• • 

-

Issue 5 June 2006 EPA530-N-06-003
 

Construction
 

& Demolition
 

Materials:
 

Concrete 
 

Reasons to
 

Manage 
 

Them Now!
 

Building a low cost C&D Salvaging C&D Innovative ways 

materials to reduce illegal C&D landfill responsibly dumping 
Welcome to the Tribal Waste Journal 

(TWJ). Each issue features a different 

waste-related topic and presents 

ideas, approaches, and activities 

successfully employed by tribes and 

villages. The Tribal Voice, an opinions 

forum, also appears in each issue. The 

TWJ is published annually. Previous 

issues of the Tribal Waste Journal are 

available at <www.epa.gov/epaoswer/ 

non-hw/tribal/resource.htm. 

In this issue: 

Introduction 

Five Good reasons to Manage 

C&D Materials. . . . . . . . . . . . 2 

The Tribal Voice 

C&D Landfill “Biggest Cost-Saver” 

for Duck Valley. . . . . . . . . . . . 5 

Feature: 
 

C&D Materials
 

Bois Forte Builds Low-Cost 

C&D Landfill . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 

Creative Collaboration Brings 

Big Gains to North Dakota 

Tribe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 

Fond du Lac’s Ingenuity 

Makes Demolition Recycling 

a Reality. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 

Salvaging Materials 

Responsibly . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 

Colville’s Contracts Cut 

Illegal C&D Dumping . . . . . 20 

Resources . . . . . 22 

Contacts . . . . . . 23 

United States Environmental 

Protection Agency 

Municipal and Industrial Solid Waste 

Division (5306P) 

www.epa.gov/tribalmsw 

“When we 

began our solid waste 

management program, we 

integrated C&D management 

into the program; it made sense 

to manage C&D at the same 

time as other waste streams.” 

—Marcie Phillips, 

Shoshone Paiute Tribes of the 

Duck Valley Reservation 

Five Good Reasons to
 

Manage C&D Materials
 

Are you a tribal environmental manager looking for 

ways to prevent illegal 

dumping of construction and 

demolition (C&D) materials; 

save money on disposal costs 

of these heavy, bulky materials; and maintain clean lands? 

If so, you’ll find many affordable and creative options for 

tackling C&D materials from 

the tribes profiled in this issue 

of the Tribal Waste Journal. 

Embarking on a successful C&D 

waste management program is a 

matter of doing your homework—knowing 

the amounts and types of C&D materials your tribe generates and 

planning a management approach that fits your situation. 

Tribes at the forefront of this exciting effort use many strategies to 

approach C&D materials management, but all share the common 

threads of creativity, partnerships, networking, and discovering the 

myriad of resources available right in their own backyard. Explains 

Steve Linsken, environmental planner for the Oneida Tribe of 

Wisconsin, “Don’t reinvent the wheel. Call others who have done 

what you want to do and pick their brains.” The following are five of 

the most compelling reasons tribes chose to address C&D materials: 

tips


FOR DEVELOPING 

A SUCCESSFUL C&D PROGRAM 

•	 Capitalize on existing infrastructure and resources. 

•	 Collaborate with other tribal departments on program operation and 


maintenance. 


•	 Maintain close working relationships with federal and local agencies 

and industry experts. 

•	 Look for inexpensive and creative ways to procure necessary equipment, such as through the U.S. General Service Administration (GSA) 

government surplus. 

•	 Obtain the proper training and technical expertise you need. 

•	 Take advantage of free technical assistance and federal funding. 
•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

3 

1. Cost Savings 

C&D materials are expensive to 

send to a municipal solid waste 

(MSW) landfill because they generally are heavy and bulky and therefore result in higher tipping fees. For 

this reason, tribes paying to landfill 

C&D materials can save money by 

managing these materials separately 

from their MSW waste or constructing a C&D landfill. Alternately, 

tribes with their own MSW landfills 

will save space—which extends 

landfill life by putting off future 

expenditures for expansion or a new 

facility—by creating a specific management plan for C&D materials. 

Through ingenuity and partnerships, tribes can find a way to surmount the financial hurdle involved 

in starting a C&D management program. By reaching out to local partners and conducting a lot of the 

research themselves, the Bois Forte 

Band of Chippewa in Minnesota 

built a model C&D landfill for a 

fraction of the average cost. The 

Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior 

Chippewas in Minnesota creatively 

obtained surplus equipment from 

the United States government to 

recycle concrete and asphalt. 

2. Cultural 

Connections 

Managing C&D materials is consistent with traditional Native 

American culture, in which everything is used. Many C&D materials 

can be reused by tribal members or 

departments or recycled to make 

new materials, lessening impact of 

C&D activities on the land. For 

example, the Oneida Tribe of 

Wisconsin created a team to plan 

building demolitions in an environmentally sensitive way out of deference to cultural values. The 

Shoshone Paiute Tribes of the Duck 

Valley Reservation in Idaho and 

Tribal Waste Journal 

What Are C&D Materials? 

Construction and demolition 

(C&D) materials are generated 

during construction, renovation, 

and demolition/removal of buildings, roads, bridges, and nonbuilding structures. In some states, 

land-clearing debris such as rocks, 

trees, and soil also are considered 

C&D materials. C&D materials 

vary widely from project-toproject and even regionally across 

the country. The most common 

materials that make up the C&D 

waste stream are: 

Wood, including plywood, 

dimensional lumber, and 

treated wood. 

Concrete and masonry, 

including bricks, mortar, and 

stone. 

Drywall, including sheetrock, 

gypsum, plaster. 

Roofing materials such as 

wood, clay, and asphalt 

shingles. 

Metals such as ferrous metals, 

aluminum, and copper. 

Paper and cardboard 

products. 

Plastic, such as wraps, 

containers, and pipes. 

Other materials such as carpeting, windows, mirrors, 

ceramic and linoleum tile, 

light fixtures, and insulation. 

C&D materials are classified as a 

solid waste and their management 

is governed by RCRA Subtitle D. 

EPA estimates that C&D materials 

constitute between 25 and 40 

percent of the total solid waste 

generated each year in the United 

State. This estimate is based upon 

projections provided by the individual states. This relatively broad 

range represents not only differences in the type of waste each 

state generates, but also differences in what each state defines as 

C&D materials. No reliable data 

are available concerning the percent of C&D materials generated 

by tribes in the United States. 

All C&D management operations 

should screen incoming materials 

to ensure that inappropriate and 

potentially hazardous wastes are 

not being mixed with C&D materials. The following materials and 

wastes should not be handled by a 

C&D operation: 

Municipal solid waste (MSW) 

Liquid wastes 

Hazardous waste, including 

household hazardous waste 

Polychlorinated biphenyls 

(PCBs) 

Asbestos 

Medical or infectious waste 

Animal carcasses 

Sewage or sewage sludge 

Scrap tires 

Used oil 

Batteries 

Mercury and mercurycontaining wastes 

Arsenic-treated wood (chromated copper arsenate 

[CCA]-treated wood) 

For more information on proper 

management and disposal options 

for these problematic wastes, refer 

to The ABCs of C&D Debris at 

<www.epa.gov/epaoswer/ 

non-hw/tribal/resource.htm> or the 

EPA Office of Solid Waste Web 

site at <www.epa.gov/osw>. Also, 

for more information on C&D 

materials management options 

visit EPA’s C&D Materials Web site 

at <www.epa.gov/epaoswer/ 

non-hw/debris-new/index.htm>. 

