US EPA OAQPS
Tribal Air News
Volume 7, Issue 4
October 2009
Sustain ability for the Seventh Generation


Earlier tliis year, EPA awarded grants to three tribes
under the Sustainability for the Seventh Generation Initiative —
the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe in north central Minnesota, the
Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe in East Central Minnesota, and the
Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa in Michigan.
The purpose of this initiative is to help Tribal communities
reduce their emissions and promote sustainability with the goal
of cleaner and healthier air.
The Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe project is providing
weatherization and solar forced heating for heating-assistance
homes. They have completed retrofits for 8 homes and would
like to expand their efforts. These solar units can generate
60.25 mBTUs and 17,800 kwhs of solar energy for the next 25
to 50 years, thus resulting in cost savings for the home owners
and contributing to the betterment of the community and environment. Just recently,
Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) aired a radio story about this project. A taste of the story and a
link to the MPR site to listen is on page 8. For more information about the program, contact
Brandy Toft at 218-335-7+29 or air@lldrm.org.
The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe is collaborating with the Phillips Neighborhood, the City of
Minneapolis and the Minnesota air program. The Phillips Neighborhood is a Minneapolis
community, surrounded on three sides by major highways, with a mixed population of tribal
members, Hispanics and Southeast Asians. The tribe is conducting neighborhood meetings to
get input on interest in improving air quality and sustainability. The three parties are interested
in projects to: increase public transportation to the community (particularly with hybrid
buses); replace gas lawn mowers; retrofit diesel engines; ban "smoker" vehicles, and;
weatherize homes. By working directly with the city, they have already succeeded in passing
anti-idling ordnances in the neighborhood. For more information, contact Charlie Lippertat
320-532-470+ or Charlie.lippert@millelacsband.com.
The Grand Traverse Band (GTB) of Ottawa and Chippewa, located in Michigan, own two
casino resorts, a resort hotel, and dozens of administrative buildings for governmental and gaming-
related management and infrastructure which use significant energy. In addition, over 1,000
employees commute daily to and from the surrounding areas to work, converting significant
amounts of petroleum products to airborne pollutants. Grand Traverse wants to increase its overall
energy efficiency , but has only limited understanding of its total energy consumption or the
emissions associated with energy use. To address this problem, in June 2009, GTB began a project
intended to provide an energy consumption and emissions discharge audit. Data from the audit will
be used to put initiatives! in place to reduce the Tribe's carbon footprint. For more information,
contact Desmond Berry at 231-53+-7500 or desmond.berry@gtbindians.com
This Month:
Tribes in
the News
This quarter has been
erentjul, with numerous
tribal air-related stories in
the mainstream media.
See pages 5—15 for
stories and links.
Inside this issue:
doe Funds Clean
ENERGY FOR TRIBES
2
Tribal MSR
Rules
3:
CARE Grants
4
Leaded: AvGas
Rule
5
TrIBBS IN THE
Ne.W'S
5-
15
dera Grants
15
Caiekrar
16

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Page 2
Tribal Air Hews

U.S. Department of Energy

w
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
Bringing you a prosperous future where energy is
dean, abundant, reliable, and affordable
DEPT OF ENERGY FUNDS
TRIBAL CLEAN ENERGY PROJECTS
You can subscribe to
the DOE Energy
Efficiency and
Renewable Energy
newsletter at:
http: / /
apps 1. eere. energy. i'o
v/news/eim.cfrn
On August 13, the Department
of Energy (DOE) announced its award of
up to $13.6 million in multi-year huiding
for new clean energy projects on tribal
lands. Thirty-six Native American tribes and
Alaskan villages have been selected to
receive awards that will advance renewable
energy technologies, as well as energy
efficiency and conservation projects on tribal
lands and rural Alaska villages.
The DOE funding, awarded
through a competitive process, is expected
to be matched by up to $27 million in public
and private investment, for a total value of
nearly $+1 million, hi addition to the
Alaskan villages, the huiding will go to tribes
in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Iowa,
Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada,
New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma,
South Dakota, Washington, and Wisconsin,
Of the 36 Native American tribes
and villages whose projects have been
selected for negotiation, 8 projects will
provide weatherization training and
resources to tribal members, 17 projects
will focus on assessing the feasibility of
renewable energy development and energy
efficiency deployment on tribal lands, and 11
projects will fund the development of
renewable energy projects and the
deployment of energy efficiency measures on
tribal lands and villages. The renewable
energy projects will employ hydropower and
wind power, while the feasibility studies will
be examining a wide range of renewable
energy technologies. For more information
on the projects, see the DOE press release
and the Tribal Energy Program Web site.
