Native American Network

United StatesEnvironmental ProtectionAgency

Solid Wasteand Emergency Response(5303W)

EPA 530-N-99-005Fall 1999www.epa.gov/osw

EPA

Printed on paper that contains at least 20 percent postconsumer fiber.

Federal AgenciesUnite To HelpTribes Solve SolidWaste Problems

The multiagency TribalSolid Waste InteragencyWorkgroup plans toprovide approximately $1.7

million to 11 Native American Tribes.The Workgroup, composed of repre-sentatives from eight Federal Agen-cies (see sidebar), was established inApril 1998 to design a Federal planfor helping tribes bring their wastedisposal sites into compliance withthe municipal solid waste landfillcriteria (40 CFR Part 258). The tribeswill use Tribal Open Dump CleanupProject funds to assist with the closureor upgrade of their high priority opendump sites. Funding is expected to befinalized in fall of 1999.

The Tribal Open Dump CleanupProject is part of the Workgroup’seffort to coordinate Federal assistancefor tribal solid waste managementprograms. In addition to assistingtribes with the closure or upgrade ofhigh priority noncompliant wastedisposal sites, the Project is intendedto demonstrate the FederalGovernment’s ability to providecomprehensive solid waste fundingand technical assistance to tribes. TheCleanup Project’s specific goals

Tribal Solid Waste InteragencyWorkgroup ParticipantsU.S. Environmental Protection Agency• Office of Solid Waste and

Emergency Response• Office of Enforcement and

Compliance Assurance• American Indian Environmental

OfficeBureau of Indian AffairsIndian Health ServicesFederal Aviation AdministrationNational Oceanic and Atmospheric

AdministrationU.S. Geological SurveyDepartment of Agriculture• Hazardous Waste Management

Group• Rural Utilities ServicesDepartment of Defense

NTEC NATIONALFORUM LEADSTO ACTION

The EPA Office of SolidWaste and Emergency

Response (OSWER) TribalProgram action plans werepublished in May 1999 under thetitle, Response toRecommendations From theNational Tribal EnvironmentalCouncil’s February 10-11, 1998Albuquerque National TribalForum. (EPA document #EPA/500/R-99/002) The action plansoutline how each office willprovide more support to tribalgovernments in implementingtheir waste programs in FiscalYears 1999-2000. EPA will alsoincorporate theserecommendations into theforthcoming OSWER Strategy forImplementing Waste Programs onTribal Lands.

The following offices comprise theOSWER Tribal Program: theOutreach and Special ProjectsStaff (OSPS), Office of SolidWaste (OSW), the Office ofUnderground Storage Tanks(OUST), Office of Emergency andRemedial Response (OERR),Chemical Emergency

include assisting tribes with complet-ing and implementing comprehensiveintegrated waste managementplans, developing realisticsolid waste managementalternatives, closing orupgrading existingopen dumps, anddevelopingpostclosureprograms.Project fundsare availableto all federallyrecognized tribesand Alaskan nativevillages, and to

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Preparedness and Prevention Office(CEPPO), and Federal FacilitiesRestoration and Reuse Office(FFRRO).

The genesis for the action plans wasthe National Tribal EnvironmentalCouncil’s (NTEC) National Forum toDiscuss Impediments to theImplementation of Waste Programs, inAlbuquerque, New Mexico. TimFields, Assistant Administrator forEPA’s Office of Solid Waste andEmergency Response led a delegationof OSWER Senior Managers toparticipate in the forum with tribaland other federal officials. During theforum, tribal representatives, EPAsenior management, EPA Regionalpersonnel, and representatives fromthe Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)and the Indian Health Service (IHS)held small group discussions on wastemanagement issues in Indian Country.

The participating tribes put forth 106recommendations for overcomingbarriers to implementing wasteprograms in Indian Country. As aresult, each of the program officeswithin OSWER began drafting actionplans to respond to issues andrecommendations developed duringthe National Forum. A draft of theOSWER Tribal Program action planswas provided to participants of theNational Forum and all federally-recognized tribes for review andcomment before the final documentwas published in May 1999.

For more information contact:Charlene Dunn at(202) 260-9466 ❂

Haskell Indian Nations Universitywas the site of a major delivery of

the CERCLA Education Center’s“Field-Based Site CharacterizationTechnologies” course developed byEPA’s Technology Innovation Officein the Office of Solid Waste andEmergency Response. This 5-daycourse was held at the University fromJune 21-25, 1999, in Lawrence,Kansas.

Thirty-seven participants, includingTribal Environmental Staff, FederalSite Managers, and State Officialsattended this training session. SpecificTribal technical representativesincluded participants from theQuapaw Tribe of Oklahoma, Prairie

Band of the Potawatomi Indians,Caddo Indian Tribe of Oklahoma, andthe Cherokee Nation. Several profes-sors and upper level students in theEnvironmental Science Department atHaskell Indian Nations Universityalso participated in the course.

