a

Environmental Results
Through Tribal/EPA Partnerships
       Fiscal Year 2010 Accomplishments
              Region 9/The Pacific Southwest
                                     EPA 909-R-10-004
                                         ?-in-nru

-------
                      Table of Contents
  Building Tribal Capacity to Achieve Results
  Clean Air
  Protecting Tribal Lands
  Healthy Tribal Communities                                         12
  Clean & Safe Water                                                17
  U.S. EPA Region 9 Web Pages with Tribal Resources and Information   20
          EPA Region 9 works to protect public health and
         the environment in the southwestern United States
           with the 147federally recognized tribes and the
         states of Arizona, California, Nevada and Hawaii.
 Cover photos: Top left down: Big Valley Band of Porno Indians of the Big Valley Rancheria, Kaibab Band of Paiute Indians of
the Kaibab Indian Reservation, Owens Valley Indian Water Commission, Cortina Indian Rancheria of Wintun Indian of California
                    Basket Design: Yurok Tribe of the Yurok Reservation

-------
A
—_
_
=
  :
_
—>
  i
  •

=
 Building Tribal  Capacity  to  Achieve  Results

In 2010 we have seen increased EPA support of tribal programs, with greater resources available for tribes
to address environmental issues in Indian country.  Soon after taking office in 2009, EPA Administrator Lisa
Jackson announced "Building Strong State and Tribal Partnerships" as one of her top priorities. In January,
2010, she directed Agency  staff on  this important partnership:

   States and tribal  nations bear important responsibilities for the day-to-day mission  of environmental
   protection, but declining tax revenues and fiscal challenges are pressuring state  agencies and tribal
   governments to do more with fewer resources.  Strong partnerships and accountability are more
   important than ever. EPA must do its part to support state and tribal capacity and, through strengthened
   oversight, ensure  that programs are consistently delivered nationwide. Where appropriate, we will use
   our own expertise and capacity to bolster state and tribal efforts.

This  support has brought increased  funding to  tribal programs. The Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 budget
increased Indian Environmental General Assistance Program (GAP) funding by 3.4% nationally. Funds available
through EPA's tribal set-asides for water infrastructure projects reached an all-time high in FY 2010, thanks
to a 33% increase in tribal set-aside funds and a doubling of State Revolving Funds (which went from $1.5
billion in 2009 to $3.5 billion in 2010).  In the Pacific Southwest Region, tribal water infrastructure funds
tripled, from $7.4 million available in  FY 2009 to $22.9  million in FY2010.
         Tribal Funding for FY2010,  by Program (millions)
                                                   • Air

                                                   • GAP

                                                    Lead

                                                    Pesticides

                                                    1 Superfund

                                                   u Waste

                                                   • Water
      Sl.SMillio
         S1.9
        Million S300 Thousand
                                   S200 Thousand
Capacity Building in Action
The  Kaibab Paiute  Tribe began its  envi-
ronmental program 13 years ago.  The tribe
used EPA funding to improve administration,
management and decision-making regarding
reservation  resources; to increase coordi-
nation with  tribal, federal, state  and  local
governments;  to  implement a solid waste
management program, and build capacity to
assume responsibilities for managing its envi-
ronment.  The tribe credits EPA grants with
helping build a viable Tribal Environmental
Program that is recognized by environmental
organizations throughout the Southwestern
U.S.  for its  ability to collect scientifically
defensible data.
This year the  Kaibab Paiute Tribe collaborated  with the Paiute Indian Tribes of Utah, Moapa Band
of Paiute Indians,  Bureau of Land Management, and National  Park Service to fund and organize the
first-ever Southern Paiute Youth Camp in Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument.  The focus of the
camp was to teach tribal youth about the connections between environmental science and the Southern
Paiute way of living.  The event gave both youth and tribal elders an opportunity to visit areas of Southern
Paiute territory they seldom see, to share knowledge, and to encourage young people to experience the ties
between their Southern Paiute traditions  and culture alongside environmental preservation.

Efforts to protect the health and environment of  more than  315,000 residents in Indian country in the
Pacific Southwest, consisting of over 27 million acres, have improved significantly through the collaboration
between tribal environmental programs  and EPA.  However, there are still significant environmental  and
human health issues that need to be addressed in Indian country. We are continuing to put our resources
to work addressing these challenges. Nineteen percent of homes lack complete plumbing, more than
1,300 open  dumps can still be found on tribal lands in the  region, and more than one-third of tribal lands
in the region are in areas that do not meet federal air quality standards.

-------
Clean Air

Tribes and EPA share the goal of cleaner, healthier air quality.  As tribal air programs mature, tribes are using
their knowledge to monitor air quality on reservations, deploy technology that harnesses wind and solar
energy, educate their communities, and participate in  regional air quality groups.

Tribal Air Funding for FY10
To improve air quality in Indian Country, EPA provides funding for tribes to assess and address air pollution
problems. In 2010, EPA awarded 31 tribal air grants for a total of more than $3 million.

Tribal Collaboration
EPA continues to encourage collaboration between tribes, and many are sharing air quality information and
consultants.  The Bishop Paiute Tribe sponsored a specialized training for Owens Valley tribal air programs
conducting audits of air quality and meteorological  instruments.   Participating tribes included the  Bishop
Paiute Tribe, the  Big Pine Paiute Tribe, the Fort  Independence Reservation, and the  Lone Pine
Paiute Shoshone Tribe.  Each tribe received individual training on the instruments at their site, as  well  as
an audit  report for each tribe.
                                                =
                                              ==
                                                =
                                                                                                        =
                                                                                                       ,—
                                                                                                       =
                               Justin Raglin from Lone Pine conducting audit.

Tribal Air Monitoring
With EPA funding,  26 tribes are currently  monitoring for
either particulate matter, ozone, or air toxics. Tribes are
also working to enter their monitoring data into  EPA's
national Air Quality System database.  Twenty tribes are
now successfully submitting data - two more than in 2009.
Because these tribes are submitting data, EPA has a better
understanding of air quality in Indian Country.  EPA  uses
this data in setting national air standards, and to determine
whether areas are  meeting those standards.

Tribal Diesel  Emission  Reduction Act
(DERA) Grants
2010 was the first year EPA awarded Clean Diesel grants
to tribes under  DERA.  Two of the selected  tribal grantees
are in the Pacific Southwest Region  - both in Southern California.  The  Morongo Band of Mission
Indians received $250,000 to replace two  diesel school buses with compressed natural gas buses, and to
retrofit five buses and two pieces of construction equipment with diesel  particulate filters.  These retrofits
and replacements  will reduce particulate matter emissions from these vehicles by 85-95%.  The Soboba
Band of Luiseno Indians received  $78,000 to retrofit six diesel school buses with  diesel particulate
filters or low nitrogen  oxide filters.  These retrofits will reduce particulate matter emissions from the tribal
school bus fleet by 85 percent.