FIVE GOOD REASONS TO MANAGE C&D MATERIALS
 
4 

FIVE GOOD REASONS T

O MANAGE C&D Materials
 

Tribal Waste Journal 

Nevada educates its children on the 

philosophy behind proper waste 

management and the connection to 

tribal tradition. 

3. Reduction 

of Illegal 

Dumping 

Tribes that develop a plan 

for handling C&D materials often do so with the 

goal—or the positive side 

effect—of curbing illegal 

dumping on their lands. 

For example, the 

Confederated Tribes of 

the Colville Reservation 

in Washington formed a 

committee to determine 

how to prevent the illegal 

dumping of C&D materials, resulting in a building 

contractor permitting 

process that keeps tribal 

lands clean. 

4. Emergency 

Planning 

In the unfortunate event of a natural disaster, such as a flood, or an 

emergency, such as a building fire or 

the collapse of an old building, having a place to dispose of damaged 

materials will prevent them from 

building up or forming unattractive 

and even dangerous dumps on tribal 

lands. A ruinous flood struck the 

Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa 

Indians of North Dakota, for example, destroying basement and lowerlevel carpeting, flooring, and walls 

in many homes. The tribe had to 

find a way to dispose of this large 

amount of damaged materials. 

5. Integrated 

Solid Waste 

Management 

Finally, a strategy to manage 

C&D materials should be 

part of an integrated solid 

waste management plan—a 

broad plan outlining how a 

tribe or village will reduce, 

manage, or dispose of its 

solid waste. When tribes 

consider how to best manage their waste, it is logical 

to think about C&D materials at the same time. Marcie 

Phillips, environmental 

director of the Shoshone 

Paiute Tribes of the Duck 

Valley Reservation 

describes, “When we began 

our solid waste management program, we integrated C&D management into the program; it made 

sense to manage C&D at the same 

time as other waste streams.” 
5 Tribal Waste Journal 

THE TRIBAL VOICE
 

The Tribal 

Voice 

C&D Landfill “Biggest-Cost Saver” 

for Duck Valley 

The Duck Valley Reservation, straddling the Nevada and Idaho border, has been disposing of its 

construction and demolition (C&D) materials—concrete, bricks, some metals (primarily rebar in 

the concrete), and wood unsuitable for its scrap wood monofill—in an on-reservation landfill since 

1997. Operating “on a shoestring budget,” the Shoshone Paiute Tribes relied heavily on “resources in their 

own backyard” to build a C&D landfill that Marcie Phillips, environmental director, calls “our biggest costsaver.” The Tribal Waste Journal (TWJ) asked Ms. Phillips to map out her tribes’ blueprint for success. The 

following interview confirms that key elements for a successful C&D management program include: 

• Using tribal ingenuity and local resources to cut costs 

• Conducting extensive research and visiting active C&D landfills 

• Educating the community about what can go in a C&D landfill 

• Promoting reuse and recycling of C&D materials to the community 

• Developing contract specifications to reduce illegal dumping of C&D materials 

• Ensuring C&D management is part of an integrated solid waste program 

TWJ: Why biggest cost-saver if it’s designed TWJ: What motivated your tribe 

should tribes be properly. Even if tribes don’t to begin a C&D management 

concerned with want a landfill or don’t have program? 

properly man- the land space, they should at Ms. Phillips: On the reservation, aging C&D least segregate their C&D resources for waste management materials? materials and manage it sepa- have always been on a shoestring 

Ms. Phillips: rately, because C&D landfill budget. Looking at C&D waste, we 

Every tribe tipping fees are significantly decided to manage it separately from 

should have a C&D less than municipal solid waste our municipal solid waste for finanlandfill because it will be their landfill fees. cial reasons. C&D waste is heavy 
Tribal Waste Journal 6 

the tribal voice


and expensive to landfill; plus, people can reuse or recycle many items 

from the C&D waste stream. 

TWJ: How does C&D materials 

management fit into your integrated 

solid waste management plan? 

Ms. Phillips: We integrated C&D 

management into our solid waste 

management program from the very 

beginning. It just 

made sense to 

manage C&D at 

the same time as 

our other waste 

streams. When we 

started C&D landfilling in 1997, 

waste management 

was new to the 

reservation. We 

had 15 open 

dumps at the time. 

We had to conduct a lot of education and 

outreach on waste 

management, 

including C&D 

waste. 

Figuring out how to make a project 

like this happen requires ingenuity. 

For example, we saved on costs by 

using tribal staff to dig the first disposal cell. For the second cell, we 

worked with IHS [Indian Health 

Service], and for the third pit, we 

arranged for one of our building 

contractors to dig it in exchange for 

free disposal. 

The C&D cells cover about 10 to 

20 acres, each of which measures 

150 by 60 feet. Our C&D landfill 

manages all the C&D materials generated on the reservation, as well as 

materials from federal facilities with 

which we have disposal agreements. 

The landfill receives approximately 

100 to 500 cubic yards of C&D 

materials per week—approximately 

10 percent of the reservation’s waste 

stream. We are using our GPS and 

GIS capabilities to map the area so 

we will know in the future where 

the old pits are located. 

TWJ: What resources did you find 

most useful in getting your program 

started? 

Ms. Phillips: When we embarked 

on this project, we conducted 

extensive Internet and field research 

on C&D landfilling. We looked at 

waste characterization studies of 

tribal C&D waste streams, and we 

researched what others are doing 

and the types of materials they are 

monofilling. But the most valuable 

resource was visiting communities 

with active C&D landfills. We visited towns in Texas, California, 

Florida, and New Jersey. We were 

very fortunate to be able to visit the 

city of Beaumont, Texas—it has a 

great recycling program. My management was hesitant to fund this 

travel, but I told them that if we 

want to do it right, we have to see 

first-hand how other successful 

landfills operate! 

EPA’s C&D Web site 

(www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/ 

debris-new/index.htm) is very useful 

and recently provided information 

that helped us manage asphalt from 

a school remodeling project. The 

Natural Resource Conservation 

Service (www.nrcs.usda.gov) is 

another great resource. Also, the 

Solid Waste 

Association of North 

America (SWANA) 

offers great guidance 

and training courses. 

RCRA Regulations and 

Key Word Index is yet 

another excellent 

resource covering the 

RCRA regulations. 

TWJ: Do you allow or 

promote reuse of C&D 

materials by tribe 

members? 

Ms. Phillips: Yes, in 

fact we have some 

great stories of tribal 

members reusing materials that came to the 

C&D disposal site. 

One of my favorite examples is a 

tribal member reusing exterior cedar 

boards removed during the renovation of a tribal building to build a 

horse barn and half of a garage. 

Another common practice is using 

broken pieces of concrete from 

building demolitions as paving 

stones—secured with mortar—to 

build driveways and walkways; 

Horses now graze on the beautiful land formerly occupied by 

Duck Valley’s open dump site. 
7 Tribal Waste Journal 

it’s really beautiful. Tribal members 

also reuse bricks to make flowerbeds 

and wood that doesn’t go into the 

scrap wood monofill to make fence 

posts for ranch fences. 

