This entry-level course is designed to provide an understanding of common indoor air quality (IAQ) problems in Alaska Native homes and schools. The course includes an overview of indoor air pollutants and their health effects, and tips for solving IAQ problems. Instruction will include online video recordings, reading materials, webinars, and live discussion groups. The cohort will have weekly live discussion groups, with supplementary learning activities completed on the participant's own time, and weekly live webinars. Participants will be required to complete group discussions, activities, and assignments in order to receive their certificate of completion. There will be approximately 5 to 6 hours of work per week.

The course will be held in partnership with the University of Alaska Fairbanks Extension Services, the Alaska Cold Climate Housing Research Center, and the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC). Each participant will receive kits and instruments that will help with implementation of their indoor air quality program.

Topics include:

• Indoor air concerns in Alaska villages and communities
• Overview of building science
• Mold and its health effects
• Environmental Tobacco Smoke
• Radon
• IAQ and asthma
• IAQ and COVID-19
• Hazardous materials in homes and schools
• Combustion products
• Instruments for assessing IAQ
• Outreach: prevention of IAQ problems
• Collaboration, Partnerships and resources
• Quality Assurance Planning

Prerequisites: There are no prerequisites for this course.

Please note: This course is a prerequisite for ITEP’s Level 2 course, Indoor Air Quality Diagnostic Tools for Tribal Professionals.

If you have questions regarding the pre-requisites or your eligibility for this course, please contact Christal Black, Program Coordinator Sr. at Christal.Black@nau.edu or phone 928-523-8410.

This webinar will introduce the free QREST (Quality Review and Exchange System for Tribes) online data management tool, managed by ITEP. QREST is an open source tool that automatically retrieves data from data loggers (manual import is also a feature), stores it in the cloud for tribal data quality review, and includes an integrated Node Client for data submission to AirNow and AQS. QREST is designed specifically for Tribal Agencies to independently manage their own data, in a way that is consistent with all industry and federal guidance for legally defensible environmental data.

Webinar Topics:
Introduce QREST

• Built for Tribal Agencies
• Open source (no license fees, all code public)
• TAMS Center managed
• Tribal Agencies are their Agency Admins
• Flexible: can manually import or automatically poll data, can use QC features or AQS node only
• Help files, SOPs, videos, and individual assistance

Learn more about your needs

Presenter: Melinda Ronca-Battista, Research Associate, Tribal Air Monitoring and Support Center

Webinar Video:
Video

Presentation:
Quality Review and Exchange System for Tribes (QREST) Introduction) [pdf]

Resources:
Establishing QREST User Accounts [Excel]
Add Site by Importing from AQS [Excel]
Add Monitors by Importing from AQS [Excel]
Setting Level 0 (Automated) Validation Limits [Excel]

If you have questions contact: Christal.Black@nau.edu or Christopher.Lee@nau.edu

This webinar will present potential methods used to estimate emissions for common nonpoint sources located on Tribal Lands. We will discuss in detail what data needs to be collected in order to use these methods, as well as how to enter the data into calculators and spreadsheets. The primary focus of this webinar is on estimating emissions using original data gathering, rather than on summarizing emissions data already calculated at the county level in the National Emissions Inventory (NEI) database.

Webinar Topics:

• Introduction to non-point sources included in an emissions inventory.
• Emissions estimation methods.
• Activity data collection and entry.

Presenter: Angelique Luedeker, Technology Specialist II, Tribal Air Monitoring and Support Center

Bio: Angelique started working for ITEP in 2002, and since her first day, she has been working with emissions inventories. She has 18 years of experience of providing tribes assistance with emission inventories. Before working for ITEP, Angelique was part of the Los Alamos National Lab air quality team. She has a BS in Chemistry from Northern Arizona University.

Webinar Video:
Video

Presentation:
Nonpoint Emissions [pdf]

Resources:
Traffic Data [Excel]
Non Point Sources Recommended Emissions Method [Excel]

If you have questions contact: Christal.Black@nau.edu

This webinar will provide information to tribal professionals on U.S. EPA’s Air Quality System (AQS) database and demonstrate basics of AQS. This database is a computer-based information management system for handling the storage and retrieval of information pertaining to ambient air pollutants and related meteorological data. This introduction will provide information on how to access the database, retrieve data and provide a basic overview of AQS codes and functions need to parameterize air monitoring sites and monitor information for data uploading.