Reprinted with kind permission from the
DOE Energy Efjiciency and Renewable Energy
Newsletter.
K 1 :
¦I
Angel McCormack Detailed to OAQPS
The Community and Tribal Programs Group in
EPA's Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards
(OAQPA) is happy to welcome Angel McCormack, a
member of the ISfez Perce Nation, to our offices on a detail.
Sadly, Angel's arrival has been delayed by a family
emergency, so we will have a article introducing her in the
next issue of the newsletter rather than this one.
You will be able to reach Angel at
mccormack. angel@epa • go v.

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Volume 7, Issue 4
Pa«js 3
Tribal New Source Review Rules:
Filling a Regulatory Gap in Indian Country
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
proposed two New Source Review (NSR) regulations for
Indian Country on August 21, 2006 (71 FR +8696). These
rides will require stationary sources of air pollution to get
permits before they begin construction. Permits specify what
construction is allowed, what emissions limits must be n>. ol.
and often, how the source must be operated.
These long-awaited regulations wdl fill a significant
regidatory gap because there is currently no permitting
mechanism for minor stationary sources located anywhere in
Indian Country, or for major stationary sources located in
areas of Indian Country not attaining the National Ambient
Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). EPA sets NAAQS to
protect human health and welfare for six pollutants: ozone,
carbon monoxide, particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, lead,
and nitrogen oxide.
delegation of the program or develop a Tribal
Implementation Plan (TIP), which would make them
responsible for issuing these permits. EPA will
maintain
the sole . IA ^
authority to L_jJB ,
enforce
these rides, u
Tribes have been involved in
developing these rides since early in
the process, and we plan to continue
that involvement as we finalize and
implement the rides. In 2002, EPA
sent letters to all federally-
recognized tribes to inform them
about the status of the rides and to
seek their recommendations for
effective consultation and rule
development involvement. With the
resultant feedback, we developed a
consultation and outreach plan. This
plan included face-to-face meetings and trainings at
locations throughout the country, EPA participation in
numerous national and regional forums/conference
calls, and the posting of information in newsletters and
on websites. Furthermore, at the request of tribes,
EPA twice extended and reopened the comment
period for the proposed rides (from November 20,
2006 to January 19, 2007 and from January 19, 2007
to March 20, 2007).
Because of the long gap between that early
consultation and final Agency action, EPA is once again
informing tribes about the status and content of the
final rides, targeted for May 2010. There will be an
update at the next National Tribal Council call on
October 13. If you have any questions about these
rides, please feel free to contact Jessica Montanez at
919-541-3+07 or at montanez,jessica@epa.gov.
Major sources are facdities that have the potential to
emit (PTE) pollutants in amounts equal to or greater than the
defined major source threshold levels (i.e. emission limits).
Thresholds vary by pollutant
and/or source category and are -
more stringent in nonattainment [jl
areas. Minor sources have PTEs |
below these major source
thresholds, but can cumulatively
¦ contribute significantly to area
health risks. Examples of minor
sources include gas stations, dry
I cleaners, and automotive repair
i Y Ji	shops.
Tribal governments
K | Njv; will be able to choose whether
or not to implement the new
rides. If the tribe cannot or
does not want to implement the program itself, tribes can ask
EPA to implement the program because EPA has the broad
authority to protect air resources throughout the nation, in
eluding air resources in Indian Country. Tribes that do
choose to implement a minor NSR program can accept

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Page 4
Tribal Air News
CARE Grants Can Help Tribes with Toxics
Community Action for a Renewed Environment
(CARE) is a competitive grant program tliat offers
communities an innovative way to address tlie risks from
multiple sources of toxic pollution in tlieir environment.
CARE Grants cover toxics in all media, not just air, making
CARE a comprehensive way for communities to address
toxics issues. To date, CARE lias awarded grants to 6+
different communities throughout the United States.
Through CARE, local organizations, including non-
profits, businesses, schools and governments, create
partnerships that implement local solutions to reduce toxic
pollutants and minimize people's exposure to them. CARE
offers two levels of grants. Level I grants (up to $100,000)
are offered to communities to form partnerships among
residents, businesses and local governments,
among others, to identify the toxic risks in the
community, and prioritize them. Level II Grants
(up to $300,000) allow a community to develop
and implement measurable actions to reduce risks
and implement a structure that can sustain the
work beyond the life of the grant. While states are
excluded from applying for CARE grants, tribes
are eligible.
In addition to funding, CARE grantees
also receive a broad range of support from EPA
tailored to their project and community needs.
