Tribal Waste Journal: Against All Odds: Transfer Station ... · TWJournal2.qxd 4/17/2003 2:19 PM...

Issue 2 • May 2003 • EPA530-N-03-003

Against all odds: transfer station

triumphs

REgion 8 ROC:strength through

partnerships

luscious landfills,garbage monsters,

and more

funding yourtransfer station

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The Tribal VoiceConversation with Kim Clausen-Jensen, Pine Ridge Oglala Sioux . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

feature: transfer stations. . . . . . . 5Creating a Vision for YourTransfer Station. . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Captivating Your Council. . . . . 7

Ways to Win Community Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Funding Your Transfer Station. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Making Your Vision a Reality:Siting, Designing, and BuildingYour Transfer Station . . . . . . . 14

Sustaining Your Vision: Operationand Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . 18

Resources . . . . 21

contacts . . . . . 22

Kids Page . . . . . 23

United States EnvironmentalProtection AgencySolid Waste and EmergencyResponse (5306W)www.epa.gov/tribalmsw

Janice Johnson, Creative Director

Region 6 Contributor:Ben Banipal

In this issue: ResourceConservationChallenge Campaigning Against WasteWelcome to the second issue of the TribalWaste Journal, an important communica-tions tool of my Resource ConservationChallenge. The Challenge asks allAmericans to take personal responsibilityfor their day-to-day decisions and to takeone small action every day to conserve ournatural resources. By 2005, we aim toreach a national recycling rate of 35 per-cent and cut in half 30 priority chemicalsfound in hazardous waste. NativeAmerican tribes and Alaskan Native vil-lages of course play an important role.

The Challenge asks everyone to adopt a resource conservation ethic, tooperate more efficiently and purchase more wisely, and to make and useenvironmentally sound products. You have already been hard at work onsimilar goals, and I commend your commitment to developing safe solidwaste management options for your communities. It is clear that youhave accepted and overcome environmental challenges of your own.You have assumed responsibility for improving your environment, soughtchange through partnerships and sharing, and used native cultural sym-bols and words to change old disposal habits.

I encourage you to continue to campaigning against waste and workingside-by-side with your tribal communities, federal agencies, states, andindustry to improve the environment in Indian country. I know you willappreciate the stories in this issue about how many tribes have worked“against all odds” to fund and build their transfer stations. You too canenjoy similar rewards through determination, perseverance, and positiverelationships.

Marianne Lamont HorinkoAssistant Administrator

Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response


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TWJ: How did ROCget started?

Ms. Clausen-Jensen:In 1995, the Region 8tribes formed ROC toaddress environmentalissues. We [the OglalaSioux Tribe] alreadyhad a tribal operationscommittee andthought, why don’t we create aregional one? It is amazing that afew people can change destiny. Wewere the first tribes in the nation toform a regional entity to addressenvironmental concerns. Our goal isto achieve a better quality of life forthe Native American people, whichhave been forgotten.

Representatives frommost of the 27 tribes inRegion 8 attend ROCmeetings quarterly inIndian country. At thelast meeting, 22 tribeswere represented. Wealso invite governmentofficials to participatein the meetings.

TWJ: Has ROC influenced therelationship between EPA and thetribes?

Ms. Clausen-Jensen: ROC encour-aged EPA Region 8 to form a singleoffice to coordinate tribal grants andissues. EPA Region 8 responded toour concerns by creating the TribalAssistance Program (TAP) office.

TAP makes it easier for tribes tomanage the federal funds theyreceive. There are individuals in theTAP office that can explain howfederal dollars can be used. Theseemployees help the tribes ensurethat they are using the fundinglegally. To manage our grants effec-tively, we need to understand theintent of the federal laws.

TAP and ROC have enabled tribalrepresentatives to build relationshipswith EPA officials and employees ofother federal agencies. We get toknow everyone from top officials togrant managers. We actually like thepeople at EPA and IHS. Our rela-tionship is not 100 percent perfect,but we’ve created something that is

The Tribal

VoiceChanging Destiny: Region 8 Tribes Carve a Bright Future Through Partnerships

Kim Clausen-Jensen’s environmental work is legendary among tribes in Region 8. Ms. Clausen-Jensendirects the Oglala Sioux Environmental Protection Program, which recently opened a landfill to providetribal members with a safe disposal option. It took 7 years to plan, design, and construct the landfill,

but patience and persistence paid off. The tribe obtained funding from 12 different agencies and completedthe project. Ms. Clausen-Jensen believes that collaboration is the key to success. Through her position as chair-woman of the Regional Operations Committee (ROC), she works with other tribes in Region 8 to form part-nerships. The Tribal Waste Journal (TWJ) wanted to know how ROC members work together and with govern-ment agencies to address environmental problems. With this and other questions in mind, we spoke with Ms.Clausen-Jensen on October 30, 2002. The following are excerpts of the interview:


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unique and works. It is like a mar-riage—we might not get along all ofthe time, but we don’t want to get adivorce. Once you have a founda-tion of mutual respect and trust, youcan tackle any project.

TWJ: How did tribes useROC to build partner-ships with other federalagencies?

Ms. Clausen-Jensen:I don’t think thatenough can be saidabout the benefits ofpartnering. ROCbroke through the bar-riers with federal agen-cies by encouragingtribal representatives to form rela-tionships with representatives fromfederal agencies. It’s easier to worktogether when you know each otherand understand one another’s capa-bilities. In 2000, ROC encouragedEPA Region 8 and 30 other federalagencies such as BIA, USDA, IHS,and HUD to sign an MOU [memo-randum of understanding]. Underthe MOU, ROC and the federalagencies agreed to work together toremove barriers to effective environ-mental management in Indiancountry.

BIA, EPA, and your tribe mighthave small pots of money availablefor a project. Putting them togethercan form a large pot. You can’t workon environmental projects in a vac-uum in Indian country because theissues are too big. ROC pulls federalagencies into the overall projectplanning process from the begin-ning. Everyone comes to the tablewith a blank check and volunteersto pay for a portion of the project.

TWJ: How does ROC encouragetribes to share information?

Ms. Clausen-Jensen: ROC wasinstrumental in increasing commu-nication among tribes. Now, weknow our sister tribes well enough

to call them up and share infor-mation. If one tribe hasestablished a program to

deal with a particularissue, that tribe can sendrepresentatives to anoth-er tribe to share knowl-edge and copies of grantsand codes. We call it bar-

tering—one tribe sendstheir RUS [Rural UtilityService] grant application

to another tribe in exchange for itsGAP grant application. These docu-ments can serve as a template forother tribes, allowing them to avoidreinventing the wheel.

TWJ: How do ROC representativesreach consensus and prioritize proj-ects?

Ms. Clausen-Jensen: Over the lastfew years, we have been able toreach consensus on a number ofissues. We know each other so well.Sometimes the tribal representativesbreak away from discussions withfederal officials to caucus amongthemselves. Tribal representativesdon’t always agree, and it helps tospeak with one voice to the federalgovernment.

Sometimes there isn’t enoughmoney to go around. ROC allows usto prioritize our projects. ROC hasenabled us to look at our sistertribes and say, our needs are great,but theirs are greater. We know thebattles that other tribes are facingbecause we have been there.Through empathy, sympathy, andpity we set our personal interestsaside. We decide as a group to put

one tribe’s project ahead of the oth-ers. Other tribes still apply for thesame grant, but inform the fundingagency that they would rather seeanother tribe funded first.

TWJ: Do you have advice ondeveloping an environmental pro-gram?

Ms. Clausen-Jensen: Often, I seetribes try to take on too much atonce. Start slow and develop yourprogram. Obtain funding for yourstaff. Many tribes use GAP(General Assistance Program) fund-ing to pay for their environmentalprogram staff. You might start anenvironmental program by hiringone person and training them totackle one issue. Don’t ask them toconduct inspections during the firstyear. Start with a task that they canhandle. Later, you can add addition-al staff and new components to yourprogram. As you discover new envi-ronmental issues, bring them toEPA and try to obtain funding foradditional employees.


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Creating a Vision for Your Transfer Station

Developing a transfer station that will work in your community requires a vision, and good information. Bydeveloping solid waste management plans, performing waste assessments, conducting site visits, and direct-ing feasibility studies, tribes can take the pulse of their communities before breaking ground for their projects.

Featurestory

Develop a Solid Waste Management Plan“Solid waste management plansserve as a road map for the future,forcing you to set goals and thinkabout strategies for achievingthem,” according to Laura Weber,director of solid waste managementfor the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe.Specifically, she believes that tribes

should develop solid waste manage-ment plans that integrate transferstation operations with the rest oftheir solid waste management serv-ices, such as waste collection, pre-vention, and recycling activities, tobetter evaluate the whole picture.

