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MEETING SUMMARY
TRIBAL INFRASTRUCTURE TASK FORCE (ITF) PRINCIPALS MEETING

AUGUST 11, 2021

1.	INTRODUCTIONS - WELCOMING OF CDC AND BUREAU OF RECLAMATION TO THE ITF

•	Co-chairs Yu-Ting Guilaran and Wynne Miller of EPA welcomed attendees to the
meeting and highlighted the shared priorities among the diverse agencies attending
the meeting. They emphasized how all agencies are working together to align
priorities to advance equity, environmental justice and to effect change at the local
level.

•	Bureau of Reclamation (BoR) was welcomed as an official member of the task force,
and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) was welcomed as a new member.

•	John Sarinksy of the CDC gave a brief introduction of the National Center for
Environmental Health, and their work with tribal environmental health programs
across the country.

2.	LEVERAGING ADMINISTRATION PRIORITIES TO ADVANCE SUSTAINABLE, RESILIENT,

INFRASTRUCTURE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, INDIAN AFFAIRS

•	There is a new program within the department which is taking a holistic approach to
environmental health and safety across tribal schools and facilities, including
detention centers.

•	There is funding in the 2022 budget specifically to address water quality concern at
Bureau of Indian Education facilities.

•	There are challenges related to tribal capacity, specifically the ability of tribes to take
on and carry out new and existing infrastructure projects.

3.	ARPA FUNDS UPDATE, IHS

•	IHS has received $167 million from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) which is in
addition to the annual appropriations to help with their programs, including support
for Housing Projects, water delivery projects, as well as funds that pay for Regular
Projects off of the IHS Sanitation Deficiency System (SDS) list.

•	There are challenges associated with appropriately assigning funds and spending
them in a timely manner. The current average project duration is four years but this
could increase if additional projects are funded without increases in staffing, either
through direct hiring or contracting.

•	As more funds become available, possibly through the passage of a congressional
infrastructure bill, these challenges will only increase.

4. THRIITF UPDATES, HUD

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•	The Tribal Housing and Related Infrastructure Interagency Task Force (THRIITF) was
founded in 2015 and has been recently reinvigorated with HUD as the lead agency.
The working group now includes tribal representation.

•	The goal of the task force is to better coordinate and streamline environmental
review (i.e. NEPA) permitting processes for projects when multiple federal funding
sources are used.

•	Agencies involved include HUD (lead agency), CEQ, EPA, IHS, HHS, DOI, DOT, USDA,
Commerce, DOE.

5.	ENGAGEMENT FOR THE ITF WITH THE WHITE HOUSE COUNCIL NATIVE AMERICAN

AFFAIRS (WHCNAA) HEALTH COMMITTEE, WATER SUB-COMMITTEE, EPA

•	There is significant overlap in subject matter and priorities between the WHCNAA
water sub-committee and this group.

•	In April 2021 WHCNAA was re-convened and re-invigorated following the founding
in 2013. Members include EPA, State Department, DOI, SBA, DOT, DOE, IHS, BoR,
BIA.

•	There are 6 committees including the health committee which contains a water
subcommittee chaired by IHS, with participants from EPA, BoR, BIA, VA, USDA, WH-
DPC.

•	Action Item: ITF aims to present to the WHCNAA on the history and structure of ITF
and identify overlap between the two groups.

6.	MOU APPROVAL PROGRESS

•	Approvals and signatures for the updated Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is
ongoing.

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Meeting Participants:

•	Indian Health Service (IHS)

o RADM Mark Calkins, Director, Division of Sanitation Facilities Construction
(DSFC)

o CAPT David Harvey, Deputy Director, DSFC
o Ben Shuman Senior Engineer and NEPA Coordinator, DSFC

•	Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

o Gary Nemec, Director, Grants Evaluation, Office of Native American
Programs (ONAP)

o Danielle Schopp, Program Environmental Clearance Officer (ONAP)

•	Department of Interior: Indian Affairs and Bureau of Reclamation

o Judith Wilson, Director, Office of Facilities, Property and Safety Management,
Indian Affairs; Scott Sufficool, Public Health and Safety Manager, Office of
Facilities, Property and Safety Management
o Kelly Titensor, Native American Affairs Adviser, Bureau of Reclamation

•	Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

o John Sarisky, Chief, Water, Food, and Environmental, Health Services Branch

•	U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

o Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water (OGWDW)

¦	Yu-Ting Guilaran, Deputy Director

¦	Protection Branch Tribal Team: CDR Samuel Russell, Team Leader and
ITF Coordinator; Deborah Vacs Renwick, Sustainable Systems;

Keyyana Blount, LCRR Rule Manager; Laura Montoya, Grants; Ed
Moriarty

o Office of Wastewater Management (OWM)

¦	Wynne Miller, Deputy Director; Matthew Richardson, Tribal Lead,
Sustainable Communities and Infrastructure Branch

o Office of Land and Emergency Management (OLEM)

¦	Carolyn Hoskinson, Deputy Director; and Charles Reddoor, National
Tribal Programs Coordinator

o Office of International and Tribal Affairs (OITA)

¦	William Post, Program Analyst, AIEO

o Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA)

¦	Jonathan Binder, Senior Indian Program Manager

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