United States
Environmental Protection June/Summer 2021
M »Agency
Region 9 Tribal Newsletter
United States Environmental Protection Agency, Region 9, Pacific Southwest
Inside this issue:
Regulatory News 2
Program Updates 3
Tribal Project Success Stories 5
RTOC and Tribal/U.S. EPA
Annual Conference 6
Tribal Resources 7
Tribal Consultation Opportunities 7
Funding Opportunities 9
Training & Technical Assistance 10
SAVE THE DATE!
~
The Summer RTOC will
take place from
July 20-22!
Please visit the RTOC
web site for updates:
Summer RTOC Information
Musings from the Director, Water Division
The last 10 years have seen dramatic advances in tribal capacity to
develop and administer drinking water and surface water programs,
water infrastructure, and in obtaining treatment in a similar manner
as a state (TAS) authority (and thus, autonomy) to oversee important
water programs. And yet, some things have stayed relatively constant,
funding for instance. While many more tribes have acquired TAS
authority to administer the Nonpoint Source, Water Pollution Control,
and Water Quality Standards Programs over the past decade, the
appropriations that Congress provides the Environmental Protection
Agency (U.S. EPA) in the form of grants to tribes to administer these
programs has generally remained the same. Several years ago, and
in large part through the advocacy of the National and Regional Tribal
Operations Councils, the formula that the U.S. EPA uses to allocate
funding for tribal infrastructure projects, known as the Indian Set-
Asides, was increased to address the stark disparity in access to piped
water and sanitation on tribal lands as compared to the rest of the
population. Might it be time to revisit these funding allocation
formulas?
I recently met with the chair of the Regional Tribal Operations
Committee (RTOC), Mervyn Wright, and members of the Budget
Workgroup and was heartened to hear they were actively pondering
this very question. While change is never easy when it comes to real-
locating resources, I am more optimistic than ever that we can and will
meet this challenge working side-by-side with tribes. Over the next
several months, my team will meet with the RTOC Budget Workgroup
leads to discuss the existing national allocation formulas and explore
strategies to best advocate for additional resources based on tribal
needs and data. We look forward to our continued partnership in this
area. We are here to support tribes as they continue to administer and
obtain authority to oversee water programs in Indian Country.
I often reflect on our trust responsibility to tribes and what more we
can do to ensure that the U.S. EPA engages meaningfully with tribes
on federal actions we take that may impact tribal interests. My U.S.
EPA peers and I frequently ponder this question and I am proud that
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Summer 2021 Issue
(Musings from the Director Continued...)
we are collectively committed to getting better at engaging with tribes, whether informally via periodic check-
ins or through the more formal consultation process. Understanding the historical inequities and injustice
experienced by indigenous people in the United States is a good start. Two years ago, we launched a Water
Division Consultation Standard Operating Procedure to begin integrating tribal engagement in a more coordi-
nated and consistent way across the Division.
While not perfect, the premise behind this document was to provide clear expectations, guidance, and steps
that promote early and meaningful engagement with tribes. I was heartened with the positive response across
the Division, and the data was equally revealing: in our inaugural year of implementing these procedures,
Water Division issued over 375 offers of consultation to Region 9 tribes, more than the previous 10 years
combined. I say this is a good start as we continue to grow and improve in this area of early and meaningful
engagement with tribal staff and leadership. Finally, I would like to express my sincere thanks to all of you and
your tribal leadership for the great work you have done towards strengthening and supporting environmental
efforts, particularly in advancing water capabilities in Indian Country to protect tribal members. My team and I
are here to support your efforts and are committed to our continued partnership to protect public health and
the environment in Indian Country. Here's to wishing you and your families an exciting and safe summer!
Respectfully,
Tomas Torres,
Director, Water Division
Regulatory News
The U.S. EPA provides external links in this newsletter for informational purposes only. U.S. EPA cannot attest to the
accuracy of non-U.S. EPA information provided by any third-party sites or any other linked site. U.S. EPA does not endorse
any nongovernment websites, companies, internet applications or any policies or information expressed therein.