Sylvia Nez and Karmen Billey, Navajo Nation, at the
Nazlini monitoring site.
                                                =
                                                i
                                                •

                                                =
=
                                                :
                                                f—
                                                i
                                                _

-------
=
-:

=


=
  -
  •

=



=
_
~

v
=

=
=

=.
=
Gila River Tribal Implementation Plan
As tribal air programs mature, some tribes are working on regulatory development.  In October 2009, EPA
approved the Gila River Indian Community's  treatment as a state eligibility for many parts of the Clean
Air Act. This  determination  paved the way for EPA to act on the tribe's  previously submitted Tribal
Implementation Plan  (TIP) which delegates parts of the Clean Air Act (CAA) to the tribe and makes the
tribe's air quality regulations  federally enforceable. EPA proposed to approve the TIP in July, 2010.

                                                   Fort McDowell Solar  Project
                                                   In  May 2010 the  Fort McDowell Yavapai
                                                   Nation  completed  installation of their 12-kilowatt
                                                   photovoltaic power plant.  It  is composed of 54
                                                   solar panels on the roof of the buildingthat houses
                                                   the tribe's  environmental program.  Annually, the
                                                   system is  expected to generate more than  25
                                                   megawatt-hours of electricity, provide 15-20% of
                                                   the building's power, and offset more than 60,000
                                                   pounds of carbon dioxide emissions.  This project
                                                   was funded with CAA Section  103 money and a
                                                   rebate from the Salt River Project.
McDowell demonstration solar plant on roof of environmental
office.
                                                   Salton Sea Air Quality Monitoring Network
                                                   The Torres Martinez  Desert Cahuilla Indians
                                                   Environmental Department has collaborated with
                                                   several state agencies to  build and maintain a
monitoring network to measure airborne particulates resulting from a drying lake. They will collect baseline
data from six stations on the tribe's land at the north end of the Salton Sea. The tribe is a large stakeholder
in this project, since some of its reservation was submerged  under the Salton Sea in the early 1900s.

Salt River Air Quality  Outreach
The Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community has installed flagpoles and  signs that visually display
the reservations air quality data on a daily basis.  The flagpoles have been installed at a senior center,
community center, government offices, and a school to ensure that sensitive groups in the community will
know about current air  quality conditions,  and take precautions if necessary.
    Rainbow over the lands of the La Jolla Band of Mission Indians.
                                                        4

-------
Protecting Tribal  Lands

POLLUTION  PREVENTION AND SOLID WASTE
Improper disposal of both household trash
and hazardous waste threaten tribal lands
in the Pacific Southwest Region.  In 2010,
tribes tackled these hazards by developing
household hazardous waste, composting,
and recycling programs; improving solid
waste infrastructure by building transfer
stations; conducting outreach and commu-
nity cleanup events; and developing green
building strategies.  Additionally,  in 2010,
tribes in  the region had closed 91 open
dumps, significantly improving the health
and well-being of their communities.
                                           Q.

                                           3
                                           Q
                                          _0
                                          o
  DUMP USED OIL
    AND WE ALL
    GET SOAKED.
    Recycle your
    used motor oil
  and used oil filters
                            Fallon  Paiute-Shoshone Tribe  Used  Oil  Recycling
                            Last year the Fallon Paiute-Shoshone Tribe's (FPST) Environmental Pro-
                            tection Department (EPD) started a Used Oil and Oil Filter Recycling program
                            with funds from EPA's Hazardous  Waste Management grant program. This
                            recycling program was developed to accept used oil and oil filters from tribal
                            "do-it-yourself" oil changers and to dispose of the used oil by burning it in a
                            used oil furnace, which  now provides heat for the tribal auto shop. This
                            year EPD has worked to develop partnerships with neighboring tribes in
                            Nevada to recycle their used oil.  These partnerships could help reduce the
                            cost of hazardous waste disposal for the other tribes, and further reduce
                            heating costs for the Fallon Paiute-Shoshone Tribe.

                            Hualapai Tribe Collaborates  with Federal  Agencies
                            on Remediation
                            In early 2007,  staff from the Hualapai Tribe's Department of Natural
                            Resources discovered an  abandoned cistern containing a creosote-like
                            substance near one of their drinking water wells. Given the cistern's proximity
                            to a railway line, the tribe  initially contacted the railway company to determine
ownership of the cistern.  Upon learning that the cistern did  not  belong to the railway, the tribe contacted
U.S. EPA for assistance in determining responsibility and assessing clean up options.  Over the next two
years, through a series of investigations and collaborative efforts between the Hualapai Tribe, U.S. EPA,
Indian Health Services, Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad, BIA agreedto
assume responsibility for the abandoned cistern and clean up the site. In March 2010, with oversight by
the tribe, BIA completed the cistern removal and site remediation.  They  removed more than 10 tons of
contaminants and contaminated  soil from the site.
       Fallon Pitutc-Sho^orifc Tribe
     UfC
-------
=
=
=
=
J
North Central  Project Wins National Achievement Award
EPA's project team for the joint Gila River Indian Community and U.S. EPA Resource Conservation and
Recovery Act (RCRA) groundwater investigation and cleanup  project won a National Achievement Award
for their highly innovative and flexible approach to Corrective
Action on tribal lands.  At Gila River Indian Community's re-
quest, EPA assisted in addressing groundwater contamination
beneath a community-owned  industrial park.  EPA has facil-
itated source removal at two locations in the industrial park,
including Romic Southwest.  Romic is a closed hazardous
waste Treatment, Storage, and  Disposal  Facility (TSDF).
Starting from a firm commitment to tribal sovereignty and
federal trust responsibility to the tribe, the team took a highly
collaborative approach that maximizes tribal participation and
decision-making in all areas of the project. EPA continues to
work closely with the  community, potentially responsible
parties, and other stakeholders to  better characterize the
nature and extent of the contamination.
Pressure washing distillation column area. Photo
courtesy of Romic Southwest March 2009.
=
=
=

                                                Green Building Partnership
                                                In early 2008, the Pinoleville Porno Nation devel-
                                                oped a partnership with the  University of California at
                                                Berkeley (UCB) to create culturally-inspired and envi-
                                                ronmentally-sustainable designs fortheirtribal housing.
                                                Through this partnership the tribe guided the housing
                                                design process to plan for construction of sustainable
                                                buildings on their lands. This partnership also laid the
                                                foundation to establish the  new Native American
                                                Community Assessment of Renewable Energy and
                                                Sustainability Center, or NAtive CARES, at UCB in 2010.
                                                This center focuses on many aspects of Sustainability
                                                that tribes in the Pacific Southwest Region are pur-
suing: green building, renewable power generation, indoor air  quality, water conservation, and economic
business models.