While the St. Regis Mohawk Tribehas used solid waste managementplans primarily as a planning anddesign tool for transfer stations, theEastern Band of Cherokee Indiansdecided to use a solid waste manage-ment plan to evaluate three alterna-tives: 1) building a new landfill, 2) building a transfer station, or 3) contracting with surrounding

counties to use their waste dis-posal facilities.

Ultimately, by outlin-ing the communi-

ty’s goals in themanagement planand sticking to

them, the tribedecided that

building atransferstationwould bemost effective.

Tribes can continue to use solidwaste management plans even afteropening their transfer stations. TheIHS helped the Tule River IndianTribe develop a solid waste manage-ment plan that includes a long-termrecycling strategy and financial planfor the transfer station. The St. RegisMohawk Tribe is enhancing its solidwaste management plan to includean expansion strategy for its solidwaste management program, includ-ing establishing a composting opera-tion at the transfer station.Interviews with each of these tribesindicate that solid waste manage-ment plans are excellent tools forlooking at solid waste programs in acomprehensive fashion.

Conduct a Waste AssessmentBuilding a transfer station that iseither too large or too small canlead to higher operation and main-tenance costs, inefficient operations,or overload. To properly size a trans-fer station, several tribes recom-mend conducting a wasteassessment. The Eastern Band ofCherokee Indians, for example,learned from its waste assessmentthat it generates enough waste towarrant a large transfer station. The

“In the beginning, there waslonely Coyote. Whatever else

there was around, it wassmall and distant and hard tosee... And then she met SilverFox... Coyote and Silver Foxclosed their eyes very tight

and sang together. They sang,‘I want to see something. I want to see something. I want to see something.’

While they sang, eachimagined what they

wanted to see.”

~Miwok Creation Myth


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Tribal Waste Journal 6

Onondaga Nation, on the otherhand, found that it generates only afew tons of waste per week, and sodecided to build a much smallertransfer station.

Tribes can use either volume- orweight-based waste assessments toevaluate the waste generated bytheir communities. The St. RegisMohawk Tribe, for example, meas-ured the volume of waste collectedthrough its curbside collection serv-ice to determine the correct size forits transfer station. To estimatecommercial waste volumes, tribalmembers visited a representative 10percent of the businesses on thereservation, recording the volume ofthe waste storage containers at eachsite and how often the containersrequired emptying.

The Eastern Band of CherokeeIndians conducted a weight-basedwaste assessment by solicitingapproximately 200 households andseveral businesses to participate in astudy. For a specified period of time,participants placed all of their solidwaste and recyclable materials inspecial garbage bags. At the end ofthe study period, solid waste staffcollected the bags and separated thewaste by hand, weighing paper, foodscraps, and glass separately on a setof hanging scales. The tribe thenused the waste assessment data toestimate current waste generationrates, identify recycling opportuni-

ties, and plan its transfer station.Combining data about futuregrowth in the community with thewaste assessment results, the tribewas able to determine the correctsize for its transfer station.

Conduct Site VisitsVisiting other transfer stations todetermine what features work bestin different communities can savemoney and time in the planningprocess. By talking with facilityoperators and evaluating differentconfigurations in several communi-ties, for example, Merlin Tafoya, Sr.,executive director of the PublicWorks Division for the JicarillaApache Nation, learned thatenclosed facilities are most effectivein regions that experience harshwinters. Mr. Tafoya’s personalresearch convinced the tribal coun-cil to approve an enclosed facility.

The Confederated Tribes of theUmatilla Indian Reservation alsoconcluded that building an enclosedfacility was preferable in its commu-nity after visiting three transfer sta-tions in similar size communities.Tribal employees learned that openfacilities produced greater litter andodors, even if the facilities are small.Based on this observation, the tribeschose to build an enclosed facilityto minimize these problems.

If some tribes lack funding for person-al site visits, phone calls can also bean effective information-gatheringtool. Tribes can contact other com-munities as well as haulers and land-fill operators. When employees of theOglala Sioux Tribe made phone calls,for example, they discovered thattransporting waste from a transfer sta-tion on the reservation to a landfilloff the reservation would be tooexpensive and that tipping fees at thenearest landfill were very high.Consequently, the tribe decided notto build a transfer station at all, but

to build its own landfill. WhenOnondaga Nation contacted wastehaulers to gather information aboutsmall transfer stations, it obtained avariety of construction and operationcost estimates for several differentdesigns.

Perform a Feasibility StudyPerforming a feasibility study isanother way to assess the currentand future needs and resources ofthe community prior to building atransfer station. Using economicanalysis and current waste genera-tion rates, combined with the statedpriorities of the community, a pri-vate firm helped the JicarillaApache Nation determine thatbuilding a transfer station wasindeed the most affordable andeffective long-term solution to itssolid waste needs. The firm alsoused the tribe’s information to eval-uate transfer station designs anddraft a business plan for developingand operating the transfer station.

The Confederated Tribes of theUmatilla Indian Reservation alsohired a private firm to complete afeasibility study for its transfer sta-tion. The study indicated that atribal transfer station could be prof-itable and provided the tribes withan action plan. It also listed sitingrequirements, identified short andlong-term goals, and highlightedpotential obstacles.

“Know your waste stream. A waste assessment pro-vides information aboutpotential recycling opportu-nities and helps you choosea transfer station design.”

~Calvin Murphy, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians

“The feasibility study wasuseful. We were trying out anew type of waste disposaland needed to know howto do it.”

~Bonnie Burke, solid waste man-ager for the Confederated Tribes

of the Umatilla Indian Reservation


A Picture Is Worth AThousand WordsOne of the secrets to successful per-suasion is just a click away. That’swhat tribal environmental managersfound when they used pictures topresent their cases to council mem-bers. Pictures not only helped tribalcouncil members “see” all the opendumps that scar Indian lands, butalso how transfer stations can helpprovide a cleaner, safer environmentfor their community.

Laura Weber, director of solid wastemanagement for the St. RegisMohawk Tribe, says that showingher tribal council pictures of opendumps “was a big eye opener” andeventually led to its support of herenvironmental department’s propos-al to build a transfer station.

Deb Madison, Fort Peck’s environ-mental program manager, also foundpictures to be an effective persua-sion tool. When the Fort Pecktribes applied for SDS funding, Ms,Madison had to explain to the tribalcouncil why they should designatesolid waste management the reser-vation’s number one priority.

In her presentation, Ms. Madisonshowed the council members pic-tures of open dumps and roll-offsites and educated them about howthese sites fit into the reservation’sexisting Integrated Solid WasteManagement Plan. Ms. Madisoncommented, “It was helpful to showthe council how roll-off sites fit intothe big picture. We showed thecouncil that roll-off sites are part ofa larger plan that includes recyclingand waste prevention.”

Seeing IsBelievingIf pictures aren’tenough to persuadeyour council members,“take them to opendumps, and to openburning sites. Letthem stand downwindof smoke,” urges Ms.Weber. This strategyworked for her tribe.

Two of her five council membersjoined her on trips to visit transferstations at the Eastern Band ofCherokee Indians and the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe. “When they sawthe equipment working, they reallybought into it,” she said.

A Champion for Your CauseCombined with pictures, you standan even greater chance of success ifyou can win the support of at leastone tribal council member to serveas your “champion.” One way to

Captivating Your Council

Open dumps = problem. Transfer station or landfills = solution. While this concept might be black andwhite to some, tribal councils and others in positions to approve such a plan might not understandthe connection.

That’s why the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe, the Fort Peck Reservation, and the Oglala Sioux Tribe of the PineRidge Reservation have compiled their four major secrets to success in convincing tribal councils that thesesolutions can address a major scourge in their communities. Gaining tribal council approval for transfer sta-tions paves the way for obtaining funding, particularly from IHS. To get IHS Sanitation Deficiency Systems(SDS) funding for transfer station construction, the tribal council must place solid waste as its top priority.

• Use pictures; they are worth athousand words.

• Take council members to visitopen dumps and transfer sta-tions.

• Find a federal "friend" or sup-portive community members.

• Educate your community.

• Be patient.

• Be persistent—don't give up!

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F O R W O R K I N GW I T H Y O U R

A picture is worth a thousand words...


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gain this support, says Kim Clausen-Jensen of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, isby “schmoozing” the council asmuch as possible. She does this bykeeping the council informedthrough monthly briefings. “You get even better results whenyou approach the council with anew idea if you can make it seemlike it’s their idea,” asserts Ms.Clausen-Jensen.

Taking another approach, Ms.Madison asked her IHS engineer tohelp her convince council membersto make solid waste a priority. Theengineer told the council that therewas a good chance that the roll-offsites would get funded if the tribesplaced solid waste at the top of theirpriority list. According to Ms.Madison, hav-ing an IHSengineer advisethe councilhelped hercouncil mem-bers feel “morecomfortable incommunicatingtheir needs.”