TWJ: How does the community 

find out that these materials are 

available? 

Ms. Phillips: They find out through 

our community outreach efforts. We 

implement our entire integrated 

solid waste management program in 

a very community-based manner 

that involves extensive community 

outreach. One part of this is our 

tribal environmental newsletter, 

“Talking Trash,” that is distributed 

to community members on a 

monthly basis. We also share information through public meetings and 

our extensive public education 

efforts, especially through the 

schools. 

TWJ: How do you ensure that 

C&D materials are managed properly on your reservation, especially by 

outside contractors? 

Ms. Phillips: Construction is 

increasing within the tribe right 

now; we are building a new shopping center and new tribal facilities. 

When it comes to big projects such 

as these, ensuring that the contractors manage their waste properly is 

really a hands-on, one-on-one 

process. It has to be. 

When contractors first come in, we 

initiate the process of educating 

them on C&D management 

requirements through a phone conversation about waste management 

for their project. We then follow up 

with a site visit to discuss the types 

of waste they will be generating and 

to educate them on not dumping 

illegally. We also write specifications 

into the contract that requires contractors to use our waste management system. 

Contractors must pay for the disposal of the waste generated from their 

projects. Contractors rent 40 cubic 

yard roll-off containers from us to 

“It takes a little hustling 

to develop a program if 

you don’t have funding, 

but most tribes would be 

surprised to see the 

resources they have in 

their own backyard.” 

–Marcie Phillips, 

Environmental Director of the 

Duck Valley Reservation of the 

Shoshone Paiute Tribes 

collect C&D waste at their job site. 

We charge a flat rate for the container rental, which includes all 

hauling and tipping fees. This is a 

nice source of income for the tribe. 

Most tribes do not have enough 

money to cover operation and 

maintenance of their solid waste 

management programs; this type of 

revenue can help make a program 

sustainable. 

TWJ: Did you form partnerships in 

order to develop your solid waste 

management program? 

Ms. Phillips: Yes, we have 23 partners for the whole program! There 

are too many to name—EPA, IHS, 

the U.S. Forest Service, USDA 

Rural Development, and several 

state agencies from Idaho, to name 

a few. We have integrated the program into our operations—the partnerships are still there if we need 

them—but we run entirely on our 

own now. 

TWJ: What advice do you have for 

other tribes attempting to manage 

their C&D materials? 

Ms. Phillips: Tribes should strive to 

run an integrated program incorporating all phases and types of waste 

management, including C&D. 

Educating people on what can go in 

a C&D landfill, as well as broader 

waste management practices, is critical. When you begin researching 

your program, it is very helpful to 

conduct Internet research and to 

review EPA resources, university 

resources, and other tribal programs. 

It takes a little hustling to develop a 

program if you don’t have funding, 

but most tribes would be surprised 

to see the resources they have in 

their own backyard. 

THE TRIBAL VOICE
 
8 

Feature: C&D Materials
 

Tribal Waste Journal 

Bois Forte Builds Low-Cost C&D Landfill
 

While most construction and demolition (C&D) disposal 

facilities cost $500,000 to $1 million to design and 

build, the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa’s small-scale, 

low-tech operation cost just a fraction of that—only $100,000. 

Today, numerous other tribes strapped for cash but determined to 

begin similar programs are asking, “How did you do so much with 

so little?” Darin Steen, the Bois Forte environmental services director, happily recounts the secrets to the tribe’s success. Above all, he 

says, “We did a lot of the work ourselves. I gathered lots of documents and spoke to many people in designing and developing our 

landfill. We also did much of the site preparation ourselves. Doing 

it yourself can be a lot cheaper than hiring a consultant.” 

Other key factors in designing a successful program include: 

• Taking advantage of free technical assistance 

• Maintaining close working relationships with several federal and local agencies 

• Capitalizing on existing infrastructure and resources 

• Collaborating with other tribal departments on program operation and maintenance 

One of the keys to the Bois Forte dumps and open two transfers sta- facility was too expensive, so it 

Tribe’s success was its ability to work tions. By 1994 the two transfer sta- decided to open its own C&D landwith different agencies in designing tions were completed and open for fill instead. 

and constructing its site. business, and by 1995, the tribe’s Looking for help in designing and “There is a lot of free new solid waste management building the C&D landfill, Mr. technical assistance system was in place. Under this Steen turned to old friends—a pro- available to tribes system, tribal members are fessor from Bemidji State University from the EPA required to haul their trash to and some IHS engineers. As a way regional offices, IHS the transfer stations and pay to reduce construction costs, they [Indian Health for disposal. looked for design options that most Service] engineering In 1996, when the Bois Forte efficiently used the tribe’s existing services, and BIA [Bureau Tribe received a HUD grant to build resources. of Indian Affairs].” In addition to 20 new homes on the reservation, federal agencies, Mr. Steen encour- managing C&D materials became a ages tribes to develop partnerships new concern. With assistance from with state and local agencies, local EPA, the tribe developed an inte- “We did a lot of the work 

universities, and local facilities and grated solid waste management ourselves. Doing it yourcompanies. plan, and included C&D materials self can be a lot cheaper 

From its creation, the Bois Forte management in this process. The than hiring a consultant.” 

Environmental Program has been tribe determined that shipping the —Darin Steen, cultivating partnerships to help C&D materials from the demolition Environmental Services Director, 

achieve its solid waste goals. of the abandoned buildings and new Bois Forte Band of Chippewa 

Starting in 1993, the tribe worked construction to an off-reservation 

with BIA and IHS to close its open licensed or permitted C&D disposal 
9 Tribal Waste Journal 

The first step in designing the C&D 

landfill was finding a suitable site. 

The tribe selected a two-acre site 

adjacent to the closed open dump. 

This site had several features that 

allowed the tribe to take advantage 

of existing infrastructure. For example, the group decided to use the 

clay excavation pit previously dug to 

provide cover material for the tribe’s 

open dump closures as the disposal 

area. Using this pit saved the tribe 

excavation costs and, because the 

soil is clay, it does not require soil 

improvement or a synthetic liner 

system to protect ground water. In 

addition, the site is contained inside 

the open dump area’s fenced and 

locked perimeter, and a road already 

leads to the site and only needed to 

be extended to reach the C&D 

management area. Finally, a ground 

water monitoring system is already 

installed for monitoring the closed 

dumpsite. To reduce construction 

costs, the tribe extended the road 

and prepared the disposal area itself. 

Taking advantage of its well established relationship with neighboring 

St. Louis County, the tribe consulted with county officials on developing design and operation standards 

for the site. The tribe asked St. 

Louis County officials about their 

C&D guidelines and consulted the 

federal RCRA Subtitle D Part 257 

and 258 solid waste landfill regulations. The tribe and county’s excellent relationship is based upon years 

of collaboration and mutual support 

on several waste management issues. 

The tribe and county, for example, 

worked together to close the tribe’s 

open dumps and build its transfer 

stations. The county also collects 

the tribe’s scrap metal, white goods, 

and tires for recycling, and collaborates with the tribe on periodic 

community household hazardous 

waste collections. 

For the Bois Forte Environmental 

Program, establishing partnerships 

applies to internal parties too. 