EPA and Tribes  Partner with BioCycle
EPA assisted in developing a Tribal and Rural Communities track for the 25th Annual  BioCycle West Coast
Conference held in April 2010.  Tribal and rural communities often have an intense interest in adopting
smaller scale sustainable waste management practices, but are limited in their access to financial resources,
end markets, and  information on how to start.  The new track focused on food scrap and yard  waste
composting and included seven tribal presentations, including one by Brian Adkins of the Bishop Paiute
Tribe on their innovative food waste composting project.
          Model of prototype home. Graphic courtesy Pinoleville
          Porno Nation, 2009.
  =
=
=~
The goal of the Bishop Paiute Tribe's project was to demonstrate  a simple way to transport food waste
from the tribe's commercial and institutional kitchens (casino, daycare, education center, and elders' center)
by bicycle trailer to the tribal gardening projects and then use composting and vermicomposting to convert
the food waste into soil-building compost. This project provides after-school employment to the community's
high  school students.  By using bicycles this program  is sustainable, non-polluting, low cost, and promotes
a heart-healthy lifestyle. To see presentations by other tribal speakers at the  Biocycle Conference, go to:
http://www.jgpress.com/bcwc25/index.html.
                                                         6

-------
                                                                                                        -
           Bishop Paiute high school student with bicycle
           trailer preparing to pick up food waste at the tribal
           venues. Photo courtesy of the Environmental
           Management Office, Bishop Paiute Tribe 2010.
Bishop Paiute high school student preparing
compost bins for food waste at the tribal
gardens.  Photo courtesy of the Environmental
Management Office, Bishop Paiute Tribe 2010.
Underground Storage Tanks  Program  Office (USTPO)
EPA's Underground Storage Tank program had a very successful year, raising the bar for compliance levels
at operating LIST facilities.  EPA and the tribes conducted 55 joint compliance and leak detection inspections
in 2010; the two  Navajo Nation LIST EPA-Credentialed Inspectors conducted 40 additional inspections.
These inspections resulted in a total  of 10 field  citations issued to non-compliant facilities.  LIST field
citations are issued on the spot at the end of the inspection - like a traffic ticket.  The owner or operator
obtains  immediate feedback on  the violations, and the actions needed to correct the problems. The typical
field citation ranges from $600  to $1,000 per site. EPA also had a very successful year closing a total of
38 disused or abandoned LIST facilities, usingfederal fundingfor some of them, and in other cases overseeing
cleanup actions funded by private parties.

Tribal  LUST Cleanup in  Pacific  Southwest Received
$3.1 Million in  "Stimulus"  Funding
In 2010, EPA's Pacific Southwest Region received $3.1 million in
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding through
EPA's Indian lands cleanup contract to address eligible Leaking
Underground Storage Tank (LUST) sites.  In  June, EPA initiated
work at  25 LUST sites on tribal lands.  Project tasks using ARRA
funding  are required  by law to be completed in September 2011.
EPA is responsible for managing  each project assigned to the
National contract, and works in cooperation and partnership with
the  tribes on all project tasks.  With the addition of ARRA funding,
EPA greatly expanded its efforts to  address more sites  and speed
up remediation efforts at some  of the  most contaminated sites.
                                                     =
                                                     I

                                                     =


                                                     I—
                                                     I

                                                     =


                                                     .—
                                                     »
                                                     I

                                                     =
                                                     =

           EPA-funded tribal environmental contractors
           working at a tank site on Hop/ tribal land.
           Photo provided by Bristol Environmental,
           EPA's prime contractor - June 2010.
EPA Funding Eligible  Cleanups on
Tribal Lands for  Leaking Under-
ground Storage Tanks
In Fiscal Year 2010,  EPA completed two
federal-funded LUST site cleanups and over-
saw cleanups at 13 additional sites.  Since
2005, EPA's Pacific Southwest Regional Office
has provided direct federal funding to  over
60  LUST sites on tribal lands and has com-
pleted cleanup work at 20 of these sites.
Others are  still underway. The chart (right)
highlights the various phases of each project
currently receiving direct federal funding for site assessment and cleanup.
                                                     k
                                                     =

-------
_
—I
=
=
=
=
=
=

-
=
=
Award Winning Navajo Nation UST Inspection Team
                                        In 2010, three EPA employees and two inspectors from the
                                        Navajo  Nation  were  awarded  a  National  Notable
                                        Achievement Award from  EPA's Office of Solid Waste and
                                        Emergency Response.   Warren J.  Roan and Henry Haven, Jr.
                                        of the Navajo Nation  were recognized for their successful
                                        implementation  of the Navajo Nation Field Citation  Pilot
                                        Program.  This program was a precedent-setting effort that
                                        resulted in the first issuance of EPA UST field citations by
                                        federally-credentialed tribal inspectors in the U.S.  Over the
                                        past two years, the Navajo Nation UST inspection team  has
                                        conducted 82 inspections and written 16 field citations.
                                        Federal UST credentials have greatly enhanced the credibility
                                        and  effectiveness of the  Navajo Nation's UST compliance
                                        program.
Henry Haven, Jr. inspecting the underground tanks
at the Navajo Nation Fleet Management vehicle
yard in Window Rock, Arizona.
Leaking Tank Prevention Grant to Washoe Tribe's Federal  Credential Program
In September 2009,  EPA issued a two-year grant for
$170,000 to the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California,
funding two tribal staff and the formation of a tribal  UST
coalition program.  Ultimately, these inspectors will be issued
federal UST Inspector Credentials. The inspectors will provide
more compliance assistance, education, and trainingto under-
ground fuel tank owners and  operators for 10 tribes.  The
federally-credentialed UST inspectors will greatly decrease
EPA's carbon footprint by having the inspections done by tribal
inspectors rather than by EPA inspectors traveling thousands
of miles from the San Francisco office and  back. In  addition,
tribal  inspectors can  provide more frequent  compliance
assistance to  owners and operators.  The Washoe Tribe's
inspectors are scheduled to receive their federal  UST
Credentials in  2011.
                                                                  William Berquist, Inspector with the Washoe Tribe
                                                                  of Nevada and California, conducting a field
                                                                  training session and checking for leaks under the
                                                                  fuel dispensers at a gas station.
Superfund
Northeast Church Rock Site, New Mexico
The Navajo Nation EPA and U.S. EPA conducted oversight of a large, complex, and highly effective interim
cleanup for the residential area of the mine site at the  Northeast Church Rock Site (NECR). The action
required effective coordination between Navajo Nation EPA and U.S. EPA, negotiations with General Electric,
and attention to concerns of local residents.  As  a  result, over 100,000 cubic yards of contaminated
material were removed over several months at a cost of over $5  million, and complex issues related to
cleanup levels, historic preservation, and legal jurisdiction were resolved.  This action significantly reduced
the health risk to residents and was a huge step forward in the long-term cleanup of the site.