America's Water Infrastructure Act of 2018
America's Water Infrastructure Act of 2018 (AWIA) provisions are the most far-reaching changes to the Safe
Drinking Water Act since the 1996 Amendments, with over 30 mandated programs designed to improve drink-
ing water quality and improve public health. One such program mandated by AWIA requires community water
systems serving more than 3,300 people to develop or update risk assessments and emergency response plans
(ERPs). The law specifies the components that the risk assessments and ERPs must address, and established
deadlines by which water systems must certify to the U.S. EPA completion of the risk assessments and ERPs.
Community water systems with service populations between 3,301 and 49,999 must certify completion of risk
assessments by June 30, 2021. ERP certifications for these systems are due six months from the date of the
risk assessment certification but no later than December 31, 2021. Region 9 staff have contacted tribal utility
managers and community water system operators impacted by these requirements to discuss compliance
assistance needs. For more information and resources on AWIA, including templates for completion of risk
assessments and ERPs, please visit: AWIA: Risk Assessment and Emergency Response Plans, or contact Greg
Gholson at (415) 947-4209 or gholson.greg@epa.gov.
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Summer 2021 Issue
U.S. EPA Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance:
Inspection Commitment Temporary Flexibilities Extension
Compliance assurance activities, including onsite inspections and off-site compliance monitoring activities,
are critical to the U.S.EPA shared mission with partner agencies to protect the health of communities and the
environment. During the COVID-19 public health emergency, the U.S. EPA, as well as states, tribes, and local
agencies have recognized the need to ensure the safety and health of our inspectors, as well as the regulat-
ed community, by adjusting compliance assurance activities to leverage off-site compliance monitoring tools
while fewer staff have been able to perform onsite field inspections. Accordingly, the Agency issued a letter on
July 22, 2020, communicating expectations for continued compliance monitoring, including conducting onsite
inspections when it is safe to do so, and giving partner agencies the flexibility to count both off-site and onsite
compliance assurance activities in meeting their compliance monitoring commitments. The flexibilities of the
July letter ended on March 31, 2021; however, given the ongoing pandemic, the U.S. EPA has issued a new let-
ter to extend the flexibilities through the end of this fiscal year (September 30, 2021). The Agency will evaluate
the need to extend this date further at that time, if appropriate. The Agency continues to emphasize the need
to use robust enforcement to advance environmental justice aims and to protect vulnerable communities.
Please follow this link to view the letter describing the extension to inspection flexibilities and providing
additional clarification on processes and documentation: Revised Inspection Expectations Letter.
Program Updates
Air and Radiation Division
The second planning period for the Regional Haze
Rule is underway. State Implementation Plans (SIPs)
for Regional Haze are due July 31, 2021. The Regional
Haze program focuses on air pollution that impairs
visibility at National Parks and Wilderness Areas that
are designated mandatory Federal "Class I Areas". It
is a visibility program, not a public health program,
although the same pollutants that cause visibility
impairment also impact human health.
The first planning period, which began in 2007, fo-
cused on Best Available Retrofit Technology at certain
sources of pollution. In the first period, the U.S. EPA
required states to evaluate each source's individual
visibility impacts on Class I Areas.
The second planning period is less prescriptive. States must submit plans that make "reasonable progress"
towards improving visibility conditions. The U.S. EPA has not specified an outcome or amount of emission
reduction or visibility improvement as a reasonable indicator of progress for any Class I area.
States must follow the Clean Air Act and Regional Haze Rule to determine what is "necessary to make reason-
able progress" for visibility in Class I areas. To make their determinations, states must analyze different control
Big Pine Reservation: Photo by Alan Bacock
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Summer 2021 Issue
options for pollution sources in terms of cost of compliance, time necessary for compliance, remaining useful
life, and energy/non-air environmental impacts. Most states in the Western Regional Air Partnership (WRAP)
used a "Q/d" analysis to select emissions sources for analysis. This criterion relates total emissions of pollut-
ants that impair visibility ("Q") to the distance of the source from the nearest Class 1 area ("d").