This support comes from both EPA Regional and
Headquarters staff. As an added
benefit, CARE grantees become part
of a network of communities
undertaking risk reduction work,
providing them opportunities to learn
from each other.
sources of toxics and opportunities for risk reduction
and environmental improvement. Preliminary
discussions have led one group to focus on polluted
runoff from poultry farms in Delaware County.
Another group is focused on methamphetamine
pollution and particulate matter in Sequoyah
County.
Montana Indian Country CARE Project -
Rocky Mountain College, Montana: This
Level II grant was awarded in 2006 for: a toxics
reduction strategy for families; an inventory of toxic
exposure sources for tribal communities as a
knowledge base for tribal planning and education
campaigns; culturally-sensitive educational messages
about toxic exposure in Indian Country, and;
promotion of toxic reduction strategies in
Tribal schools.
CARE IS A
COMPREHENSIVE
WAY FOR
COMMUNITIES TO
ADDRESS TOXICS
ISSUES
• Inter Tribal Council of Arizona,
Inc. - Phoenix, Arizona: This Level I
grant was awarded in 2007 to create a
Community Risk Reduction Plan for reduc-
ing high priority toxics risks. Of particular
concern is dust generated by agricultural
practices. Pesticide use and household mold
are also significant health concerns for the
community.
LOCAL PARTNERSHIPS-. HEALTHY COMMUNITIES
Here are some examples of tribal projects funded
under CARE:
•	Nunakauyarmiut Tribe - Toksook Bay, Alaska:
This Level I grant was awarded in 2006 to identify,
prioritize, and reduce toxics by increasing community
participation in existing or planned programs and
building sustainable community-based partnerships.
•	Cherokee Nation Health Services Cancer
Programs - Tahlequah, Oklahoma: This Level I
grant was awarded in 2006 to allow a number of
Cherokee communities to collaborate on identifying
Wind River Environmental Justice
Project - Ethete, Wyo-
ming: This Level I grant was
awarded in 2008 for a cross-
cultural, community
organization based on the
Wind River Indian Reservation. The project will
implement a broad-based tribal and community
awareness campaign with the goal of generating
wider understanding of environmental impacts in
the lower Wind River area and building consensus
on priorities for reducing risks.
We encourage more tribes to participate in the
CARE Program. We hope to have another grant
solicitation in mid-December, pending resolution of the
EPA budget. Watch the CARE website for the
announcement and other CARE information at:
www.epa.gov/care/ or contact Dennis O'Connor at
o connor. dermis @ epa. go v

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Volume 7, Issue 4
Page 5
Rule Coming for Aircraft Using Leaded Gas
Piston-engine aircraft are tlie primary type of
aircraft used in general aviation and air taxi activity in tlie
U.S. These aircraft use leaded aviation gasoline, which
accounted for 50% of all LI.S lead emissions in 2005.
These smaller planes and helicopters are used for personal
transportation, flight instruction, business/corporate
transport, air taxi service, aerial application of pesticides
and observation.
EPA's Office of Transportation and Air Quality
(OTAQ) is currently preparing an Advance Notice of
Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) on the potential public
health and welfare effects from lead emitted by piston-
engine aircraft that use leaded aviation gasoline (avgas).
The ANPR should be issued in 2010.
hi the ANPR, EPA will describe and seek comment on
currently available information, as well as on additional
data and analyses that EPA will be conducting. EPA is
interested in any information regarding the potential expo-
sure to, and/or impact of, lead emissions from these aircraft
on tribal land.
While developing the ANPR, OTAQ is actively
gathering data and improving its modeling tools. A modeling
and monitoring study at the airport in Santa Monica,
California should improve EPA's understanding of these
aircraft's lead emissions and the resultant lead levels in
ambient air and soil.
EPA anticipates that the information gathered
through the ANPR process, and through EPA's ongoing
efforts in data-gathering and model improvement will
provide the basis for subsequent rulemaking. For updates and
additional information, please see our
website at: www. epa.gov/aviation Vitin
If YOU HAVE QUESTIONS CONCERNING THIS RULEMAKING, PLEASE CONTACT
Marion Hoyer at 734-214-4513 (hoyer.marion@epa.gov) or
Meredith Pedde at 734-214-4748 (pedde.meredith@epa.gov)
115
Tribes in the News
This past season has seen a number of tribes make the news for issues related to air quality. We are proud to highlight those
tribes in this issue. Whether summarized or reprinted, all articles have links to the original source. Enjoy!
Southern Utes in 
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Page 6
Tribal Air Hews
EPA Honors Navajo Accomplishments
Reprinted with Kind Permission of the Native American Times. View the story online at:
lit tp: //nativetimes.com/index.php?option= com coiiteilt&task=view&id=2059&Itemid= 5
WINDOW ROCK, Ariz.
