Cleaning Up Tribal Lands in Region 10
This page highlights some of the EPA resources available to help Tribes address environmental issues impacting tribal lands in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. For additional information, visit EPA's Cleaning Up, Protecting and Preserving Tribal Lands website.
- Brownfields
- Contamination on ANCSA Conveyed Lands
- Solid Waste
- Superfund and Emergency Response
- Sustainable Materials Management
- Underground Storage Tanks
- Contacts
Brownfields
- Brownfields and Land Revitalization in Region 10: Funding opportunities, Targeted Brownfields Assessments, and state cleanup programs; a list of federally recognized Tribes with 128a Brownfields programs; and EPA contacts for brownfields in Region 10.
Contamination on ANCSA Conveyed Lands
In fiscal year 2023, Congress appropriated $20 million for EPA to establish and implement a grant program to assist Alaska Tribal entities with addressing contamination on Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) lands that were contaminated at the time of conveyance.
EPA is currently developing guidance for an ANCSA Contaminated Lands Assistance Program, with intent to issue an initial round of cooperative agreements by summer 2023.
Visit Contamination on ANCSA Conveyed Lands for more information.
Solid Waste
The following resources are designed to help Tribes address solid waste issues through the Indian Environmental General Assistance Program.
- Allowable and Unallowable Solid Waste and Program Implementation Costs: Examples of allowable and unallowable Tribal solid waste program implementation activities under the Indian Environmental General Assistance Program (GAP).
- Building a Self-Sustaining Tribal Solid Waste Program in Region 10: Recommended steps for Tribes to address solid waste capacity building and implementation in their GAP work plans.
- Building Solid Waste, Hazardous Waste, and Underground Storage Tank Capacities (PDF)(86 pp, 645 K, About PDF) (Appendix I, Section E, Guidance on the Award and Management of General Assistance Agreements for Tribes and Intertribal Consortia): Section E.3 of the GAP Guidance can help Tribes develop the solid waste components of a Tribal workplan.
- Community-Based Social Marketing for Tribal Environmental Professionals: This September 29, 2020 webinar features a training toolkit, recycling guide, and video to help Tribes increase the adoption of sustainable behaviors around solid waste.
- Landfill reports from Alaska’s Solid Waste Information Management System (SWIMS): The state of Alaska's SWIMS database contains information on landfills, solid waste treatment facilities, and solid waste storage facilities in Alaska, including the status, location, authorizations (permits), and contacts for each site. The community’s latest landfill inspection report may help the Tribe identify tasks to include in its work plan and budget.
- Solid Waste Management for Rural Alaska Operational Guidance: The State of Alaska's Solid Waste Program developed this guidance to help communities in rural Alaska better manage their solid waste.
Integrated Waste Management Plans
To obtain funding for solid waste implementation activities (which include solid waste and recovered materials collection, transportation, backhaul, and disposal services), EPA Region 10 requires Tribes to have or develop an Integrated Waste Management Plan. Such a plan serves as a roadmap for developing an effective waste management program for a community. The following resources may help Tribes develop these plans, which EPA recommends be reviewed and approved by Tribal Councils and updated at least once every five years.
- Developing Tribal Integrated Waste Management Plans: A detailed resource for developing an Integrated Solid Waste Management Plan.
- Developing an Integrated Waste Management Plan: The Nitty Gritty (Oct. 29, 2020). This EPA Region 10 webinar provides an in-depth look at how to develop and update an Integrated Waste Management Plan, and resources available to assist Tribes in this effort.
- Integrated Waste Management Plan Template (docx) Optional template developed by EPA. Several other training providers also provide templates.
- Solid Waste Program Budgeting for Alaska Tribal Communities: Step-by-step instructions on how to develop a budget for a solid waste utility.
Funding Opportunities
Many organizations provide funding for solid waste activities in Tribal communities.
- EPA's Tribal Waste Management Funding Resources Directory is a searchable resource listing financial waste management assistance sources (grants, loans, cost-sharing) available to Tribes and nonprofit organizations across the country.
- A Manager's Roadmap for Funding Sustainable Solid Waste Programs in Rural Alaska discusses key steps in developing a solid and hazardous waste management program and where to find state and federal funding to pay for each step. Although the document focuses on Alaska, Tribes in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington may also find useful information here.