Instead of using federal agency staffto support their cases, some tribeshave brought in respected commu-nity members as a show of supportfor their solid waste projects. Somesolid waste managers, for instance,have formed community advisorycouncils to help make their case tothe council.

Representatives from several tribesat the 2002 Solid and HazardousWaste Interactive Workshop, heldat the Spirit Lake Casino andResort, advocated this approach.They emphasized the powerful influ-ence of having such a group supportand advocate your case in front ofthe tribal council. Several peoplementioned that before forming acommunity advisory council, the

tribal council tended to ignore thembecause it was just one personpleading the case. With this groupstanding behind them, it becameharder for the tribal council to putthem off.

Even for those tribes whereenvironmental staff enjoy aclose relationship with theirtribal council, winning themover takes time. “If they’renot real encouraging, keepgoing back,” urges Ms.Weber. She says in her case,it took a lot of “houndingand educating” to get solid

waste on a level playing field withcompeting priorities such as waterand sewer projects. Eventually, “per-sistence paid off,” and now tribalcouncil members trustEnvironmental Division staff tobring important issues before them.

Behind-the-ScenesEducationDespite all the efforts described sofar, overcoming tribal council resist-ance might, at some point, seemimpossible. At that point, take thetime to educate community membersabout the cause. In the case of theOglala Sioux, this behind-the-sceneseducation paid off.

According to Bobby Sullivan, thepublic involvement coordinator forthe Pine Ridge Reservation, whenthe tribe went to the council seek-ing support for a proposed landfilloperation, it encountered stiff resist-ance over siting concerns. Instead ofpressing the issue, Ms. Sullivandecided to wait for the next tribalcouncil election. In the meantime,she and other environmentaldepartment staff used the timebefore the election to educate cur-rent and potential council membersabout the landfill. They showedthese individuals blueprints and pro-vided paperwork. They also gavepresentations at public meetings andspoke with the tribe’s district coun-cils, which keep residents informedabout tribal council business. Afterthe election, the tribal councilapproved landfill construction.

O g l a l a S i o u x

Fort Peck Reservation’s roll-off site in Poplar, Montana.

“If pictures aren’t enough topersuade your councilmembers, take them toopen dumps, and to openburning sites. Let themstand downwind of smoke.”

~Laura Weber, director of solidwaste management, St. Regis

Mohawk Tribe



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As a first step, the Tule River TribalEnvironmental DepartmentProgram ran a series of articles inthe tribal newsletter on why thecommunity should be concernedabout solid waste management, howtheir choices contribute to the fill-ing of California’s landfills, and howto reduce household waste.

Next, the Tribal EnvironmentalProgram informed the communityabout various aspects of the transferstation, including when it wouldopen and the types of waste citizenscould dispose of at the facility. Inaddition to explaining the “whys andhows” of the transfer station projectto the community, the tribe recog-nized outstanding community effortsto reduce and recycle solid waste. Todo this, it developed a graphicallyappealing environmental newsletterand featured photographs and “thankyou” articles on those individualswho helped with roadside and river-side cleanups or donated land forabandoned vehicle clean-up. Ms.Vera believes the outreach campaign“helped stimulate interest in the

roles we can and do play in wasteproduction and reduction.”

Other tribes with solid waste com-munity outreach programs alsostressed the importance of explain-ing to people how their personalchoices can impact the well-beingof the entire community. To drive

this point home,the OnondagaNation used wordsfrom their nativelanguage and cul-tural symbols insome of its promo-tional materialsand signs for thetransfer station.Underlying these

materials, says Jeanne Shenandoah,is the cultural mandate to “care forMother Earth and prevent waste.”

Like the Tule River Nation, theConfederated Tribes of theUmatilla Reservationfound that an environ-mental newsletter wasa wonderful way tokeep residentsinformed abouttransfer station oper-ation and waste reduc-tion progress. Filledwith “exciting graphics andtips for reusing products,” onerecent issue, for example, suggestedreusing old milk jugs by tying themtogether and hanging them on

barbed wire fences to scare cattleaway and keep the cows from get-ting hurt.

The Umatilla also keep tribalemployees updated about the trans-fer station by sending e-mails andoutreach materials to all tribaldepartments. They plan to expandthe tribes’ education program toinclude transfer station tours andmore activities for children.

Public hearings and meetings areanother way to take the pulse ofyour community. For instance, theJicarilla Apache Nation received amandate from their community to

“do whatever is necessary tomanage our waste safely and

effectively” during a publicmeeting. According toMerlin Tafoya, Sr., exec-utive director of publicworks, the community

not only supported theconstruction of a transfer

station, but it provided “over-whelmingly positive” feedback onceit opened. Tribal members found thetransfer station cleaner and easier touse than the previous dump sites.

Ways to Win Community Support

Following the old adage “the early bird catches the worm,” KerriVera, environmental program manager for the Tule River IndianTribe, began her community education campaign a year before

the transfer station opened. “Without their support, your efforts, howev-er well-intended, will not be successful,” she asserts. With her tribalcouncil already on board, Ms. Vera turned her attention to gaining com-munity support for the transfer station.

• Start your community outreachand education program early.

• Involve your community inimportant decisions.

• Use your tribe or village’s lan-guage and culture to increasethe impact of your message.

• Keep your communityinvolved through public meet-ings, newsletters, and e-mailannouncements.

t i p sc o m m u n i t y

s u p p o r t

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As for the Eastern Band ofCherokee Indians, a public hearingruled out plans to build a landfilland, instead, backed the construc-tion of a transfer station.

If, like many tribes, you’re wonder-ing how to pay for your education-al campaign, Chief Powless of theOnondaga Nation might have asolution. Chief Powless encourages

other tribes to gather outreachmaterials from surrounding countiesand waste management companies.He said, “Many of the smaller wastemanagement companies believe inrecycling. They have already creat-ed brochures and other materials topromote recycling. Counties havealso developed outreach materialson waste disposal and recycling. It’seasy to start an education program ifyou leverage resources.”

If you distribute your educationalmaterials and find some citizens stillcontinue to dump their waste ille-gally, then you might want to try

one-on-one visitswith the uncoop-

erative citizens.The OnondagaNation usedthis approach

with the fewhouseholds that

refused to recycle and continued todump illegally. These one-on-onehousehold visits were successful inconvincing these hold-outs to usethe Nation’s transfer station.

Tribes Clean Up at WasteWiseAwards Ceremony

EPA recently recognized the Confederated Tribes of theUmatilla Indian Reservation, Robinson Rancheria of PomoIndians, and Blue Lake Rancheria tribes for their outstandingwaste reduction activities at the WasteWise Annual Meetingand Awards Ceremony in Washington, DC.

The three tribes’ notable waste reduction activities include:

• Implementing aggressive recycling programs.

• Composting restaurant food scraps.

• Purchasing recycled content paper.

• Developing and delivering a presentation about wasteprevention, recycling, and buying recycled-content

products to the tribal governing board.

WasteWise is a free and voluntary partnership program that provides technical assistance andrecognition to partners that pledge to reduce waste. If you are interested in joining the morethan 35 tribes and native villages that are WasteWise members, visit <www.epa.gov/wastewise>,or contact the WasteWise Helpline at 800 EPA-WISE (372-9473).

Scale house at entrance to Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians’

transfer station site.

“Underlying these materialsis the cultural mandate tocare for Mother Earth andprevent waste.”

~Jeanne Shenandoah, Onondaga Nation

From left to right: Julie Moran and Irenia Quitiquit (RobinsonRancheria of Pomo Indians); Linda Fisher (EPA DeputyAdministrator); Bonnie Burke (Confederated Tribes of theUmatilla Indian Reservation); Arla Ramsey and Tall ChiefComet (The Blue Lake Rancheria of California); CharlesBearfighter Reddoor (EPA OSW)


http://www.epa.gov/wastewise


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Finding Funding: FellowTribes, Internet OfferOptionsMany federal agencies offer grantsand loans for solid and hazardouswaste projects that fall within theirpurview. “The challenge is finding agrant that fits your needs,” explainsDeb Madison, the environmentalprogram manager of the Fort PeckReservation EnvironmentalProtection Office. “Creativity is thekey to success. Grant writers needto find ways to make grants fit tribalneeds.

At the same time, tribal leadersmust realize that some needs cannotbe met through grants. For example,very few grants are avail-able for operation andmaintenance activities.Because of this, Ms.Madison urges tribes todetermine how theirtransfer station’s operationand maintenance will befinanced even before con-struction begins.

Numerous resources are avail-able to help you identify sources offunding. Most federal agenciesannounce grant and loan availabili-

ty in the Federal Register and provideinformation on their Web sites.Some agencies send out announce-ments and solicitations for theirgrant programs. For example, theInteragency Work Group<www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/tribal/finance.htm> mails out anannual announcement and solicita-tion for its open dump cleanupgrants.