Class participants were given exten-sive hands-on training in the applica-tion of numerous test methods,sampling and analytical kits, field andlaboratory instruments, statisticalapproaches, and data quality goals andmethods that are currently in use toperform hazardous waste site charac-terizations. During this training,several commercial field equipmentmanufacturers demonstrated theirproducts to the class participants.

For further information regarding thiscourse and others provided free ofcharge to Federal, State, and tribalenvironmental professionals, pleasecontact:John Quander, Env. ScientistCERCLA Education Center(703) 603-7198, or consultwww.trainex.org. ✵

HASKELL INDIAN NATIONSUNIVERSITY HOSTS CERCLA

TECHNICAL TRAINING SESSION

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Students train on the use of colorimetric indicators in the field.

Students are instructed onemerging and innovative chemicalsite characterization techniques.

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M U N I C I P A L S O L I D W A S T Ewww.epa.gov/tribalmsw

presentation to Federal Agencies.

Tribes currently participating inTSWAN include the Coeur D’AleneTribe of the Coeur D’AleneReservation, Confederated Tribes ofthe Colville Reservation, Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of the Fort HallReservation, Kalispel IndianCommunity of the KalispelReservation, Kootenai Tribe, NezPerce Tribe, Spokane Tribe of theSpokane Reservation, ConfederatedTribes of the Umatilla Reservation,Confederated Tribes of the WarmSprings Reservation, andConfederated Tribes and Bands ofthe Yakama Indian Nation of theYakama Reservation. TSWAN hasinvited all tribes in the PacificNorthwest to join and hopes toexpand membership throughoutEPA Region 10.

For more information aboutTSWAN, contact:Mia SonneckNez Perce Tribe,TSWAN Chairperson(208) 843-7368, Ext. 2603. ✹

participate in a nationaldialogue on solid wastemanagement issues withFederal Agencies.

• Advising Federal Agencieson solid waste issues andconcerns unique to InlandEmpire Tribes.

In past years, tribes did noteffectively communicate theirchallenges and solutions with eachother, so mistakes experienced byone tribe were often repeated byanother tribe. TSWAN membersminimize this problem bydiscussing common solid wasteissues and sharing success storiesduring quarterly meetings. TSWANmeeting participants discuss topicssuch as recyclables collection, solidwaste management methods, andhow to generate greater concernamong Federal Agencies for tribalsolid waste management needs. Thequarterly meetings often includerepresentatives from EPA, the U.S.Department of Housing and UrbanDevelopment (HUD), and otherFederal Agencies, and provide theseagencies the opportunity to meetwith member tribes and hear theirconcerns collectively.

TSWAN has accomplished many ofits founding goals. Ultimately,TSWAN plans to formally promoteadvanced waste managementconcepts (such as source reduction)through its programs and establish atribal solid waste database to recordindividual solid waste managementefforts. Future goals includeacquiring the necessary funding toestablish an office to house andmaintain the tribal solid wastedatabase and compiling a summaryof each member tribe’s solid wastemanagement concerns for

Pacific NorthwestTribal PartnershipLeverages WasteManagementOpportunities

n 1997, 10 tribes from theplateau region of theinterior Pacific Northwestformed the Inland Empire

Tribal Solid Waste Advisory Net-work (TSWAN) to collectivelyexplore innovative waste manage-ment techniques and advocateresponsible solid waste managementfor all Native Americans.

By acting together, member tribeshave strengthened their voices inenvironmental management issuesand increased their opportunities forsecuring funds needed for infra-structure development. In fact, EPARegion 10 recently awardedTSWAN a $31,000 solid wastegrant for Fiscal Year 1999. Thefunding will allow member tribes todevelop an Intertribal Solid WasteManagement Plan and become moreself-supporting as a nonprofitorganization.

Through TSWAN, member tribespursue the following objectives:

• Building a consortium fordiscussing regional tribalsolid waste issues.

• Creating a forum forsharing experiences andsuccesses.

• Collecting and recordingindividual tribal solid wastemanagement efforts.

• Enabling tribes to

I

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Through its Municipal SolidWaste (MSW) GrantProgram for IndianCountry, the U.S. Environ-

mental Protection Agency (EPA) willprovide additional funding to supportthe development and enhancement oftribal solid waste managementprograms.

The MSW Grant Program is a capac-ity-building program that promoteseffective integrated solid wastemanagement (ISWM) practices tofederally recognized tribes and tribalorganizations. For Fiscal Year 1999,EPA will award $450,000 in MSWgrants to 10 Native American tribes ormultitribe organizations. The tribeswill use these funds to develop solidwaste management plans, expandcommunity education and outreachprograms, and explore options toreduce waste and maximize recycling.