Environmental Program staff work 

closely with the Bois Forte Tribal 

Housing Authority and Department 

of Public Works (DPW) on operation and maintenance of the C&D 

landfill. Because the C&D landfill 

only accepts the tribe’s C&D materials, the site is opened only as 

needed. Whenever the Housing 

Authority generates C&D materials, 

it coordinates use of the landfill 

with the Environmental Program. 

These two programs also work 

The Bois Forte C&D 

Landfill accepts the 

following materials: 

•	 Concrete 

•	 Lumber 

•	 Asphalt shingles 

•	 Wall board (e.g., sheet 

rock) 

•	 Windows 

•	 Plastic 

•	 Insulation 

It does not accept: 

•	 Liquid wastes 

•	 Paints 

•	 Hazardous waste 

closely to promote source reduction—whenever possible, the 

Housing Authority removes and 

reuses windows, doors, and lumber 

pieces that are in good condition 

when demolishing buildings. The 

Environmental Program also uses a 

loaned DPW bulldozer and other 

equipment and staff for C&D landfill operations. 

To assist the Housing Authority and 

promote proper C&D management 

on the reservation, the tribe purchased a tandem-axle hydraulic 

Feature: c&d materials
 

The ABCs of C&D Debris 

From June 15 through 17, 2004, the Bois Forte Band of 

Chippewa Indians hosted “The ABCs of C&D Debris” training 

course at its Fortune Bay Resort. The training course, developed 

with assistance from EPA Region 5 and the Bois Forte Band, covered the gamut of C&D materials management. Fourteen instructors delivered presentations on such topics as tribal-specific 

issues, planning and funding, C&D waste reduction, C&D recycling, C&D landfills, waste screening, and safety. 

Twenty-two registered tribal members from EPA Regions 5, 7, 8, 

9, and 10 attended the training. A pre-course survey revealed 

that 80 percent of the attendees felt that they had limited knowledge of C&D practices and that their tribe did not have a C&D management program. 

For a copy of “The ABCs of C&D Debris: Tribal Construction and Demolition Debris Management Training Course,” 

visit EPA’s Waste Management in Indian Country Web site at <www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/tribal/resource.htm>. 
10 

Feature: C&D Materials
 

Tribal Waste Journal 

Nambe Pueblo Partners with the 

Private Sector for Landfill 

Establishing yet another type of partnership—a tribal-private sector collaboration—the Nambe Pueblo Reservation in New Mexico is making 

its combined MSW and C&D disposal facility a reality. Working 

through the Nambe Pueblo Development Corporation (NPDC)—a tribal entity that strives to identify economic development opportunities— 

the tribe has reached an agreement with a non-tribal, private company 

called MTC Industries to develop, build, and manage the facility. 

Under this agreement, the tribe provides the land and retains majority 

ownership in the endeavor (51 percent). MTC Industries, with 49 percent of the ownership, is funding the construction and operation and 

maintenance of the facility, including supplying all the trucks and 

heavy equipment. The Nambe Pueblo Department of Environment and 

Natural Resources (DENR) also plays a role by providing oversight for 

the NPDC and ensuring that environmental regulations are followed. 

While MSW and C&D materials will be deposited together at this 100­

acre site, the tribe plans to continue separating and reusing as much of 

the C&D materials as possible before disposal. For several years, the 

tribe has been crushing waste concrete for use as a base material for 

roads. This recovered gravel also is available for tribe members at no 

cost for use in driveways, private roads, and other landscaping projects. Any unused recovered material is sold to local construction companies. The tribe also separates rebar from concrete before crushing 

and recycles it as scrap metal. In addition, any usable lumber is 

removed from the debris and either given to tribal members or sold for 

reuse. 

According to Steve Romero, water quality technician and former director of the DENR, “The project is a win-win situation for the tribe and 

MTC because the tribe has the land to lease and can make money off 

tipping fees, while MTC has the money to fund the project. It also 

should provide a foundation for economic development and create job 

opportunities for the Nambe Pueblo.” To increase tipping fee revenues, 

the tribe has agreements to accept MSW waste from the surrounding 

communities, including the Los Alamos National Laboratory. 

Demolition materials produced by the Nambe Pueblo, waiting for 

processing through its cooperative effort with MTC Industries. 

Bois Forte's hydraulic trailer and small 

roll-off bins help control C&D management and generate revenue for the tribe. 

trailer and five small roll-off bins in 

2002. The Housing Authority, contractors, or homeowners can rent 

these open-top containers from the 

Environmental Program for a flat 

fee. This fee covers roll-off delivery 

to the construction site, hauling to 

the landfill, and a moderate tipping 

fee. For only $20,000—that is, 

$12,500 for the trailer and $1,500 

for each roll-off—the Environmental 

Program has found an effective way 

for promoting proper C&D management and generating revenue. 

Revenue from the trailer rentals and 

tipping fees at the site are used to 

help cover a portion of the operation and maintenance costs for the 

site and pay back the tribal DPW for 

use of its equipment and staff. To 

help educate the community on the 

use and availability of this equipment, the Environmental Program 

distributed a one-page fact sheet 

describing the roll-offs. 

Looking back, Mr. Steen acknowledges that developing the C&D 

landfill was an easy sell to the tribal 

council. Owning and operating such 

a facility fit in nicely with tribal policies of self-governance and self-sufficiency. The C&D site also helps 

reduce transport and disposal costs 

and keeps money and resources within the tribe. “Overall, it was a pretty 

smooth process,” Mr. Steen recalls. 
11 Tribal Waste Journal 

Creative Collaboration Brings Big 

Gains to North Dakota Tribe 

For tribes in North and South Dakota, the winds of change 

are clearing away old mistrusts and misgivings about the 

Feds, making way for a new level of cooperation. The Turtle 

Mountain Band of Chippewa partnered with the Indian Health Service 

(IHS), the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development (RD) 

Agency, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), and the U.S. Environmental 

Protection Agency (EPA) in the early 1990s to build a sustainable solid 

waste program. The team closed an open dump, built a transfer station 

and C&D landfill, is in the process of cleaning up approximately 20,000 

tons of stockpiled waste, and purchased necessary heavy equipment. 

Describing its collaborative efforts as a “good marriage,” the team shared the
 

secrets of its success with the TWJ. From Turtle Mountain’s experience, you will learn how:
 

•	 Federal agencies formed close connections among themselves to better serve tribes. 

•	 Turtle Mountain built its solid waste program using federal engineering and technical assistance 

and funds. 