Another way to learn about avail-able grants is talking with othertribes. Several tribes mentionedconversations with neighboringtribes as a primary source of grantinformation. Sharing informationand experiences can be mutuallybeneficial. Some tribes even

exchange successful grant appli-cations to help improve their

future grant applications.

Internet searches can alsoturn up information on

funding opportunities. Thatis how Kim Clausen-Jensen,

director of the Oglala SiouxEnvironmental Protection

Program on the Pine RidgeReservation, found out about

USDA’s Rural Development grants.“All of the agencies have Web siteswith descriptions of their grant pro-

grams including applications,instructions for applying, and con-tact information for state andregional representatives,” says Ms.Clausen-Jensen. (See the Resourcessection on page 21 for a listing.)

The Tribal Association of SolidWaste and Emergency Response(TASWER) can also help tribes andnative villages locate funding bydirecting them to the appropriaterepresentative for each source of

Funding Your Transfer Station

Finding funding for your solid waste project can be a challenging experience—like looking for a needle ina haystack! Long, complicated applications coupled with a myriad of reporting, environmental, andfinancial requirements can challenge even the most experienced grant writer. Even so, federal grants and

loans may be your best bet to build the solid waste facility that you need.

Through determination, perseverance, and a little help from their agency representatives, the tribes we inter-viewed turned a frustrating and formidable process into hard cash that is making their solid waste visions areality. They maintain that you, too, can enjoy similar rewards if you are willing to:

• Be bold and ask questions of your agency representatives

• Follow the grant process one step at a time

• Live up to your end of the bargain—do what you said you would do!

• Apply for a variety of grants.

• Talk to other tribes to shareinformation and experiences.

• Develop good relationshipswith your regional agency rep-resentatives.

• Seek creative solutions toobstacles.

• Be accountable—earn a posi-tive reputation.

• Be persistent—do not give up!

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http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/tribal/finance.htm

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funding. During 2002, for example,TASWER helped the Native Villageof Ouzinkie obtain funding from theBIA to replace several above groundstorage tanks. TASWER's Web site(www.taswer.org) lists “10 Pots ofMoney” available to tribes andnative villages.

A number of private and nonprofitfoundations and organizations offerenvironmental grant programs. TheConfederated Tribes of the UmatillaIndian Reservation, for example,received a $25,000 grant from theJELD-WEN Foundation for construc-tion of its transfer station and recy-cling program. Grant Resources forSolid Waste Activities in Indian Country(EPA530-R-98-014) provides anextensive list of private sources offunding for tribes and native villages.

Building RelationshipsReaps RewardsIn addition to speaking with othertribes or villages, Ms. Clausen-Jensen believes speaking with yourfederal agency representatives is cru-cial to securing funds. “Educatethem about your tribe's history, cul-ture, and current situation. Explainall of your tribe’s accomplishments,especially the ones dealing withsolid waste. If they understand yourtribe, who you are, and what youhave accomplished, they are morelikely to support you in futureendeavors,” she says.

When preparing your grant applica-tion, Ms. Clausen-Jensen adds,“Don't be afraid to ask them for helpor to outline the steps to completinga grant application. That is theirjob. That is why they are there.”

As you develop relationships, Ms.Clausen-Jensen believes it is impor-tant for tribes to “take the lead on allinitiatives.” She advises, “Be positive,constructive, and flexible in workingwith your agency representatives.”

Mavis Hass, from USDA RuralDevelopment’s Rural Utility ServiceSouth Dakota Office, supports thisview. “The communication has tobe there. That is where the wholething starts.” When working onyour loan/grant application, Ms.Hass recommends making atrip to the agency office ifyou are having difficultycompleting the application.

Bobby Sullivan, the PineRidge public involvementcoordinator, made severalvisits when she started work-ing on the Rural Developmentapplication. According to Ms.Sullivan, “I called Mavis all thetime and camped out in the RuralDevelopment office for 2 weekswhile she walked me through theapplication process. She showed mewhat to do and helped me obtainthe right signatures.” Ms. Sullivanoffers, “The Rural Developmentstaff is there to help you. Call yourregional people and let them showyou what to do. Let them help you.”

Laura Weber, the director of solidwaste management for the St. RegisMohawk Reservation, is also a firmbeliever in the importance of rela-

tionship building. She first learnedabout IHS Sanitation DeficiencySystem (SDS) funding for solidwaste from an IHS engineer she metwhile working on some water proj-ects. In addition to telling Ms.

Weber about SDS funding,the engineer also pointed

her toward HUD’s IndianCommunity Develop-ment Block Grant(ICDBG) program.

If you are like Ms.Weber, you may find your

relationships paying off inunexpected ways. Out of the

blue, she received a call from herUSDA contact. He told her that hisprogram had available grant fundingand that he thought she shouldapply for it. She worked closely withthe regional project officer duringthe application process, and thetribe received the grant for con-struction of its transfer station.

If you find that your regional repre-sentatives are not responsive, Ms.Weber suggests inviting them toyour reservation to build a relation-ship with them. Her tribe conducts aweekend cultural sensitivity work-shop designed to help individualsfrom outside the community under-stand the tribal perspective.“Partnering with a regional represen-tative benefits both your tribe andthe federal agency,” says Ms. Weber.

Earning a Reputation:Those that Give, GetIn addition to building a relation-ship with your agency representa-tives, many tribes emphasized theimportance of building trust and apositive reputation for your tribe orvillage. Ms. Clausen-Jensen believesthat building trust is a major part ofthis process. “If you can demon-strate to the agency representativethat your tribe has been successful

“If you can demonstrate tothe agency representativethat your tribe has beensuccessful in the past and isresponsible and account-able, he or she is more like-ly to support you in secur-ing future technical assis-tance and funding.”

~Kim Clausen-Jensen, director of the Oglala Sioux

Environmental ProtectionProgram, Pine Ridge Reservation


http://www.taswer.org

in the past and is responsible andaccountable, he or she is more likelyto support you in securing futuretechnical assistance and funding.”

Ms. Clausen-Jensen believes that agood way to build this trust is tomake sure you submit all requiredreports and meet all agency require-ments when you do receive a grant.She adds, “This attention to detailis especially crucial with pilot proj-ects. If agencies cannot documentthe success of a pilot project, it isunlikely to be continued.Submitting the required reportshelps the agency justify the projectto internal federal reviewers and canhelp ensure that the project receivescontinued funding. Live up to yourend of the bargain—do what yousaid you would do.”

Running into RoadblocksSecuring federal grants and loans isa great way to pay for constructionof your transfer station, but it doesnot come without difficulties orchallenges. Frequently, the biggestroadblock to obtaining federalgrants is completing the application.

Most agency applications are verylong and complicated. USDA'sRural Development grant/loanapplication, for example, provides achecklist of required items to helpapplicants—and the checklist itselfis six pages, double-sided! Someapplications also require specificinformation or data that many tribes

do not have immediately onhand, such as the HUD ICDBGapplication, which requires spe-cific census data.

Many federal grants and loansalso require contractor bond-ing. USDA’s Rural UtilitiesService, for instance,requires contractors tosecure performance andpayment bonds. It alsorequires a fidelity bond(a.k.a., a crime and dis-honesty bond) for anyonewith access to the grantor loan money to protectagainst embezzlement ormisappropriation offunds.

Another hurdle in thegrant process is complyingwith the National EnvironmentalProtection Act (NEPA). NEPArequires any construction by a feder-al agency, or any construction usingfederal funds, to undergo an envi-ronmental assessment (EA) or anenvironmental impact statement(EIS). The funding agency isrequired to perform the EA or EIS,but tribes must be involved in theprocess.

Reporting requirements are the finalchallenge with which tribes mustcontend. Many agencies requireperiodic progress and financialreports and a final report or assess-ment. These reports are not usuallydifficult, but can be time consuming.

Strategies for Success

1. Turning Failure into Success

If you apply for a grant and do notreceive it, Ms. Weber recommendscalling your agency representativeand asking why and how you canimprove your chances in the future.The first time she applied for aHUD ICDBG, her tribe was not

selected. Shecalled the HUD office to find outwhy and ask for ways to improve theapplication. The HUD representa-tive sent back her application withan evaluation form. She usedHUD’s comments to revise theapplication. When she resubmittedit, HUD awarded her tribe anICDBG. Ms. Weber advises, “Don’tbe afraid to pick up the phone andcall your regional representatives.Be bold and ask questions.”

