National Tribal Science Priorities - April 2006

The Priorities

The first set of national tribal science priorities was identified by the TSC Tribal representatives in September 2002. The priorities were compiled by the representatives from input they had received from tribes in their respective regions. Upon examining the carious list of Regional tribal science priorities, the Tribal representatives selected only priorities that were national in scope and then organized them based on a discreet number of criteria for presentation to their Agency counterparts. From November 2004 through May 2005, the Tribal representatives continued to refine and clarify the national tribal science priorities, reframing each science priority in terms of its overarching relationship to and impact on Trial traditional lifeways. In addition, through a series of workshops and consideration of new or changing science priorities in Indian country, the Tribal representatives identified a final list of science priorities that were documented inNational Tribal Science Prioritiesdocument (PDF, 24pp., 526KB, about PDF) in April 2006 that included:

Habitat Loss

EPA's response to tribal priority issue on Habitat Loss is found in the link below.

Habitat Loss Fact Sheet (PDF, 1pp., 91KB, about PDF)

Contaminated Precipitation

EPA's response to tribal priority issue on Contaminated Precipitation is found in the link below.

Contaminated Precipitation Fact Sheet (PDF, 1pp., 95KB, about PDF)

Biological Stressors

EPA's response to tribal priority issue on Biological Stressors is found in the link below.

Biological Stressors Fact Sheet (PDF, 1pp., 96KB, about PDF)

Environmental Triggers for Respiratory Distress With a Special Emphasis on Mold

EPA's response to tribal priority issue on Environmental Triggers for Respiratory Distress is found in the links below.

Environmental Triggers for Respiratory Distress Fact Sheet (PDF, 2pp., 95KB, about PDF)

Environmental Triggers for Respiratory Distress With a Special Emphasis on Mold Fact Sheet (PDF, 1pp., 95KB, about PDF)

Pharmaceuticals in Wastewater

EPA's response to tribal priority issue on Pharmaceuticals in Wastewater is found in the link below.

Pharmaceuticals in Wastewater Fact Sheet (PDF, 1pp., 95KB, about PDF)

Dioxin and Dioxin-like Compounds

EPA's response to tribal priority issue on Dioxin and Dioxin-like Compounds is found in the link below.

Dioxin and Dioxin-like Compounds Fact Sheet (PDF, 2pp., 96KB, about PDF)

Persistent Bioaccumulative Toxics Source Reduction

EPA's response to tribal priority issue on Persistent Bioaccumulative Toxics Source Reduction is found in the link below.

Persistent Bioaccumulative Toxics Source Reduction Fact Sheet (PDF, 3pp., 106KB, about PDF)

Endocrine Disruptor Chemicals (EDCs)

EPA's response to tribal priority issue on Endocrine Disruptor Chemicals is found in the link below.

Endocrine Disruptor Chemicals (EDCs) Fact Sheet (PDF, 1pp., 91KB, about PDF)

Climate Change

EPA's response to tribal priority issue on Climate Change is found in the link below.

Climate Change Fact Sheet (PDF, 1pp., 96KB, about PDF)

Risk Assessment

Risk assessments evaluate the risk posed to human health and the environment by the actual or potential presence of pollutants. They are conducted to establish whether an ecological risk exists, to identify the need for additional data collection, to focus on the risks posed by a specific pollutant or specific site, and to help develop responses to pollutant releases. Current risk assessment methodology does not take into account tribal culture, values, and/or lifeways. The impact to tribes when tribal resources are contaminated extends beyond impacts to human health and the overall ecosystem to these larger issues. The following links and resources provide additional information on EPA risk assessment processes and policy:

Programmatic Risk Assessments

• EPA National Center for Environmental Assessment's Web Site
• EPA's Superfund Risk Assessment Web Site
• EPA's Radiation Risk Assessment Web Site
• EPA's Air Pollution and Health Risk Web Site
• EPA's Office of Pesticide Program's Ecological Risk Assessment Web Site
• EPA's Risk Assessment Forum Web Site

Risk Assessment Resources

• EPA's Human Health Research Strategy (PDF, 67pp., 1.5MB, about PDF) - The strategy was prepared by EPA's Office of Research and Development to strengthen the scientific foundation of EPA's risk assessments and risk management decisions.
• EPA National Center for Environmental Assessment's Risk Assessment Guidelines Web Site
• EPA's Risk Assessment for Toxic Air Pollutants: A Citizen's Guide
• EPA's December 1998 Tribal Risk Assessment Conference Summary (PDF, 37pp., 180KB, about PDF)
• National EPA-Tribal Science Council's Risk Assessment and Health and Well-being Workshop Summary (PDF, 23pp., 342KB, about PDF)
• National EPA-Tribal Science Council's Workshop on Health and Well-being and Traditional Tribal Lifeways Summary (PDF, 30pp., 527KB, about PDF)
• Risk Assessment Publications Bibliography
• National Subsistence Technical Meeting, April 13-15, 2003, Anchorage, Alaska (PDF, 33pp., 1.1MB, about PDF)

Water Quality Standards

Water quality standards are the foundation of the water quality-based control program mandated by the Clean Water Act. Water Quality Standards define the goals for a water body by designating its uses, setting criteria to protect those uses, and establishing provisions to protect water quality from pollutants. Within EPA's water quality standards program, approved tribes can set the water quality goals for all surface waters (i.e., streams, rivers, lakes, and wetlands) on tribal lands. Tribes may also certify whether activities that require a Federal license or permit are consistent with the tribe's water quality standards. The following links provide background information on water quality standards and criteria in Indian Country:

• EPA in partnership with tribes - Water Quality Standards and Criteria