Tribes Training Tribes on Sustainable
Waste Management Programs
SEPA
EPA 530-F-24-003
February 2024
MATCHED TRIBES:
Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians (Mentee)
and Cherokee Nation (Mentor)
Coyote Valley Band of Pomo
Indians (Mentee)
The Covote Valley Band of Porno
Indians are situated in Redwood Valley
in Mendocino, California.1 With only a
few employees on staff, Christina Lara,
Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians
Environmental Specialist, requested technical assistance
on building a solid waste and recycling program, as well
as developing complaint forms, code regulations, and
littering and illegal dumping protocols. In 2022, under
EPA's National Tribal Waste Management Peer Matching
Program, the Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians
matched with the Cherokee Nation.
Cherokee Nation (Mentor)
The Cherokee Nation, the largest of
three Cherokee federally recognized
tribes,2 also experienced past
problems with littering, recycling, and
illegal dumping. To remedy these
issues, Cherokee Nation Environmental Programs (CNEP)
has a large environmental media program, recycling
program, and complaint database to report illegal
dumping. Because of the successes and knowledge
gained in developing their own waste management
initiatives, Jason White, Cherokee Nation Environmental
Director, and Chelsea Jones, Cherokee Nation
Environmental Specialist, previously mentored other tribal
communities through the National Tribal Waste
Management Peer Matching Program on a variety
of issues.
Sharing Resources to
Improve Community
Knowledge and Awareness
In March 2022, Jason White
(Cherokee Nation), Chelsea Jones
(Cherokee Nation), and Christina
Lara (Coyote Valley Band of Pomo)
met to discuss Coyote Valley Band
of Pomo's needs for technical
assistance. The Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians
Tribe was starting fresh with their waste management
program. Previous initiatives were unsuccessful largely
because of limited capacity to monitor activities. The
Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians faced growing
challenges with littering, recycling, and illegal dumping.
With no formal programs in place to address these
challenges, the Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians
sought technical assistance to establish a recycling
collection center. Cherokee Nation had extensive
knowledge and experience to offer effective strategies
for launching a waste management program.
The Cherokee Nation has a recycling program in place
that is only open for tribal employees. Currently, their
recycling program focuses on cardboard and paper, but
the Tribe is looking to expand the program. The Cherokee
Nation also has recycling initiatives for electronic waste,
which are easy to run and cost-effective. Using an EPA
Indian General Assistance Program (GAP) grant, the
Cherokee Nation partnered with the city to do street
clean-ups. Jason and Chelsea encouraged Coyote Band
of Pomo Indians to hold similar events a couple times a
year for their community, partnering with the nearby city
so they can dispose of the trash collected.
Cherokee Nation shared resources and examples for
Coyote Band of Pomo Indians to develop a recycling fact
sheet that would include information for tribal members
about where to go to recycle materials like electronic and
KEYWORDS:
Illegal Dumping
Recycling
Waste Management
Littering
Electronic Waste
Hazardous Waste
1 https://www.covotevallevtribe.ora/
https://www.cherokee.ora/
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hazardous waste as well as other waste management
best practices. For their fact sheets, Cherokee Nation
included information such as, "Best Buy will scrub your
computers and recycle them," and "Walmart recycles
plastic bags." This gives people ideas for where they can
take their waste. Jason and Chelsea also suggested
holding a battery recycling event, noting that the
Cherokee Nation works with a company to collect
batteries in boxes and then the company recycles the
batteries.
Cherokee Nation shared links to several resources,
including a link to a Google drive folder with fact sheets,
flyers, an environmental complaint form, a hazardous
waste overview from an event meant to raise community
awareness, and details on other waste management and
recycling initiatives for Coyote Valley Band of Pomo
Indians to use for their own waste management
initiatives.
ELECTRONIC WASTE
RECYCLING EVENT
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2022
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
22361 S. BALD HILL RD, TAHLEQUAH, OK
(CHEROKEE NATION WAREHOUSE)
PLEASE BRING
COMPUTERS* MONITORS PRINTERS TVS, FAX MACHINES SCANNERS
STEREO EQUIPMENT / SMALL HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES (TOASTERS
IRONS COFFEE POTS. ETC ). TELEPHONES, CELL PHONES. VCRS /
RADIOS. KEY80ARDS/M0USE PADS MICROWAVES. UPS SYSTEMS.
SECUR TY EQUIPMENT
Example flyer shared by Cherokee Nation for e-waste
collection event.
Recycle Batteries HERE
ACCEPTED:
il Cadmium, Nickel Metai Hydride,
Nickel Zinc
Primary: Alkaline (AA,AAA, C, D)
Cellphones of any make, model or age
B&gl PT PIlli^STi
&
Rechargeable: Greater than 9V (Nickel Cadmium/Metal
Hydride/Zinc), Small Sealed Lead Acid & Lithium Ion
Primary: Greater than 12V (Alkaline & Carbon Zinc),
Lithium & Button/Coin Cell
SHWLY PLACE MflnrTBRT IN CLEAR PLASTIC BAS AND
MACS M MK.
(bags are located on table)
NOT ACCEPTED:
No wet-cell, damaged or defective batteries,
no batteries over 11 pounds.
Why should I recycle my batteries?
CONTACTS
Tonya Barnett, Co-Team Leader
EPA Office of Resource Conservation and
Recovery/Federal, State and Tribal Programs
Branch/Tribai Program Team
Barnett.Tonva@epa.gov. (202) 566-0463
Jason White, Environmental Director
Cherokee Nation Environmental Programs
Jason-White@Cherokee.org. (918) 453-5110
Chelsea Jones, Environmental Specialist IV
Cherokee Nation Environmental Programs
Chelsea-iones@cherokee.org. (918) 453-5768
Christina Lara, Environmental Specialist
Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians
eDdes2@covotevallev-nsn.gov. (707) 485-8723
x 2261
Example flyer shared by Cherokee Nation for battery recycling.
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