The MSW Grant Program (seesidebar), focuses on tribal projectsthat strive to include all aspects ofintegrated solid waste management

including source reduction, recycling,composting, and combustion orlandfilling. EPA also looks forprograms that are comprehensive,addressing planning and programdevelopment, education, training, andimplementation.

Tribes awarded MSW grants areencouraged to engage communitymembers in their solid wastemanagement planning and cleanupactivities. The MSW Grant Programplaces strong emphasis oncooperation and partnerships betweentribes, the surrounding communities,and other Federal or nonfederalagencies to help leverage resourcesand ensure the program’ssustainability beyond the EPAfunding period.

Successful programs shoulddemonstrate measurable results suchas volume and types of materialsdiverted from landfills, developmentof an integrated solid wastemanagement plan, or implementationof a community education and

outreach campaign. The projects alsoare intended to alleviate or reduceimpacts on human health and theenvironment by limiting access toopen dumps or converting organicmaterials into useful compost.

Ultimately, EPA envisions thatinformation obtained and lessonslearned by tribes engaged in MSW-grant-funded projects can be sharedwith other tribes to aid in their effortsto address solid waste managementissues. Tribes that receive fundingcould offer technical assistance viaconference calls, workshops, andother general informationdissemination.

For more information, please visit thetribal website at www.epa.gov/tribalmsw or contact:Beverly GoldblattU.S. EPA(703) 308-7278. ✹

EPA To Award Additional $450,000 inMunicipal Solid Waste Grants

M U N I C I P A L S O L I D W A S T Ewww.epa.gov/tribalmsw

➥ Promote the development and implementation of sustainable, comprehensive, integrated wastemanagement programs.

➥ Encourage community participation in the management of solid waste in Indian Country.

➥ Encourage partnerships between tribes, surrounding communities, and other Federal or nonfederalagencies.

➥ Increase the availability of technical assistance to all tribes via information obtained and lessonslearned by tribes that receive funding.

GOALS OF THE MSW GRANT PROGRAMGOALS OF THE MSW GRANT PROGRAMGOALS OF THE MSW GRANT PROGRAMGOALS OF THE MSW GRANT PROGRAMGOALS OF THE MSW GRANT PROGRAM

N a t i v e A m e r i c a n N e t w o r k 5

EPA has compiled a newTraining and TechnicalAssistance Directory forTribal Solid Waste

Managers to help tribal leaders andenvironmental personnel identifycurrently available municipal solidwaste (MSW) technicalassistance andtrainingresources.This guide isdivided into fourbroad solid wastetopic areas: Wasteand PollutionPrevention; Recy-cling; Composting;and MSW Collection,Transfer, and Disposal.

The wide range of techni-cal assistance listed in theguide includes informationrelated to the various solidwaste challenges faced by the tribes.Some of the assistance optionsinclude:

• technology and information

exchange forums

• workshops

• resource and referral networks

• partnership-building programs

• hotlines

• clearinghouses

• onsite assessmentsMany of the identified organizations

WASTE MANAGE-MENT IN IN-DIAN COUNTRYWEB SITE UP-DATED

The EPA’s Waste Manage-ment in Indian Country web

site has been reorganized andupdated to better serve theneeds of tribal leaders andenvironmental personnel. Thesite contains a wealth of wastemanagement information tar-geted to the needs of NativeAmerican tribes and AlaskaNative villages. The scope ofthe site has been expandedbeyond municipal solid wasteissues to provide information onhazardous waste, constructionand demolition waste, industrialsolid waste, mining waste, andmunitions waste. Additionalreferences include examples oftribal solid waste codes andsolid waste management plans,tribal community outreachmaterials, case studies, fundingand grant program information,and new tribal guidance materi-als.

Check out the expanded website at www.epa.gov/tribalmsw.✹

publish outreach materials such asnewsletters, fact sheets, and guides,and offer library resources. Somegroups offer training videos, audiotapes, software, satellite broadcasts,a n d curricula and training pack-

ages. Information on formalsolid waste managementtraining through certifica-tion courses and pro-grams, continuingeducation and extensionprograms, and collegeand university degreeprograms is alsoincluded. Assistanceis also available inelectronic formatsincluding websites, listservers,databases, and

online newsletters.

Copies of Training and TechnicalAssistance Directory for Tribal SolidWaste Managers are available throughEPA’s RCRA, Superfund, and EPCRAHotline. The Hotline operates from 9a.m. until 6 p.m. e.s.t. Mondaythrough Friday. Call (800) 424-9346or (800) 553-7672 (TDD for hearingimpaired) and request documentnumber EPA530-B-99-007. Thisdocument also can be viewed onlineor downloaded from the Internet atwww.epa.gov/tribalmsw/pdftxt/training.pdf. ❂

New Training and TechnicalAssistance Directory for Tribal Solid

Waste Managers Available

M U N I C I P A L S O L I D W A S T Ewww.epa.gov/tribalmsw

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multitribe organizations whosemembership consists of federallyrecognized tribes or villages. Thisyear’s funds will be available to tribeswhose sites are considered highpriority threats to human health andthe environment, and who havecomprehensive integrated solid wastemanagement plans either in place orunder significant development.

