200 trib-
        al members. They were provided with information regarding the
        human health and environmental hazards of abandoned vehicles.
        The most costly aspect of the collection was towing the vehicles
        to a central location and  crushing them  using an on-site mobile
        crusher. The vehicles were then transported to a recycling center.
        Due to low market demand, the tribes were unable to receive
        payment for the recycled scrap metal; however, no charges were
        incurred for vehicle removal. Mr. Henderson plans to monitor the
        scrap metal market  for opportunities to make future collection
        events  profitable for the tribe.
- car batteries, paint cans, fuel
cans, etc. - at both the Johnson's
Road and Tully Creek sites posed
a threat to the health of the com-
munity and the environment.
Fortunately, none of the sites
had yet experienced surface soil
contamination from the hazard-
ous waste.
   Eighteen tribal mem-
bers received the 40-hour
Occupational Safety and Health
Administration Hazardous Waste
Operations and Emergency
Response Standard training to
prepare for for cleaning the haz-
ardous waste found at the open
dump sites. Funding for this
training was supported by Indian
Health Services.
   After these sites were
cleaned, the Yurok Tribe took
preventive measures to discour-
age residents from dumping at
the closed sites by posting signs
with logistical information on
the City of Humboldt's house-
hold hazardous waste collection
program. Restrictive barriers
including gates, rails, and fences
10  Tribal Waste Journal
                                                                                  JULY 2011

-------
were also installed. Mr. Ken
Henderson, Assistant Director,
Pollution Prevention Division,
keeps the community up-to-date
with site cleanup and closure ac-
tivities during quarterly District
meetings held in the seven tribal
districts across the reservation.
    Five new open dump sites
have been identified and are
targeted for the next round of
cleanup and closure. An EPA
Indian General Assistance Gap
grant will be utilized during the
upcoming fiscal year to offset the
costs of cleanup.
    For more information on the
Yurok Tribe's activities, contact
Ken Henderson at 707-482-1822,
Extension 1007 or khender-
son@yuroktribe.nsn.us. The
Yurok Tribe's website is www.
yuroktribe.org.
Focus on Ordinances:
Prohibiting Illegal Dumping on
the Yurok Reservation
The Yurok Tribal Ordinance
(Ordinance No. YTC - 1-08) was
developed to establish Tribal  law
prohibiting the "open disposal,
dumping, depositing, burying
or unpermitted burning of any
waste materials whatsoever on
any lands or in any waters of
the Yurok Reservation...". The
Ordinance is separated into nine
sections including:
1.  Authority
2.  Purpose
3.  Definitions
4.  Effect of Ordinance
5.  Application
6.  Enforcement
7.  Penalties
8.  Sovereign Immunity
9.  Effective Date and
    Amendments
The ordinance includes en-
forcement by warning, citation,
and prosecution depending
on the offense. It also in-
cludes fines up to $1,500
plus the cost of cleanup and
time dedicated to community
service. For more information
on developing an ordinance for
your tribe, visit EPA Region 9's
website on developing solid
waste codes and ordinances
at www.epa.gov/region9/waste/
tri bal/sol idwastecode. htm I.
                                                              Watching crew work down
                                                              slope. Photo courtesy Ken
                                                              Henderson.
 Cleanup of the Johnson Creek open dump site. Photo courtesy Ken Henderson.
"In August 2008,  the Yurok
Tribe cleaned and closed
the three largest legacy
open dump sites on  the
reservation."

