Assistance may be provided under this program only for activities which the agency determines are appropriate to carry out the purposes of the Indian Environmental General Assistance Program Act of 1992, Public Law 102-497, Section 11, 42 USC 4368B, as amended, Public Law 103-55.

The annual Indian General Assistance Program (GAP), funded by the Environmental Protection Agency, offers aid to federally-recognized tribes in the amount of $75,000.00 to $130,000 for the development of a Tribal Environmental/Capacity Building Program.

The primary purpose of these assistance agreements is to support the developmental elements of a core environmental program.

• Compiled and submitted annual report to EPA.

• Prepared 19 grant applications to build Tribal capacity.

• Performed inventory of Environmental equipment.

• Maintained current and complete QA documentation.

• Managed cost accounts for all grants.

• Developed land management maps utilizing GPS/GIS.

• Attended numerous training sessions in the Environmental field.

• Participated in RTOC meetings.

• Attended National and Regional meetings.

• Attended Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) meetings.

• Attended NATURE meetings.

• Attended special meetings regarding the Tar Creek Superfund Site.

• Attended the Tri-State Partnership Meeting.

• Provided outreach to Tribes on meetings attended.

• Updated GIS/GPS QAPP.

• Selected and managed the remediation for three dump sites.

• Environmental Director supervised following programs: CWA 106, CAA 103, Fish and Wildlife, Pesticides, Solid Waste, Water Resources and NRDAR.

~ 2010 Anticipated Activities ~

• Compile and prepare annual report.

• Prepare six or more grants to build Tribal capacity.

• Maintain current and complete QA documentation.

• Attend four or more selected training sessions.

• Perform inventory of Environmental equipment.

• Manage cost accounts for all grants.

• Clean up at least two more solid waste sites.

• Purchase and procure laboratory equipment.

• Participate in RTOC meetings.

• Attend the Tri-State Partnership Meeting.

• Attend Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) meetings.

• Attend NATURE meetings.

Clean Water Act 106 (Water)

The primary objective of this program is to establish a water program for the Peoria Tribe Environmental Department.  This grant enables the Environmental Department to perform water quality analysis of streams in Ottawa County and report the analysis to the EPA.

• Submitted a new CWA 106 grant for fiscal year 2009.

• Submitted quarterly reports to EPA.

• Researched and developed plan to purchase water sampling equipment.

• Completed training opportunities to develop tribal capacity.

• Provided articles for tribal newsletter for education/outreach.

• Continued sampling on the Spring River, Tar Creek, Warren Branch, and Flint Branch.

• Conducted Bio-Assessment.

~ 2010 Anticipated Activities ~

• Continue sampling on the Spring River, Tar Creek, Warren Branch and Flint Branch for CWA 106 grant fiscal year 2009.

• Submit final report for CWA 106 grant fiscal year 2009.

• Provide quarterly reports that reflect the activities undertaken by the Tribe.

• Compare and reconcile water quality data obtained with the data Quality objectives identified in the QAPP.

• Continue the development of a Tribal clean water program.

• Conduct sampling for basic parameters on Spring River, Tar Creek, Warren Branch and Flint Branch.

• Conduct a Bio-Assessment in Tribal Jurisdictional waters.

• Purchase laboratory equipment that will enhance Tribal water program.

Air 103

The primary purpose of this grant is to determine if in fact the Aspergillus fumigatus that has been identified in previous grants is associated with the compost facility in Miami. This will be done using DNA extraction from the compost obtained from the facility and airborne spores that are trapped on the samplers.

• Attended meetings and trainings that are significant to the outcome of this project.

• Wrote one article quarterly for the Tribal newspaper on air issues that address potential health threats to Tribal and/or community members.

• Coordinated/Assisted the contractors and laboratory.

• Submitted revised QAPP for sampling.

• Collected and shipped air and compost samples.

• Submitted SOP’s to be used for DNA analysis.

• All samples were analyzed and identified.

• Submitted quarterly reports to the EPA outlining work completed.

• Pictures were taken at all sampling sites.

• DNA was extracted and sequenced and compared to sequences from compost cultures.

~ 2010 Anticipated Activities ~

• Analyze results from air sampling along with DNA sampling with the assistance of contractors

• Submit a final report to the EPA including copies of all work conducted and tabulated databases.