Xlie Navajo Nation Environmental Protection
Agency was recognized by tlie U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency Region 9 for its 30-year partnership in
protecting the Navajo environment and for its regional and
national leadership in the development of tribal
environmental programs.
On Tuesday, Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley,
Jr., and Navajo EPA Executive Director Stephen B. Etsitty
Expressed their appreciation to acting U.S. EPA Region 9
Administrator Laura Yoshii and her staff during their two-
day visit to Navajoland for a senior management team
meeting with the Navajo Nation EPA to plan out
priorities for the next two years.
Among the Navajo EPA's accomplishments are:
•	The ongoing clean up of the Northeast Churchrock Mine
site.
•	The on-going five-year, five federal agency plan to address
uranium contamination on the Navajo Nation.
•	Elaving two staff receive inspector credentials through the
U.S. EPA LIndergroimd Storage Tank program, giving them
authority to inspect tanks on behalf of the EPA and cite for
violations of federal regulations.
•	The March 2008 passage of the; Navajo Nation Superhmd
law.
Ms. Yoshii took the opportunity of her
visit to present a plaque to Mr. Etsitty and the
Navajo Nation EPA in recognition of its three
decades of accomplishments and for building its
program into one of the premiere tribal
Environmental offices in the country.
" I want to express my heartfelt
appreciation for the partnership but, most
importantly, to congratulate you for the
tremendous accomplishments, urge you to share
our commitment to continue working with you
in full partnership," Ms. Yoshii said.
"I DO RECALL WHEN
ENGAGEMENT WITH
the Navajo EPA was
A HANDFUL OF
PEOPLE," SHE SAID.
"NOW IT'S 66 PEOPLE
ON 'STAFF."
- Laura Yoshii,
Acting lis i pa
Region 9
Administrator
•	Receiving primacy for the LIndergroimd
Injection Control program in December 2008.
•	Having the Navajo EPA delegated to administer
the Title V Air Permitting Program.
Mr. Etsitty gave credit to his long-time
staff for its dedication and perseverance to
achieve what the program has.
"I can't do enough to take care of my
staff," he said. "They are so tireless in what they
do. They are So attentive to our mission which is
to protect the public health and the environment
on the Navajo Nation."
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Volume 7, Issui 4
Page 7
Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley, Jr., and Navajo EPA Executive Director Stephen B. I.tsilly expressed tlieir
appreciation to acting U.S. EPA Region 9 Administrator Laura Yoshii who presented the Navajo EPA with a plaque in
recognition of its 30 years of protecting the Navajo environment and creating a premiere tribal environment program.
President Shirley told Ms. Yoshii that
families in the Churchrock area whose homes
and lands are being cleaned up through the LI.S.
EPA's efforts are also grate fid for the clean-up
program after waiting years and hearing
unfulfilled promises from others. Unlike in the
past, he said, after visiting their homes, the LI S.
EPA returned with money and equipment to
really clean up the sites.
" 'Now we believe,' is what they said,"
the President told Ms. Yoshii. "Certainly we
look forward to fulfilling those plans. I look
forward to working together."
Ms. Yoshii said she was fortunate
through her career at EPA to work with tribal
programs over many years.
"I do recall when engagement with the
Navajo EPA was a handful of people , " she said.
Now it's 66 people on staff."
"We need strong partners and allies in the fight for
environmental protection," she said. "The agency really has moved
to recognize the importance of tribal programs."
She said in the mid-90s, only 10 percent of tribes were
supported with funding by the LI.S. EPA to develop their
environmental programs. Today, she said, 90 percent of the
nation's 563 tribes enjoy at least basic environmental resources
from the federal government.
"We know that in certain areas, in particular access to
safe drinking water, there are huge disparities on tribal lands
(compared to) what the rest of the country enjoys," Ms. Yoshii
said. "We know that on the Navajo Nation, 30 percent of the
families still lack access to drinking water so we're committed to
getting those resources. We've seen incredible progress."
She said President Obama has set aside resources for
clean-up and waste water infrastructure in the American Recovery
and Reinvestment Act.
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PAGE; 8
Tribal Air Hews
LEECH LAKE BAND OF OJIBWE ON MINNESOTA PUBLIC RADIO
SOLAR HEATERS PROVIDE WINTER ASSISTANCE AND
A NEW BUSINESS
by Tom Robertson. Minnesota Public Radio
August 2+, 2009

The Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe is putting
some cutting-edge solar technology on the homes of
low-income tribal members. With help from a federal
grant, the tribe is installing solar air heating systems in
eight low-income homes. For participating households,
it's going to mean significantly lower heating costs this
winter.
