The California Air Resources Board has developed an informational document (attached) to provide federally recognized Native American Tribes in California important information regarding the upcoming availability of money from the Volkswagen Environmental Mitigation Trust (Trust). The Trust is part of a settlement agreement resulting from Volkswagen’s illegal use of a “defeat device” that used software designed to cheat emissions tests in certain 2009 to 2016 model year diesel cars sold in the United States (U.S.).
Approximately $55 million of the Trust will be allocated to federally-recognized Native American Tribes located within the U.S. to fund “eligible mitigation actions” described in a Partial Consent Decree that was approved by the court in October 2016 (a second Partial Consent Decree that augmented the initial Trust amount was approved by the court in May 2017). These actions can include heavy-duty vehicle and equipment replacements, light-duty zero-emission vehicle charging or fueling infrastructure, and an option to use the funds for the non-federal voluntary match for Diesel Emission Reduction Act (DERA) projects.
The Trust provides a unique opportunity to fund actions that reduce harmful emissions in California tribal areas. The attached informational document describes the types of actions the trust can fund, how interested Tribes can participate, and where to go for additional information. As noted in the attached informational document, Tribes should not rely on it exclusively and should review the Environmental Mitigation Trust documents for official guidance.
Federally recognized Native American Tribes in California are encouraged to contact Andy Bessler at the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP) provided in the attached informational document with any questions or requests for assistance.
Andy Bessler
Institute for Tribal Environmental Profe Northern Arizona University
P.O. Box 15004
Flagstaff, AZ 86011-5004
Office: 928-523-0526
Fax: 928-523-1266
Andy.bessler@nau.edu http://www7.nau.edu/itep/main/Home/
To unsubscribe from the CalEPA Federally Recognized Tribes Listserv, please contact Malinda Dumisani at Malinda.Dumisani@calepa.ca.gov.