Sulfur Bank  Mercury Mine Site, California
U.S. EPA has spent $1 million in American Reinvestment and Recovery Act ("Stimulus") funds to initiate a
removal action to address mercury, arsenic and antimony-contaminated mine wastes that were used in
1970 to construct Bureau  of Indian Affairs (BIA) Road 120, the primary access road to the Elem Indian
Colony in Lake County, California. EPA plans to spend an additional $4.5 million by January 2011 to complete
the cleanup. The  agency will cap the mine wastes with clean soil, rebuild the asphalt roadway, and install
segments  of the water and sewer utility pipelines in the  clean soil cover to facilitate future maintenance.
="

-------
           Cumulative Removal Actions Started on Or Near Tribes
 70


 60


 50


 40


 30


 20


 10
       Leaders  of the Elem Porno Tribe
       have been  consulted throughout the
       planningand initiation of this important
       removal action. The tribe has had many
       concerns  regarding the historical  pre-
       servation  of their land and has worked
       diligently with EPA to resolve those
       issues.  The agency has signed a
       Memorandum of Agreement  with the
       Elem Porno Tribe and the State Historic
       Preservation Officer to assure  the
       protection  of Elem  Porno  cultural
       resources.
                                      888
Tuba City Open  Dump, Arizona
In June 2009, the BIA provided approximately $1.7 million to EPA to investigate suspected dumping of
uranium-rich waste that may be contaminating groundwater in the area of the Tuba City Open Dump (TCOD).
EPA did not identify uranium  in the waste materials, but did further define the extent of groundwater con-
tamination.  The Agency completed this work in December 2009.

EPA and BIA are now negotiating an Administrative Order on Consent for oversight of a Remedial Investigation
and Feasibility Study (RI/FS) to develop a full range of cleanup options for the site.  Under the order, BIA will
perform the RI/FS with EPA oversight. BIA will start the RI/FS field work in late 2010. Following completion
of the  RI/FS, a final remedy will be  selected for the site with  input from the Navajo Nation, Hopi Tribe,
and the public.

Leviathan  Mine Superfund Site, California
The major cleanup effort to  prevent acid drainage from
Leviathan Mine Superfund Site has progressed to a stage
involving critical coordination between EPA and the Washoe
Tribe of California  and Nevada.  Temporary treatment
systems capturing the metal-laden acidic drainage from
the abandoned sulfur mine have  substantially improved
water quality, benefiting fish and wildlife along nine  miles
of streams in the Sierra Nevada. These creeks flow from
the 7,000-foot-elevation mine in California, through the
Toiyabe National Forest and Washoe Tribe lands, into the
Carson River upstream of the tribe's office in Dresslerville,
Nevada.  Atlantic Richfield Company (ARCO) operated a
biological treatment system throughout the winter on one
portion of the mine.  For a second consecutive year, they
treated another major acid source before the  end  of the
snow melt. This maintained good water quality from early spring, as biological activity increases, and through
the entire summer. This state-of-the-science High Density Sludge treatment system is shut down in the
autumn when heavy snowfall prevents safe access to the  power supply at the remote site.

As EPA develops detailed  plans for the long-term cleanup, the Washoe Tribe  has a major role in assessing
risks faced by tribe members in their cultural uses of resources that may be contaminated by decades of
acid mine drainage releases.   EPA and the tribe are  also arranging community meetings this year to report
on the  project and discuss the next steps.
                                                9

Leviathan Creek merging with a clean tributary three
miles downstream of the mine at the start of full treat-
ment in 2010.
                                                                                                       -
                                                =
                                                =



                                                i—
                                                i
                                                =


                                                .—
                                                »
                                                i
                                                =
k
                                                =

-------
=
Yerington Paiute Tribe Superfund Support Agency Cooperative Agreementa
Through a Superfund Support Agency Cooperative Agreement with EPA, the Yerington Paiute Tribe has
been providing technical input on the investigation and cleanup of the former Anaconda Copper Mine in
Yerington, Nevada.
=
=
=
J
=
=
=

  =
=

=~
This past year the tribe has been involved in commenting on groundwater issues and on a proposed interim
cleanup action for the former evaporation ponds at the north end of the site.

The tribe has contracted with technical experts to review work plans for investigation and cleanup produced
by the potentially responsible party (PRP), Atlantic Richfield Company (ARCO), a British Petroleum (BP) affiliated
company.

Cyprus Tohono  Corp. Mine Alternative Superfund Site, Arizona
After cleanup  operations that involved moving approximately one million cubic yards of mine waste into a
new lined repository at a cost of $50 million were completed in  2008. Tohono O'odham Nation and EPA
have turned their focus to groundwater.  Earlier,  they found that uranium-contaminated fluids had migrated
to groundwater. The community of North  Komelik is located approximately two miles down gradient from
the groundwater flow from the mine. In 2002, the North Komelik  drinking water supply wells were replaced
by Cyprus Tohono Corp. (CTC) because sampling indicated uranium and sulfate contamination significantly
above background groundwater levels.

EPA entered into an Administrative Order on Consent with CTC, now owned by Freeport McMoRan,  on
September 30, 2009 to investigate groundwater coming from the mine. CTC has been very cooperative,
and in 2010 started the remedial investigation, as well  as installing additional monitoring wells in the Plant
Study Area.

Navajo Nation  EPA and U.S.  EPA Employees Receive
OSWER Environmental Justice Team Award
U.S. EPA and  Navajo  Nation EPA staff led the development and implementation of the first coordinated
plan to  address uranium contamination  on  the Navajo Nation. This five-year plan  was developed in
conjunction with the U.S. House Committee on  Government Oversight and Reform, the  BIA, Indian Health
Service, Centers for Disease Control, Department of Energy, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and  the
Navajo Nation.

                                            A key element of the plan is to identify and clean  up
                                            contaminated structures, including homes, hogans (tra-
                                            ditional Navajo structures)  and  storage buildings made
                                            of materials from nearby uranium mines. Building mate-
                                            rial sources include rocks, gravel, and aggregate from
                                            mine spoils which were used in concrete mixing.  Struc-
                                            tures were also contaminated by the  presence of radio-
                                            logical materials in  outdoor soils and by dust brought into
                                            the homes on shoes and clothing.

                                            The U.S. EPA-Navajo Nation EPA team worked closely with
                                            Navajo families, local Navajo Chapter officials, and  the
                                            Navajo government to identify, demolish, and  rebuild
                                            homes built during Cold-War-Era uranium mining.  Since
                                            the project began in 2008, the team has screened nearly
200 structures for potential contamination, and completed  demolition and excavation of 27 contaminated
structures and 10  residential yards.  The team completed the construction of 14 new homes,  and provided
compensation to families wishing  to rebuild structures themselves.
                                                       10
          Northeast Church Rock Mine contaminated soil
          excavation.

-------

    Contaminated structure being taken down.
                                                 New home to replace a contaminated structure.
BROWNFIELDS
Salt River Pima-Maricopa  Indian Community Assessment Completion, Arizona
Under a Brownfields Assessment Grant, the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community completed
the investigation of a 160-acre former feedlot, and will begin cleanup this year using funds from a Brownfields
Cleanup Grant. The site, which has been sitting dormant for  more than 17 years, will eventually be redevel-
oped for housing, recreation and gardens.