States may be coordinating with tribes individually or through WRAP as they develop their State Implementa-
tion Plans. The U.S. EPA has engaged with states on SIP development to increase the likelihood that SIPs will
be approvable after they are submitted.
Visit the Agency's Regional Haze program website here: www.epa.gov/visibility.
Environmental Justice Program: Monthly Community Office Hours
The U.S. EPA Region 9 Environmental Justice (EJ) program will be holding monthly virtual office hours open to
all community members within Region 9, which includes the states of Arizona, California, Nevada, Hawaii, as
well as 148 federally recognized tribes and the US Pacific Island territories. These office hours will provide
community members with the opportunity to interact directly with a member of the U.S. EPA Region 9 EJ
program to ask questions and highlight concerns related to environmental justice.
The U.S. EPA has unique responsibilities related to federally recognized tribes and tribal governments through
a government-to-government relationship. Communities anywhere, including those on tribal lands, may
experience disproportionate environmental impacts. EJ program tools and approaches may benefit tribal
programs in their work to address the concerns of these communities.
The office hours are designed to connect community members with U.S. EPA staff, helping them to better
understand and more effectively support the needs of communities facing EJ issues. The office hours are also
open to community members engaged in EJ work, providing an opportunity for networking, coordination, and
collaboration. For those questions for which an immediate response is unavailable, the EJ program will help
connect callers with alternate subject matter experts within U.S. EPA Region 9 or with partner agencies.
Monthly, virtual, community office hours schedule: The 4th Tuesday of each month from 6-7 p.m., starting
June 22. Access the meetings by using this Teams link: EJ Community Office Hours Teams Meeting. The call-in
number and meeting code are: +1 619-375-3276, 930 759 648 #.
For more information, please contact the Region 9 Environmental Justice Coordinators:
Morgan Capilla 415-972-3504, capilla.morgan@epa.gov) and Alan Bacock (bacock.alan@epa.gov).
Emergency Planning, Preparedness & Response
for Tribal Nations Workshop Recap
On May 20, 2021, the U.S. EPA hosted a virtual workshop with participation from over 90 people representing
tribal nations and federal, state, and local agencies. A highlight of the workshop was the panel of Emergency
Management leaders from the Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe, the Salt River Indian Community, and the
Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Reservation. Many thanks to all presenters and participants. Stay
tuned for information on future webinars with additional case studies and peer-to-peer information sharing.
In the meantime, please visit the Region 9 Tribal Emergency Preparedness and Response Workshop page for
access to presentations and links to additional resources. No password or login is required.
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Summer 2021 Issue
Please contact: Greg Bazley (562-733-0262, bazlev.greg(a)epa.gov): Bill Jones (619-806-6737, iones.bill(a)epa.
gov): Amanda Pease (415-301-1503, pease.amanda(5)epa.gov): or Pam Overman (415-972-3781, overman.
pamela(a)epa.gov) with questions or suggestions.
General Assistance Program
The U.S. EPA is moving forward with finalizing revisions to the General Assistance Program (GAP) Guidance.
The U.S. EPA American Indian Environmental Office (AIEO) in the Office of International and Tribal Affairs (OITA)
has scheduled two national webinars in June to share our progress and discuss next steps. During these webi-
nars, we will recap the work done thus far, and focus our discussion on how we will move forward together to
develop final guidance, including consultation on the GAP allocation. Information on the webinars will be sent
to Tribal Environmental Directors and posted online soon.
Background:
In 2018, OITA began an evaluation to review the effectiveness of the 2013 GAP Guidance and to identify
opportunities to improve the guidance and its implementation. This guidance describes how the U.S. EPA
administers the GAP Act of 1992 (42 U.S.C. § 4368b). Under the GAP statute, the U.S. EPA provides GAP
financial assistance to tribal governments and intertribal consortia to assist tribes in planning, developing,
and establishing the capacity to implement federal environmental programs administered by the U.S. EPA,
and to assist in implementation of tribal solid and hazardous waste programs in accordance with applicable
provisions of law (including service delivery activities as of 2016).
