Tribal Waste Management Program
On this page:
- Background about the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
- Technical Assistance, Trainings and Tools
- Partnerships
- Data and Resources
- Contact Us
Background
The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act addresses nonhazardous (Subtitle D) and hazardous (Subtitle C) waste management activities. Under the authority of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, the EPA’s Tribal Waste Management Program encourages environmentally sound waste management practices that promote resource conservation through recycling, recovery, reduction, clean up, and elimination of waste. The Tribal Waste Management Program provides national policy direction, and partners with the EPA Regions and other federal agencies to assist Tribes with the management of their waste. The Tribal Waste Management Program also provides technical assistance, training and funding, facilitates waste program peer matches among Tribes, education, and outreach to Tribes. For more information on the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act program and Tribes, see the Information for Tribes fact sheet.
The EPA’s main Tribal solid waste priority, intended to address the most pressing waste-related environmental issues on Tribal lands, is the promotion of sustainable Tribal waste management programs through the development and implementation of Integrated Waste Management Plans. Tribes are encouraged to develop and implement sustainable waste management programs in Indian country that are protective of human health and the environment.
Technical Assistance, Trainings and Tools
- Abandoned Mobile Home Toolkit.
- Developing Tribal Integrated Waste Management Plans.
- Fact Sheet: Sustainable Materials Management on Tribal Lands - A Life-Cycle Approach to Managing Materials.
- Form for Evaluation of a Tribe’s Solid Waste Management Capacity for Open Dump Cleanup (Closure)(pdf)(534.6 KB).
- Green Building Tools for Tribes.
- National Tribal Waste Management Peer Matching Program.
- Region 8 Trash Free Waters Tribal Program Handbook.
- Roadmap for Funding Sustainable Solid Waste Programs in Rural Alaska.
- Site-Specific Flexibility Requests for Municipal Solid Waste Landfills in Indian Country: Draft Guidance (pdf)(206 KB).
- Strategies for Building and Implementing Sustainable Tribal Waste Management Programs fact sheet (pdf)(2.5 MB).
- Training Resources for Tribal Waste Management.
- Tribal Community-Based Social Marketing Training Guide and Recycling Toolkit.
- Tribal Green Casinos.
- Tribal Waste Journal.
- Tribal Waste Management Codes and Ordinances.
- Tribal Waste Management Funding Resources Directory.
- Tribal Waste Management Program Webinar Series.
- Tribal Waste Management Sustainability Evaluation Tool.
Partnerships
Federal Infrastructure Task Force
In 2007, a multi-agency Tribal Infrastructure Task Force was created to develop and coordinate federal activities in delivering water infrastructure, wastewater infrastructure and solid waste management services to Tribal communities. EPA and the Indian Health Service have a memorandum of understanding to improve open dump data, solid waste projects and programs in Indian country.
Under this MOU, EPA developed the "Solid Waste Program Capacity Evaluation Form" (pdf) (535 KB) that a Tribe can use, with EPA support, to evaluate Tribal waste management program capacity relevant to Indian Health Service criteria used to support funded solid waste projects.
Data and Other Resources
- Cleanups in My Community.
- Climate Adaptation.
- Climate and Waste.
- Disaster Debris Recovery Tool.
- EJScreen: Environmental Justice Screening and Mapping Tool.
- Environmental Protection in Indian Country.
- Indian Environmental General Assistance Program.
- Model Recycling Program Toolkit.
- Public Participation Guide: Internet Resources on Public Participation.
- Sustainable Materials Management.
- RCRAInfo.
- U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit.