WASHINGTON – At present, Deputy Administrator Janet McCabe and Nationwide Tribal Caucus (NTC) Chair Gerald Wagner convened the annual Nationwide Tribal Operations Committee (NTOC) assembly. The NTOC assembly brings collectively the Nationwide Tribal Caucus (NTC) and EPA Senior Management for a dialogue on all kinds of environmental points together with local weather change, Indigenous Conventional Ecological Information (ITEK), and extra. At present’s assembly targeted particularly on how Tribes and EPA are partnering to deal with local weather change, together with by local weather adaptation plans and the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to guard clear air, enhance entry to protected and dependable consuming water and wastewater companies, and advance environmental justice.
“EPA welcomed the chance to listen to from the Nationwide Tribal Caucus on the very actual local weather challenges that Tribes are going through as we work collectively to fight and adapt to our altering local weather and shield public well being,” stated Deputy Administrator Janet McCabe. “EPA seems to be ahead to persevering with to strengthen our partnership with Tribal Nations in order that we are able to rise collectively to fulfill this problem and ship essential environmental and public well being safety in Indian nation.”
Deputy Administrator McCabe additionally shared a number of the present and future funding alternatives obtainable to EPA’s tribal companions, together with upcoming alternatives beneath the Inflation Discount Act, and extra specifics on funding that’s obtainable beneath the Bipartisan Infrastructure Legislation (BIL), and the America Rescue Plan to fight the local weather change disaster. Some highlights embody:
- EPA’s new Clear Faculty Bus Program (with funding from the BIL) supplies $5 billion over the subsequent 5 years (FY 2022-2026) to interchange current college buses with zero-emission and low-emission fashions which can end in higher air high quality on the bus, within the bus loading areas, and all through the communities by which they function. EPA solicited purposes for $500 million by the 2022 Clear Faculty Bus Rebates program, which closed on August 19, 2022, and gave precedence to low-income, rural, and Tribal communities. EPA plans on opening one other spherical of funding within the type of grants later this yr. Be taught extra in regards to the Clear Faculty Bus Rebate Program.
- A $350 million funding within the Air pollution Prevention (P2) program by the Inflation Discount Act will set up a labeling program for decrease embodied carbon building supplies and a grant program to offer technical help for measuring and certifying the embodied carbon of building supplies and merchandise. A $100 million funding within the Company’s (P2) program by BIL will help new grant alternatives to advertise sustainable buying and encourage companies working in or with underserved or overburdened communities to undertake P2 practices. Be taught extra in regards to the new P2 BIL grant alternative.
- By way of BIL $154 million is accessible to Tribes and Alaska Native Villages to enhance entry to protected and dependable consuming water and wastewater companies. Be taught extra in regards to the Clear Water Indian Set-Apart Program and Protected Ingesting Water on Tribal Lands.
- By way of a partnership with the Division of Power, the EPA has $100 million obtainable in grant funding to determine 5-10 Environmental Justice (EJ) Thriving Neighborhood Technical Help Facilities throughout the nation. These facilities will serve communities with environmental justice issues and their companions. Be taught extra in regards to the EJ Thriving Neighborhood Technical Help Facilities.
The assembly additionally included a dialogue on ITEK — Indigenous Information (IK) — and the way it contributes to the scientific, technical, social, and financial developments of the US and the Biden-Harris Administration’s cost to federal businesses to think about Indigenous Conventional Ecological Information in Federal determination making the place applicable.
For extra details about EPA’s packages in Indian Nation, go to EPA’s Environmental Safety in Indian Nation webpage.