-------
       Yakama  Nation  Streamlines  the
       Cleanup  of   Large   Open  Dump  Sites
          Located on 1.4 million acres
          in the mid-Columbia River
       Basin of the Pacific Northwest,
       the Yakama Nation is home to
       10,000 enrolled members. Three
       full time and two part time staff
       members comprises the Yakima
       Nation Solid Waste Program for
       the one million-acre reservation.
       In 2006, the Solid Waste Program
       began overhauling their 1977
       Solid Waste Management Plan.
       They focused on creating a new
       mission statement and goals for
       the program. The Yakama Nation
       wove together the concepts of
       sustainability - economics, envi-
       ronment, and equity - to create a
       program that is economical, en-
       vironmentally safe, and one that
       incorporates ancestral ecological
       knowledge into its practices. They
       determined that capacity build-
       ing, outreach and education, and
       empowering tribal members are
       key components to adapting and
       managing a successful solid waste
       management program.
          To further understand
       the current state of their waste
       management program, the Solid
       Waste Program office decided to
       conduct a waste stream analy-
       sis. Through the analysis, they
       determined that the Yakama
       Nation produces 30,000 tons of
       solid waste annually. This equates
       to five pounds of waste per person
       per day. They also determined that
       open dumps impose a financial
       burden of $720 per ton to remove
       the waste. However, if the trash
       were disposed of properly (i.e., at
a landfill) it would only cost $32
per ton to dispose. In addition, a
1995 study from the University of
California at Davis identified more
than 130 open dump sites located
across the entire reservation.
    Beyond the financial burden,
open dumps create an unhealthy
environment with adverse health
and environmental effects for
both people and animals. Once
the Yakama Nation Solid Waste
Program understood the enormity
of the problem, they quickly began
efforts to build capacity within
their department. Ms. Loretta
Zammarchi, the Solid Waste
Program Coordinator, indicated
that training staff to identify and
assess illegal dump sites was their
first priority. Due to the complex-
ity of the illegal dumping problem,
training focused on the following
key skills:
•   Reading and interpreting maps;
•   Distinguishing between recy-
    clable materials and garbage;
•   Performing daily logs and site
    assessment reports;
    Identifying cleanup costs;
    Estimating site volume;
    Bidding out projects;
    Digital photo collection;
    GIS training; and
    Creating cleanup work plans
    and reports.

    With trained staff, the
Yakama Nation began the pro-
cess of identifying and cleaning
up the illegal dump sites on the
reservation. Digital imagery was
used to identify property own-
ers because of the "checkerboard
pattern" of county and tribal
lands. None of this would have
been possible without the train-
ing the  staff received.
   Using Indian Environmental
General Assistance Program
(IGAP) funds, the tribe pur-
chased heavy machinery includ-
ing a mini-excavator to assist in
the remediation process. This
investment has saved time and
money by increasing the efficien-
cy of cleanups.
   The Yakama Nation under-
stood that the cleanup of the open
dumps would not be sustainable
without a mindset change within
the community, so they solicited
feedback from the reservation's
residents to help them determine
the most popular methods for
preventing future open dumping.
Of the 1,400 surveys mailed, the
Solid Waste Program received
responses from 170 residents. The


 Tire  Pile  Cleanup
 Yakama Nation received
 an opportunity through the
 Washington Department of
 Ecology to clean up a tire pile
 on the reservation. The reme-
 diation process on the pile,
 which  consisted of 350,000
 tons of tires, took 18 months
 at a cost of $600,000.
 For more information, visit
 Washington State Department
 of Ecology's Waste Tire Pile
 Cleanup website at www.ecy.
 wa.gov/programs/swfa/tires/
 cleanup.html.

