ITCA: Tribal Solid Waste Program

PROJECT STAFF: Vacant, Environmental Programs Coordinator
Elaine Wilson, Environmental Quality Programs Director

PROJECT PERIOD: October 1, 2006 to September 30, 2007

FUNDING SOURCES: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Multi-Media/General Assistance Program

“Protecting our Homelands Through Proper and Sustainable Solid Waste Practices and Management”

Purpose:

The purpose of the Tribal Solid Waste Program (also called the Integrated Waste Management Planning Project) is to provide tribes with increasing their capacity to manage their solid waste programs and any relevant solid waste issues on their lands. ITCA also assists with researched technical information for the tribal coordination of open dump closures, recycling centers, solid waste facility planning and feasibility studies, and household hazardous waste collection centers. In addition the program highly encourages cleanup and closure of open dumps, operation and maintenance of transfer stations, recycling centers, and composting centers. The ITCA will continue to coordinate the Tribal Solid Waste Working Group meetings.

The Tribal Solid Waste program will also provide tribes with hazardous waste planning information and technical planning support so that tribes may make informed decisions concerning the identification, storage and disposal of designated hazardous wastes generated on tribal lands.

Workplan Objectives:

Provide Solid Waste Education and Outreach: The Tribal Solid Waste program will provide information on tribal options for the cleanup and closure of open dumps, operation and maintenance of transfer stations, recycling centers and composting centers. The information will include case studies of successful and innovative approaches in each case. Materials will be disseminated to tribes upon request free of charge.
Provide Household Hazardous Waste Education and Outreach: The Tribal Solid Waste program will provide information on hazardous waste collection management and how to establish household hazardous waste collection centers and used oil collection stations. The information will include case studies of successful and innovative approaches in each case. Materials will be disseminated to tribes upon request free of charge.
Plan, Coordinate, and Conduct Illegal/Open Dumpsite Pilot Project: The Tribal Solid Waste Program will work in close collaboration with an identified tribe in assessing the impacts of environmental conditions due to illegal/open dumping. The project will take place throughout the fiscal year 2006-2007 and will work with the San Carlos Apache Tribe Environmental Protection Agency in developing a methodology for the assessment of illegal/open dumpsites and develop a strategy to respond to the current environmental conditions. The Tribal Solid Waste Program will also identify the stressors responsible for harm or deterioration to the environment of the San Carlos Apache reservation. The Tribal Solid Waste Program will work with the Tribal GIS Technical Support Program in an effort to identify and locate illegal/open dumpsites; GPS all sites visited and create maps of these areas.
Plan, Coordinate, and Conduct an Illegal Dumping Workshop for Tribes:The Tribal Solid Waste Program will provide a workshop for the tribes to strategize collectively to identify ways to curb illegal dumping activities from continuing on their lands. This workshop will take place in the third quarter of the fiscal year and planning will begin in the first and second quarters to develop and conduct a successful workshop to benefit the tribes. The Tribal Solid Waste Program Coordinator will establish partnerships with Tribes, State, Local, University/College, EPA, and other Federal Agencies in developing the workshop. Topics to be included range from prevention, enforcement, compliance, solutions and strategies that tribes can utilize to reduce illegal dumping on their lands.

TRIBAL SOLID WASTE WORKING GROUP:

The Tribal Solid Waste Working Group Meeting is a forum arranged and facilitated by ITCA Solid Waste staff. The meeting is arranged to provide technical updates and opportunity for networking with other tribal solid waste program managers and EPA and other Federal agency information exchange. The working group meeting is scheduled bi-annually or on an as needed basis.

TRIBAL SOLID WASTE LISTSERV:

ITCA's COMMITMENT:
As part of the Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, Inc.'s (ITCA's) Tribal Solid Waste Program purpose to provide tribes with education, outreach, technical assistance and dissemination of solid and hazardous waste information, ITCA commits to facilitating this forum. We invite you to participate in this listserv to coordinate efforts for the betterment of tribal solid and hazardous waste programs.

COORDINATION:
To coordinate Tribal Solid and Hazardous waste efforts at the regional and national level, this forum will also be partnering with the Tribal Solid Waste Listserv, tribal_solid_waste, facilitated by the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe. Visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/tribal_solid_waste for more information.

CONTACT INFORMATON:

If you would like to be added to the mailing list, need additional information on the Tribal Solid Waste Working Group, or additional information regarding the listserv on the Tribal Solid Waste Program, please contact Cynthia Naha, Environmental Program Coordinator or Elaine Wilson, Environmental Quality Programs Director at (602) 258-4822.