2. Divide and Conquer

One possible strategy for increasingyour tribe or village’s chance ofreceiving grants is to break big proj-ects into discrete portions and seekfunding for the individual parts. Ms.Clausen-Jensen points out thatobtaining $75,000 from an agencyfor a portion of your program, suchas a collection truck or compactor,might be easier than obtaining$600,000 for the entire program allat once.

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Page 1 of USDA Rural Development’s grant/loan

application check list.

13 Tribal Waste Journal

“Partnering with a regionalrepresentative benefits bothyour tribe and the federalagency.”

~Laura Weber, director of solidwaste management, St. Regis

Mohawk Tribe


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Choosing a SiteWhen siting a transfer station,tribes have learned that a few keyfactors can greatly influence thesuccess of a facility. These include:

• Central location

• Access to major (paved) roadsand highways

• Community’s familiarity withthe site

• Impacts on the surroundingcommunity and environment

• Buffer space between the facili-ty and the community

• Adequate space for futureexpansions

• Topography

• Impacts on traffic

• Access to utilities (i.e., waterand electricity)

Siting a transfer station in a centrallocation and providing access toroads and highways are two factorsthat ranked highest on severaltribes’ lists of siting criteria.Community familiarity with the site(such as using former dump sites) isanother factor that many tribes rec-ommended to encourage transferstation use. Considering a transferstation’s impact on the neighboringcommunity is also important, asproper siting can minimize theeffects of noise, odor, traffic, litter,and pests on a community.Considering how the transfer sta-tion might expand in the future,such as adding composting opera-tions or used goods swaps, can alsoimpact site decisions.

The Onondaga Nation found suc-cess in its siting decisions by choos-ing a former open dump site locatedon an uninhabited road. Tribal

members were already familiar withthis location, and it is situated awayfrom homes and the communitycenter, thereby providing a bufferspace that helps minimize noise,odor, and traffic impacts. In addi-tion, the site is between three high-ways, which allows easy access fortribal members, minimizes trafficcongestion, and facilitates wasteremoval by the contract haulers.

Similarly, the Eastern Band ofCherokee chose a closed dump sitewith which the community wasalready familiar. The tribe alreadyowned the land, and the site waslarge enough for recycling and com-posting operations. Overall the siteis a success, but because the tribeused existing onsite roads to keepcosts down, the area experiencesoccasional traffic bottlenecks. Inretrospect, Calvin Murphy, thetribe’s executive director of tribalutilities, recommends performing anengineering study of a site beforebeginning construction, with anemphasis on studying traffic flowpatterns within the facility and onsurrounding roads.

The Jicarilla Apache Nation estab-lished a list of “essential siting crite-ria” before beginning its site search.One of the main criteria was that

Making Your Vision a Reality: Siting, Designing, and Building Your Transfer Station

Once your vision for a transfer station has the support of the tribal council and the community, andyou have secured the necessary funding, it is time to site, design, and build your facility. Some tribesselect the site first and design their facility around the physical characteristics of the land. Other

tribes design their transfer station first and look for land that will best accommodate it. In many instances, tribesdo both simultaneously. No matter which approach you use, certain principles will apply. This section discusseshow the siting of your transfer station can affect its success, the importance of designing a facility that meetsyour tribe’s specific needs, and the benefits and drawbacks of different construction approaches.

• Determine your key siting crite-ria before you begin your sitesearch.

• Choose a familiar and centrallylocated site with easy accessto major roads if possible.

• Design your transfer station tomeet your tribe or village’sspecific needs and situation.

• Use local contractors to avoidservice and repair problems.

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the site be accessible by a pavedroad. Using this list as a guide, thetribe identified a 6-acre section ofland previously designated forlandfill use by the tribalcouncil.

The ConfederatedTribes of the UmatillaIndian Reservation,likewise, consideredrelevant social, eco-nomic, and environmen-tal factors during its siteselection process. These factorshelped rule out one potential sitethat was ideal in many ways, butwas located in a flood plain.Weighing all the relevant factors,the tribes selected and purchased aprivate piece of land adjacent to thereservation near a major interstate.

The Tule River Indian Tribe foundthat it had to locate its transfer sta-tion in the middle of the communi-ty and near the river due to limitedland availability. To minimize thesite’s negative visual impact, thetribe installed fencing along theperimeter and instituted severalmeasures to prevent runoff into theriver. The tribe found that selectinga specific site sometimes requiresspecial engineering designs or opera-tional practices.

Designing Your FacilityWhen designing a transfer station,tribes recommend focusing on twomajor considerations: size and spe-cific needs or conditions. Arguablythe most important design decisionis determining the size of your trans-fer station. Calvin Murphy advo-cates designing your transfer stationto meet your tribe’s needs now and10 years into the future. When theEastern Band of Cherokee designedits facility, it knew it had to build afacility that could handle the wastefrom its 3,000 homes and 400 busi-nesses, in addition to waste from itsplanned gaming facility.

The Confederated Tribes ofUmatilla also sized its facility tomeet future needs. Its 7-acre site is

large enough to house a 7,200square foot, multi-level, 200

tons-per-week capacitytransfer station and stillhas enough space for aproposed 75 foot by 100foot building to collect,

sort, and bale recyclablesand a large scale compost-

ing operation.

Mr. Murphy cautions tribes againstbuilding a transfer station with theexpectation of accepting off-reserva-tion waste for a profit. “There is noguarantee you will ever see a returnof your investment,” he cautions.“Build a transfer station to handleyour tribe’s waste. If you are able toaccept others’ waste and generatesome revenue, then that is an addedbonus. Just don’t count on it.”

It is also important to determine ifyour transfer station will require aspecial design to address specificdemands or conditions. Weather andclimate are two conditions that mustbe planned for in advance. Knowinghow your hauler is going to chargeyou is another element to factor intodecisions. Merlin Tafoya, Sr., of theJicarilla Apache Nation, for exam-ple, knew that he wanted anenclosed and heated transfer stationbecause of the long harsh winters onthe reservation. He also knew hewanted a compactor unit to maxi-

mize outgoing waste loads, since thetribe’s hauler charges by the truckload rather than per ton. “Knowyour tribe’s situation, location, andregion, and your goals,” he said.

The Onondaga Nation and the St.Regis Mohawk Tribe, both locatedin upstate New York, are also famil-iar with long cold winters. To copewith freezing conditions, theOnondaga Nation built a shelter forstation employees and one for thehydraulic pump that drives its com-pactor. The St. Regis Mohawk Tribechose to use a modular, self-con-tained unit that is weather-, leak-,fire-, and animal-proof.

Preventing illegal dumping, keepingout animals such as dogs and bears,and controlling litter are severaladditional challenges that manytransfer stations face. The TuleRiver Indian Tribe learned from pastexperience with roll-off bin sitesthat a fence was essential for all ofthese issues. Prior to building itstransfer station, the tribe used a

series of roll-off containers for wastedisposal that were not fenced, andscavenging dogs and illegal dumpersquickly made the sites a mess. Thetribe also learned that placing roll-offs on the ground made disposal oflarge and heavy items difficult. Torectify these errors, the tribe select-ed a transfer station design thatincorporated roll-off bins set belowground level in an excavated area.

Front view of the waste unloading areaat the Tule River transfer station.

Side view of the paved ramp providingaccess for vehicles removing andreplacing full roll-off containers.


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With this configuration, customerssimply back up to the edge of thebins and drop their waste in.

Building Your Transfer StationThere are several differentapproaches to building your transferstation. Some tribes allow a federalagency—frequently the IHS—tobuild the facility for them andassume operational control onceconstruction is complete. Manytribes use federal grants or loans tobuild the facility themselves or payan independent contractor. A fewindependent tribes, such as theOnondaga Nation, pay for and buildtheir facilities completely on theirown. You will need to decide whichoption is best for your tribe in termsof economic and technical feasibili-ty and sovereignty concerns. Theexamples that follow highlight a few

of these trade-offs.

Building yourtransfer stationyourself or hir-ing a privatecompany givesyou the mostcontrol overthe construc-tion process.Taking thisapproach alsoallows you toinclude specificrequirements in

the contract to satisfy tribal needsand policies. The ConfederatedTribes of the Umatilla IndianReservation, for example, used sev-eral federal grants and loans, oneprivate grant, and $200,000 of itsown money to hire a private con-struction company to build its trans-fer station. The tribes used acompetitive bidding process toselect a contractor. As part of thecontract, the tribes required thecontractor to hire local NativeAmerican workers to the greatestextent possible. If the contractorcould not fill its needs locally, it wasrequired to attempt to hire individu-als from other tribes.

When hiring a contractor, BonnieBurke, the Umatilla’s solid wastemanager, recommends using localcontractors and subcontractorswhenever possible. She had difficul-ty getting a few non-local subcon-tractors to come back and repairequipment or correct problems. Ms.Burke also recommends double-checking the warranty dates onfacility equipment and structures,especially if the tribe encountersconstruction delays, and suggestsextending warranties when possible.

Building the facility yourself givesyou more control over its outcome,but accepting money from the feder-al government can mean followingcertain restrictions as well. WhileMs. Burke appreciated the moneyher tribes received from the federalgovernment, she commented thatthe agency was somewhat inflexiblein terms of how the tribes couldspend their funds. When delays andunexpected costs came up, as theyalmost inevitably do on construc-tion projects, it was difficult tocover new costs with grant moneythat was designated for a specificpurpose.

Contractor bonding is another con-cern when using federal funds tohire a private construction compa-ny. Most federal grant and loan pro-grams require contractors to secureperformance and payment bondsand a fidelity bond. After the St.Regis Mohawk Tribe selected a con-tractor to build its transfer station,for example, the contractor wasunable to meet the required bond-ing requirements within the allotted10 day period. Consequently, thecontract was voided, and the tribehad to initiate the bidding processagain.

“Know your tribe’s situa-tion, location, and region,and your goals.”

~Merlin Tafoya, Sr., Jicarilla Apache Nation

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians’ enclosed transfer station building.


17 Tribal Waste Journal

transfer station

s n a p s h o t sAssiniboine and Sioux Nations of the Fort Peck ReservationNortheastern Montana

Capacity: Four sites with single 40 yd3

roll-off bin, one site with three 40 yd3 roll-off binsPopulation served: 10,300Hours of operation: Four unfenced sites—open 24 hours, one fenced site—open during daylight hoursUser fees: Residential customers—$15 permonth, businesses and contractors—$300per monthTypes of waste accepted: All householdand commercial wasteCost: $20,000 each for two HUD CDBGfunded sites, $40,000 each for the threeIHS SDS funded sitesDesign: Five roll-off sites across reservation;one site has three bins, concrete pad, andheadwall; three sites have one bin and aconcrete headwall; one site has just a bin

Onondaga NationNedrow, New York

Capacity: One bin for waste (emptied atleast once a week), one bin for recyclablesPopulation served: 600Hours of operation: 7 days a week, 24hours a dayUser fees: Free to tribal membersTypes of waste accepted: Household trash,recyclables (paper, glass, plastic, cardboard),car batteries, household hazardous wasteCost: Not availableDesign: Open facility, fenced and gated, con-crete surface with two roll-off bins and wastecompactor, shelter for staff and generator

St. Regis Mohawk TribeAkwesasne, New York

Capacity: Two 53 yd3 self-contained modular units for waste, four 6 yd3

self-contained modular units for recyclablesPopulation served: 2,000Hours of operation: To be determinedUser fees: Pay-as-you-throw on a per bagbasis, recycling is freeTypes of waste accepted: Household trash, recyclables (paper, cardboard, glass,aluminum, plastic)Cost: Not availableDesign: Open facility, fenced and gated,paved road and tipping area, scale locatedat entrance, building housing scale equip-ment, baler, and administrative operations,composting bathroom (no running water)

Tule River Indian TribeTulare County, California

Capacity: Two 30 yd3 roll-off boxes (emptied twice per week); three tippingbins and three storage bins for recyclables;equipment storage shed; running waterPopulation served: 800Hours of operation: Monday - Saturday,during daylight hoursUser fees: Free to tribal and communitymembers and businessesTypes of waste accepted: Household trash,white goods, tires, recyclables (officepaper, glass, cardboard, plastic) Cost: $141,000 ($45,000 from IHS and $96,000 from HUD)Design: Open facility, fenced and gated,paved surface, two waste bins set down inan excavated area

Jicarilla Apache NationDulce, New Mexico

Capacity: 12 to 16 tons per day (three tofour 42 yd3 bins/day)Population served: 5,000Hours of operation: Monday – Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM (to 6 PM during the summer)User fees: Free to tribal residentsTypes of waste accepted: Household trash,

yard trimmings (branches < 3 in. in diame-ter), bulky items, white goods, tires, car batteries, household hazardous wasteCost: $900,000 ($500,000 from theJicarilla, $400,000 from IHS)Design: Totally enclosed building, two-level building (50' x 75'), hopper posi-tioned above compactor which compactswaste into enclosed 42 yd3 on lower level

Confederated Tribes of the UmatillaIndian ReservationPendleton, Oregon

Capacity: 200 tons per dayPopulation served: 2,500Hours of operation: 7 days a week, 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM (5/1 through 8/31),7:30 AM to 4:30 PM (9/1 through 4/30)User fees: Pay-as-you-throw on a perpound basis Types of waste accepted: Household trash,tires, car batteries, household hazardouswasteCost: $1.3 millionDesign: Totally enclosed, two-level, metalbuilding (7,200 ft2) with four bay doors,concrete tipping floor, backhoe loads andcompacts waste in transfer trailer

Eastern Band of Cherokee IndiansCherokee, North Carolina

Capacity: 300 tons per dayPopulation served: 6,300Hours of operation: Sunday – Saturdayduring summer, closed on holidaysUser fees: Free to tribal residents, neighbor-ing county and businesses pay tipping feeTypes of waste accepted: Householdwaste, yard trimmings, food scraps, recy-clables, white goodsCost: Not availableDesign: Totally enclosed, two-level buildingwith tipping floor, front-end loader loadsand compacts waste in transfer trailer

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Paying for Operation and Maintenance

User Fees

The tribes that we inter-viewed used several dif-ferent types of user fees.Some charged a month-ly service fee while oth-ers used a PAYTapproach.

The Assiniboine andSioux Nations of Fort Peckdecided to charge community mem-bers $15 per month to dispose oftrash, regardless of the amount gen-erated. A financial technician, hiredby the Fort Peck tribes to help maketheir solid waste disposal programmore self-sufficient, however,advised the tribes to institute aPAYT program in place of the flatdisposal fees. Now the tribes plan tocharge roll-off site users $15 perload rather than per month.

Instead of a flat fee, the St. RegisMohawk Tribe chose to charge resi-dents based on the volume of wastegenerated to encourage waste pre-vention and recycling. The St. RegisMohawk Tribe’s PAYT system

rewards residents for generating lesswaste. To participate in PAYT, resi-

dents purchase blue, 30-gallontrash bags from the tribe for

their garbage. The tribe’scurbside collection vehi-cle picks up the specialbags once a week.

Once the tribe’s trans-fer station is opera-

tional, residents can optout of purchasing the bluetrash bags and bring their

waste directly to the transfer station.They will be assessed a disposal feebased on the weight of their trash.

General Fund

Jicarilla Apache Nation decided touse money from the tribal generalfund to subsidize collection and dis-posal costs to provide free, weeklyresidential waste collection to alltribal members. Residents also havethe option of bringing their wastedirectly to the transfer station,where it is accepted for free. By pro-viding free waste disposal service,the tribe increased community par-ticipation and discouraged illegaldumping.

The Confederated Tribes of theUmatilla Indian Reservation usemoney from the tribal general fundto supplement solid waste serviceuser fees. The tribes operate a casi-no and allocate a portion of the rev-enue to transfer station operationand maintenance. Similarly, the St.

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Sustaining Your Vision: Operation and Maintenance

After the construction phase, focus shifts to operation and maintenance. This involves finding ways tocover equipment maintenance expenses, transportation costs, landfill tipping fees, transfer stationstaffing, and employee training. The tribes we interviewed quickly discovered that federal grants cannot

be used for these purposes. Instead, the tribes relied on a variety of mechanisms, including:

• User fees such as a flat service fee or a pay-as-you-throw (PAYT) program• Tribal general funds• Revenue from the sale of recyclables• Tipping fees from non-tribal/off-reservation waste

In addition to funding, the tribes cited educated and skilled staff and waste screening programs as keys to ensur-ing that their transfer stations ran smoothly. The Fort Peck tribes even established a Public Works Committee tohelp it make quick decisions and improve curbside collection and roll-off program management. The followingexamples demonstrate how tribes have sustained their transfer stations and increased operational efficiency.

• Consider a variety of fundingmechanisms to pay for opera-tion and maintenance.

• Train your staff to improveoperational efficiency.

• Screen all incoming waste toremove recyclables and inap-propriate materials.

• Remove and manage specialwaste (e.g., tires, white goods,car batteries) separately.

• Properly maintain equipmentto prolong life and preventbreakdown.

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Regis Mohawk Tribe uses its generalfund to supplement revenue from itsPAYT program. Part of the tribalgeneral fund comes from a fee oncigarette and gasoline sales on thereservation.

Bonnie Burke, the Umatilla IndianReservation’s solid waste manager,however, cautions tribal solid wastedepartments about relying on casinorevenues and the tribal generalfund. She explains, “The casinogenerates revenue, but much of themoney is used for education andother purposes. Historically, thetribes did not place a high priorityon solid waste management.”

