2020 OLEM Tribal Accomplishments

EPA’s Office of Land and Emergency Management (OLEM) tribal program is committed to protecting human health and the environment in Indian country, while supporting tribal sovereignty, acting consistently with the federal trust responsibility and strengthening the government-to-government relationship with tribes. This page summarizes accomplishments by OLEM in 2020 to provide training, funding, technical assistance, and support to our tribal partners in cleanup, prevention and response programs. Collaboration with our many partners helped us increase tribal understanding and participation in key OLEM programs, including solid and hazardous waste, underground storage tanks, emergency management, Superfund, brownfields, and federal facilities.

OLEM co-hosted the 2020 Tribal Lands and Environment Forum: A Virtual Gathering, bringing together 830 registered attendees to learn, share, network, and build tribal capacity to implement cleanup, prevention, and response programs in Indian country.

In the fall of 2020, KSU Tribal technical assistance to Brownfields hosted the “Tribal Resilience and Indigenous Planning Series.”  This four-part virtual training explored how indigenous planning, creative narratives, and brownfields resources can be used to build more sustainable communities, resilient to environmental, economic, and social impacts.  81 people attended over the course of the four-part series.

OLEM awarded $13.6 million in Superfund cooperative agreements to tribes in FY 2020 for site-specific and core program activities, including remedial action, support agency cooperative agreements, and technical assistance. This funding represents an increase from the $10.7 million in FY2018 and $12.4 million in FY2019 that were awarded to tribes in previous years. 

Over 60 people participated in a special Introduction to Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) Regulation webinar for tribes. Speakers provided information about SPCC regulations for above ground storage of oil, the EPA inspection process, spill notification and response.

FFRRO’s Federal Facility Academy is a multi-part training program for Federal Facility Remedial Program Managers. Participants learn and discuss key legal and technical elements of Federal Facility cleanups. OLEM provided a webinar course to 141 participants on Tribal Consultation and Coordination at Federal Facilities. This course is open to all federal agencies, state, and tribal partners who work in federal facility cleanups and want to better understand the applicable regulations, federal facility agreements, and legal authorities under CERCLA.  

TWAR SC Feedback

Members of the Tribal Waste and Response Steering Committee appreciated that OLEM included tribal partners and tribal-focused projects in the Annual OLEM Honor Awards Ceremony. It is important to highlight and recognize the work of OLEM staff and our tribal partners on projects that benefit tribes.

TWAR SC Feedback

Each year, the Tribal Waste and Response Steering Committee provides EPA with a Priorities Document that highlights the concerns and needs of tribal communities related to OLEM’s programs. The document also includes recommendations for OLEM to improve our work with tribes. Members of the TWAR SC appreciated that in 2020, OLEM provided a comprehensive, written response to the Priorities Document, outlining our work in addressing the priorities they highlighted.

In 2020, 382 people participated in seven OLEM-sponsored training webinars for tribes.

Regional Highlight

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OLEM awarded $295,000 to three recipients to develop and implement hazardous waste programs, build capacity to improve and maintain regulatory compliance, and develop solutions to address the improper management of hazardous waste on tribal lands. 

The CERCLA Education Center (CEC) worked with the Navajo Nation EPA (NNEPA) to offer the “Superfund Essentials” training to 31 NNEPA staff to support the onboarding of newly hired NNEPA Superfund staff. EPA customized the webinar to include information on issues important to the Navajo Nation, such as applicable or relevant and appropriate requirements (ARARs) and the site assessment process.

Underground storage tank (UST) operator training is an important component of preventing UST releases. The percent of A and B operators in Indian country  in compliance with training requirements rose from 74 percent in FY2019 to 82 percent in FY2020.  

More than 80 people participated in a webinar hosted by OLEM staff on Superfund and Brownfields Funding Vehicles for Tribes. The webinar provided comprehensive information about tribal funding opportunities to help address contaminated land to support building tribal capability and capacity for environmental response.

Utilizing their 128(a) funding, Alaska State and Tribal Response Programs played a vital role in the success of the 26^th annual Alaska Tribal Conference on Environmental Management (ATCEM) through planning, giving presentations, moderating panels, and participating throughout. In 2020, ATCEM was virtual and had over 350 attendees and 100+ presentations and sessions.

OLEM awarded a $2.45 million cooperative agreement to Northern Arizona University’s Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals to provide training, technical assistance, research, and tools to build tribal capacity to implement Superfund, brownfields, solid and hazard waste, underground storage tank, and emergency management programs.

Regional Highlight

During 2020, Region 7 developed and implemented a compliance assistance plan to support implementation of the Underground Storage Tank program in Indian Country.  This innovative compliance assistance approach consisted of: 
• UST/LUST compliance assistance binders for owner/operators and a compliance assistance calendar highlighting key requirements
• compliance assistance video conference calls
• monthly call and training opportunities for owner/operators and tribal personnel in Indian Country.

OLEM worked with EPA Regions and FEMA to distribute 37,500 cloth face masks to solid and hazardous waste tribal employees from 138 tribes, Alaska Native Villages and First Nations to minimize risk and exposure to COVID19 in their communities.

EPA’s Underground Storage Tank Program met its FY2020 goal of completing 16 cleanups in Indian country.  This is particularly noteworthy given setbacks from COVID-19.

OLEM conducted four webinars in 2020 to support the development and implementation of sustainable waste management programs on tribal lands

• Raising Environmental Awareness Through Community Outreach (40 participants).
• Tire Recycling (65 participants).
• Lithium-ion Battery Recycling (37 participants).
• Infrastructure Task Force Work Team 1 Report – Overcoming Barriers to Sustainable Waste Management in Tribal Communities (66 participants).

Underground storage tank (UST) service providers and owners and operators have been confused or unaware about whether federal or state UST regulatory deadlines apply in Indian country. This has led to non-compliance with the UST regulations.  OUST worked with the Petroleum Equipment Institute (PEI) to highlight in a newsletter for their members the importance of accurately communicating the correct regulatory deadline to tank owners in Indian country. 

OLEM encourages tribes to sign up to receive incident notifications from the National Response Center so that they are notified immediately about emergency responses in their designated areas of interest. As of 2020, 55 tribes have signed up.