The full story and more photographs are available at:
littp://mimiesota.publicradio.org/display/
web/2009/08/24/solar-air-heaters/
Leech Lake Band Of Ojibwe
A CREW OF WORKERS FROM THE LEECH
Lake Incjak Reservation prepares a
HOME FOR INSTALLATION OF TWO:.
large solar panels. Air heated if
THE PANELS: IS CIRCULATED IM THE
HOME, USING FANS AND DUCTWORK.
The unit could cut wister
HEATING. COSTS BT AS MUCH AS ONI"
FOURTH.
(MPR Photo/Tom Robertson)
.	
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Volume 7, Issue 4
Page 9
Shoshone Geothermal Energy Project
This document was originally published online on Tuesday, August 04, 2009 in the Idaho State Journal. Reprinted with kind permission, and
available online at: littp: //jouriialnet.com/articles/2009/08/04/news/breaking/6.txt
By Yann Ranaivo vranaivo@j ournalnet. com
Jason Walker's daily schedule is as packed as
some of the cardboard boxes surrounding the desks in
the office building where he recently moved.
During these summer days, Walker, a 33-
year-old student at Idaho State University, is out of
class but maintains his responsibilities with the North-
western Band of the Shoshone Nation, where he
serves as both vice chairman and air-quality manager.
Walker began working for the Shoshone
Nation nine years ago.
He said one of his biggest goals is to help the
roughly 485-member tribe grow and prosper
financially, regardless of the current state of economy.
"For years, the tribe has been looking for
waysr to generate more revenue," he said, adding that
+ high-tension electricity transmission
+ turblne
generator*
j ^^oltage increase
cooling tower
steam
condenser
urn
separator

water-steam mix
water
upptr confining bed
¦
Injection we
+ geothermal field
confined aquiler
production we
lower continlng bed
magma chamber
he belongs to one of the
smallest Shoshone bands.
"We want to make sure our
younger tribal members are
educated and that our elders
are taken care of."
Walker notes a
geothermal project that his
tribe's economic
developm ent corps
established and council
approved.
He said the project
involves building a geothermal plant near Honeyville,
Utah. It's expected to begin generating power by 2012. The
power will be sold to recipients in Southern
California.
"That's going to be a very lucrative endeavor for the
tribe. That's our flagship project,' he said, adding that the
current geothermal project is one of about
five other renewable energy projects his
tribe is pursuing. Walker said his role as the
tribe's vice chairman allows him to stay ap-
prised of projects such as the construction
of the geothermal plant.
He said the tribe has favored
geothermal energy because it is a more
consistent source of power generation than
other renewables, such as wind and solar. In
addition, he expects the geothermal project
to generate a great number of construction
jobs for the tribe.
When he's not dealing with tribal
matters or receiving the latest update on the
energy project, he can be found on the
Softball diamond and jokes about hitting
home rims as a favor to those who care to
come watch his team play.
PRODUCTION OF ELECTRICITY FROM GEOTHERMAL ENERGY *
Hot water contained IN the ground 'near a volcano, geyser or thermal source is FIFED to the
SURFACE BY DRILLING TO EXTRACT STEAM AND PRODUCE ELECTRICITY.
(FROM MERRIAM^WEBSfER ONLINE..)
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Paqb 10	Tribal Air News
Potawatomi Wins Air Pollution Case
Against Michigan
Madison, Wl	The Potawatomi tribe was featured on Minnesota WKOW TV September 11, 2009.
WKOWTV.COM
Here is the transcript.
You can read to the story at: http://www.wkowtv.com/Global/story.asp?S= 11115127
Posted: Sep 11, 2009 2:15 PM EDT TRAVERSE CITY, Mich.
The Wisconsin Potawatomi Indian tribe won a battle in federal court against the state of Michigan over" air quality. The dispute
has lasted nearly IS years.
Michigan challenged the ITS. Environmental Protection Agency's decision last year to give the Forest County Potawatomi
Community's reservation the highest level of protection against air pollution. The EPA's action followed years of negotiations
between Michigan and the tribe. The tribe reached a separate deal with Wisconsin.
Michigan officials say the EPA used a flawed process of making the air quality designation, which they contend will create
complications for the state's air quality control programs.
On Wednesday, however, the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed Michigan's complaint, saying the state had no basis to
challenge the case.