All applications were examined andranked according to specific criteriadeveloped by the Workgroup. Otherfactors considered in final fundingdecisions were:

• The site’s ranking in the IndianHealth Service’s 1997Report—Open Dumps onIndian Lands.

• Information provided by thetribe describing tribal supportfor solid waste managementplanning.

• The extent of community in-volvement.

• The sustainability of theproject.• The tribe’s proposed plan of

action.

Using the information gathered duringthe grant application process, the

Workgroup plans to devise a strategyto promote further assistance to tribesin their efforts to address solid wastemanagement needs. If funding isavailable, the Workgroup intends tosolicit and fund additional projects infuture years.

For further information, pleasecontact:Beverly GoldblattU.S. EPA(703) 308-7278, orMelanie Barger Garvey(202) 564-2579. ✵

EPA Prepares forFifth NationalTribal Conferenceon EnvironmentalManagement

The Fifth National TribalConference onEnvironmentalManagement, tentatively

scheduled for May 2000, will providean opportunity for tribalenvironmental professionals andleaders to convene in a national forumand address major issues across allenvironmental programs. Through anational search, EPA is currentlyseeking a tribal cosponsor to managethe Conference. Final selection of thecosponsor is targeted for September1999.

In the next few months moreinformation will be available aboutthe upcoming Fifth NTCEM via direct

mail and on the EPA Tribal WastePrograms web site. Please mark yourSpring 2000 calendars to attend.

EPA has supported the NationalTribal Conference on EnvironmentalManagement–the NTCEM–since1992. The conference has taken placeevery other year and has beencosponsored by the Eastern Band ofCherokee Indians and theConfederated Salish and KootenaiTribes.

The Fourth NTCEM in May 1998 wascosponsored by the Prairie IslandIndian Community.During the 3-day conference, morethan 700 participants and 150 IndianNations took part. The conferencewas held at the Treasure Island Resortand Casino on the Prairie IslandIndian Community in Welch,Minnesota. The theme of theconference was “Promoting Strength,Unity, and Self-Determination toProtect Indian Country.” Participantswere welcomed by tribal executives,and dignitaries of the EPA, BIA, theCity of Redwing, and the U.S.

Congress.

Overall, 38 technical sessions werepresented, covering such topics asenforcement issues, tribal emergencyresponse and preparedness,environmental justice, solid wastemanagement alternatives, air andwater quality, tribal environmentalagreements, EPA grants, BrownfieldsInitiative, and internationalindigenous concerns. One hundredand twenty-seven panelists gavepresentations during the conference,offering insights, experiences, andchallenges based on ongoingenvironmental projects in IndianCountry. All who attended areindebted to the tribe for making it ahuge success. Heather Westra, TribalEnvironmental Manager andConference Coordinator, earnedeveryone’s respect and appreciationfor managing a successful conference.

While EPA provides financial supportto the tribal cosponsor to plan andmanage the conference, and assists inthe planning, the tribal cosponsor hasthe ultimate responsibility and final

N a t i v e A m e r i c a n N e t w o r k 7

For years, States and Tribeshave been developingSuperfund capabilities

through EPA’s technical andfinancial support. EPA is furtherencouraging participation by Statesand Tribes to clean up Superfund sitesthrough the State and Tribal EnhancedRole Initiative.

In November 1996, the Office ofSolid Waste and Emergency Response(OSWER) and the Office of Enforce-ment and Compliance Assurance(OECA) commissioned the State andTribal Enhanced Role Initiativethrough which EPA worked with Stateand Tribal partners in developing anational approach for States andTribes to take a more active role inidentifying, managing, and cleaningup Superfund sites. EPA is testing thisapproach through national pilots todetermine which recommendationsand strategies work and which needimprovement.

The initiative includes working withTribes and States to gauge the level ofreadiness to assume program respon-sibilities; identifying technical andfinancial assistance needed for Statesand Tribes to perform these activities;negotiating a program agreement toformally document roles and respon-sibilities in an enhanced partnership toimplement Superfund; and incorporat-ing unique considerations for Tribalparticipation.

The State and Tribal Enhanced RoleInitiative allows capable States andTribes to equitably share Superfundprogram responsibilities, resulting inmore appropriate cleanups of hazard-ous sites. The process of integrating

the initiative is beginning with theimplementation of nine nationalTribal pilots as follows:

1Aroostook Band of MicmacIndians and Passamaquoddy

Tribe of MaineThis pilot will develop the tribes’long-term operation and maintenance(O&M) capabilities on tribal landsand possibly at Superfund sites inMaine through training on health andsafety, groundwater monitoring, soil-gas monitoring, and innovativesampling techniques.

