Achieving Indoor Environmental Risk Reduction for Tribal

Communities(April, 2007)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Indoor Environments Division,

Washington, D.C.Tom Kelly, IED Division Director

and Chris Griffin, Tribal Program Coordinator

202.343.9421Griffin.Chris@EPA.GOV

EPA endorses and supports tribal program activities…

Meet EPA’s Environmental Justice Goals: EPA Admin. reaffirms (11/05) - Executive

Order 12898, “Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations.”

Meet EPA’s EJ and Agency Program Goals: In the Agency’s Strategic Plan for Fiscal

Years 2006-2011, it states EPA will:

(1) Establish, appropriate, measurable environmental justice commitments (such as strategic targets) for eight national environmental priorities and other critical areas of focus;

(2) Identify the means and strategies to …communities, including disproportionately burdened minority and/or low-income communities.

IED Tribal Program supports Agency’s EJ goals ...

2006 EJ & Agency Goal 1 –

Clean Air and Global Climate Change:

a) Reduce Asthma Attacks

b) Reduce Exposure to Air Toxics

Why implement IAQ risk reduction techniques in tribal communities?

Asthma rates rising significantly in children and adults 11.6% Native Americans currently have asthma* 7.2 % Overall US*

62.4% more Native Americans report more asthma symptoms and attacks*

Fewer report emergency/urgent care visits for asthma than any other groups*

More Native American report routine visits for asthma than any other group*

Native American smoking rates are traditionally higher in some regions.**

Additional factors which cause respiratory illnesses indoors: mold, secondhand smoke, wood burning stoves, etc.**

(Source 2002 – BRFSS) *(Source: American Indian Health: Innovations in Health Care, Promotion and Policy , Everett Rhodes, M.D.)**

Key Elements for Implementing a Tribal IAQ Program

Identify an environmental risk affecting the community disproportionately

Asthma, Smoking Rates, Radon, etc.

Identify key stakeholders in the community to build support Cultural Broker(s) or Community Consultant(s) Tribal Consortium “Circuit Rider”

Develop opportunities which specifically attempt to reduce environmental risk for underserved communities Tribal IAQ Projects and Grantees (Aberdeen, etc.) Tribal IAQ Training (TAMS, ITEP, Tribal IAQ Course) Tribal IAQ Asthma Forums

(asthmacommunitynetwork.org) Request for Application (ex. Tribal Community RFA) Tribal IAQ Regional support.

FY07 – 08 IED Future Tribal IAQ Work

IED Tribal Training Project/TAMS

Asthma Community Network Tribal Partner Recruitment

Tribal Asthma Forums Tribal Asthma PSAsTribal Head Start