Feature: c&d materials 

Cultivating Cooperation	 how to align the divergent missions Mr. Rohlfs’ position is another 

of their agencies for tribal benefit. unique aspect of the project that The seeds of Turtle Mountain’s suc­ “We [RD, BIA, and IHS] all have contributed to its success. Mr. cess in the tribal/federal partnership different missions,” explains RD Rohlfs focuses exclusively on tribal were planted with a memorandum civil engineer Rod Beck. “After solid waste issues. Generally, opera- of understanding (MOU) signed in signing the MOU, we began at the tions and maintenance coordinators 2000 by many federal agency field office to figure out where we regional directors. While this docu- could overlap to supplement each ment could have easily remained a others efforts.” “paper promise” to work together, “The Turtle Mountain 

field officials from IHS, RD, and According to Brent Rohlfs, a solid clean-up project is unique BIA made it work by determining waste coordinator with the because it coordinates the Aberdeen Area IHS and a licensed 

professional engineer, this level of efforts of many partners.” 

coordination makes the Turtle —Brent Rohlfs, 

Mountain project unique. “The Solid Waste Coordinator 

funding available to IHS to provide Aberdeen Area IHS 

assistance does not match the level 

of need,” Mr. Rohlfs explains. “The 

Turtle Mountain clean-up project is 

unique because it coordinates the	 and tribal utility consultants are 

efforts of many partners.” Thus, it	 responsible for water, sewage, and 

allows the full range of agency	 solid waste issues—with water issues 

resources available to be brought to usually the priority. 

the table in support of tribal needs Cooperation between the tribal 

and requirements. environmental division and the 

Jack Sorum (IHS) and Mitchell 

Latucer (Turtle Mountain) at the 

Turtle Mountain waste site. 
P

o other 

e

Tribal Waste Journal 12 

Feature: C&D Materials


tribal council is 

just as critical to 

success. Mitchell 

Latucer, Turtle 

Mountain solid 

waste director, 

kept tribal council 

members informed 

and up-to-date on 

the project, which 

is especially important for long-term, 

multi-year proj- Turtle Mountain’s new transfer station. Wastes requiring proper disposal. ects, as new tribal 

council members 

are elected and take office. As Mr. 

Latucer explains, “It can take 

months for the tribe to get the funding and paperwork together and 

additional time for the tribal council 

to get up to speed and move forward 

on a project.” 

Finding Funds 

The arena of federal grants is not 

only competitive, but it requires 

perseverance and patience to 

become proficient at complying 

Other Tribal/Federal 

artnerships 

Building on Turtle Mountain’s success, tw 

North Dakota tribes forged cooperativ

with a myriad of application rules, 

deadlines, and required studies and 

documentation. Fortified by their 

strong relationship, Turtle 

Mountain and the federal agencies 

plunged head-on into this world and 

aggressively pursued funds from 

numerous agencies. The work paid 

off. “These partnerships not only 

helped us get the necessary money 

to fund the projects,” Mr. Latucer 

explains, “but IHS and RD also provided essential support and technigrant funds helped purchase equipment, such as a hook truck, a pup 

trailer, and the roll-off containers 

for hauling waste from the transfer 

station to the neighboring landfill. 

Using the grants as efficiently as possible is another key to Turtle 

Mountain’s financial successes. For 

example, as Jack Sorum, an IHS tribal utility consultant, explained, 

“Rural Development does not provide engineering services to tribes, so 

tribes are often forced to use Rural 

Development’s grant money to purchase these services. IHS can provide 

engineering services to tribes for free. 

By enlisting our help, [tribes] can 

make Rural Development’s money go 

farther. It is a good marriage for all of 

us.” At the tribes’ request, IHS prepared the preliminary engineering 

report section of the RD grant application for Turtle Mountain. This 20­

to 25-page report provides the engineering analyses and assessments of 

the project’s technical needs and 

includes the environmental review as 

required under the National 

Environmental Protection Act 

(NEPA). 

Before engineers finished building 

the transfer station, however, the 

tribe needed to buy equipment to 

haul its stockpiled municipal solid 

waste (MSW) to the nearest permitted landfill—a 252-mile roundtrip, 

cal assistance.”
 

The huge pile of 

waste at Turtle 

Mountain, combined with the 

need to find 

funding for all 

components of a 

solid waste program, convinced 

the tribe and federal officials to 

opt for a phased 

approach to funding. In 1995 the 

tribe obtained 

funding from IHS 

to construct a 

transfer station 

and BIA and RD 

money for equipment to operate 

and maintain it. 

Specifically, RD’s 

relationships with federal agencies: 

Spirit Lake Reservation received $845,000 from 

IHS and RD in 2001 to build a large transfer station and a C&D landfill and an additional 

$662,000 for collection and transfer station 

equipment in 2003. 

Three Affiliated Tribes on Fort Berthold 

Reservation received $995,000 from IHS and RD 

in 2004 for Phase I of its solid waste management 

project. This money was used for the purchase of 

collection equipment, construction of a storage 

and office building, and development of a C&D 

landfill. 
13 Tribal Waste Journal 

This tall pile of metal waste was one of the 

major motivating forces behind Turtle 

Mountain’s cleanup effort 

Turtle Mountain Tackles C&D Materials 

A key component of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa’s cleanup effort is its C&D landfill. This landfill 


allows the tribe to separate C&D materials from stockpiled waste and dispose of them for significantly less than 


shipping it off site for disposal. While the unlined cells are relatively small and are expected to fill up quickly, the 


site design allows the tribe to excavate more cells as needed. 


The amount of C&D materials managed by the tribe varies from year-to-year. In 2005, the C&D landfill received 


35 to 40 tons of cement, wallboard, wood, asphalt shingles, and other C&D materials each week. In comparison, 


the transfer station currently processes 100 tons of MSW each week. The amount of C&D materials could increase 


significantly in the near future as the tribe recently condemned an entire 100-home housing unit due to black 


mold infestation. The tribe is in the process of determining how to manage the materials from the demolition. 


Other unanticipated events, such as a flood several years ago, can generate large amounts of C&D materials. 


Initially, the tribe had trouble choosing a site for the C&D landfill because the transfer station, capped open 


dump, and waste stockpile already occupied a large portion of the available 23 acres. IHS assisted the tribe with 


identifying a suitable location for the C&D landfill and also pre­


pared the engineering design. In accordance with plans and spec­


ifications, the tribe’s contractor built two C&D cells with the nec­


essary access roads and an access ramp with a 10:1 slope for 


easy access and truck safety. The two cells constructed to date 


have cost $36,252. 


Prior to completing the C&D landfill, the tribe hired a contractor 


to remove and recycle scrap metal from the stockpiled waste. IHS 


helped the tribe hire the contractor by assisting with developing a 


request for proposal. The contractor hired by the tribe removed 


and recycled 420 tons of scrap metal. Unfortunately, according to 


Mr. Latucer the expense of paying the contractor to do this “ate up 


any revenues the tribe might have generated through scrap metal 


sales. In the future, however, we expect to begin generating rev­


enue from scrap metal sales since construction contractors now 


are required to separate metals from the overall waste stream.” 


so it worked with IHS and RD to nation associated with the tempo- • Provide the technical specificaobtain the necessary funds. rary waste storage site. tions for the tribe to include in 

According to Mr. Latucer, a signifi- To begin disposing of the waste from its request for proposals. 

cant portion of the waste was C&D this massive pile, the tribe entered • Select a site for the C&D cell. materials, both from ongoing hous­ Phase II of the project, which ing construction on the reservation • Assist the tribe in soliciting 

and from household items that were entailed building a C&D landfill outside contractor bids to conruined in a flood. and cleaning up and closing the struct the cell. waste site. Again, the tribe succeedUnfortunately, as the pile grew, so ed in securing funds in 2003 from By 2004, everyone’s efforts had paid 

did its potential to harm tribal IHS and RD to accomplish these off with a fully functioning solid 

members and their lands. In fact, tasks. The tribe contributed addi- waste program, including a fee strucEPA Region 8 and the tribe ranked tional funds to the effort. A portion ture to make the program sustainremoving the solid waste at the of this money allowed the tribe to able. “The greatest obstacle to 

Turtle Mountain site as a top priori- buy a front-end loader. success,” according to Mr. Rohlfs, “is 

ty. These actions put the problem developing a self-sustaining program. 

on a fast track to resolution. As a During Phase II, at the request of It’s hard to get over the final hump.” 

precautionary measure, the tribe the tribe, IHS worked to: Now, all that remains is removing 

and IHS installed monitoring wells • Design the inert/C&D the final 3,800 tons of stockpiled 

to watch for ground water contami- waste cell. waste and closing the site. 