2Mississippi Band ofChoctaw Indians

This pilot serves to develop tribalSuperfund capabilities in emergencypreparedness and response, thusenabling the tribe to effectivelyrespond to oil and hazardoussubstance spills and performenvironmental assessments on triballands. EPA is enhancing the tribe’scapabilities through training onsampling procedures, sampling plans,hazardous materials, and monitoringwell installations, as well asadditional related topics. EPA willalso conduct a tribal infrastructureassessment and provide relatedtechnical resources.

3Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe ofMinnesota

This pilot serves to develop site-specific tribal risk assessment criteriathat evaluate cleanup effectiveness byconsidering tribal health, environmentquality, tribal resource use, andcultural concerns. The Tribe willdevelop tribal risk assessment criteriathrough the remedy evaluation of theSt. Regis Paper Company National

Priorities List (NPL) site. This is anew approach, the outcome of whichmay define future tribal criteria androles at other tribal sites.

4Pueblo Office of Environmen- tal Protection (POEP) Pilot I:

Establishing Emergency Re-sponse Planning Procedures onTribal LandThis pilot serves to establishemergency response procedures ontribal lands from a tribal perspectiveby producing a comprehensive, user-friendly resource-training manual fortribes to develop emergency responsecapability. POEP plans to work with19 Pueblos and coordinate with othertribes, tribal consortia, EPA Regionaloffices, States, counties, and/ormunicipalities to develop tribalemergency response protocols. Thedevelopment of the emergencyresponse will also address hazardousmaterials transported through triballands.

5POEP Pilot II: Developing aModel to Incorporate Tribal

Cultural Values into a TribalSite Prioritization ProcessThis pilot serves to establish a riskassessment procedure thatincorporates cultural impacts into atribal site prioritization and scoringsystem. After the development of atribal scoring system, POEP will testthe procedure at a tribal site andcompare the results with a traditionalEPA site prioritization approach, andmake recommendations onincorporating cultural impacts. Basedon the results, EPA may considerPOEP’s recommendations inevaluating the current HazardRanking System. This pilot plans toContinued on page 8Continued on page 8Continued on page 8Continued on page 8Continued on page 8

Plan to Enhance the Role of States and Tribes in theSuperfund Program: State and Tribal Enhanced Role Initiative

N a t i v e A m e r i c a n N e t w o r k8

increase tribal participation in siteassessments and the Superfundprogram in general to reveal theoverall impact to a tribe.

6POEP Pilot III: Training forBioremediation of Pesticides at

Dip Vat SitesIn this pilot, POEP plans to develop acomprehensive training moduledetailing procedures for assessing,delineating, and bioremediatingpesticide soil contamination fromsheep dip vats on Pueblo lands. POEPwill gather bioremediation technologyfrom EPA and the Navajo Nation andconduct training with individualPueblos through on-site sessions, webpage information, and training videos.The results will develop the long-termcapacity of tribal environmentalprograms to independently remediatedip vat sites and empower tribes tocleanup non-NPL sites. 7Inter-Tribal Environmental

Council (ITEC) andQuapaw TribeThis pilot serves to develop a strongtribal role and capability in riskassessments by allowing ITEC andthe Quapaw Tribe to lead a Remedial

Investigation/Feasibility Study (RI/FS) at certain areas of the Tar CreekNPL site on Quapaw land. Ultimately,ITEC and the Quapaw Tribe wouldlike to conduct more technicallycomplex and long-term activitiesindependently. The Quapaw Tribewill be the first tribe to conduct an RI/FS at an NPL site and will be a modelfor future EPA/tribal cooperativeefforts.

8Cheyenne RiverSioux Tribe

This pilot promotes a strongerpartnership between tribes and EPAthrough tribal consultation andparticipation in determining the natureand extent of hazardous substances inthe Cheyenne River and CheyenneRiver Arm of Lake Oahe from miningactivities. In collaboration with EPA,the tribe will identify tribal needs andset human/ecological riskmanagement goals. During theassessment, the tribe also will providetechnical assistance and writtencomments on risk assessments andreports, and define investigationactivities.

9Alaska Inter-TribalCouncil (AITC)

AITC, a consortium of 176 AlaskanNative tribes, will facilitate a pilot todevelop Superfund capabilities amongAlaskan Native villages andmaximize expertise and assistancedespite wide geographic distribution.Tribal staff will be trained on topicssuch as removal, site assessment,remedy selection, and form aSuperfund team to support Superfundissues arising in Alaskan Nativevillages.