Targeted Brownfield Assessment (TBA) at  Hopland Band of
Porno  Indians Reservation  California
                                           EPA awarded the  Hopland Band of Porno Indians funds
                                          to conduct an assessment of a 460-foot deep drinking
                                          water well.  Because of naturally occurring arsenic, other
                                           metals, and high Total Dissolved Solids levels, the water is
                                           not safe for drinking without treatment.  Therefore, the
                                          tribe needed  to know if  the well could be salvaged or if
                                          there were other options for using the water.  When the
                                          tribe found that they did not have sufficient funds under
                                          their existing Brownfields Assessment Grant to complete
                                          the work, they requested  a TBA (performed by an EPA con-
                                          tractor) to supplement the initial assessment.  Due to the
                                           corrosiveness of the water, the artesian flow of the well
                                           and the associated high treatment costs under any reuse
                                          scenario, the Targeted  Brownfield Assessment Report
recommended that the well be abandoned by plugging it. The well was safely abandoned by the tribe, using
a Brownfields Cleanup Grant. This well is no longer needed for drinking water.
Top of well head encased in sludge precipitated from
high TDS discharge.
Targeted Brownfields Assessment at Gila  River
Indian  Community, Arizona
The  Gila River  Indian  Community  requested  an
assessment at a former ordnance and munitions factory.
The tribe is interested in siting a solar power array in that
area and needed  to know if the  location was suitable.
The assessment found that the site is suitable for renew-
able energy, including the proposed solar farm, without
doing any cleanup work. The solar generating station could
even be expanded if some old  buildings  and earthen
mounds were removed. The  assessment report also
provided a comparative cost data analysis, to show the
feasibility of developing this land as a renewable energy
site.
                                             11
                                                                                                    -
                                                                                                   =
                                                                                                   I

                                                                                                   =


                                                                                                   I—
                                                                                                   I

                                                                                                   =


                                                                                                   .—
                                                                                                   »
                                                                                                   I

                                                                                                   =

                                                                                                   k
                                                                                                   =
                                                     Former ordnance and munitions buildings.

-------
=
=
="
          Healthy Tribal Communities
INDIAN  ENVIRONMENTAL GENERAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (GAP)
FY2010 ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Congress provides funding through the Indian Environmental General Assistance Program (GAP) to support
tribes as they increase capacity to plan, develop, and establish environmental programs. Tribes are creating
innovative environmental education programs, developing environmental programs, working collaboratively
with other tribes to solve  problems that face multiple tribes nearby, and striving to improve the  health of
tribal members and Indian lands.  In  2010, 126 of the 147 tribes in the Pacific Southwest, and four inter-
tribal consortia in the region, received GAP funding.
=
="
=
="
 Number of Tribes and Tribal Consortia
 Developing Environmental Programs with
 GAP Grants in the Pacific Southwest
-
=
="
=
=~
=
="
—i
_
         140
         120
         100
 80
          60
          20
                                        jfftTfffl
   FY93
                                     FY10
                                           Navajo Nation EPA  Public Information  Officer
                                           From 1944 to 1986, nearly 4,000,000 tons of uranium
                                           ore was extracted from Navajo lands.  Although these
                                           mines are currently closed, the legacy of uranium contam-
                                           ination from more than 500 abandoned mines remains.
                                           In 2008, EPA worked with the Navajo Nation and multiple
                                           federal agencies to develop an aggressive Five Year Plan
                                           to address the ongoing environmental and health impacts
                                           of uranium mining. Lillie Lane, a Public Information Officer
                                           with the Navajo  Nation Environmental Protection Agency
                                           (NNEPA), has been a vital partner in carrying out this plan.
                                           Lillie meets with families at their homes, translates tech-
                                           nical information to  Navajo-speaking residents, and
                                           provides assistance to U.S. EPA's field teams. In order to
                                           reach affected residents, she drives to distant areas of
                                           the Navajo  Nation, which  encompasses three states and
                                           is roughly the size of West Virginia, to conduct door-to-
                                           door outreach in extremely remote, nearly inaccessible
                                           places to ensure that Navajo families are not drinking
                                           water contaminated with radionuclides. Lillie has built
strong relationships based on trust with many Navajo Nation community members.  This has been critical to
minimizing health impacts associated with abandoned uranium mines and  helping EPA meet the Five Year
Plan's ambitious goals.

Closing  Open Dumps
In  October 2009, the Yurok Tribe met the  many chal-
lenges posed by a remote and  inaccessible illegal  dump
site when the tribe closed the Johnsons Road  dump. Due
to  its large size and position on  an extremely steep slope,
closing the dump was a major  effort.  Tribal  staff joined
forces with a contract crew and  members of the California
Department of Resources  Recycling and Recovery (Cal-
Recycle) to construct a rail track on the site.  Excavators
were cabled to winches and lowered down the slope to
load waste into rail cars, which were winched up and down
on the rails.  Hand crews, sometimes roped and harnessed
for safety, rappelled down the slope to collect debris that
could not be reached by excavators.   The project took
more than six weeks to complete, but  was finished under budget  and removed  approximately 138 tons of
waste.
                                                      12
                                                    m
                                                    Joint Tribal-State-Federal dump cleanup on steep slope
                                                    at Yurok Reservation

-------
Using Digital Mapping as  an Educational Tool
The  environmental office of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria  combined native  plant
identification and mapping to teach youth how to use GPS and identify native plants.  Prior to holding an
environmental youth camp, staff created  a pamphlet of  native  plants found at the camp site. Tribal youth
used the pamphlet to identify  the plants and  recorded data  points with GPS units.  Environmental staff
created a map with the information the young tribal members had collected.  On the last day of the event,
each participant was given a copy of the map they helped to create. The students learned  about six native
coastal plant species, how to  identify them in the  field, and surveying techniques using maps  and GPS
technology.

                                           Environmental  Education
                                           During August 2009, the  Yomba Shoshone Tribe Office
                                           of Environmental Protection hosted "Yomba Nature Days,"
                                           a youth outdoor education  campout.  Participants camped
                                           in  the  Columbine  Campground in the Toiyabe Range for
                                           three days.   During the camp they learned the history of
                                           the Reese River Valley, wildfire safety, identification of birds
                                           and plants, plant  and  range health, explored the Reese
                                           River watershed's wetlands, water quality, and aquatic
                                           insects, and  had a special visit from Smokey Bear. This
                                           hands-on approach increased the young people's know-
                                           ledge of their surrounding  environment and raised aware-
                                           ness regarding safety and  hazards in the area.
Yomba Shoshone youth and Smokey Bear at Yomba
Nature Days.
Building Consortia  -  Maximizing Resources
Six tribes in Lake County, California formed the Hinthil
Environmental Resources Consortium (HERC) in 2001.
Environmental directors from Big Valley Rancheria Band
of Porno Indians, Elem Indian Colony, Habematolel
Porno  of Upper Lake, Scotts Valley Band of Porno
Indians,  Middletown  Rancheria,  and   Robinson
Rancheria meet monthly to discuss environmental issues
and collaborate on projects. HERC is currently implementing
a tribal water quality monitoring program for Clear Lake,
which has been used by tribes for thousands of years and
has been severely affected by pesticide  runoff and con-
tamination from the Sulphur Bank Mercury Mine (a Super-
fund site).  HERC members collect monitoring data on a
quarterly basis on Clear Lake and are using the data to
develop a Tribal State of the Waters Report by 2011.  This
report will be used to provide data that can be evaluated
and used for decision making by the HERC member tribes.
HERC is a model for tribal collaboration on issues that affect
tribes on a regional basis.
                                                                 Redwood Valley
                                                      Coyote Va/%-v     .^UpperLake
                                                      Pinoleville •     \   X
                                                      •f offer \/a//eV*Gu/d/V///e  ' Rob'nson
                                                            Scotts Valley

