National-EPA Tribal Science Council (TSC) Workshop

The UCSD SBRP Community Outreach Core (Keith Pezzoli, Richard Marciano, and David Pellow) attended National-EPA Tribal Science Council (TSC) Workshop: Addressing Tribal Traditional Lifeways in EPA’s Risk Assessment Policies and Procedures Workshop, January 25-27, 2005. The workshopexplored the connection between EPA’s risk assessment process and tribal traditional lifeways. Specific objectives included:

• Examine the risk assessment process to identify where Tribal Traditional Lifeways can be incorporated into EPA’s existing approach;
  
  
• Identify data, products and tools that can modify or enhance EPA’s risk assessment policies or procedures to incorporate Tribal Traditional Lifeways; and
  
  
• Develop overarching principles that account for Tribal Traditional Lifeways in EPA's risk assessment policies and practices.

Superfund Basic Research Program: Community Outreach Core

UCSD's SBRP has a newly proposed Community Outreach Core with a foucs on tribal issues. We submitted a proposal to the NIEHS; it is now under consideration. The proposal text can be downloaded at: http://superfund.sdsc.edu/outreach/index.html Comments on this proposal are welcome. We will know if we get funded sometime in February 2005.

Catawba Indian Nation Signs Environmental Agreement With EPA

WASHINGTON, DC, January 3, 2005 (Environment News Service) - The Catawba Indian Nation and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have signed a Tribe/EPA Environmental Agreement, only the second one signed between the federal government and any Tribal government in the Eastern United States. The intent of the agreement, signed late last month, is to help the Tribe develop the capacity to overcome environmental problems, protect surface waters for traditional practices such as fishing, improve drinking water services, monitor both indoor and outdoor air quality, and promote economic and social development in an environmental friendly manner.