12  Tribal Waste Journal
                                                        JULY 2011

-------
 majority of the responses sug-
 gested that the Yakama Nation
 tribal government impose a fine
 for those caught dumping trash
 illegally. It was determined from
 the survey results that a fine may
 deter individuals from driving 35
 miles out of their way to dump
 their garbage on the reservation
 because they consider it to be
 "free" when in fact it serves as
 both a financial and time bur-
 den on the tribal governments
 resources and staff.
      After seeing the results of
 the survey and witnessing illegal
 dumping from people off the res-
 ervation, the Solid Waste Program
 decided that in order to make the
 program sustainable, they would
 need to update their tribal codes.
 After much research, sifting
 through old laws and codes, and
 using tribal legal resources, the
 Solid Waste Program developed
 new tribal codes. The codes were
 adopted by the tribal council
 within five months. Adopting the
 codes will help the tribe reach
 its ultimate goal to "protect the
 rights, land, and resources of the
                                 Case Study: White Swan Open Dump Site
                                 The open dump site located in the small rural community of White
                                 Swan on the Yakama Nation tribal lands was a challenge for the
                                 tribe. The dump site was costing $45,000 per year, including dai-
                                 ly cleanup efforts, for the tribe. To combat open dumping, signs
                                 were posted at the site and tribal police was contacted to patrol
                                 the site. However, the key to reducing the amount of open dump-
                                 ing was developing a positive relationship with the tribal  members
                                 living in the White Swan community. Through cooperation and
                                 collaboration, the Solid Waste Program and the tribal members
                                 in the White Swan community worked hand-in-hand  in an effort
                                 to combat open dumping. Outreach efforts targeted tribal elders,
                                 school-aged children, and their families. An annual cleanup keeps
                                 tribal members involved in keeping White Swan  clean.
                               Yakama Nation."
                                   To date, the Solid Waste
                               Program has closed 148 open
                               dump sites and removed more
                               than 4,000 tons of illegally
                               dumped garbage. They con-
                               tinue to monitor those  sites to
                               make sure that illegal dumps
                               do not return and are evaluat-
                               ing the impact of the post-site
                               cleanup preventive measures,
                               such as installing site barricades
                               and posting signs. They are also
                               continuing outreach and educa-
                               tion to the community on the
                               multiple options available to
the residents for trash removal.
These options include a transfer
station, personally hauling your
waste to the county landfill and
curb-side pickup.
    The Yakama Nation Solid
Waste Program serves as an
example of how a small group of
dedicated individuals can create
a successful tribal solid waste
management program.
    For more information on the
Yakama Tribe's activities, contact
Loretta Zammarchi at 509-865-
5121, Extension 6453 or loretta@
yakama.com.
                                      Spotlight on: Tires
*
Tire cleanups protect human health and the environment from the threat of large, uncontrollable tire
fires that emit hazardous air pollutants including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), benzene,
styrene, phenols, butadiene, and runoff containing water pollutants such as arsenic and lead. Other
threats from tire piles include disease carrying pests inhabiting the piles and mosquitoes breeding in
stagnant water collecting inside the tires. Fortunately, used tires may be recycled into a variety of prod-
ucts. EPA estimates that at least 110 types of products can contain recyclable tire rubber. These may
include, playground cover, soil additives, flooring/matting, and landfill  construction materials. Recycled
tires are most often reused in highway pavement mixtures. Choose to commit to the health and safety
of current and future generations by utilizing proper disposal  methods for old tires. For more informa-
tion, visit EPA's Frequent Questions for Scrap Tires website www.epa.gov/waste/conserve/materials/
tires/faq.htm or EPA's Scrap Tire Cleanup Guidebook available at www.epa.gov/reg5rcra/wptdiv/solid-
waste/tires/guidance.

-------
       Funding  Sources
          EPA provides several funding
          opportunities in the form of
       grants, cooperative agreements,
       and interagency agreements to
       assist tribes and intertribal con-
       sortia with waste management
       activities. These activities may
       include open dump assessment,
       cleanup,  outreach/education,
       and compliance assurance/en-
       forcement. General information
       on these  and other solid waste
       grants and funding for tribes is
       available at www.epa.gov/waste/
       wycd/tribal/finance.htm. More
       specific information on the fund-
       ing sources below may be found
       through the Catalog of Federal
       Domestic Assistance (CDFA)
       website at www.cfda.gov.

       Brownfields Assessment
       and Cleanup Cooperative
       Agreements
       CDFA Reference Number 66.818
       Brownfield sites are real properties
       whose expansion, redevelopment,
       or reuse may be complicated by
       the presence or potential presence
       of a hazardous substance, pollut-
       ant, or contaminant. The objec-
       tives of the  brownfield assessment,
       revolving loan fund, and cleanup
       cooperative agreements (project
       grants) are to provide funding
       to: (1) inventory, characterize,
       assess, and  conduct planning and
       community involvement related
       to brownfield sites; (2) capitalize a
       revolving loan fund and provide
       subgrants to carry out cleanup
activities at brownfield sites; and
(3) carry out cleanup activities at
brownfield sites that are owned
by the grant recipient. Funding
for the cooperative agreements is
estimated to be $119.6 million for
fiscal year 2011.

Brownfields Training,
Research, and Technical
Assistance Grants and
Cooperative Agreements
CDFA Reference Number 66.814
CERCLA 104(k)(6) provides
EPA with authority for a pro-
gram of training, research, and
technical assistance to individu-
als and organizations to facilitate
the inventory of brownfields
properties, assessments, cleanup
of brownfields properties, com-
munity involvement, or site
preparation. Brownfield sites
are real property, the expansion,
redevelopment, or reuse of which
may be complicated by the pres-
ence or potential presence of a
hazardous substance, pollutant,
or contaminant. For more infor-
mation contact your Regional
Brownfields Coordinator.
Contact information is found
at www.epa.gov/swerosps/bf/
corcntct.htm.