                                                             Hop/and*  Big Valley
                                                                                   »Elem
                                                            Cloverdaie
                                                          Stewarts Point
 /lower Lake


Middletown
                                                     Inter-Tribal Efforts in the Clear Lake area.
               Emergency Planning
               In 2010,  several Nevada Tribal  Emergency Managers,  along with the Tribal State
               Environmental Liaison, Indian Health  Board of Nevada and Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada,
               formed the Nevada Inter-Tribal Emergency Response Commission (ITERC).  The purpose of
               the ITERC  is to perform duties specified in the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization
Act of 1986 (SARA), and to increase Tribal Emergency Management capacity through an all-hazards approach.
ITERC's biggest accomplishment has been to provide a single avenue for State/Tribal collaboration, giving a
unified voice for all Nevada Tribal Emergency Management programs. This has meant that all tribes are
included in the planning, regardless of whether they have the funding to have a fully functioning emergency
management  program.
                                              13
                                                                                                    =
                                                                                                  "=
                                                                                                    =
                                                                                                    I
                                                                                                    _

                                                                                                    =
                                                                                                    =
                     =
                     =
                     •
                     =
                                                                                                    =
                                                                                                    =

-------

=

=
=_
=
=
="

==
=
—.
  «

=
Energy Efficiency Outreach
The Gila River Indian Community's  Department  of Environmental
Quality (DEQ) Waste Team developed a pamphlet with energy efficiency
tips as part of a climate change outreach effort. The pamphlet has been
distributed among tribal members.  As part of the outreach effort, DEQ
staff gave several presentations and conferences to low-income commu-
nity residents on reducing the tribe's dependence on fossil fuels and
lowering the community's carbon footprint.

U.S.-MEXICO  BORDER  2012 PROGRAM
San Francisquito  O'odham Community Celebrates
Completion of Drinking Water Project
This EPA Border 2012-funded project includes a new solar-powered well
pump, refurbished water storage tank, and distribution system to deliver
safe drinking water to the San Franciscquito Community, on the south
side of the U.S.-Mexico Border.  The binational project was built in part-
nership with the Tohono O'odham Nation, the Border Environment
Cooperation Commission, and Mexican Government  agencies.
                                                                              I So The Sulutii.il
                                                                                  '^iitiiiv GOIM'IM,
                                                                                                  .1.1,
                                                                            Gila River Indian Community energy
                                                                            efficiency pamphlet
Gu Vo Regional Water System
The Tohono O'odham Nation, Tohono O'odham Utility Authority, EPA, and the Tucson Area IMS cooperated
to complete the $1.1 million Gu Vo  Regional Water System  intertying two independent community water
systems into one larger system serving 91 homes in the Tohono O'odham  communities of Gu Vo and Pia Oik.
The system also has sufficient capacity to support the neighboring Meneger Dam community.

EPA and the Tucson Area IMS jointly funded the project under the Border Infrastructure Tribal Set-aside
Program.  It upgraded seven miles of existing water main and was completed in January 2010. As a result,
the communities have a safe water supply. Arsenic and fluoride levels comply with the Safe Drinking Water
Act.

Tribal  Feedback  on Future Border  Program
EPA, in collaboration with the Native American Environmental Protection Coalition (NAEPC), organized a
meeting with Arizona and California  border tribes to  discuss the next generation of the Border 2012 Pro-
gram.  Suggestions included protecting aboriginal territory; conducting assessments in preparation for cli-
mate change adaptation and mitigation; engaging the Department of Interior  in natural resources protec-
tion; Department of Homeland Security assistance with  undocumented  migrant waste issues; more focus
on alternative energy and energy efficiency programs; addressing water  quality and water quantity issues;
and working with SEMARNAT (EPA's Mexican  counterpart agency) to conduct a needs assessment of indig-
enous Mexican communities and coordination with stakeholders on cross-border public health issues.


PESTICIDE  AND HAZARDOUS  WASTE  COLLECTION EVENTS
On May 5 and 6, 2010,  the Shoshone  Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Reservation  held a pesticide
and hazardous waste collection and  disposal pilot project for residents, the local school, and tribal depart-
ments. The Duck Valley Tribal Environmental Protection Office worked with the Tribal Council to inform the
community about the event and encourage participation through  meetings and postings. EPA's Superfund
Program took the lead on arranging for the collection and disposal of the waste. As a  result of the project,
1,575 pounds of pesticides (including DDT and strychnine),  and more than 31,000 pounds of hazardous
and nonhazardous waste were  removed from the reservation. This project was a collaborative effort that
included Shoshone Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Reservation, the Inter Tribal Council of Nevada, and
EPA's Superfund, Tribal, Solid Waste  and  Pesticide Programs.
                                                       14

-------
                                                                 DANGER    POISON
                                                                         3&
     Hazardous Waste at Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian
     Community
Strychnine Removed from the Duck Valley Indian
Reservation
At the Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community, the Senior Environmental Specialist for Pesticides
and Hazardous Substances  organized a hazardous waste collection for tribal government departments.
Approximately 400 pounds and 100 gallons of various pesticides,  including four full canisters of deadly
phosphine gas, were removed from  the reservation.

The Pesticide  Inspector at Colorado River Indian Tribes (GRIT) organized a pesticide container recycling
event held  on December 12, 2009. The effort removed a total of  7,125 pounds of pesticide containers
from the reservation. Since the program started in 2007, about 35 tons of pesticide containers have been
recycled.

Collaborative  Effort  Results  in  Federal  Pesticide  Enforcement
Based  on investigations conducted by the Fort Mojave Indian Tribe,  the Navajo Nation,  U.S. EPA, and
the states of Arizona and Idaho,  EPA took a $99,600 penalty action against Wilbur-Ellis Corp. for 21 alleged
violations of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and  Rodenticide Act  (FIFRA).   Evidence collected by tribal,
state and federal pesticide inspectors indicated that applicators working for Wilbur-Ellis did not wear per-
sonal protective  equipment required by pesticide labels, and that the company distributed a restricted use
pesticide to a non-certified applicator, and  distributed and sold a misbranded pesticide. Through the  coop-
eration  of tribal  and  state pesticide inspectors on  this enforcement action, EPA was able to bring  some
serious  problems to the attention of this large corporation.