Sale of Recyclables

A few tribes have found markets forsome recyclables and use the rev-enue from these sales to help covertransfer station operation and main-tenance costs. The Eastern Band ofCherokee Indians discovered thatcardboard recycling is lucrative nearthe reservation. The tribe sells card-board to support other, less prof-itable recycling activities. Marketsfor recyclable materials vary with

location. Jicarilla Apache Nation,located in a remote region of NewMexico, implemented a recyclingprogram and found that transporta-tion costs added up quickly becausethe nearest recycling facility is faraway from the reservation. Thetribe couldnot justifythese costsand aban-doned itsrecyclingprogram.

Many tribesseparaterecyclablematerials tominimizedisposalcosts.Althoughrecyclers charge a processing fee forsome materials, the fee is usuallylower than landfill tipping fees. TheConfederated Tribes of the UmatillaIndian Reservation use this strategyto reduce disposal costs.

Tipping Fees from Non-Tribal Waste

The Eastern Band of CherokeeIndians and the Confederated Tribesof the Umatilla Indian Reservationaccept waste from off the reserva-tion for a fee. Accepting waste fromsurrounding communities can be a

lucrative busi-ness under theright conditions.Calvin Murphyof the EasternBand ofCherokeeIndians cautionsagainst enteringthis businesswithout carefulconsiderationand feasibilityanalyses. He sug-gests that tribes

size their transfer stations to handletheir own waste, not other counties’waste. His tribe solicited businessfrom off of the reservation afterbuilding the transfer station anddetermining it had excess capacity,rather than counting on it duringthe planning phase.


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Waste Watching: Screening for Inappropriate Materials

Tribes can factor special wastes into transfer station operation and maintenance activities. At the Eastern Band ofCherokee Indians’ transfer station, trucks dump their loads onto a tipping floor and tribal employees examinethe waste. They pull out items that do not belong, including tires, car batteries, and freon canisters. JicarillaApache Nation, Onondaga Nation, and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation employ simi-lar waste screening practices.

In addition to training waste “spotters,” tribes can keep inappropriate items out of municipal solid waste byestablishing affordable and accessible disposal alternatives for special wastes. Members of the Tule River IndianTribe can bring white goods and old tires to a site adjacent to the tribal transfer station. To minimize the healthrisks associated with storing these items (e.g., refrigerators contain freon, old tires serve as a breeding ground formosquitoes), the tribe pays for a private contractor to remove them at least once every 6 weeks. The contractoris responsible for recovering hazardous materials and freon from the white goods before hauling them away.

The Onondaga Nation decided to make household hazardous waste (HHW) disposal a priority. The tribe hostsHHW collection events twice a year to educate the community about proper disposal practices. In addition, thetribe provides public access to a HHW collection compartment at the transfer station. Tribal members can bringtheir HHW to the transfer station 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. The transfer station also includes a storagecontainer for car batteries.

Waste loading inside the Eastern Band ofCherokees’ transfer station.


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Skilled Staff Augment Success

The Eastern Band of Cherokee ownand operate a large, complex trans-fer station that utilizes scales and atipping floor. The tribe recognizedthe need for skilled staff to operateand maintain this technologicallyadvanced facility. Several of thetribe’s scale operators completed theNorth Carolina Department ofAgriculture’s certification programfor weigh masters and seven transferstation employees took a classoffered by the Solid WasteAssociation of North America(SWANA) to become certifiedtransfer station managers.

Calvin Murphy recommends thiscourse to employees of large transferstations. Having state certifiedtransfer station managers gave theEastern Band of Cherokee Indianscredibility when working with coun-ties and private haulers.

Jicarilla Apache Nation also under-stands the importance of employeeeducation. The tribe pays a privatecontractor to haul its waste to a pri-vate landfill. Landfill employeesinspect the waste for inappropriatematerials and turn shipments awayif they are contaminated. To avoidrefused shipments, the contractortrains tribal employees to inspectwaste and separate out inappropri-ate materials at the transfer station.To date, the landfill has neverrefused a shipment from theJicarilla Apache Nation.

The Fort Peck tribes hired afinancial technician to controlroll-off site costs. The tribespay two counties for use oftheir landfills. The financialtechnician reviewed thetribes’ contracts with thecounties and developed strictaccounting procedures thatsave money. She also suggest-ed that the tribes manage con-struction and demolition(C&D) debris separately toreduce their disposal costs.Tipping fees at C&D landfillsare lower than those atmunicipal solid waste landfills.For a fee, Fort PeckOperations and MaintenanceDepartment staff deliverdumpsters to constructionsites. When the dumpsters arefull, department staff haulsthem to a C&D landfill.

The Onondaga Nation initial-ly trusted community mem-bers to use its transfer stationwithout supervision. Illegaldumping by residents from thesurrounding counties whowere trying to avoid payingtipping fees in their owntowns, however, forced thenation to staff the facility 24hours a day, 7 days a week.

In addition to monitoringincoming vehicles, the atten-dants help users place recycla-ble materials in the correctroll-off bin and householdhazardous waste in the auxil-iary storage cabinet.Periodically, the attendantscheck the roll-off bins andremove tires and other unac-ceptable materials to keepcontamination to a minimum.

“Tribal leaders must realizethat some needs cannot bemet through grants.”

~Deb Madison, environmental program manager for the

Fort Peck Reservation

Fort Peck’s PublicWorks CommitteeBoard

Prior to creating the Public Works Committee Board, onlythe Fort Peck Tribal Council hadthe authority to change curbsidecollection fees and roll-off sitepermit rates, adjust collectionprocedures, and approve externalfunding applications. To speed up the decision-making process, Ms. Madison suggested that the tribal council establish aPublic Works Committee Boardto manage the Operation andMaintenance Department.

The board removes the burden of solid waste management deci-sions from the tribal council andis able to make quick decisions.In return for being entrusted withdecision-making powers, boardmembers maintain a positive rela-tionship with tribal council mem-bers by keeping them informedabout collection and roll-off siteoperations.

“The board is criticalbecause it sets curbsidecollection and roll-off sitepermit rates, applies toorganizations for fund-ing, and provides aninterface between O&Mand the tribal council.”

~Deb Madison, Fort Peck Environmental

Program Manager


21 Tribal Waste Journalr

esou

rc

esCopies of most of the following publications can be obtained at no charge by calling the EPA RCRA/UST,Superfund, and EPCRA Hotline at 800 424-9346 or 703 412 9810 in the Washington, DC metropolitanarea. You will need to provide the document number for the publication(s) you wish to order.

TechnicalGuidance andTrainingPublications

Waste Transfer Stations: A Manual for Decision-Making(EPA530-R-02-002)

Waste Transfer Stations: InvolvedCitizens Make a Difference(EPA530-K-01-003)

Decision-Maker’s Guide to SolidWaste Management, Second Edition(EPA530-R-95-023)

Tribal Solid Waste ManagementDecision-Maker’s Guide(expected from EPA in 2003)

Sites for Our Solid Waste: AGuidebook for Effective PublicInvolvement (EPA530-SW-90-019)

Training and Technical AssistanceDirectory for Tribal Solid WasteManagers (EPA530-B-99-007)

St. Regis Mohawk Tribe Solid WasteHandbook <www.northnet.org/earth/swhandbk.pdf>

NEPA: A Handbook for Tribal Staff(for a free copy contact Inter TribalCouncil of Arizona at 602 258-4822)

Links

Institute for Tribal EnvironmentalProfessionals (ITEP) and NorthernArizona University Solid WasteTraining for Alaskan Native Villages<www4.nau.edu/itep/s_waste.html>

Solid Waste Association of NorthAmerica’s (SWANA) collection andtransfer training courses<www.swana.org/Events.asp>

FundingPublications

Grant Resources for Solid WasteActivities in Indian Country(EPA530-R-98-014)

Solid Waste Funding: A Guide toFederal Assistance (EPA530-F-97-027)

Preparing Successful GrantProposals tip sheet (EPA530-F-97-020)

St. Regis Mohawk Tribe Solid WasteHandbook <www.northnet.org/earth/swhandbk.pdf>

Links

U.S. EPA Tribal MSW Funding page<www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/tribal/finance.htm>

U.S. EPA's Grant Writing Tutorial<www.epa.gov/grtlakes/seahome/grants.html>

U.S. EPA American IndianEnvironmental Office (AIEO)General Assistance Program (GAP)Grants <www.epa.gov/indian/pdfs/gap2000.pdf>

U.S. EPA Brownfields Assessment,Revolving Loan Fund, and CleanupGrants <www.epa.gov/brownfields>

U.S. Department of Health andHuman Services' Administrationfor Native Americans (ANA)<www.acf.dhhs.gov/pro-grams/ana/notice.htm>

USDA RuralDevelopment's RuralUtilities Service (RUS)Water andEnvironmentalPrograms (WEP)<www.usda.gov/rus/index2/rusregs.htm>

U.S. Department of Housing andUrban Development (HUD)Community Development BlockGrants (CDBG)<www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/communitydevelopment/programs/cdbg.cfm>

The Catalog of Federal DomesticAssistance <www.cfda.gov> This is a database of all federal assistanceprograms—including grant and loan pro-grams—available to state, local, and tribalgovernments.