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Volume 7, Issue 4
Page 11
Northern Cheyenne on
NPR's "Living on Earth"
Northern C lieve
You can listen to tlie program at: http://www.loe.org/shows/segments.btm?proqrainID=09-Pl 3-00031&segmentID=3
Air Quality staffer Jay Littleworth was featured on National Public Radio's program,
"Living on Earth." Below is the transcript.
[SOUND OF TRUCK DRIVING ON MOUNTAIN ROADS]
KRAKER: Jay Littlewolf s mud-caked pickup careens up the
rutted road to Badger Peak, the highest point on the Northern
Cheyenne reservation.
At the summit is one of the more visible signs of his
people's long fight to preserve their
environment.
[SOUND OF DOOR OPENING.
HUMMING]
KRAKER: Littlewolf opens the door to
one of the tribe's three air quality
monitoring stations.
LITTLEWOLF: Basically all three sites
monitor for S02, NOx, NO, N02...
KRAKER: Inside the tiny trailer air
analyzers hum as they measure tiny
amounts of the pollutants .
[HUMMING SOUND]
KRAKER: Outside, Littlewolf points
north, where 16 miles away four
smokestacks puff wisps of smoke into the
bright blue sky.
Jay Littlewolf
Oil top of Badger
Peak outside one
of the tribe's air-
quality monitoring
stations. (Photo:
Dan Kraker)
LITTLEWOLF: But with that plume from Colstrip, no matter
what time of the year you can s.ee it, usually in the morning
you can see a brown haze in the sky there, and that's nitrogen
dioxide.
KRAKER: Colstrip
is Montana's largest
coal plant. It cranks
out over two
thousand megawatts
of electricity. When
the plant's owners
wanted to expand in
the 1970s, the
Northern Cheyenne
fought back. They
became the first

Flag of the Northern Cheye
government to voluntarily adopt the strictest air
quality standard—a Class I airshed, the same as
national parks.
The tribe used its new leverage to force the coal plant's
owners to install state-of-the-art pollution scrubbers,
and to pay for the tribe's air monitors.
[HUMMING SOLIND]
KRAKER: Back inside Littlewolf turns on a computer
to show me the data he's collected.
LITTLEWOLF: We still get low numbers, but we
measure and report in parts per billion. So we're still
being impacted because even Class I has a very small
increment [allowable pollution]. It doesn't take much
to impact us.
The power plant in Colstrip, just a dozen
miles north of the reservation boundary. It is
the largest coal-fired power plant in Montana.
(Photo: Dan Kraker)
KRAKER: Over the years the tribe has used its
Stringent air quality standards to stop proposed mines
and power plants beyond the reservation too. But now
this reservation is an island. Five major strip mines
surround it. There's a new power plant 60 miles west,
hundreds of natural gas wells to the south, and two
proposed plants to convert coal to diesel. Many people
here say it's time for the Northern Cheyenne to also
join in the coal boom, before it's too late.
SPANG: My
name is Leroy
Continued on next
page
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Paqb 12	Tribal Air News
NOK I III RX CIII VI NM-—
CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE
Spaiig. I was recently elected president of the Northern
Cheyenne tribe.
KRAKER: Spang worked for three decades as a miner in
Colstrip before retiring three years ago. Coal is what he
knows, and it's what he campaigned on.
SPANG: My platform was more or less coal. I guess there
was a lot of people backing me for that coal, that's how I
got in.
KRAKER: Two years ago, after decades of fierce
opposition, tribal members finally said "yes" to developing
their coal resources in a special referendum. There's an
amazing amount of coal here; billions of tons under
practically every inch of the reservation, part of a rich belt
that stretches into Wyoming. Eugene Limpy, a former
tribal vice president and Spang supporter, says there's
enough to Support generations of his people.
LIMPY: And the revenue that would come from that coal
will address our needs for money for education, housing
for all our people, and a retirement fund when people
Tribal President Leroy Spang in his office. (Photo: Dan Kraker)
reach elderly age.
KRAKER: Limpy seems unconcerned that elsewhere in the
country, some are turning away from coal because of its
carbon emissions.
LIMPY: It might seem Way out far but they're going to
find a technique to turn that coal into some kind of
energy, maybe atomic fuel. Technology is always coming
up with something to use the resources underneath.
KRAKER: And Limpy says those resources could provide
jobs, on a reservation where the unemployment rate: is
about 70 percent, and the median income only half the
national average. Limpy has a good job working for the
tribal government, but he says the poverty affects
everyone.
LIMPY: That includes me. I have 17 people living in my
home. I keep seven of my grandchildren. There's no
housing. We can't afford to buy a house.