- The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation's Solid Waste Program offers a Funding Resource Guide.
Partners
EPA Region 10 works in collaboration with many partners, including those listed below, to help Tribes manage waste. Also visit our training page to find solid waste training and technical assistance opportunities.
- The Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals offers solid waste management trainings, hosts the annual Tribal Lands and Environment Forum, and maintains a resource page of Tribal waste presentations.
- The Tribal Solid Waste Advisory Network is the only Tribal consortium focused solely on solid waste TSWAN provides trainings and a collaborative space for Tribes to share technical expertise, information, and opportunities.
- The Solid Waste Alaska Taskforce and Backhaul Alaska offer resources and trainings to help Alaska Tribes interested in joining the statewide program to backhaul solid and hazardous waste.
- Zender Environmental Health & Research Group is an Alaska-based training provider that offers technical assistance and maintains an A-Z topic list, which includes fact sheets, guides, program examples, templates, and more.
- The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation Solid Waste Program conducts inspections, permits landfills, provides training, and offers free technical assistance. Each community with a landfill is assigned a rural landfill specialist.
Superfund and Emergency Response
EPA’s Superfund program is responsible for cleaning up some of the nation’s most contaminated land and responding to environmental emergencies, oil spills and natural disasters.
- Tribal Lands Assistance Center: The Tribal Lands Assistance Center provides all federally recognized Tribes, including Alaska Native Villages, a single point of access to information and resources regarding contaminated sites on and near Tribal lands and waters.
- Superfund Sites Where You Live: Search for sites proposed to, currently on, and deleted from Superfund's National Priorities List, as well as sites being addressed under the Superfund Alternative Approach.
- Regional 10 Regional Response Team (RRT) and the Northwest Area Committee (NWAC): RRT/NWAC protects public health and safety and the environment by ensuring coordinated, efficient, and effective support of the federal, state, Tribal, local, and international responses to significant oil and hazardous substance incidents within the Pacific Northwest Region, including Idaho, Oregon, and Washington.
- Alaska Regional Response Team: A collaboration between EPA, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, the Alaska Regional Response Team provides federal, state, and local governmental agencies with the means to participate in response to pollution incidents. This site provides information on Alaska emergency response trainings, plans, exercises, and more.
Sustainable Materials Management
Reduce the waste your community sends to the landfill through recycling, reusing materials, reducing food waste, and planning for natural disasters.
- Find Facts and Figures about Materials, Waste, and Recycling, including information on municipal solid waste generation, recycling, combustion with energy recovery, and landfilling, plus a list of state and local waste characterization studies.
- View the first webinar in the Community Composting on Tribal Lands series:
- Compost: What It Is, Its Benefits, and How to Do It(August 26, 2020)
- Learn how to start a Food: Too Good to Waste campaign in the community.
- Prepare to handle large amounts of waste after a natural disaster through Disaster Debris Planning.
- Learn more about Sustainable Materials Management.
Underground Storage Tanks (USTs)
- USTs in Region 10 Indian Country: Is Your Facility Ready?
- UST Program in Indian Country: Basic information, training resources for Tribes, publications, and Tribal data.
- Wildfire Guide: Preparation and Recovery for Underground and Aboveground Storage Tank Systems (pdf)
- Flood Guide for Underground Storage Tanks
Contacts
EPA Region 10 Tribal Land & Solid Waste Contacts
| Staff | Focus Area/Expertise |
|---|---|
| Alicia Guyette ([email protected]) 206-553-0716 |
Tribal Specialist Superfund and Emergency Management Division |
|
Angel Ip |
Tribal Specialist |
| Melissa Winters ([email protected]) 206-553-5180 |
Tribal Specialist |
|
Rick McMonagle |
Tribal Waste Liaison |
| Matt Cox ([email protected]) 907-271-3434 |
Project Officer for Tribal Waste and Recycling Grants |
| Aleda Ziegler ([email protected]) 206-553-6915 |
Project Officer for Tribal Waste and Recycling Grants |
| EPA Region 10 Brownfields Team | This page lists Brownfields contacts in Region 10 |
| Underground Storage Tanks | This page lists UST contacts in Region 10 |