Feature: c&d materials
 
-

•

•

•

•

Tribal Waste Journal 14 

Feature: C&D materials


Tips for Tapping into RD’s Native 

American Set-Aside Grant 

In 2005, Congress appropriated $16 million for the 

Native American Set-Aside Grant. These 

funds are designed to help federally 

recognized Indian tribes pay for all 

or part of the cost of water and waste 

disposal facilities. For solid waste 

projects, RD’s Rural Utilities Services 

(RUS) will pay for all aspects of constructing a new facility, or repairing or 

upgrading an old one, including facility 

construction, equipment, waste 

cleanup, legal fees, and land purchases. 

Tribes can apply for these grants year 

round, though the target date is April 1 of 

each year. Typical grant amounts range 

from $100,000 to $500,000. Each state 

decides whether an application qualifies for tribal set-aside consideration, then submits the 

request for funding to the national office. 

RD gives this advice for tribes interested in 

applying for solid waste funding: 

Contact your state RD RUS program direc­
 

tor. Ask for the required information to submit
 

a preliminary funding application. This appli­
 

cation helps RD determine your loan/grant
 

ratio. To find the director’s name on the
 

Web, go to <www.rurdev.usda.gov> and
 

click on “state offices.”
 

Obtain an engineer from your IHS Office
 

of Environmental Health and Engineering
 

or hire a private consultant. The engineer
 

can help you work on the preliminary
 

application and educate you on RD’s
 

application process.
 

Set up a meeting with the state
 

RD RUS program director or
 

specialist to discuss your project
 

and funding possibilities. Only
 

those tribes that qualify are eligi­


ble for a 100-percent grant.
 

If you decide to pursue funding, 

work with your engineer to complete 

the full application, including the environmental review and the preliminary engineering report, which consists of an assessment of 

the best/most cost-effective approach to the 

problem. The environmental review can take 

from one month to a year, so it is recommended 

that your engineer complete it before submitting the full application. 

Sharing the Secrets 

of Success 

A decade of shared experience in 

cleaning up open dumps and helping 

tribes establish sustainable solid 

waste programs has given the 

IHS/RD team time to fine-tune its 

model for success. Most importantly, 

federal officials acknowledge that 

building a solid waste program is not 

easy or quick. It requires staying 

power. At times, the process can feel 

overwhelming and fraught with difficulty. For those tribes willing to 

commit their time, energy, and talents to the long-term process, however, the rewards are substantial: a 

cleaner, healthier environment and 

a renewed sense of pride in their 

lands. 

The federal team provides the following advice for tribes looking to 

follow Turtle Mountain’s model: 

• Have a sustainable solid waste 

management plan in hand. 

Tribes should aim to develop a 

solid waste management plan 

independently before they 

approach other agencies “so 

they know what they are asking for,” says Mr. Sorum. “In 

fact,” he adds, “many federal 

agencies require that the tribe 

have a solid waste management 

plan in place before a project 

will be funded.” In addition, 

federal agencies are more likely 

to support a sustainable program or project. Devise a 

method of sustaining your 

program/project once the grant 

money runs out, such as a fee 

structure. For the Turtle 

Mountain project, the tribe 

supports the transfer station’s 

operation and maintenance 

through a user fee attached to 

residents’ water bills from the 

rural water system, and private 

haulers pay a tipping fee at the 
15 Tribal Waste Journal 

transfer station. Residents pay 

private haulers for waste collection services. 

• Form a team. Mr. Beck suggests that tribes team up with 

IHS and apply for RD grants so 

that “everyone is working to 

solve one problem.” To do this 

you need to contact the right 

people. In IHS, start with your 

tribal utility consultant or your 

Division of Sanitary Facility 

Construction contact. In RD, 

start with the state engineer or 

Rural Utility Service Program 

Director and ask about the 

availability of tribal set-aside 

funds and how to access them 

(for more information, see the 

Tips for Tapping into RD’s 

Native American Set-aside 

Grant side-bar on page 14). 

• Get help. Ask for help and 

advice on improving your 

application. In some cases, you 

might have to go beyond your 

local contact to get the assistance you need. Enlist the 

help of other agencies where 

appropriate, as Turtle 

Mountain did by having IHS 

complete the preliminary engineering report for RD’s application. 

• Match funds. Mr. Sorum 

explains that tribes can increase 

their chances of receiving funding by: 1) providing a tribal 

match or securing 

a match from 

another 

agency or 

party (such as 

RD) and 2) making 

the solid waste project a 

tribal priority. Listing it as 

your tribe’s number one priority 

and securing matching funds 

will “greatly enhance your 

chances for being successful,” 

Mr. Sorum advises. Historically, 

“These partnerships [with 

federal agencies] not only 

helped us get the necessary money to fund the 

projects, but IHS and RD 

also provided essential 

support and technical 

assistance.” 

—Mitchell Latucer, 

Solid Waste Director 

Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa 

he says tribal grant requests less 

than $500,000, even though the 

total project cost might exceed 

Feature: c&d materials 

this amount, have been 

more successful in getting funded by agencies such as RD, IHS, 

and BIA. 

• Develop a memorandum of 

agreement (MOA). Once you 

secure funding, develop an 

MOA that spells out each 

party’s roles and responsibilities. An MOA provides a blueprint for any project and will 

help it be better managed. For 

example, Turtle Mountain 

signed an MOA with IHS and 

RD to document responsibilities of the agencies and the 

tribe, how contractors would be 

procured, and how the project 

funding was to be used. Tribes 

also can enter into a three-way 

MOA with a federal agency 

and a private consultant or 

organization. These types of 

agreements typically are done 

at the tribal council or tribal 

business council level, not at 

the tribal department level. 
16 

Feature: C&D Materials 

Tribal Waste Journal 

Fond du Lac’s Ingenuity Makes
 

Demolition Recycling a Reality
 

Reusing or recycling heavy demolition materials can save tribes money, 

but buying the equipment can be a daunting prospect for some 

tribes. However, this difficulty shouldn’t deter tribes from pursuing 

such a venture, asserts Bruce Savage of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake 

Superior Chippewa in Minnesota. “Native Americans,” he explains, “possess a 

lifetime of experience dealing with adverse conditions and finding solutions.” 

True to his word, in 2001, the Fond du Lac tribe launched a concrete and asphalt 

recycling program by obtaining rock-crushing equipment through the U.S. General 

Services Administration’s (GSA’s) government surplus program. Recycling concrete and 

asphalt not only saves the tribe money in waste transportation and disposal costs, but also curbs illegal 

dumping and reduces the environmental impact of road construction. 