Outside tribal headquarters .(Photo: Dan Kraker)
KRAKER: But both Limpy and Spang acknowledge the
Cheyemies' own environmental laws could be a
roadblock.
LIMPY: It costs money for the companies to comply with
the high standard of the clean air act that the tribe won at
U.S. Supreme Court.
KRAKER: Would there be any consideration of lowering
that air quality standard?
The question clearly makes Spang uncomfortable. He
holds his hand up to signal he doesn't want to answer.
[CAR SOUNDS]
WHITEMAN: We're driving down Lame Deer, Montana,
Cheyenne Avenue. We even have a four way stop
downtown. What you see here is like third world
conditions.
KRAKER: Philip Whiteman Junior cruises the tribal
Capitol's main drag—not much more than a gaS station,
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Volume 7, Issui 4
Page 13
cafe and some boarded up storefronts, Wkiteman is one of
tlie most vocal opponents of coal development.
\\ I HITMAN: A lot of people think that industrial
culture, gas, coal, all of that is going to bring in money,
jobs, then plus they even promise Dollar Store.
Horses grazing on the Northern Cheyenne
reservation.	(Photo: Dan Rraker)
KRAKER: He gestures out the window as we drive north
out of Lame Deer, past horses grazing in rolling pastures.
WHITEMAN : Look at this beauty of this land. It's
priceless . Substitute that for a dollar store? That's what
our people are faced with today.
[CAR SOUNDS]
KRAKER: Whiteman's taking me to one of his people's
most sacred sites, Medicine Deer Rock. It's where the
famous Chief Sitting Bull led Cheyenne and Sioux
warriors in a Sun Dance before the Battle of Little Big
Horn, where General George Custer was killed. It was a
defeat that shocked America. But the victory was
short-lived for the Cheyenne—they surrendered less than
a year later.
[SOUND OF LIGHTER]
WHITEMAN; Bless mysrelf with Mother Earth. Offer
tobacco in the four sacred directions.
[PRAYING IN NATIVE LANGUAGE]
[SOUND OF WALKING]
KRAKER: Whiteman finishes his prayer and leads me
around the rock. It's lined with huge pictograph panels,
like a giant stone art gallery. One image depicts the vision
Sitting Bull had before the battle, of Custer's soldiers
dying like insects.
WHITEMAN; Look at the soldiers, Falling into the camp like
locusts. They've got grasshopper legs.
KRAKER: Around the rock people have tied bright prayer
cloths to trees, others have left offerings of food.
Prayer cloths hung around the Medicine Deer Rock.
(Photo: Dan Krakei)
KRAKER: Whiteman believes the fight against coal is just the
latest battle for his people, who still refer to themselves as "the
Fighting Cheyenne."
[TRUCK SOUNDS]
WHITEMAN : We believe that we're still fighting in many
ways, to preserve and protect our language, cull lire, identity,
and submitting to the exploitation of our land, what little land
that We have left, coidd be devastating to our future
generations.
KRAKER: For those Northern Cheyenne who oppose coal
mining, it invariably comes back to wanting to protect the land
their ancestors fought so hard for. Shortly after the tribe, in
defeat, was forcibly moved to a fort in Nebraska, they broke
out; and in the dead of a frigid winter trekked hundreds of miles
back here,
I ONI I!1 AR: There are a lot of people who made a grave
sacrifice,
KRAKER: Ben Lonebear, only 29 years old, is the tribe's
treasurer.
LONEBEAR: And I think the rationale behind not developing
those resources is based on the respect for those things. And
that tearing up our land that was fought for and died for really,
really hits home for some people.
KRAKER: But Lonebear also knows the hardship of living in a
place where there's practically 110 economy.
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Paqb 14	Tribal Air News
NOK I III RX CIII VI NM-—
CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE
LONEBEAR: From the treasurer's standpoint, I believe that
85, maybe 90 percent of the money that comes into the tribe
comes in the form of assistance from the federal government.
V
A mural painted on the side of an auto
repair shop in downtown Lame Deer, encour-
aging young people to stay away from alcohol.
KRAKER: To become more self-sufficient Lonebear doesn't
ride out coal. But he believes the tribe should explore
reneWables first. The Department of Energy says there is
enormous wind potential on the reservation. And that's the
route local environmentalists, like Alexis Bonogofsky with
the .National Wildlife Federation, are urging the tribe to
take.
[TRAFFIC SOUNDS]
BONOGOFSKY: It's a false choice they're being presented
with, to be backed up against the wall, and say you have to
develop your minerals or else you're going to remain in
poverty, it's a horrible position to be in.