For more information contact:Ms. Felicia WrightSuperfund Tribal Coordinator(703) 603-8775 orwww.epa.gov/superfund/states/strole/index.htm ❂

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Mining can create environmental problems including erosion, chemical releases, habitat destruction, acid mine drainage, and surface and groundwater contamination. Publications on Mining Waste Management in IndianCountry includes descriptions of EPA publications designed to assist tribal leaders, environmental personnel, andthe general public with mining and mineral processing issues. The guide references publications relating to envi-ronmental impacts from mining operations, mining source reduction and recycling opportunities, and innovativetechniques for waste management. Publications on mineral processing of specific ores, such as lead-zinc, gold,iron, and copper, also are listed.

Copies of Publications on Mining Waste Management in Indian Country are available through EPA’s RCRA,Superfund, and EPCRA Hotline. The Hotline operates from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. e.s.t. Monday through Friday. Call(800) 424-9346 or (800) 553-7672 (TDD for hearing impaired) and request document number EPA530-B-99-006.This document also can be viewed online or downloaded from the Internet atwww.epa.gov/tribalmsw/pdftxt/biblio.pdf. ❊

UPDATED RESOURCE GUIDE FOR MININGWASTE MANAGEMENT IN INDIAN COUNTRY AVAILABLE

N a t i v e A m e r i c a n N e t w o r k 9

EPA Holds NativeAmerican IssuesPanel at NationalDoD Task ForceMeeting

EPA’s Federal FacilitiesRestoration andReuse Office(FFRRO) presented a

Native American Issues panel at theDefense Environmental ResponseTask Force (DERTF) meeting,February 2-3, 1999, in San Francisco,CA. The Department of Defense(DoD) established DERTF to identifyand recommend ways to expedite andimprove environmental restoration atclosing military installations. TheDERTF membership includes repre-sentatives from DoD, EPA, theDepartment of Justice, the GeneralService Administration, the NationalGovernors’ Association, the NationalAssociation of Attorneys General, andvarious public interest groups.

In addition to the DERTF conference,FFRRO and Office of Emergency andRemedial Response (OERR) isdeveloping a tribal site inventorydatabase and various outreach materi-als to facilitate stronger partnershipsto assist tribal governments. Thedatabase will provide information onhazardous waste sites impactingIndian Country and will include linksto other EPA databases. EPA contin-ues to ensure its actions are consistentwith the protection of tribal rights.

FFRRO convened the Native Ameri-can Issues panel to engage in adiscussion on the unique situationsinvolving Native Americans and the

Base Realignment and Closure(BRAC) program. The five-memberpanel educated DERTF members onemerging Native American issues andaddressed tribal notification andparticipation procedures, Federal trustresponsibilities, related policiesrequiring Federal Agencies to workwith federally-recognized tribes on agovernment-to-government basis, landtransfer, economic development, andprotection of tribal rights.

Representativesfrom the NavajoNation,SusanvilleIndianRancheria, theCampo Band ofMission Indians,BIA, and SierraArmy Depotwere the pre-senters. Presen-tations focusedon case studiesof tribal involve-ment at threeBRAC sites:Sierra Army Depot, CA; FortWingate, NM; and the San DiegoNaval Training Center, CA.

When BRAC sites require cleanupand are scheduled for closure, theprimary objective is to determine thepostclosure use. The site is cleaned upto standards protective of the intendeduse, and the community is providedwith opportunities for economicdevelopment. These propertiesprovide Indian Tribes with opportuni-ties for economic development, landtransfer, and/or access to archeologi-cal sites or other cultural resources.Panelists illustrated how tribes areaffected differently than the rest of thelocal community as BRAC sites arecleaned up and returned to communi-ties for reuse. For example, cultural

issues involve the religious use ofsites and protection of archeologicalresources on tribal lands. Localauthorities are typically given the leadin establishing reuse and economicdevelopment priorities at BRAC sites,but such authorities do not have atrust responsibility to tribes. Landtransfer is particularly complicatedand came to the forefront during adiscussion of the situation at theSusanville Indian Rancheria (SIR).

As part of theSierra ArmyDepot closure,SIR acquired 70acres of land, 120housing units, agas station andgrocery facility,and medicalsupplies andfacilities. Thisnecessitated agovernment-to-governmenttransfer, sinceproperty transferto tribes is

handled by BIA. Prior to BRAC,transfer of government property totribes was always handled as a deedof trust transfer. Thus, BIA had nomeans for handling a government-to-government transfer as required underBRAC. SIR expressed the hope thattheir efforts in working with BIA tomodify transfer and economic devel-opment policies would benefit othertribes affected by BRAC sites.