Overcoming the Looking to reduce C&D groups, only requiring the recipient 

disposal costs, to pay shipping costs. Financial Barrier reduce the impact Although access to GSA’s surplus For more than 20 years, of construction on equipment seemed a cost-effective Fond du Lac Construction the reservation, and curb illegal way to launch the program, it took has handled all of the commercial C&D dumping on the reservation, years for the tribe to secure a rock construction on the Fond du Lac the tribe began investigating the crusher. Mr. Savage chuckles, “I spent Reservation, including roads, parking idea of processing concrete and

lots, convenience stores, a golf course, asphalt for reuse. Equipment costs years searching the GSA Web site for 

crushing equipment and never saw the community center, and expan­ proved the most formidable barrier. anything listed. People used to laugh sions on the gaming casino and tribal “For a tribe to start a rock-crushing

buildings. “The company is very busy, operation from scratch,” Mr. Savage at me when I asked about it.” A GSA 

as the tribe is constantly building,” district representative told Mr. 

says Mr. Savage, a member of Fond du 

explains, “would require close to $1 Savage he had never seen this type of 

Lac Construction’s Aggregate 

million. Acquiring and maintaining equipment available through GSA in the equipment are the biggest his 20 years on the job. Division, which runs the concrete costs.” 

and asphalt recycling program. Innovatively, Fond du Lac looked to 

GSA as a source of surplus equipment instead of trying to purchase 

“Native Americans possess the equipment outright. Many tribes 


a lifetime of experience might not realize that GSA main­


dealing with adverse tains a listing of surplus equipment 


conditions and finding and supplies. According to Mr. 


Savage, any tribe that has signed a
 solutions. They are innova­ treaty with the U.S. government
 tive by nature. They need can ask its Bureau of Indian Affairs 


to be to survive.” (BIA) representative about its eligi­


— Bruce Savage, Fond du Lac 	 bility to request these items. Fond du 


Band of Lake Superior Lac’s road maintenance contract 


Chippewa in Minnesota 	 with BIA also makes it eligible for 


GSA surplus materials. Many GSA 


surplus materials are free to eligible 


Fond du Lac’s GSA-procured rock crusher 

Eventually, patience and persistence 

paid off. In 2001, the GSA representative called to say some 

equipment had recently become 

available, and the tribe should 
17 Tribal Waste Journal 

secure it immediately. After 

extensive paperwork, Fond du Lac 

acquired the crusher, and the recycling operation blossomed and is 

now self-sufficient. “If you can do it 

efficiently, these operations can pay 

for themselves,” Mr. Savage says. 

“You won’t necessarily make money, 

but you can cover the cost of new 

material and save on disposal costs.” 

Details of the Operation 

Since 2001, Fond du Lac 

Construction has recycled approximately 10,000 tons of concrete and 

asphalt. Generated during demolition activities on the reservation, 

the concrete and asphalt are reused 

as foundation materials for new 

roads on the reservation. 

The tribe does not generate sufficient 

amounts of concrete or asphalt to 

operate the crusher on a regular basis. 

Instead, it stockpiles the materials 

until enough is accumulated to make 

processing worthwhile. Currently, the 

Aggregate Division has stockpiled 

approximately 30,000 tons that it will 

process within a year. 

As an additional benefit, Fond du 

Lac also can use the rock-crushing 

Crushed asphalt on conveyer belt. 

equipment to separate out reusable 

topsoil from construction sites. The 

topsoil, which the Aggregate 

Division reuses or sells for $12 to 

$16 per ton, can be used for yard 

finishing at private residences and 

erosion control along roadsides. In 

2003 and 2004, the division produced more than 60,000 tons of 

screened topsoil, generating a savings of $750,000. The Aggregate 

Division also uses the crushing 

equipment and a wash plant to 

manufacture gravel for use in septic 

tanks, drain tiles, sand filters, and 

other construction projects on the 

reservation. 

Keys to a Successful Program 

Mr. Savage believes that training 

and networking have helped him 

create a successful operation. Before 

joining the Aggregate Division, he 

received two years of training from 

an aggregate industry expert from 

the local union hall. Mr. Savage 

continues to expand his knowledge 

by maintaining a dialogue with 

other technicians in the field, saying, “Other rock crushing companies have been very open to sharing 

information and giving advice. It is 

a very limited group—not many 

people actually do this—but most 

have been very helpful.” 

Success also depends on good heavy 

equipment, engineering, mechanical, 

welding, and math skills. “You need 

to be a problem solver and be able to 

fix things quickly,” Mr. Savage 

explains “If our crusher goes down, I 

need to be able to fix it immediately, 

otherwise we are losing money.” For 

these reasons, he thinks a lot of 

Native Americans would be good in 

the aggregate industry because, 

“Native people are innovative by 

nature. They need to be to survive.” 

Feature: c&d materials
 

Building Appropriate Infrastructure: “We want to have clean lands.” 

Recycling concrete and asphalt is just one of many waste management activities underway on the Fond du Lac 

Reservation. The tribe is planning to construct a 20-acre integrated waste management site to replace the existing, 

undersized 0.5-acre site that houses its recycling, household hazardous waste, and C&D management operations. 

While the site is estimated to cost between $1.4 million and $2.5 million, Nathan Reinbold, the tribe’s environmental education coordinator, explains Fond du Lac’s motivations for such an ambitious undertaking, “Because of growth 

on the reservation, now is the time to build this waste infrastructure. While the $2.5 million price tag might seem 

high, having an official place for C&D materials will pay off in the long run. We understand that these things do cost 

a lot, but we want to have clean lands.” The tribe plans to fund a portion of the facility with its own funds. 

Currently, Fond du Lac extracts all C&D materials that can be reused or recycled—such as concrete, asphalt, 

clean wood, and metal—from what is generated on the reservation. Wood that has not been pressure-treated, 

painted, or stained is chipped with yard trimmings and composted at the tribe’s composting facility. Clean wallboard also is used as an additive in the composting process. The scrap metal is recycled. The remaining C&D 

materials—including pressure-treated and painted/stained wood, asphalt shingles, plastics, and plaster—is commingled and sent off site for disposal in a regional C&D landfill. The new site will include a much larger C&D 

materials separation and recycling area where these activities can be performed more efficiently. 
18 

Feature: C&D Materials
 

Tribal Waste Journal 

Salvaging Materials 

Responsibly 

T he Oneida Tribe of Wisconsin is guided 

by this creation story in its day-to-day 

life and therefore has a great respect 

for the Earth and a responsibility for protecting the environment. This stewardship is 

apparent as the tribe purchases land to fill 

in the checkerboard pattern of rolling 

farm land of its reservation and has had 

to manage C&D materials from the renovation or demolition of dilapidated buildings on this land. The tribe created a 

Demo Team in order to maintain the cultural roots by adhering to a guiding principal of sustainable management and to 

provide cost savings for the tribe 

through recycling operations. Through 

these practices, the team ensures that 

natural resources, making up the 

land in a delicate balance on the turtle’s shell, are conserved to support 

future generations. 