Community Action for a
Renewed Environment (CARE)
Program
CDFA Reference Number 66.035
Community Action for a
Renewed Environment (CARE)
Program supports analyses,
studies, evaluations, surveys,
investigations, conferences, dem-
onstrations and special purpose
projects which empower com-
munities to reduce risks from
exposures to toxic pollutants in
the air, in the water, and on the
land through collaborative action
at the local level. EPA estimates
$2.2 million of funding will be
available for CARE project grants
for fiscal year 2011. For more
information, visit EPAs CARE
website at www.epa.gov/care.

Indian Environmental General
Assistance Program (IGAP)
CDFA Reference Number 66.926
Authorized under the Indian
Environmental General
Assistance Program Act of 1992,
the Indian General Assistance
Program (IGAP) provides capac-
ity building and management
capabilities for federally-recog-
nized tribes and intertribal con-
sortia to develop environmental
programs. Funding for IGAP has
increased from $8.4 million in
the early 1990s to an estimated
$71 million for fiscal year 2011.
IGAP funding may be applied to
identify baseline environmental
needs; establish administrative,
legal, technical, and enforcement
capability; foster compliance
through programs, ordinances,
and education and outreach;
communications capability; and
management. IGAP grants are
14  Tribal Waste Journal
                                                          JULY 2011

-------
       administered by EPA's American
       Indian Environmental Office and
       are negotiated by EPA Regional
       Indian Program Managers and
       Coordinators. The list of regional
       coordinators is located on-line
       at www.epa.gov/tribalportal/
       contactinfo/regcontacts.htm. For
       more information, visit EPA's
       Indian GAP website, at www.epa.
       gov/Indian/gap.htm.

       Tribal  Solid Waste
       Management Assistance
       Project
       CDFA Reference Number 66.808
       Under  the Tribal Solid Waste
       Management Assistance Project,
       eligible federally-recognized
       tribes may apply for funding un-
       der one of four categories to: (1)
       characterize/assess open dumps;
       (2) develop integrated waste
       management (IWM) plans and
       tribal codes and regulations; (3)
       develop and implement alterna-
       tive solid waste management
       activities/facilities (including
       equipment acquisition); and (4)
       develop and implement cleanup,
       closure, and post-closure pro-
       grams for open dumps in Indian
       Country. Each proposal must
       address only one of the four
       proposal categories. Applicants
       interested in applying for more
       than one category may do so as
       long as each proposal is for only
       one category. For more informa-
       tion visit http://epa.gov/waste/
       wycd/tribal/finance.htm.

       Hazardous Waste
       Management Grant
       Program for Tribes
       CDFA Reference Number: 66.812
       The Hazardous Waste
       Management Grant Program for
       Tribes provides financial as-
sistance to federally recognized
tribes and intertribal consortia
for the development and imple-
mentation of hazardous waste
programs; building capacity to
improve and maintain regulatory
compliance; and developing solu-
tions to address hazardous waste
impacting tribal lands. For more
information visit http://epa.gov/
waste/wycd/tribal/finance.htm.
JULY 2011
                                           Tribal Waste Journal   15

-------
      What  is  w/STARS?
          Developed by the Indian
          Health Service (IHS) in re-
      sponse to the Indian Lands Open
      Dump Cleanup Act of 1994
      (Public Law 103-399), w/STARS,
      or Web Sanitation Tracking and
      Reporting System, is a database
      that inventories sanitation issues
      on American Indian and Alaskan
      Native (AI/AN) lands. The data
      in w/STARS is used by IHS to
      track sanitation projects across
      multiple media types including
      water, waste water, solid waste,
      human health services, etc.
          In 1998, IHS released a re-
      port of the status of open dumps
on AI/AN lands to the U.S.
Congress. A copy of the report
may be viewed at www.oehe.ihs.
gov/Solid_W/l 998_ODReport/
1998OpenDumpsReport.pdf. IHS
reported a total of 1,104 open
dumps with content ranging
from municipal solid waste to
hazardous and special waste to
combinations of different waste
types. In recent years, IHS and
EPA have collaborated to refine
the Operation and Maintenance
Data System (OMDS) portion of
w/STARS to list data on all open
dumps on AI/AN lands. EPA has
assisted IHS in gathering accu-
rate information on open dumps,
including the GPS coordinates
and exact materials found at the
sites. It is expected that more
than 3,000 open dumps will be
included in the new Report.
    For more information
on w/STARS OMDS, contact
your local IHS Area Office. For
more information, visit the IHS
website at www.ihs.gov/index.
cfm?odule=AreaOffices.
16  Tribal Waste Journal
                                                      JULY 2011

-------
        Resources
        Earth 911
        http://earth911.com
        The Earth 911 Recycling
        Directory is the most accurate and
        comprehensive directory of its
        kind and contains information on
        how to recycle more than 240 dif-
        ferent products. The information
        is free for consumers to use on the
        website and the toll-free, bilingual
        hotline (1-800 CLEANUP). A free
        iPhone application (iRecycle) is
        provided as well.