Air 103

The primary purpose of this grant will be to enable the Environmental Department to 1) provide the Peoria Tribe of Oklahoma an opportunity to identify and list in detail air sources impacting tribal lands using TEISS View software; 2) build capacity such as personnel, training, outreach, and supplies; and 3) provide outreach

~ 2010 Anticipated Activities ~

• Write a draft QAPP for Emissions Inventory (EI)

• Attend appropriate meetings such as CENRAP, TECO, RTOC, etc.

• Purchase (hardware& software) negotiated under grant.

• Search for connections between health problems and air pollution occurrences within the Tribal Community.

• Write one article quarterly for the Tribal newspaper on ambient air quality issues that may be potential health threats to Tribal and/or community members.

• Submit quarterly reports to EPA outlining work completed.

• Use TEISS View Software for detailed Emissions Inventory.

• Provide Environmental Specialist with training and hands-on experience in air quality precepts, including identifying and listing all types of air emission sources and developing/managing database

• Develop GIS/GPS capabilities for a database of air emission sources affecting Tribal lands

• Dispense educational materials to Tribal and community members.

• Submit data to NEI (National Emissions Inventory)

• Submit a final report to the EPA including copies of all work conducted and tabulated databases.

Air 103

Energy Efficiency & Greenhouse Gases:

The primary purpose of this grant will be the Environmental Specialist will provide a long-term energy vision, identify and provide evidence of the availability and sustainability of the renewable energy resource or the potential for energy savings, address how the use of energy efficiency and renewable energy will integrate with the cultural, social, and long-term goals of the Tribe, identify the potential for job creation, the potential for economic and environmental benefits to the Tribal community, and the potential for replication or expansion across Indian Country.  Also the Environmental Specialist will provide outreach to tribal members and the Peoria Tribe Governing Board through Tribal newspaper, once a quarter for four quarters.

• Develop a document to present to the Business Committee and Chief for approval

• Through attending training, contact with DOE officials and others with alternate energy knowledge and research of existing databases, develop the availability and sustainability of renewable energy resources

• Present documentation to Business Committee and Chief for potential energy savings.

• Report on how the use of energy efficiency and renewable energy will integrate with the cultural, social, and long-term goals of the Tribe.

• Identify the potential for job creation of alternate energy projects in our area.

• Provide documentation to the Chief and Business Committee

• Make our findings available to the nine tribes in our area

• Write quarterly articles in tribal newspaper and provide information in Business Committee reports.

• Write quarterly reports on all deliverables to EPA

Fish and Wildlife

The overall purpose of these grants are to improve the water quality and wildlife in the streams located in Ottawa County. The primary purposes of these grants are to perform a small fish and mussel survey on our streams with a focus on endangered and threatened species and to rebuild the population of these species in the wild.

~2007 Grant Work Plan Deliverables Completed ~

• Surveys have been conducted on the fish and mussels located on Peoria Tribal lands.

• Basic water quality measurements have been collected.

• Reintroduction sites have been logged with GPS and GIS maps have been  produced.

• Approximately 370,000 Neosho Muckets have been reintroduced into the Neosho River. Due to flood conditions that occurred during mussel brooding season, we were unable to obtain Rabbitsfoot stock for reintroduction.

• Currently the Peoria Tribe has 18 Neosho Madtoms in captivity and propagation work is being conducted.

~2009 Grant Work Plan Deliverables Anticipated ~

Freshwater Mussels

• Construct Bucket culture systems and associated feeding system.

• Collect appropriate species for artificial propagation techniques.

• Propagate and grow out target species to demonstrate feasibility of production.

• In consultation with USFWS, establish short and long-term production goals for freshwater mussel species of concern.

• Monitor Neosho Mucket and Rabbitsfoot Mussel release sites in the Neosho and Spring rivers including quantifying the survival rate of these species.

• Monitor of pertinent environmental conditions such as pH, dissolved oxygen, flow, etc.

Neosho Madtom

• Expand techniques necessary to raise Neosho Madtoms in large enough quantities for potential future reintroduction.

• Continue to monitor and quantify Neosho Madtom populations documented in previous Tribal Wildlife Grants that gave the tribe an initial baseline for this project.

• Continue to revise our reintroduction plan in close consultation with the Kansas Ecological Services Field Office (service lead for the Neosho Madtom) and with the assistance of the Mark Wildhaber with the US Geological Survey, the Neosho National Fish Hatchery, and the Oklahoma Ecological Services Field Office.

• Prioritize reintroduction sites.

Water Resources

The primary purpose of this grant is to evaluate Tribal water needs, identify completed and ongoing water planning efforts by the State of Oklahoma and other entities that may impede on Tribal water resources, and to evaluate various strategies, such as establishing Tribal water quality criteria, to protect and enhance Tribal water resources.