The meeting was attended by chair-men from Susanville IndianRancheria, Susanville, CA; LajollaIndian Reservation, Valley Center,CA; and Manzanita Tribe ofKumeyaay, Boulevard, CA. A repre-sentative for the Campo Band ofMission Indians and the former

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From left to right: Roseria Duwyenie, BIA/Navajo Office, Chairperson Victor

Preston, Susanville Indian Rancheria,Marsha Minter, EPA HQ

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AISES and EPAComplete InauguralSummer InternshipProgram

EPA and the AmericanIndian Science andEngineering Society(AISES) recently completed

the first Summer internship programfor the recipients of the EPA TribalLands Environmental Science Schol-arships. The inaugural class of 10EPA/AISES interns comprisedundergraduate and graduate studentsfrom various universities and col-leges, including tribal colleges.Through a cooperative agreementwith AISES, EPA provided scholar-ship support to AISES members and a10-week summer internship programin various EPA program offices.The following AISES intern profile isa result of a combined effort ofAISES interns Renae Schmitt andKarletta Chief. Ms. Schmitt will be ajunior at Creighton University inNebraska, majoring in EnvironmentalScience and Spanish. She worked inthe Office of Solid Waste and assistedin the production of this newsletter.Ms. Chief has completed course workfor a Masters Degree in Environmen-tal Engineering/Science at StanfordUniversity in California.

Karletta Chief—In Her Own Words:Working in the Office of Emergencyand Remedial Response (OERR)proved to be a valuable experience.The OERR internship exposed me to avariety of working relationshipsbetween EPA Headquarters and tribalorganizations regarding abandonedhazardous waste sites. Felicia Wright,my mentor, assigned various tasks

and a primary project which helpedme to understand the working dynam-ics and cooperative efforts on tribalenvironmental issues. During the firstweeks, I attended a one-on-onetraining session on the Hazard Rank-ing System (HRS). The HRS trainingfamiliarized me with the complexitiesof the Superfund ranking process andprepared me for my summer project.My summer project involved thePueblo Office of EnvironmentalProtection’s (POEP) Pilot II incorpo-rating tribal cultural values into atribal site prioritization and scoringsystem. My role in the POEP projectincluded preliminary research of tribalenvironmental groups working toquantify cultural impacts from ahazardous waste site. This internshipproject gave me the experience ofenvironmental work with a tribalperspective.As an environmental engineering andscience masters student, I am clearlyaware of Superfund sites. Thisinternship, however, allowed me toexperience real-life applications of theSuperfund ranking processes andactivities. I now realize that variousnontechnical areas are important inworking on environmental issues.These include writing project summa-ries, articles, and briefings, andunderstanding environmental policy.Some current issues OERR is workingon include: Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC)cultural and subsistence impacts,Navajo Nation Brownfields Assess-ments, and Pueblo Office of Environ-mental Protection (POEP) CulturalAssessments/Site PrioritizationIncorporation. My time at EPAexposed me to the range of careerfields in EPA and allowed me tounderstand EPA as a whole entity,with its diverse work across theUnited States. More importantly, itallowed me to understand and partici-pate in current tribal environmental

projects. My EPA summer internshipwas a rewarding experience thatcontinues to fuel, direct, and empha-size my long-term career aspirationsand commitment to Native Americansand tribal environmental issues.

If you would like to know more aboutthe EPA/AISES Scholarships or theSummer Internship program pleasecontact Marlene Regelski at (202)260-7284. ❂

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decision on all conference matters.EPA and the tribal cosponsor workdiligently to highlight tribal capabilityand leadership during all phases ofconference planning and followup.

As a first step toward planning theconference agenda, EPA’s Office ofSolid Waste is announcing apreliminary call for workshop sessionproposals from all interested parties.Workshop proposals should contain atitle for the topic, a brief abstract ofthe issues, a proposed list of speakers,and the time needed to present thetopic (1 or 1.5 hours). All workshopproposals can be submitted to:Stephen Etsitty, EPA OSW401 M Street, SW (5303W)Washington, DC 20460Fax (703) 308-8638etsitty.stephen@epa.gov ✪

N a t i v e A m e r i c a n N e t w o r k 11

As hazardous wastefacilities are sitedand permitted, local communities often have a

variety of legitimate concerns involv-ing perceived and/or real changes intheir quality of life (i.e., cultural/social, economic, location, andnuisance concerns). Quality of lifeconcerns encompass a broad array ofissues from those that are humanhealth and environmental in nature, tothose that are primarily social oreconomic.

Although issues regarding humanhealth and the environment areconsidered during the hazardouswaste permit process under theFederal Resource Conservation andRecovery Act (RCRA) or its Statecounterparts, many of the communityquality of life concerns, such as thoseof a social or economic nature, falloutside the scope of RCRA and maynot be covered by State laws andregulations. This should not, however,diminish the legitimacy of thecommunity’s concerns and the need toaddress them promptly, honestly, andthoroughly when siting a hazardouswaste facility.