Webinar #1 Topics:

• Introduction to the AQS database
• How to gain access credentials and login instructions
• Overview of basic AQS codes
• Data retrieval from AQS database

Webinar #2 Topics:

• Establishing a site and monitor in AQS
• How to format and load data to AQS
• Correcting data in AQS
• How to load QA data to AQS

Presenter:
Michael King, Tribal Air Monitoring Support Center
Chris Chapman, EPA Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards
Michael Brooks, EPA Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards
Stuart Gray, EPA Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards

Webinar 1 Recording:
Video

Webinar 2 Recording:
Video

Presentation:
Webinar 1[pdf]
Webinar 2[pdf]

Resources:
Establishing a Site in AQS [pdf]
Establishing a Monitor in AQS [pdf]
AQS data upload SOP [pdf]
Transaction Generator [Excel]
AQS Regional Contact List [pdf]
AQS User Guide-2018 [pdf]
Data Coding Manual-2018 [pdf]

If you have questions contact: Christal.Black@nau.edu

Join the TAMS Center in a fun and informal webinar on the dreaded but vital QAPP! We will review how QAPPs can save you time and money, and we will show you the easiest ways to get started writing a useful, short QAPP. Learn from our experiences, help ensure that your data is not misused by others, make sure that the results of your work are legally defensible, and play some QAPP trivia! Prizes will be awarded!

Presenter:
Melinda Ronca-Battista, Tribal Air Monitoring Support Center
Josephine Kamkoff,, Tribal Air Monitoring Support Center

Webinar Video:
Video

Presentation:
QAPPs in Nutshell [pdf]

Resources:
ITEP QA Tools, Courses, Videos [pdf]

If you have questions contact: Christal.Black@nau.edu

Improved Indoor Air Quality can result in better health outcomes for your community. Do you have community members with asthma? Do you have elders or young children in your community? Are you aware that Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) is generally more polluted than outdoor air?

IAQ is a voluntary program, with limited regulations, statutes or standards, therefore, education and outreach are key to improving indoor environments and environmental health.

Why consider developing a Tribal Indoor Air Quality Program?

• To protect human health!
• Immediate return – it’s practical and tangible
• You learn about your community, build relationships and help your community members.

Webinar Topics Include:

• Incorporating IAQ into your EPA Tribal Environmental Plan (ETEP)
• Examples of IAQ topics to consider
• How to use the I-GAP program for building tribal capacity that addresses IAQ
• Work Plan Template examples
• Partnerships and Resources

Presenter:
Alheli Banos-Keener, USEPA Region 9, Indoor Environments and Asthma Coordinator
Mansel A. Nelson,, Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals, Program Manager, Indoor Air Quality in Tribal Communities

Webinar Video:
Video

Presentation:
Developing Tribal Indoor Air Programs [pptx]

Resources:
School & Home Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Newsletter [pdf]
Controlling COVID-19 Airborne Expsosure Infographic [pdf]
EWG Tipsheet COVID Cleaning Products [pdf]

If you have questions contact Mansel at Mansel.Nelson@nau.edu

Course Times: Selected attendees should set aside a minimum of 4 hours daily on June 7 - 10 and 1.5 hours on June 11 to engage in the course.

• Live Zoom session: 10-11 am AKDT; 11-12pm PDT; 12-1pm MDT; 1-2pm CDT; 2-3pm EDT
• Homework: SLMS module completion (2-3 hours self-paced learning)

Application Date: Wednesday, June 26, 2021

Course Description: This course is for tribal employees who have some background in air quality and want to learn about the impacts of wildland smoke on their communities and how to minimize exposure. This course will include a 1 hour daily live session via zoom and a series of video recordings that will be view by participants outside of the live session. Much of the course content is conveyed in these recordings. Participants will use the knowledge gained about wildland fire risk communication, smoke models, portable air monitors, sensors, and air filters to develop an educational outreach plan to educate their tribal community about wildland smoke and its health effects. The course will allow attendees to engage in discussion about best practices for outreach to Tribal communities.

Course Topics Include:

• Wildland fire risk communications
• Using smoke models
• Community education and outreach
• Portable air monitors and sensors
• Monitoring data and what it tells us
• Air filters
• Speaking to various audiences about wildland smoke

Moderators:
James Payne, OAQPS, EPA
Mansel Nelson, EEOP, ITEP
Christopher Lee, TAMS, ITEP
Christal Black, AIAQTP, ITEP

If you have questions contact Christal Black, Assistant Manager, ITEP at Christal.Black@nau.edu or phone (928) 523-8410.

Interested in learning more about Purple Air Sensors!

Mike King from the TAMS Center has been helping interns and others with Data Management from the Purple Air Sensors. We are offering a webinar session to review the following topics:

• Purple Air installation and connectivity
• Data download
  • Time Resolution
• EPA Conversion factors (correction factor)
• AQI - Interpretation of AQI Breakpoints
• Calculations with Excel spreadsheet
  • Time Zone conversion
  • Graphing data
• Questions from participants

Webinar Video:
Video

Presentation:
Purple Air Data Management [pdf]

Resources:
How to download and interpret purple air data [pdf]
SOP on connecting your purple air sensor to WiFi [word]

Join us for a webinar on Thursday, July 8, 2021 at 11:00 AM PDT.