EPA received more than 800 tribal comments in tribal consultation and through discussions with tribal
organizations, tribal partnership groups, and RTOCs.
Tribal Project Success Stories
Morongo Band of Mission Indians Approved
for Treatment in a Similar Manner as a State
for Portions of the Clean Air Act
On May 7, 2021, the U.S. EPA approved the Morongo Band of Mission Indi-
ans' request for treatment in a similar manner as a state (TAS) for Clean Air
Act (CAA) 105 Grant funding and other portions of the CAA. Following the
regulations under the CAA and the Tribal Authority Rule (TAR), the tribe
demonstrated it met the four criteria; (1) be federally recognized, (2) have
a governing body carrying out substantial governmental duties and pow-
ers, (3) have appropriate authority, and (4) be capable of carrying out the
functions of the program. The Tribe requested and was approved for TAS
for CAA sections 105, 107, 110, 126(a)-(b), 172, 319, and 505(a).
The U.S. EPA commends Morongo's efforts in working with the Agency to
provide the information which resulted in final approval of the TAS appli-
cation and looks forward to continuing to work together to protect and
enhance air quality on the Morongo Reservation.
For more information on treatment in a similar manner as a state, please
visit: Tribal Assumption of Federal Laws-TAS.
Call for Region 9
Tribal Project
Success Stories!
Do you have an environmental
project that you are proud of
and would like to have high-
lighted in an upcoming Region
9 newsletter? Notify your U.S.
EPA Project Officer or send an
email to: R9TribalNewsletter
@epa.gov. While we cannot
guarantee your story will be
used in a particular issue, we
would like to develop and
highlight a success story for
each quarterly newsletter.
The project should have an
environmental focus and have
been funded using federal
grants or programs.
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Summer 2021 Issue
RTOC and Tribal/U.S. EPA Annual Conference
The Regional Tribal Operations Committee (RTOC) is a working committee of the U.S. EPA and tribal personnel
co-chaired by a U.S. EPA representative and a tribal representative. The U.S. EPA designates its RTOC representatives
through internal mechanisms. All tribes within Region 9 are considered members of the RTOC. Tribal representatives
to the RTOC are selected through government-to-government communication, by tribal leaders in various
geographical areas within Region 9.
Spring RTOC Recap
Region 9 RTOC co-chairs, Mervin Wright Jr. (Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe) and Laura Ebbert (U.S. EPA, Region 9),
convened another weli-attended virtual Region 9 RTOC meeting on April 27 - 29. The meeting began on
April 27 with a full day tribal caucus meeting (open to tribes only). Tribal RTOC members elected their new
members. Congratulations to the newly elected RTOC Tribai Co-Chair, the Region 9 RTOC representatives, and
NTOC members from Region 9 who will be serving during the 2021-2023 term! The current list of contacts is
available on the RTOC website.
The plenary and technical break-out sessions began on Aprii 28. Plenary session topics included new Executive
Orders on environmental justice, changes to NEPA requirements, moratorium on border wall construction, and
a discussion on EPA budget development, among other topics. Technical break-out sessions included emer-
gency response, tribal research, Clean Water Act 401 certification, and the Salton Sea management program.
During the three-day meeting, Region 9 Acting Regional Administrator Deborah Jordan, convened a discussion
for elected tribal leaders. Presentations and meeting materials are available on the Region 9 RTOC website.
Tribal & U.S. EPA Region 9 Annual Conference Updates
The Tribal & U.S. EPA Region 9 Annual Conference co-sponsors,
the Pala Band of Mission Indians and the U.S. EPA, are pleased
to announce that this year's conference theme will be "Tribal
Land, Tribai Knowledge, Tribal Sovereignty." The Tribal & U.S.