                          C=M"
         JLEPA
Illegal Dumping
Prevention Guidebook

        Illegal Dumping Prevention
        Guidebook
        www.epa.gov/reg5rcra/wptdiv/
        illegal_dumping/downloads/il-
        dmpng.pdf
        Published by EPA Region 5
        in March 1998, the "Illegal
        Dumping Prevention
        Guidebook" is a valuable re-
        source in developing a targeted
        illegal dump prevention plan.
        The Guidebooks Toolkit provides
        information on site maintenance
        and controls, community out-
        reach and involvement, targeted
        enforcement, and program mea-
        surement.
                              TO SOI,IP WASTl
                               MANAGEMENT
Tribal Decision
Maker's Guide
www.epa .gov/waste/wycd/tri ba I/
tribalguide.htm
The Tribal Decision Maker's
Guide provides an overview
of solid waste management -
covering solid waste planning,
regulations, collection, disposal,
recycling, education, and more. It
includes more than  40 case stud-
ies and examples from tribes that
are leaders in solid waste man-
agement, as well as a substantial
list of resources at the end of
each chapter.

SMM Web  Academy:
Recycling  and Solid Waste
Management Educational
Series
www.epa.gov/epawaste/rcc/web-
academy/index.htm
The Sustainable Materials
Management Web Academy
provides information on materi-
als management to stakehold-
ers through webinars related to
SMM. You can learn about key
issues, successful projects, and
a variety of best management
                                practices for creating outstand-
                                ing waste management pro-
                                grams through free webinars.
                                You may download informa-
                                tion from past webinars such
                                as "Electronics: Responsible
                                Recycling Practices," "Social
                                Marketing - Building a Toolkit to
                                Motivate Environmental Action,"
                                and "Food Waste/Organics
                                Reduction and Recycling," or
                                sign up for a future webinar.
                                                       Tribal Waste Journal, Respect
                                                       Our Resources: Prevent
                                                       Illegal Dumping
                                                       www.epa .gov/waste/wycd/triba I/
                                                       resource.htm#twj
                                                       The first issue of the Tribal Waste
                                                       Journal focused on illegal dump
                                                       prevention and was published in
                                                       May 2002. This issue focused on
                                                       the following: building a multi-
                                                       faceted prevention program, in-
                                                       corporating community outreach
                                                       and involvement, keeping sites
                                                       clean, and measuring the success
                                                       of your program.
JULY 2011
                                                                 Tribal Waste Journal   17

-------
KIDS' PAGE
  Learn  about  the President's
  Environmental  Youth  Awards (PEYA)
    yoL\v viei^bovoo^  ov
\wlf U el.Aevs fo sf^vf <^
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-------
                                                           KIDS' PAGE
Durham Fair Recycling Project

rrn g. ROY Scout Troop t'
  °y1
         -Mieh School's Environmental
The Coginchaug rugn         removed more

Coginchaug Organization Ituu  ^ ^ 20_flujd-ounce

than 19,000 bottles,-- one-      ^ Fajr _by jnitl.


beverage bottles sold durm^e £CO c,ub a|so educated

ating a recycling Progr^  ,  During the 3-day fair,

fair participants about recycu B.          £CO

Ihich attracts hundreds of thouSnaJdcS0°ected recyclable

 dub volunteers walked aroun   	^.^   	,

 in the containers. The ECO Club
 ing station on the fairgrounds^


 were delivered to recycling org,


 the recyclable go0^!nb°^arketed tne reoy-.-"&	

 products. The ECO uu       newspapers about

 to visitors at the fair and infornmde^ness s^pported this

 the project. The commu^;ythjs first-time recycling effort



  a big success.
                          containers

                         that converted
                           ^^^


                        recycling effort
  No More Trash Talk:
  Lets Cleanup Our Act
  Ecological
  Homer, Alaska (EPA Region 10)






mi
      ">y iuur, cutting waste hv Rn

                     "We'll Bring It to You"


                     SSru?id^Electronics ^cycling

                     HB Woodlawn 6th Grade Science Class Groun
                     Arlington, Virginia (EPA Region 3)               P


                     The inspiration for the "We'll Bring It to You" r,,,hciH c, .