The Navajo Nation Pesticide Program conducted an inspection that resulted in an EPA penalty action against
Dollar Store, a California company, for sale and distribution of two unregistered pesticides.

Tribal  Pesticide Enforcement Actions
Tribal pesticide programs continue to take  enforcement actions against violators of tribal pesticides codes
and  ordinances.  In  FY10, Gila River  Indian Community, Colorado River Indian Tribes, Shoshone
Paiute  Tribes of the  Duck Valley Reservation  and Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community
all issued enforcement actions, some of which included penalties, against violators of tribal pesticide ordi-
nances.
  =
"=
  _
  »
  I
  =

  =
  =
                                                     —
                                                     :

                                                     =


                                                     =


           Inspection of an Aircraft Used for Pesticide
           Applications.
Tribal Inspection of a Pesticide Storage Area
                                               15
                                                                                                        =


                                                                                                        I—
                                                                                                        •

-------
-
=
=
==
=
="
==

=
=_
=

          Worker Protection Standard Inspector Training at
          Colorado River Indian Tribes
                                            Worker Safety
                                            In February, 2010,  the Colorado River Indian Tribes
                                            (GRIT) held a 3-day training on the federal Worker Protec-
                                            tion Standards for tribal pesticide inspectors from the Rocky
                                            Mountain and South Central Regions.  The agenda, devel-
                                            oped by the GRIT pesticide  inspector,  included inspection
                                            planning, inspection procedures and report writing. As part
                                            of the training,  EPA staff provided real-time feedback on
                                            draft inspection reports written by trainees.

                                            The Gila River  Indian Community developed an annual
                                            Worker Safety Newsletter in English and Spanish that cov-
                                            ers pesticide safety and the dangers of heat stress to field
                                            workers. The tribe's pesticide program staff distributes
the newsletter to agricultural workers and handlers in the field, growers, and the Community, creating a
positive image for the tribe's pesticide program.


TRIBAL LEAD ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Tribes in the Pacific Southwest Region achieved significant progress in meeting the national strategic goal of
eliminating childhood lead poisoning as a major health threat. Among the accomplishments:

Four tribes completed EPA-approved training to assess lead hazards at pre-1978 tribal housing and  child-
occupied buildings, enabling tribal staff to become EPA-certified  to conduct lead hazard evaluations.

Three tribes assessed and remediated lead hazards at tribal housing and child-occupied facilities,  including
removal of lead-contaminated soil at tribal homes and remediating lead hazards at child-occupied  facilities.
Tribes conducted outreach to tribal members, building maintenance workers, school and  nursing staff, and
daycare workers on lead's health risks, and how to avoid exposure to  lead hazards.

Tribes shared technical expertise on lead's  hazards  and applicable requirements with other tribes, and
conducted lead hazard outreach with non-tribal neighbors at county health forums and local Earth Day
events.
Lead-related  work was  conducted  by Big  Valley
Rancheria, Buena Vista Rancheria, Colorado River
Indian Tribes,  Fallen  Paiute-Shoshone Tribe,  Fort
Bidwell   Indian  Community,   Graton   Rancheria,
Hoopa   Valley   Tribe,   Hopi   Tribe,   North   Fork
Rancheria, Soboba Band, South  Fork Band,  Torres
Martinez Tribe,  and the Inter-Tribal Council  of Ari-
zona.

For more details: www.epa.gov/region9/toxic/lead/lead-
child-indiancountry/index.html
                                                                 Tribal staff taking dust wipe sample at homes to deter-
                                                                 mine potential lead hazards. Samples are sent for lab
                                                                 analysis. In pre-1978 housing, abrasion generates lead-
                                                                 contaminated dust from painted walls, floors, and
                                                                 window frames.
                                                        16

-------
Clean  and  Safe Water
EPA and tribes have worked together for more than two  decades to achieve  clean and  safe water by
building water infrastructure projects, protecting underground sources of drinking water, and implementing
water quality monitoring and restoration projects.

Building  Water Infrastructure
                     EPA Funding for Tribal Wastewater and Drinking Water
                             Infrastructure in the Pacific Southwest
                                       .-
                   $45
                   $40
                   $35
                   $30
                   $25
                   $20
                   $15
                   $10
                    $5
                    $0
               DWTSA
               ARRA
               CWTSA
               ARRA
               DWTSA

               Border
                        LO  co  r~ co  o>
                                                             r~co
          EPA Region 9 Tribal Wastewater and Drinking Water Infrastructure Funding History.
In  2009, the Clean Water Act Indian Set-Aside Program awarded
$3.8 million  and through the American Reinvestment and Recovery
Act (ARRA), EPA awarded an  additional $22.3 million for multiple
wastewater projects that serve 19,741 homes.  The Drinking Water
Tribal Set-Aside program awarded $3.5 million and an additional
$8.4 million was awarded through the ARRA for multiple drinking
water infrastructure projects to address high priority public health
needs for 8,490 homes.  Several projects were successfully com-
pleted in 2010,  including projects at the Hopi  Reservation and
Tohono O'odham Nation.

The Hopi Water Resources Department and Village of Shungopavi
on the Hopi Reservation received Drinking Water Tribal Set-Aside
grants in 2000 and 2001 totaling $1.91 million to develop a new
well water source, elevated water storage tank, and upgrades of
water distribution facilities in the Village of Shungopavi.  The cost
of the water storage tank exceeded original estimates and an ARRA
Drinking Water Tribal Set-Aside grant provided Hopi an additional
$276,400 to complete the tank.  The water storage tank went on-
line in spring 2010 and provides additional water storage for 225
homes.
                                       -

                                       I—
                                       I
                                       w
New water storage tank for the Village of
Shungopavi on the Hopi Reservation.
The Tohono O'odham Nation received Drinking Water Tribal Set-Aside grants in 2004 and 2005 for a
project that serves 20 homes in  Gunsight, a small community on the western edge of the Nation.  The
grants were to fund a new water  storage tank and 4-inch water pipes to replace deteriorated and  under-
sized pipelines.  However, after further analysis, 6-inch water pipes were determined to be the preferred
size to reduce friction losses. Due to this change as  well as inflation and rapid increases in fuel costs,
                                       =
                                              17

-------
=
=
—I
  'I
=
A
/
          Workers James Johnson and Gary Wilson, Jr. install
          a valve to connect the Gunsight community wells
          to the upgraded water distribution system.
                                          funding was insufficient to complete the original project.  In
                                          2009, an ARRA Drinking Water Tribal Set-Aside grant provided
                                          Tohono O'odham Nation supplemental funds to  upgrade
                                          the water main and connect the new tank to the community.
                                          The  project was completed in summer 2010.