EPA Region 9 Annua! Conference brings together more than
300 participants from tribal nations located across Arizona,
California, and Nevada; and representatives from federal, state,
and local agencies; nonprofits and academia.
The health and safety of conference participants and their
communities is our top priority and the policies and guidelines
of both Harrah's Lake Tahoe and the state of Nevada will be
followed. Please note that the conference co-sponsors do not
Big Pine Reservation: Photo by Alan Bacock haye the authorjty to enforce mandatory vaccinations of the
participants. You can stay informed about the most current safety protocols of Harrah's Lake Tahoe by visiting
the Harrah's Lake Tahoe Health and Safety Plan webpage.
Plans are in place to hold this year's conference at Harrah's
Lake Tahoe Conference Center in Stateline, Nevada, on
October 18 through 22, 2021. Conference organizers are
planning a hybrid event in which participants will be able to
choose to participate in-person or virtually. To see the iatest
updates from the event organizers, please check the Tribal &
U.S. EPA Region 9 Annual Conference Website.
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Summer 2021 Issue
Tribal Resources
U.S. EPA Clearinghouse for Environmental Finance
The U.S. EPA launched the Clearinghouse for Environmental Finance, an online database of land, air, and water
information. This new Clearinghouse catalogues available funding, financing, and instructional resources to aid
communities in their efforts to improve environmental conditions. The Office of Policy collaborated with the
Office of Water to launch the new Clearinghouse.
The Clearinghouse expands on the concept of the original Water Finance Clearinghouse, launched in 2017,
that served as the one-stop shop for communities researching ways to fund and finance their water infrastruc-
ture needs to assist in local decision making. The new Clearinghouse includes over 1,800 funding and financing
opportunities and information resources from the U.S. EPA air, water, and land programs. Communities can use
this system to access information on funding and financing opportunities for environmental projects as well as
financial research, such as case studies, white papers, and webinars.
The public can access the Clearinghouse for Environmental Finance here: U.S. EPA Clearinghouse for
Environmental Finance.
For context, the U.S. EPA Water Finance Center manages the Clearinghouse for Environmental Finance. The
Center provides information on a suite of water sector financial topics including, through the Water Finance
Clearinghouse, coordination among the U.S. EPA and other federal water funding programs, and specialized
support for communities requesting technical assistance for how to afford water infrastructure improvements.
Additional information about the U.S. EPA Water Finance Center is available here: U.S. EPA Water
Infrastructure and Resiliency Finance Center.
U.S. EPA Relaunches Climate Change Indicators Website
The U.S. EPA has relaunched its Climate Change Indicators in the United States website, providing the
public with information on climate change impacts. This comprehensive resource presents compelling and
clear evidence of changes to the climate reflected in rising temperatures, ocean acidity, sea level rise, river
flooding, droughts, heat waves, and wildfires, among other indicators. The site also features an enhanced
user experience with interactive data-exploration tools offering a closer look at graphs, maps, and figures,
along with an overview of the importance of indicators and how climate change can affect human health
and the environment.
The Climate Change Indicators website can be viewed here: U.S. EPA Climate Change Indicators.
Tribal Consultation Opportunities
A full list of active U.S. EPA Tribal Consultation opportunities are available on the U.S. EPA's Tribal Consultation
Opportunities Tracking System (TCOTS) weboaae: TCOTS Weboaae. If interested, join the TCOTS Listserv by sending
a message to, Join-epa_tcots@Hsts.epa.gov to receive email notifications on the latest U.S. EPA Tribal Consultations.
As required by President Biden's January 26, 2021 memorandum on Tribal Consultation and Strengthening
Nation-to-Nation Relationships, the U.S. EPA submitted a Plan for Implementing the Policies and Directives
of Executive Order 13175: Consultation and Coordination with Indian Tribal Governments to the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB). The plan was approved by EPA Administrator Regan and submitted to OMB
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Summer 2021 Issue
(Tribal Consultation Opportunities Continued...)
on April 23. The plan details the U.S. EPA's consultation practices and how the Agency consults with tribal
nations and commits the U.S. EPA to two actions:
1. The U.S. EPA will convene an Agency workgroup to identify options and recommendations to address
key comments raised by tribes during the consultation and coordination process.