“Many Kindergarten through 12th grade (K-12) schools in the United States do not have good ventilation. This is a longstanding problem with demonstrably negative effects on student learning. We can and should act to fix this to ensure good indoor air quality for all students, educators, and school staff. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it is even more important that ventilation problems in K-12 schools be addressed now. Along with other mitigation measures, improvements in ventilation in K-12 schools can decrease the risk of SARS-CoV-2 spread.” Presented by Paula Olsiewski, John Hopkins Center for Health Security, John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, a pioneering leader in policy and scientific research programs in the microbiology and chemistry of indoor environments.

The webinar will review the findings of a recent report that considers the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on children, families, and educators and summarizes current ventilation guidelines.
www.centerforhealthsecurity.org/our-work/publications/school-ventilation

If you have questions contact Mansel, at Mansel.Nelson@nau.edu

Course Times: Selected attendees should set aside 4-5 hours daily to engage in the course.

• Daily Live Zoom session: 10-11:30 am AKDT; 11-12:30 pm PDT; 12-1:30 pm MDT; 1-2:30 pm CDT; 2-3:30 pm EDT
• Homework: SLMS module completion (3-4 hours self-paced learning)

Application Date: Wednesday, July 9, 2021
Space is limited, please apply ASAP. Max of 20 participants.

Course Description: This entry-level course is designed to provide an understanding of common indoor air quality (IAQ) problems in tribal homes and schools. The course includes an overview of indoor air pollutants and their health effects, and tips for solving IAQ problems. This course will include a 1.5 hour daily live session via zoom. Much of the course content is conveyed in video recordings and activities available on the ITEP Scholar Learning Management System (LMS) online learning platform.

Course Topics Include:

• Indoor air concerns in tribal communities
• Overview of building science
• Mold and its health effects
• Radon
• IAQ and asthma
• COVID-19
• Hazardous materials in homes and schools
• Combustion products
• Instruments for assessing IAQ
• Outreach: prevention of IAQ problems
• Collaboration and resources

Prerequisites: There are no prerequisites for this course.

Please Note: This course is a prerequisite for ITEP’s Level 2 course, Indoor Air Quality Diagnostic Tools for Tribal Professionals.

Apply Here: https://forms.gle/bxRRovFhgjA8haNb6

Learning objective:
At the end of the event, participants will articulate their community’s main ambient (outdoor) air quality concerns and identify the resources (e.g., documents, contacts, training) needed to begin addressing air quality issues in their community.

Who should participate:
This workshop is for environmental professionals who are just beginning to address ambient air quality issues in tribal communities. No prior knowledge or background in air quality is needed.

Participants should:

• have less than ONE year of experience working in air quality,
• must be willing to actively participate in the community-based learning approach, and
• contribute to the assessment and evaluation activities.

General description of the event:
This event will focus on developing:

• a basic air quality assessment to identify main ambient (outdoor) air quality problems in a tribal community
• an action plan of activities aimed to address the main air quality issues identified in a tribal community,
• communication skills through presentations and guided discussions in an online community-based learning environment, and
• problem-solving and decision-making skills.

The workshop includes active participation in conversations, discussions, brain-storming, independent reading, exploring case studies, and conducting independent and collaborative tasks.

Topics:

• Basics of air quality: sources of pollution, pollutants, and their health effects
• Tribal Air Program Case Studies
• Resources for tribal air quality professionals

Technology Requirements and Recommendations:

• A computer with access to a stable internet connection.
• The latest version of Zoom installed (visit https://zoom.us/ to download the free software).
• Video and audio capabilities will enhance your learning experience and are strongly recommended.
• Course activities will utilize GoogleDrive/GoogleDocs applications (participants do not need to have an account but should be able to access the websites through shared links).

Team:

• Barbra Valdivieso, Environmental Specialist, Department of Community Development, Ysleta del Sur Pueblo
• Mercedes Kaiser, Air Quality Specialist, CRIT Environmental Protection Office, Colorado River Indian Tribes
• Mike Natchees, Director, Air Quality Department, Ute Indian Tribe
• Lydia Scheer, Manager, ITEP
• Christal Black, Assistant Manager, ITEP
• Natasha Fulton, Community Program Coordinator, Intermediate, ITEP
• Nashelly Meneses, Instructional Designer, Intermediate, ITEP

Applicants will be notified of their acceptance to the workshop via email by Monday, August 2. Those accepted to participate in the workshop will receive the Zoom link and password to join the workshop. The link and password is unique and should not be shared with others.

If you have questions contact Christal Black, Assistant Manager, ITEP at Christal.Black@nau.edu or phone (928) 523-8410.

Deadline: The application is due on Wednesday, July 28, 2021.
Apply Here: https://forms.gle/nTaYsGmGqqDy47XG6