TASWER's 10 Pots of Money<www.taswer.org>

Federal Register search page<www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/aces/aces140.html>

Rural Community AssistanceProgram (RCAP) <www.rcap.org>

RCAP is a national network of water, waste-water, and solid waste professionals thatprovide onsite managerial, technical, andfinancial assistance to develop rural com-munity infrastructure. It is comprised of sixregional affiliates. For more information,contact Christine McCoy, director of envi-ronmental programs at 800 321-2772 or202 408-1273, ext.104; or via email [email protected].

resources


http://www.taswer.org

http://www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/communitydevelopment/programs/cdbg.cfm

http://www.northnet.org/earth/swhandbk.pdf

http://www.cfda.gov

http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/aces/aces140.html

http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/tribal/finance.htm

http://www.epa.gov/grtlakes/seahome/grants.html

http://www.rcap.org

http://www.epa.gov/indian/pdfs/gap2000.pdf

http://www.epa.gov/brownfield

http://www.northnet.org/earth/swhandbk.pdf

http://www.acf.dhhs.gov/programs/ana/notice.htm

http://www4.nau.edu/itep/s_waste.html

http://www.swana.org/Events.asp

http://www.usda.gov/rus/index2/rusregs.htm

co

nt

ac

ts


Confederated Tribes of the UmatillaIndian Reservation Pendleton, Oregon Bonnie Burke, Solid Waste Manager,541 276-4040, [email protected] orTeddi Bronson, Recycling Coordinator,541 276-4040, [email protected]

Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Cherokee, North CarolinaCalvin Murphy, Tribal Utilities, 828 497-1805, [email protected]

Assiniboine and Sioux Nations of the Fort Peck Reservation Poplar, MontanaDeb Madison, Environmental ProgramManager, Environmental ProtectionOffice, 406 768-5155 ext. 399, [email protected]

Jicarilla Apache Nation Dulce, New MexicoMerlin Tafoya, Sr., Executive Directorof Public Works Division, Jicarilla Apache Nation, 505 759-3242 ext. 295

Onondaga Nation Nedrow, New YorkChief Irving Powless, Jr., 315 492-4210, [email protected],or Jeanne Shenandoah, 315 492-1440

Oglala Sioux Tribe of the Pine Ridge Reservation Pine Ridge, South DakotaKim Clausen-Jensen, Director, Oglala Sioux EnvironmentalProtection Program, 605 867-5236,[email protected], orBobby Sullivan, Public InvolvementCoordinator, 605 867-5236, [email protected]

St. Regis Mohawk Tribe Akwesasne, New York Laura Weber, Director of Solid WasteManagement, 518 358-5937, [email protected]

Tule River Indian Tribe Tulare County, CaliforniaKerri Vera, Environmental Program Manager for Tule RiverIndian Tribe, 559 781-4271, [email protected]

USDA Rural Development Rapid City, South Dakota Mavis Hass, Rural DevelopmentSpecialist, 605 342-0301 ext. 4,[email protected]

The Tribal Waste Journal would like to thank everyone who shared transfer station and funding informationfor this issue. Interviewee contact information is provided below for those who are interested in learningmore about specific tribes' programs.

CONTACTS

To be placed on our mailing list or submit ideas or success stories, send an e-mail to Janice Johnson, U.S. EPA Tribal Solid Waste Program at <[email protected]>.

Recycling bins at Umatillatransfer station

Modular units to be used at St. Registransfer station

Scrap metal recycling pile out-side Eastern Band of CherokeeIndians’ transfer station


Laura Weber shares her enthusi-asm about the science behindwaste decomposition throughstories and experiments. She tellsa story about microbes to teachstudents about decomposition.Microbes are living organisms,and some of them break downwaste. As Ms. Weber explainsthe decomposition process, sheasks her audience to identifywhich statements are true andwhich are false. For example,when she says, “Garbage con-tains microbes,” the childrenagree, but when she says,“Microbes leap out of thegarbage at night,” they disagree.

This interactiveformat enter-tains studentsand keeps themengaged.

Ms. Weber usesexperiments toreinforce the decomposition message. According to Ms.Weber, “One of the excitingthings about trash is that there is so much science involved indecomposition. It is fun to conduct experiments to showstudents that different objectsdegrade at different rates.” Atthe beginning of the school year,

teachers can place soil in anaquarium, add water, and buryitems in the soil to simulate alandfill. During the schoolyear, students can watch theitems decompose and usetheir observations to drawconclusions about howbiodegradable different materials are.

Kids gePaO f t h e E P A T r i b a l W a s t e J o u r n a l

March 2003

Garbage Monsters

Teddi Bronson, recycling coordinator for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation,believes that environmental education should be fun. When the tribes opened a recycling depot andtransfer station, she expanded the environmental education program to promote recycling and propersolid waste disposal.

Ms. Bronson visits the tribal Head Start facility and daycare center to familiarize children with the newrecycling and waste disposal options. She tells stories about the time when tribal members used to dumptheir waste in a landfill on the reservation and explains how waste managementpractices have changed over the years. Then, she distributes recycling coloringbooks, nature stickers, and frisbees with the phone number and address of therecycling depot. The presentation culminates with an illegal dumping and litterprevention activity. The children create “garbage monsters” out of paper shop-ping bags. They draw a monster’s face on each bag and then use the bags topick up litter outside. The monsters literally eat garbage!

Ms. Bronson plans to integrate her solid waste management message intocurricula across the school system. She would also like to provide transferstation tours to older students.

“Garbage is fun because it is alwayschanging. You can tell a lot aboutsomeone’s behavior and lifestylefrom their trash. When people leavebags of trash by the side of theroad, their trash tells a story.”

~Laura Weber, director of solid waste management for the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe

Microbe Adventure


A landfill lesson is brain food foryoung minds when teachers usecookies and ice cream to symbolizeclay liners and leachate. During the“luscious layered landfill” lesson, stu-dents place different treats in clear,plastic cups to learn how to buildlandfills. Each treat represents a dif-ferent landfill layer—near the bot-tom, crushed cookies symbolize thesoil underneath the landfill, andcookie pieces symbolize the clayliner that absorbs leachate escapingfrom the plastic liner. A fruit roll-uprepresents the plastic liner, crushedgraham crackers the sand layer, andraisins the pebble layer. Licoricesticks, or leachate pipes, completethe leachate containment and col-lection system. Teachers can explainthat this system prevents waste fromcontaminating water supplies.

Ice-cream and hard candies rest ontop of the raisins, symbolizingleachate and garbage. Students thenplace crushed cookies (soil) on top.Teachers can explain that, at theend of each day, landfill operatorscover waste with soil to minimizeproblems with vermin. Finally, stu-dents cap their tasty landfills withwhip cream. They can insert a smallcandle to symbolize a methane gasrecovery system. For additionalinformation about this activity, visit<www.epa.gov/epaoswer/osw/kids/quest/pdf/49layer.pdf>, or order afree copy of The Quest for Less:Activities and Resources for TeachingK-6 (EPA530-R-00-008) from EPA’sRCRA/UST, Superfund and EPCRAHotline at 800 424-9346 or 703 412-9810.

24 Hours with a TrashBag

Thanks to BobbySullivan, publicinvolvementcoordinator forthe OglalaSioux Tribe,children livingon Pine RidgeReservation are excited aboutwaste prevention. Ms. Sullivandelivers interactive presentationsto educate 4th through 9thgraders about proper solid wastemanagement and involves themin finding solutions to problems.She shows pictures of opendumps on the reservation,describes the tribe’s new landfill,and asks the children to think ofcreative ways to promote thelandfill and prevent illegal dump-ing. Student suggestions haveincluded creating trash police,enforcing existing litter laws inhousing projects, and developingawards for clean communities.

After a lively discussion aboutillegal dumping prevention, Ms.Sullivan captivates the studentswith a new question, “Are youinterested in learning how muchtrash a single person can gener-ate in one day?” She asks eachchild to carry a trash bag for 24hours. During the study period,the students bring their trashbags everywhere and collect allof the solid waste that they pro-duce (excluding food and liquidwastes). The next day, the chil-

dren bring their trash bagsback to class. Theyare amazed that one

person can produceso much waste!Ms. Sullivanconcludes theactivity with a waste prevention

brainstormingsession.

Landfill

Luscious

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