2. The U.S. EPA will provide enhanced consultation training for U.S. EPA Tribal Consultation Advisors.
One additional key component of the draft plan is that it reinforces the importance of having senior EPA
leadership participate in consultation meetings with tribes.
For any questions or comments about the U.S. EPA's Plan, please contact Andy Byrne, U.S. EPA-AIEO, at
bvrne.andrew@epa.gov or (202) 564-3836.
Each month, the Region 9 RTOC Consultation Workgroup meets to share information and updates and to
discuss consultation topics of interest. The workgroup is jointly chaired by Kelcey Strieker, Environmental
Director of the Pechanga Environmental Department, and Jeremy Bauer, Acting Deputy Director of the U.S.
EPA Region 9 Tribal, Intergovernmental, and Policy Division. For more information or to become involved in
the workgroup, please contact Kelcey (kstricker@pechangansn.gov) or Jeremy (bauer.ieremv@epa.gov).
The following list of upcoming Region 9 consultation opportunities provides early notification and transparency
to tribal governments. Please note that timeframes and details for each of these listed consultation oppor-
tunities may change. Active U.S. EPA consultation opportunities are available on U.S. EPA Tribal Consultation
Opportunities Tracking System (TCOTS): TCOTS Webpage.
Lead
EPA Office
Potential
Topic
EPA Point
of Contact
Activity
Region 9
Phoenix 2015 Ozone
Determination of Attainment
or Failure to Attain
Anita Lee
(Lee.Anita@epa.gov)
Budgeting &
Planning
Region 9
Imperial County Ozone
Determination of Attainment
or Failure to Attain
Ginger Vagenas
(Vagenas.Ginger@epa.gov)
Budgeting &
Planning
~
Region 9
Clark County 2015 Ozone
Determination of Attainment
or Failure to Attain
Karina O'Connor
(OConner.Karina@epa.gov)
Budgeting &
Planning
Region 9
San Francisco Bay Region
Chlorine Water Quality
Standard/CWA 303(c)
Eric Dubinsky
(Dubinsky.Eric@epa.gov)
Regulations
Region 9
California Toxicity Rule.
Statewide Water Quality
Standard/CWA 303(c)
Rochelle Cameron
(Cameron.Rochelle@epa.gov)
Regulations
Region 9
Agua Caliente GDF General
Permit Amendment/Agua
Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians
Sheila Tsai
(Tsai.Ya-Ting@epa.gov)
Permits
Region 9
Tule River Casino -
Tule River Indian Tribe
Sheila Tsai
(Tsai.Ya-Ting@epa.gov)
Permits
Region 9
Sand & Rock General Permit -
Tohono O'odham
Sheila Tsai
(Tsai.Ya-Ting@epa.gov)
Permits
Region 9
29 Palms Power Generation
Project - 29 Palms Band of
Mission Indians of California
Sheila Tsai
(Tsai.Ya-Ting@epa.gov)
Permits
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Summer 2021 Issue
Funding Opportunities
Stay up-to-date on federal grant opportunities by using the Grants.gov search page.
U.S. EPA Tribal and Insular Areas Diesel Emission Reduction Act Grant
The U.S. EPA FY2021 Diese! Emission Reduction Act (DERA) competitive Tribal and Insular Areas Request for
Application (RFA) is now open until Juiy 9, 2021. Approximately $4.5 million is available for tribes. This year's
grant program requires no mandatory cost-share funding from tribes. The DERA Program focuses on reduc-ing
diesel air emissions from existing larger diesel vehicles, equipment, and engines. An existing diesel-fueled on-
road medium or heavy-duty diesel truck or bus, or nonroad equipment will be required to be scrapped and
replaced with a new, cleaner, similar vehicle, among other eligible activities. Eligible diesel engines may include
the following: school or transit buses; medium or heavy-duty trash, delivery, or utility trucks; construction
or agricultural equipment; boats or marine vessels; or diesel generators providing primary electricity, among
others. To learn more about previously funded U.S. EPA Region 9 DERA Tribal grants, visit the U.S. EPA West
Coast Collaborative's project site and search by "Funding Program."