Over the past year, the RCRA Envi-ronmental Justice/Public ParticipationTeam of the Office of Solid Waste,Permits and State Programs Division,Permits Branch has been workingwith members of the National Envi-ronmental Justice Advisory Council’s(NEJAC) Waste and Facility SitingSubcommittee to develop a brochurethat addresses community quality oflife concerns related to the siting ofhazardous waste facilities. Thisbrochure is intended to be used as a

vehicle for sharing experiences inworking with communities by sug-gesting creative mechanisms thataddress community quality of lifeconcerns. EPA encourages industryand State, tribal, and local govern-ments/agencies to take these factorsinto consideration when planning forand siting hazardous waste facilitiesand to work closely with communitiesstarting in the early stages of thedecision-making process.

On July 27, 1999, EPA’s Office of

Solid Waste (OSW) hosted the RCRASubtitle C Facility Siting CriteriaStakeholders’ Roundtable in Arling-ton, Virginia. The stakeholderroundtable was designed to be aforum for stakeholders to discussissues, exchange ideas and positionson social siting considerations, andshare experiences that have beensuccessful in addressing communityquality of life concerns. OSW be-lieves that the roundtable was anecessary step in developing a bro-chure that is accurate and useful toindustry and tribal, State, and localgovernments, and also in ensuring

that quality of life issues in the sitingof RCRA hazardous waste facilitiesare accurately developed and coveredin the final brochure.

The roundtable panel includedrepresentatives of State, tribal (LauraWeber of the St. Regis MohawkTribe’s Environmental Division), andlocal governments/agencies; environ-mental justice communities; industry;environmenal advocacy groups; andother Federal Agencies that havesubstantial experiences in manyaspects of facility siting. The generalpublic was invited to come andobserve the discussions and givecomment during several brief openperiods.

A copy of the draft brochure isavailable and roundtable notes will bemade available at a later date throughthe RCRA Information Center, (RIC),located at Crystal Gateway I, FirstFloor, 1235 Jefferson Davis Highway,Arlington, VA 22202, (703) 603-9230. The Docket Identificationnumber is F-1999-SSRN-FFFFF.

Before it is finalized, the draft bro-chure will be revised based on com-ments from the roundtable and othercomments OSW is expecting toreceive.

For more information contact:Ms. Freya MargandU.S. EPA, Office of Solid Waste401 M Street SW (5303W)Washington, DC 20460(703) 605-0633margand.freya@epamail.epa.gov ✵

RCRA Subtitle C Social Siting CriteriaDraft Brochure Under Development

RCRA Subtitle CSocial SitingCriteria

EPAU.S. Environmental Protection AgencyOffice of Solid Waste (5303W)401 M Street, SWWashington, D.C. 20460

Official BusinessPenalty for Private Use$300

N a t i v e A m e r i c a n N e t w o r k

Native American Network is published by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Solid Waste. The views expressed in Native American Network are those of theauthors, and do not necessarily reflect or represent EPA policy. Providing tribes with information about OSWER programs and related activities is the purpose of the NativeAmerican Network. Contact us with your ideas for future articles, or submit your own articles for publication.

Editor: Stephen B. Etsitty (703) 305-3194

BUYING RECYCLEDSATELLITEFORUM

On November 9, 1999, from11 a.m. to 1 p.m. (e.s.t.), the U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency inpartnership with local governmentswill present a national satellite forumentitled Buying Recycled: TheReal Story About Cost,Availability, and Quality.This is a free, interac-tive program designedto provide govern-ments, businesses, andother organizations withinsights on ways to pur-chase quality, competitivelypriced recycled products.

This forum is being presented insupport of America Recycles Day byEPA’s WasteWise program and theBuy Recycled Business Alliance(BRBA). The forum will featureRichard Keller from the MarylandEnvironmental Service, a nationally

recognized trainer on buying recycledproducts. He has conducted over 125seminars on how to buy products withrecycled content, and will share withthe audience proven strategies forbuying recycled products.

Viewers will have the opportunity tocall in their questions. Also featuredwill be government and businessmembers from both the WasteWise

and BRBA programs: Eric Nelson,Environmental Purchasing

Coordinator, King County,Washington; Bob Langert,Director of Public andCommunity Affairs,McDonald’s Corporation;

and Susan McCloskey,President, Office Plan.

If you areinterested in hosting a site or attend-ing this forum, visit the WasteWiseweb site at: www.epa.gov/wastewise/wwsf ore-mail wwsf@erg.com orfax (703) 841-1440. ❂

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special assistant to President Clintonon Native American Affairs addressedthe DERTF members during thepublic comment period.

The panel presentation is a significantmilestone in EPA’s goal to consultwith tribes and work with themproactively on environmental mattersaffecting Indian Country. Developingan understanding and awareness oftribal issues will expedite and im-prove environmental restoration atthose installations impacting NativeAmerican natural and cultural re-sources. The DERTF proceedings areavailable at www.dtic.mil/envirodod/brac/dertf.html.

For more information contact:Marsha Minter(202) 260-6626minter.marsha@epa.gov, orwww.epa.gov/swerffrr. ✹