KRAKER: But there may be something even more
fundamental at stake for many Northern Cheyenne, than
whether they mine their coal or leave it in the ground, or
even build wind turbines.
For people like Ben Lonebear, the key is cultural survival,
not economic prosperity. If the tribe loses; its language and
Ceremonies, he says with sadness, then they become just
regular Americans, like everyone else.
For Living on Earth, I'm Daniel Kraker, in Lame Deer,
Montana
Northern Cheyenne Symbol of the Universe
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Volume 7, Issue 4
Page 15
Millions in Diesel Retrofit Grants Available
EPA Invites Tribal Nations to Apply
Numerous scientific studies link diesel pollution
to a number of serious respiratory and cardiac health
effects, including heart and lung disease, chronic bronchi-
tis, exacerbations of asthma symptoms, and even
premature mortality. EPA recognizes the critical need to
reduce the harm ful impacts of diesel pollution and has
classified diesel exhaust as likely to be carcinogenic at
ambient environmental concentrations.
A significant contributor to diesel pollution is
the nation's legacy fleet of 20 million diesel engines.
These legacy engines were produced before EPA
established strict emissions standards which limit
emission levels from new engines. Diesel engines
are durable and can operate for decades. This
means that these older legacy engines can continue
to emit large amounts of diesel pollution well into
the future.
expedite cr
emissions.
?ating new projects to reduce diesel
The National Clean Diesel Campaign 's
(NCDC's) four Diesel Emissions Reductions
Program (DERA) grant programs are designed to
facilitate the replacement, repower, or retrofit of
these older engines in order to reduce their
harm fid emissions. The four grant programs fluid
clean diesel grant projects, develop diesel
emerging technologies, establish diesel finance
programs, and assist states with their clean diesel
programs. The grant programs are competitive with the
exception of the State Clean Diesel Program, which is for
states to establish or enhance their own clean diesel
programs.
To date NCDC has awarded over $350 million in
clean diesel grants under DERA. NCDC will make both
its FY 2009 and estimated FY2010 competitive program
fluids, totaling approximately $6+million, available this
Fall in this RFP. Joining the two fiscal year fluids will help
$84 Million is
AVAILABLE FOR
DIESEL PROJECTS
THROUGH THE
Request For
Proposals
Opening this
Month
www.epa.gov/
CLEANDIESEL
EPA is dedicated to working with Tribes to
ensure that these engines are replaced, repowered, or
retrofitted to reduce the amount of diesel pollutions
emitted into the air we all breathe. EPA was able to fluid
four tribal projects with the DERA Recovery Act fluids
and is looking forward to greater tribal participation with
this upcoming Fiscal Year award cycle.
State, tribal and local (city and county)
governments as well as school districts, and
metropolitan planning organizations, and non-
profits and institutions with transportation,
educational services and air quality
responsibilities are eligible to apply. Tribal
governments also have the option to partner with
private sector fleets to participate in the program
or have a representative tribal consortium
represent a group of tribes.
Diesel engines power the nation's
transportation industry. EPA's new emission
reducing standards will ensure that the diesel
engines manufactured today and in the future are
cleaner. EPA is eager to work with tribes so that
emissions from the diesel engines powering the
needs of tribal communities are reduced. These grants
can help tribal governments reduce diesel pollution and
protect the air in tribal communities. Please visit the
NCDC website at www.epa.gov/cleandiesel to find out
how to participate. EPA also encourages all interested
parties to sign up for the Clean Diesel listserv, also found
on the NCDC website, for updated information on clean
diesel grants.
Contact: Rosalva Tapia at tapia.rosalva@epa.gov or
202/3+3-953+.
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^eDS7*\
I sSfe 1	Tribal Air News
%v	0<^
^ PRCtfe
IIS ITA OAHl'S, C304-03
Research Triangle Park, NC 27711
Phone: 919-541-5646
E-mail: mccullough.melissa@epa.gov
We're on the Web!
www.epa.gov/oar/ tribal
Tribal Air News is produced by the Environmental Protection
Agency's Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, Outreach and
Information Division, Community and Tribal Programs Group.
The newsletter is produced quarterly and is distributed electronically.
For more information about the newsletter, or to contribute stories
and pictures contact:
Laura McKelvey (mckelvey.laura@epa.gov) Or
Melissa McCullough (mccullough.melissa@epa.gov)
Mark
Your
Calendar!
ITEP Trainings
(http://www4.nau.edu/itep/trainings/aiaqtp.asp)
•	Sept 30-Dec 16. 2009: Tribal Data Toolbox Web-Based Course,
Online
•	Oct 6-9. 2009: Indoor Air Quality ill Alaska. Anchorage. AK
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