The deadline for submitting applications is July 9, 2021, at 8:59 pm (PT).
For the RFA and more detailed information, please visit: Tribal and Insular Areas: DERA.
U.S. EPA Region 9 Wetlands Program Development Grant
The U.S. EPA Region 9 RFA for the Wetlands Program Development Grants (WPDG) FY21-22 application period
has opened.
A competitive, multi-year grant program, pursuant to section
104(b)(3) of the Clean Water Act, the U.S. EPA WPDG assists
states, tribes, and local governments to protect and improve
wetlands within their jurisdictions. Proposals submitted under
this RFA must be for projects that build or refine state, tribal, or
local government wetland programs and should include one or
more of the following elements: monitoring and assessment,
wetland regulation, voluntary restoration and protection, or
establishing water quality standards for wetlands. Total funds
awarded for the region's two-year period will be approximately
$3.1 million. More information about the Wetland Program
Development Grants can be found here: Wetland Program
Development Grants Webpage.
The deadline for submitting applications is July 6, 2021, at
8:59 pm PT. To access the RFA, please follow this link:
Region 9 Wetland Program Development Grant RFA.
Please contact Sarvy Mahdavi for further information:
213-244-1830.
Big Pine Reservation: Photo by Alan Bacock
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Summer 2021 Issue
Training fk Technical Assistance
Training opportunities in this newsletter are either hosted, funded, or sponsored in collaboration with the U.S. EPA.
Any links to websites outside of U.S. EPA are provided for additional information that may be useful or interesting
to our readers. The U.S. EPA can neither attest to the accuracy of these third-party sites nor endorse any
nongovernment websites, companies, or applications.
Descent into Madness: Mad Chemists, Collectors, and Other Eccentrics
The U.S. EPA Emergency Response Program is proud to announce the re-release of its "Descent into Madness:
Mad Chemists, Collectors and Other Eccentrics" course. This course is approximately 3 hours and will only be
available online by downloading the course sessions (PowerPoint presentations and other documents). This
class will provide a turnkey approach to responding to "Mad Chemist", also known as chemical hoarder sites.
The course covers assessment techniques, cleanup techniques, health and safety issues, and case studies,
among other topics. The course also features case studies and videos of Mad Chemist sites. The class is taught
and narrated by Federal On-Scene Coordinator Robert Wise, a regional and national expert on Mad Chemist
sites.
To access the course, please follow this link: Emergency Response Training Resources. Locate the Mad Chemist
documents and presentations and download the "Mad Chemist Class Directions" document to get started.
For more information, please contact On-Scene Coordinator (OSC), Robert Wise, (wise.robert(5>epa.gov)
Introduction to Spill Prevention, Control,
and Countermeasure Regulation Webinar
July 21, 2021: 10:00 am-l:00 pm PT
On Juiy 21, 2021, this virtual webinar will acquaint
participants with the tools and resources available to
assist tribes in understanding the scope and implementa-
tion of the spill prevention, control, and counter-measure
regulations for above-ground storage of oii, the U.S. EPA
inspection process, and spill notification and response.
The target audience includes tribes that have any petro-
leum production, above-ground storage, or transportation
(e.g. pipelines) within and/or through their reservations,
treaty areas, traditional hunting and ceremonial lands, or
other areas considered to be part of Indian Country, tribal
owners/operators of regulated oil facilities, and Alaska
Native Corporations with oil facilities.
Follow this link to find out more information and to
register for this webinar: Register for the July 21 webinar.
Big Pine Reservation: Photo by Alan Bacock
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Summer 2021 Issue
Overview of Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasure and
Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act
There have been two prior sessions covering this topic; the last session will take place on
September 15, 2021, 10:00am-ll:15am PT.
