Air Quality Work in Indian Country National Tribal Air Association

NTAA’s Mission ‘ To advance air quality management, policies and programs, consistent with the needs, interests and unique legal status of American Indian Tribes and Alaskan Natives’

NTAA PRINCIPLES Sovereignty/ Self-Determination of Tribes Tribes have the right to know and protect the quality of their air Tribes are leaders, strong partners, and co- regulators

NTAA Administration NTAA founded in 2002 with a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 95 Member Tribes Executive Committee Members from EPA regions and Alaska govern NTAA with by-laws approved by member Tribes NTAA administered by ITEP staff through cooperative grant from U.S. EPA

Region 4 Tribes Catawba Indian Nation in South Carolina Eastern Band of Cherokee in North Carolina Miccosukee Indian Tribe of Florida Poarch Band of Creek Indians in Alabama Choctaw Indians in Mississippi Seminole Tribe of Florida Pamunkey

NTAA Executive Committee & staff with EPA leaders

NTAA PRINCIPLES Tribes have the legal authority to regulate under the Tribal Authority Rule (TAR) As sovereign nations, Tribes should be consulted on how best to address their community's exposure to air pollution from off-reservation sources, and actively engaged in the process of eliminating harmful off- reservation pollution.

NTAA’s Recent Policy Work U.S. EPA’s Clean Power Plan U.S. EPA’s Minor New Source Review General Permits for Indian Country: 2nd Bundle U.S. EPA’s Radon Emissions from Uranium Mills U.S. EPA’s National Program Manager’s Guidance U.S. EPA’s Ground-Level Ozone U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s Tribal Policy U.S. EPA’s EJ 2020 Action Framework

National Tribal Priorities

NTAA NATIONAL PRIORITIES EPA Tribal Air Program Funding Static or reduced, has led to same number or fewer Tribes funded Aging monitoring equipment Inspector credentials program greatly reduced Tribal capacity has stalled or been reduced instead of more Tribes building capacity to assume programs

NTAA NATIONAL PRIORITIES EPA Program Regression Reduction and continual re-education of EPA staff No travel funds for education of EPA or Tribal staff EPA lack of mentoring, technical support; in permitting, tracking of non-tribal project impacts Reduction of EPA interdepartmental coordination on projects involving multi-media effects

NTAA NATIONAL PRIORITIES Climate Change Create funding for Tribes which does not reduce other air quality program funds Adaptation planning Research - Predicted affects particularly on traditional foods (Projections) Participating in the Clean Power Plan

NTAA NATIONAL PRIORITIES Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) More technical support and assistance for Tribal staff to conduct IAQ assessments Water intrusion issues: mold & relative humidity Radon testing in Tribal homes and communities to determine exposure risks; Radon mitigation Lack of funding for IAQ activities in Indian Country Addressing asthma disparities

NTAA NATIONAL PRIORITIES Mobile Sources On-road emissions: diesel exhaust, PM Other: Construction equipment, shipping vessels (e.g. water and rail) and recreational vehicles Oil and Gas Development Hydraulic fracturing, radon, radiation, aquifer contamination Permitting Methane Rule promulgation Tribal Minor NSR General Permit promulgation

NTAA NATIONAL PRIORITIES Regional Haze Participation in Regional Planning Organizations (RPOs) Ground Level Ozone Impacts Off Reservation source impacts EPA monitoring funding for Tribes effected Tribal New Source Review Implementation coordination with EPA regions, lack of communication

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