                                          Assessing Water Quality
                                          In 2010, 99 tribes were eligible to develop and carry out water
                                          quality monitoring programs under the Clean Water Act Section
                                          106 Water Pollution Control Program.  EPA provided more than
                                          $8.5 million  in grant funding to tribes to  monitor, conduct
                                          studies and assessments of surface and ground water  quality
                                          conditions and track water quality trends.  More than 50
                                          tribes are implementing their water quality monitoring strat-
                                          egies and  40 tribes are providing  water quality data  to EPA
                                          electronically.
In  2010,  the Timbisha  Shoshone  Tribe  began
monitoring  and assessing their water quality for multiple
parameters at six sites on the reservation following their
EPA-approved Quality Assurance Program Plan (QAPP). The
tribe submitted their water quality data to EPA and shared
their findings with  tribal members through outreach and
education  activities, including articles in the tribe's
newsletter.  They are also  using the water quality data
findings to assist with the development of their man-
agement plan  to address polluted runoff.

Throughout 2010,  tribes  have been training other  tribes
on water quality monitoring and assessment activities on
Indian  reservations, providing real hands-on  practice.  In
May, staff  from the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe Water
Quality Department held a training on biological monitor-
ing with the Pinoleville  Porno Nation for tribes in the
Clear Lake  area of Northern California.  The training was
tailored to local conditions and allowed for hands-on learn-
ing in local  waterways.

Improving Water Quality
Using  results from water  quality  monitoring and
assessments  conducted over the years, tribes have
addressed water quality issues of concern under the Clean
Water Act Section 319 Nonpoint Source Pollution Control
Program. Tribes use CWA Section  319 funds to develop
and carry out polluted runoff control programs, addressing
critical water  quality concerns  and achieving positive
environmental results on  the reservations and in the
watersheds. In 2010, 81 tribes were eligible to carry out
their nonpoint source programs.
                                                                 Carmen Armitage, Water Quality Specialist at Timbisha
                                                                 Shoshone Tribe, conducting water quality monitoring
                                                                 at one of the tribe's monitoring sites.

Biological monitoring training atAckerman Creek at
Pinoleville Porno Nation. Shown are Robert James of
Pinoleville Porno Nation, Debbie McCubbin of Robinson
Rancheria of Porno Indians, Shi Martinez of Coyote
Valley Porno Indians, Dan Mosley of Pyramid Lake
Paiute Tribe, and David Edmunds of Pinoleville Porno
Nation.
=
                                                          18

-------
In 2009, the Bishop Paiute Tribe Water Quality Control Program installed 1230 feet of fencing along the
south fork of Bishop Creek in the Owens Valley to restrict livestock access to the  creek, in an effort to
stabilize the streambank, and improve downstream water quality.  CWA Section  319 funds were used to
purchase materials and install the fence.  The project is expected to lessen sedimentation and turbidity
downstream of the site, which will benefit aquatic invertebrates and fish by providing healthy  streambed
habitat and  a clearer water column,  making it easier for fish to see their food.
                                                                                                        .-
          Before project implementation on
          South Fork of Bishop Creek at
          Bishop Paiute Indian Reservation.
                                          Completed exclusion fencing project at same site.
In 2010, the Quechan  Indian Tribe implemented a
habitat conservation and  riparian restoration project with
a CWA Section 319 grant supplemented with funds from
U.S.  Bureau of Reclamation, Natural  Resource Conser-
vation Services, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. A four-
man crew cleared  sixty acres which consisted mainly of
invasive tamarisk (salt cedar) by hand at the Bee Wash
area next to  a trailer park.  The crew restored the site
with  native species including cotton-wood, sandbar willow,
and  honey mesquite to  provide a  riparian habitat  for
endangered birds  such as the Southwestern willow  fly-
catcher and Yuma  clapper rail.
                                                                                                        -

                                                                                                        I—
                                                                                                        I
                                                                                                        w
                                                                                              - ^
                                                        Reggie Antone, Quechan Indian Tribe Environmental
                                                        Department employee and tribal member, planting
                                                        bundles of sandbar (coyote) willow poles for bank
                                                        stabilization along the Colorado River.
Protecting Sources of  Drinking Water  on
Tribal Lands
In 2008, the Tribal  Source  Water Assessment and
Protection Program provided  more than $300,000 to
seven tribes for projects to be carried out through 2010. The funding is used to assess human health risks
to drinking water supplies and develop methods to protect, prevent, or  reduce contamination of drinking
water sources.

EPA issued a Direct Implementation Tribal Cooperative Agreement (DITCA) grant to Santa  Rosa Rancheria
in Central California to carry out a four-step assessment of the tribe's drinking water supply.  The project
included  mapping source water protection areas, a potential contaminant source inventory, a  susceptibility
analysis,  and a public education campaign. Santa Rosa Rancheria also worked to educate tribal members
about the importance  of protecting water sources.
                                               19

-------
 ft».,B,,«

    '   *


       —


 .. HooptVUW    ,

  ?-_**

  - S.V*t4
••n,mw.w»* B.*»'--
   **»«•
                          CgdiVMty
         £™«.Uk-
    Ffexmd Valley
          fcMiibi Earn or Haiite* hidflit
4
                           PyrmiH UBS
           ..-.-.       •:». i
  M^nvuiriBwu^
  SSwis*5"*  '""•""   •**""

              AUnnJIandi^
                Bu^VWl  s,TCR^n
                      vTudkAUHi
                      WMflRMfli


             (ALIFORM A
                NE\AD\

      %. WfctoFSw.   ',«*.        ttata-.

         '.

      „
                              '•" •"•£<

TRIBAL  LANDS
IN REGION 9
Reservations,  Rancherias, Colonies
       0  25  50     100    150
             ^•H
              MIHJ5.
       Bmconpad*

            ,»««*   • TWs^,
                           HorihFah
                      Hli«!rl*l« fig Sandy    B? Pm*
*BSwl™' FWM,^™
.ln»ptn.
•Dfrin^B
Sama Ro» R«nctoti«
lule Rlwr


Hop.
"i
B
LuV«gn

HlMlapil
- x^.rh
                                                                     Hvtswpa
                                                                                  HOJII
                       SintiVliK
                                    Fa, 1.1^,-.

                                           tiJttlBpM       T«*«p»

                                                     '"*•

                                     >„**.  *"^-'—

                                                          T»lo
Si'-M^vd T«rirHto.Mn.
HMMM
Sotat^ " . - A*» Cilur*.
•^^sSr*
"•"•f^TSSL
\KI
CotgrndoRwa
Tuft«w O~&J«B|
KorVA*-
J^tWtt^-rf
^« fi-.-.i
^'^ r*™
At- I- ^F«dWIt
SviCaik^

  R\
                                                                                 PIKJ*¥*4K

                                                                       ToUaiaO'ffilhttl   -T«m>(ro«am
                                                   - '   •
                  U.S. EPA Pacific Southwest/Region 9 Tribal Program Office
                     http://www.epa.gov/region09/tribal/success/index.html

-------