This one-hour lunchtime session hosted by the U.S. EPA Oil Program will provide a basic overview of preven-
tion and preparedness programs for oil spills under Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure (SPCC) and
chemical emergencies under the Emergency Preparedness and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA). The
objective of the webinar is to provide attendees with a general awareness of the SPCC and EPCRA programs
and their associated regulatory requirements. The session will also include a question and answer session
where participants will be able to interact with the SPCC and EPCRA national program managers.
The target audience for the Overview of SPCC and EPCRA includes:
All tribes (including state-recognized) that have any petroleum and/or chemical production, above-
ground storage, processing, or transportation (pipelines) within and/through their tribal lands.
Including customary, hunting, spiritual, and treaty rights areas.
Tribal owners/operators of regulated oil and chemical facilities.
Alaska Native Corporations with regulated oil and chemical facilities.
Tribal environmental management agencies.
Tribal Emergency Response Commissions (TERCs) & Tribal Emergency Planning Committees (TEPCs).
Tribal First Responders.
Tribal environmental nonprofit organizations.
For more information and to register for this event, please follow this link: SPCC and EPCRA Overview.
U.S. EPA Environmental Justice Webinar Series
for Tribes and Indigenous People
The U.S. EPA has been providing an EJ webinar series for tribes and indigenous peoples since November, 2020,
to enhance EJ integration, build capacity, raise awareness of the U.S. EPA and other federal programs and
resources, and provide technical assistance to tribes and indigenous peoples on priority environmental, public
health, and other EJ concerns. The EJ webinar series was developed after receiving input from tribes request-
ing that the U.S. EPA "increase training and technical assistance," as well as from indigenous peoples request-
ing information and training. The fulfillment of these requests will be done, in part, through these webinars.
These webinars are planned to be held regularly (monthly or bimonthly) as topics are selected and content is
prepared, for 1.5 hours per session, allowing for a question and answer period. Most webinar topics have been
recommended by tribes, indigenous peoples, and/or pertain to priorities identified by tribes and other indige-
nous peoples. Tribes and indigenous peoples are welcome to recommended topics for future webinars.
Webinar information is available on the webpage, EJ for Tribes and Indigenous Peoples: Environmental Justice
for Tribes and Indigenous Peoples Webpage. Information is also sent out through the EJ listserv. To subscribe,
send a blank email to: ioin-epa-ei(a)Iists.epa.gov.
Past webinar topics include: an overview of the EJ policy for tribes and indigenous peoples; advice and tips on
the competitive grants award process, tribal partnership groups, and EJ; wildfires and air quality (AirNow Maps
and Sensors for Communities and Tribal Experience with the Tools); and Enforcement and Compliance Online
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Summer 2021 Issue
History (ECHO: its Use in Indian Country and in Indigenous Communities). In July, the National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA) sessions will be made available. Materials and recordings from past webinars are available on
the website listed above.
United States
Environmental Protection
hI Mm. Agency
Environmental Protection Agency
Region 9 Tribal Branch
Tribal, Intergovernmental, and Policy Division
75 Hawthorne St.
San Francisco, CA 94105
Get in Touch!
Do you have an idea for inclusion
in an upcoming newsletter? Do you
have a question or comment about
an article in this issue? Please submit
ideas, questions, tribal success stories,
original photos, or other feedback to
the R9 Tribal Newsletter Coordinator,
Jeanette Sasek, at:
R9TribalNewsletter(a)epa.gov
R9 Tribal Programs: www.epa.gov/tribal/epas-pacific-southwest-tribal-program-region-9
Follow Region 9 EPA on Facebook! www.facebook.com/EPAregion9/
Follow us @EPAregion9 on Twitter! twitter.com/EPAregion9
Please see and subscribe to our EPA in the Pacific Southwest Newsletter
for more general news about EPA in Region 9.
Protecting Human Health and the Environment
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