                      The students collected more than 450 nier	• «    , •
 JULY 2011
                                                      Tribal Waste Journal  19

-------
KIDS' PAGE
        ame   nmei
    All sorts of garbage can end up in open dumps. In UNO ,oou<
    Tribal Waste Journal, we explored the different types of garba
    Instructions
    Find the words in the word search puzzle below!
         Word Key
         Tire
         Car
         Computer
         Television
         Refrigerator
Microwave
Battery
Paint
Bottles
Cans
20 Tribal Waste Journal

-------
Alleviating  Open   Dumping  on  Tribal
Lands:  Key  Elements  of  Success
  In this issue, five tribal waste management programs were highlighted. The wide array of success stories high-
  light how creativity and determination can help alleviate open dumping.  Though each tribe has a different story
  to tell, the stories all share the following six common elements that have led to success in addressing open
  dumps on tribal lands.
1      Collaboration can assist a tribe
      in addressing the issue of lim-
      ited available resources. It can
also create economies of scale that can
enable program success. For instance,
when the Saginaw Chippewa Tribe
determined that an independent waste
collection service was too expensive, a
creative arrangement with the neigh-
boring county service was created to
fill the gap. Similarly, the Yurok Tribe
reached out to two neighboring tribes
to pool Indian General Assistance
Program funds and state grants to im-
plement a vehicle round-up program.
This program not only resulted in the
successful cleanup of 400 vehicles, but
also the establishment of a lasting re-
lationship among the three neighbor-
ing tribes. In addition, several of the
program managers now hold seats on
a specialty task force to continue their
collaborative efforts.

2      Support from the Tribal
      Council or Board of Trustees
      is key to each program's suc-
cess. Whether it is a mandate from
the Tribal Council to deliver a high
quality environmental program or the
recognition that illegal dumping laws
are needed to enable police enforce-
ment actions, each program has had a
commitment from the tribal govern-
ment to succeed. The champions of
each project found a way to convince
their community leaders to embrace
the needed change and endorse its
mission.

3      Education of both environ-
      mental staff and the community
      is a critical element of all waste
management efforts. For example, the
Kickapoo Tribe started in the schools,
by making recycling a part of the chil-
dren's curriculum. In another example,
the Umatilla Tribe focused on educat-
ing the elders on what items can be
placed in the curbside recycling bins.
These examples showcase how educa-
tion is key to developing a viable plan,
establishing participation in the effort,
and ensuring success.

      4Sustainability is defined as
      "meeting the needs of the pres-
      ent without compromising the
ability of future generations to meet
their own needs," by the Commission
on Environment and Development.
An example of a sustainable tribal
waste management program is that of
the Yakama Nation. With the com-
bined goals of economic efficiency
and environmental safety, as well
as incorporating ancestral ecologi-
cal knowledge into its practices, the
Yakama Nation mirrors the "three E's"
of sustainability: economics, environ-
ment, and equity.
5      Perseverance is an important
      step in ensuring the success of a
      program. For example, fund-
ing for the Saginaw Chippewa's former
recycling program was discontinued
by the Tribal Council because it was
thought to be economically inefficient.
However, the recycling coordinator
convinced the Council to reinstate the
program after conducting a waste au-
dit and calculating that the tribe could
save more than $100,000 annually
without hiring additional staff.

5      Respect is also extremely vital
      to a successful waste manage-
      ment program. Respect for the
land, for tribal ancestry, and for other
community members, including waste
haulers and transfer station staff, has
led to cleaner tribal lands and more
respectful treatment of resources.
  As you move forward and face
  the continued challenges of
  open dumping, consider these
  six key elements and how they
  can  help you implement a
  successful tribal environmental
  program.
JULY 2011
                                          Tribal Waste Journal  21

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United States
Environmental Protection
Agency

US EPA Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery
EPA530-N-11-001
www.epa.gov/tribalmsw
July 2011
Printed on 100% recycled/recyclable pa-
per with a minimum 50% post-consumer
waste using vegetable-based inks.

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