Task 2: Current Water Supply Assessment

         Subtask A: Identify existing public supply water systems and domestic water systems and domestic well use in the study area that are relied upon by Tribal members and by the general population; describe the systems' geographic locations and correlate them to water users.

         Subtask B: Assess capacity of existing public supply water systems and domestic well use in the study area that are relied upon by Tribal members and by the general population.

         Subtask C: Correlate water system capacities identified in Subtask B of this Task with future water demand estimated in Task 2 and determine anticipated timeframe of water supply deficit and project estimated gross and net water demand.

~ 2010 Work Plan Deliverables Completed ~

• Current Water Supply Assessment has not been completed at this time.

Noxious Weeds Management Project BIA

The top priority noxious weed on the Peoria Tribes properties is the musk thistle (Carduus nutans). Also the Peoria Tribe has a Medium priority noxious weed that is the sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata). The Peoria Tribe will use integrated pest management plus grazing management. Buy the use of Chemical application to get rid of the noxious weeds along with NRCS approved grazing management for cattle.

~ 2010Anticipated Activities ~

• Monitoring plan: The Peoria Tribe will visually inspect all 640 acres that will be chemically treated for musk thistle and sericea lespedeza.

• Environmental documentation: The Peoria Tribe will follow all SOP’s for the application of the herbicide that will be used for the treatment of musk thistle and sericea lespedeza.

• Daily pesticide application logs: A log book will be kept for the amount of herbicide that was used in the treatment of musk thistle and sericea lespedeza.

• Pesticide Use Proposals (PUPs): The Peoria Tribe will fill out the pesticide use proposal for each of the four properties that will be treated for musk thistle and sericea lespedeza.

• Annual report: An annual report will be written by the administrator of the project, also the final report will be submitted in an timely manner.

• Pesticide applicator certification: The person responsible for the application of the herbicide to rid of musk thistle and sericea lespedeza is certified.

• Spreadsheet: All spread sheets will be filled out by the administrator of the project at the appropriate time.

Chronic Wasting Disease USDA

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) of deer, elk and moose. TSEs are caused by unusual infectious agents known as prions. To date, CWD has been found mainly in cervids (members of the deer family). First recognized as a clinical "wasting" syndrome in 1967 in mule deer in a wildlife research facility in northern Colorado, it was identified as a TSE in 1978 and has spread to a dozen states and two Canadian provinces. CWD is typified by chronic weight loss leading to death. There is no known relationship between CWD and any other TSE of animals or people. Although there have been reports in the popular press of humans being affected by CWD, a study by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) failed to find any relationship. The Peoria Tribe has participated in a survey with the USDA and found that no deer in our jurisdiction had CWD.  The Peoria Tribe environmental department would appreciate that if anyone would see a disease deer they would notify the environmental department.

~ 2010 Anticipated Activities ~

• The Peoria Tribe proposes to ascertain 5 samples from tribal lands, but we will collect as many samples beyond 5 as opportunity presents.

• Outreach includes articles in the Peoria Tribe newsletter, Tribal business committee and general council meetings, and the Peoria Tribe web page. Also these articles will state if they see sick deer to contact us at the tribal office.

Fish Hatchery Maintenance BIA

The Peoria Tribe received a small amount of funding from the BIA.  This funding is focused on maintenance and upgrading equipment for the fish hatchery, the most recent money was used to upgrade our freshwater mussel rearing capabilities.  We have submitted a funding request for the coming year, depending on funding appropriate maintenance and upgrade will be accomplished.

~ 2010Anticipated Activities ~

• Upgrade and maintain equipment at Peoria Tribal Aquatic Center.

319 Non Point Source
Information

Many NPS pollution categories impair Tribal water quality. However, in the Tribe’s NPS Assessment, three have been identified as priority categories; agricultural, resource extraction, and land disposal. The specific sources of NPS pollution are described fully in the NPS Assessment document.

~ 2010Anticipated Activities ~

• Development of Phosphorous Index and analysis of future BMP implementation

• Seek additional funding for BMP implementation

• Education of livestock farmers on how to use the PI

• Development of BMP implementation plan

• Educate the public on their role in helping to decrease agricultural NPS pollution

• Monitoring of water sources for changes in water quality as part of 106 Water Grant

• Public education on the impact of heavy metal contaminated water on the biosphere

Submitted by:
Jim Dixon

Environmental Director