Using Partnerships to materials generated 

Manage C&D Materials from the renovation and 

demolition of the old buildings,

Much like the way water animals wasting tons of material that could

and the Sky Woman worked togeth- be salvaged and reused or recycled.

er to establish life on Earth, the Not only was the Demo Team an 

tribe forged its own coalition that opportunity for the tribe to become

works together to ensure that environmental stewards, but also to 

C&D materials are recovered in an facilitate a streamlined salvage and

environmentally responsible manner demolition process.

and either reused or recycled. “One of the great successes of the

The Demo Team is a multi-depart- Demo Team has been dividing up 

mental, innovative partnership the tasks and letting people do what

made up of tribal staff from the they do best and are best equipped

Land Management Department, to do,” said Steve Linsken, environEnvironmental Health and Safety mental planner for the tribe. “The

Department, the Department of team really lets people play to their

Public Works, and the Cultural strengths.”

Heritage Department. The Land Management

Prior to the formation of the Demo Department, for instance, handles

Team, the tribe landfilled the C&D the financial and contractual 

In the Onei

creation stor

da

y, the Earth was

once inundated with water, and

the only animals on Earth lived in the

water. Great spirits lived above the Earth,

and one day, the Sky Woman descended

upon the planet. When the water animals

needed to find dr

Woman could alight, a tur

y land on which the Sky

tle rose to the surface, and its back became the base for the

land on the Earth. Once the land formed, 

life on Earth could flourish. The turtle, or

Mother Earth, therefore, is an important aspect of the tribe’s creation

story. 

aspects of acquiring land, salvage 

operations, demolition, and disposal. The team recommends demolition when the cost of repair is 

greater than 50 percent of the 

assessed value. When the cost of 

repairs is less than 50 percent of its 

assessed value, the building is renovated and sold to a tribal member. 

Once the Land Management 

Department decides whether or not 

to demolish the building, the 

Environmental Health and Safety 

Department removes asbestos and 

other hazardous materials from the 

site. This department is the backbone for environmental stewardship 

because it is responsible for ensuring 

proper recycling and disposal of the 

C&D materials when buildings are 

demolished. 
19 Tribal Waste Journal 

And finally, the Department of 

Public Works (DPW) and Cultural 

Heritage Department ensure that 

building materials are handled in a 

responsible manner and that historical items are not lost during the 

demolition process. For example, if 

the DPW finds salvageable items in 

the building, it calls upon the 

Cultural Department to identify 

whether or not they are culturally 

important so that they can salvage 

and preserve the items. 

Salvaging Benefits the 

Community 

Through salvage operations, the 

Demo Team has the unique opportunity to strengthen community 

ties by giving priority to tribal members to receive the reusable C&D 

materials. 

Items frequently salvaged from condemned buildings include fixtures, 

hand-hewn beams, doors, and windows. The Demo Team reports that 

the most sought-after materials are 

wooden beams that tribal members 

use in their own houses for structural support or features such as fireplace mantles. 

Most of the time, allowing tribal 

members to salvage materials works 

well for all parties. Occasionally, 

however, it can create problems. In 

these instances, the Demo Team 

uses its expertise for problem solving. In one case, a tribal member 

stripped all of the metal off of the 

buildings at a former pig farm, leaving all the insulation lying around in 

piles. As a result, the Land 

“One of the great successes of the Demo Team has 

been dividing up the tasks 

and letting people do 

what they do best and are 

best equipped to do. The 

team really lets people 

play to their strengths.” 

—Steve Linsken, 

environmental planner, 

Oneida Tribe of Wisconsin 

Management Department decided to 

develop salvage agreements for each 

party wishing to remove materials 

from tribal property to ensure that 

the salvaged materials are handled 

in a responsible manner and that 

there is no damage or destruction to 

any other materials or the land. 

Recycling Pays Off 

Once all reusable material has been 

taken out of the buildings, the 

Demo Team works to remove and 

separate all material that can be 

recycled, such as concrete and 

metal. Through reuse, the tribe conserves natural resources and saves 

money in purchasing costs. In addition, it also generates revenue from 

the sale of the C&D materials. 

The tribe has capitalized on the 

large volume of concrete generated 

during building demolition by separating it and contracting Braun 

Recycling and Compost, a local 

recycling company, to crush the 

material. In 2004, the tribe demolished buildings on four farms generating 4,886 tons of crushed concrete 

and 386 tons of garbage, scrap tires, 

and other materials. The crushed 

concrete can then be reused for 

roadwork and other DPW projects 

such as installing and replacing culverts. The tribe landfilled the 

remaining waste. 

Metal is also a valuable commodity 

during the demolition process. In 

2004, sale of 40 tons of scrap metal 

from the farm demolitions generated 

nearly $3,000 for the tribe. 

Feature: c&d materials
 

Oneida’s reclamation equipment. Dump truck with deposits of crushed concrete ready for use.
 
20 

Feature: C&D Materials
 

Tribal Waste Journal 

Colville’s Contracts Cut Illegal C&D Dumping 

T

he Confederated Tribes of Colville Reservation take great pride in the forests, streams, rivers, and 

lakes that blanket its reservation in north-central Washington. Because of its 

deep connection to the land, the tribes try to keep the reservation as 

pristine as possible. For example, the Colville tribes decided specifically not 

to build a C&D landfill on the reservation for aesthetic and environmental 

reasons. Some building contractors, however, do not have the same sense of 

respect for the land; the tribes have found C&D materials littered 

throughout the reservation that building contractors dumped 

illegally during construction. 

To stop this ongoing problem, the Colville tribes decided to 

include language in building permits requiring contractors to 

have their own C&D management plan. This legal agreement gives 

the tribes authority to suspend construction if contractors illegally 

dump C&D materials on the reservation. Coupled with a strong 

enforcement presence at construction sites, the tribes have dramatically reduced illegal dumping. 

Managing Contractors’ tribal council also serve as commit- solid waste ordinance, which proC&D Materials tee members. “Having the council hibits non-tribal members from 

involved makes a big difference,” dumping or disposing solid waste at

The idea for this C&D manage- says Danny Joe Stensgar, the solid any location on the reservation.

ment approach arose in 1999 when waste manager for the Colville

the Tribal Business Council—the tribes. “We resolve issues more 

body in charge of contractors— quickly.” 

realized it would not be able to “Having the council 

control illegal dumping of C&D	 Instead of taking over the handling 

and disposal of C&D, the SWAC involved makes a big 

materials on its own. Instead, with	 difference. We resolve decided to curb illegal dumping by support and encouragement from including language about C&D issues more quickly.”
 

the Colville tribes’ Tribal Council,
 

it formed a Solid Waste Alliance management in building permits. —Danny Joe Stensgar, 
 

Committee (SWAC) to investigate To implement this approach, the Solid Waste Manager
 

ways to stop contractors from SWAC formed the Internal Land The Confederated Tribes of
 

dumping C&D materials on the Use Review Board—including rep- Colville Reservation
 

reservation. According to resentatives from various tribal
 

the tribes’ solid waste departments such as plan-


ordinance, the SWAC ning, environment, natu- To receive a building permit from
 

ral resources, water, and the Internal Land Use Review “shall consist of a minsolid waste—to review Board, contractors must complete a imum of five members 

all construction projects Compliance Utilization Form, from the tribes that 

and issue building per- which includes details of how they have some knowledge 

and/or interest in solid mits. The building per- plan to manage the C&D materiwaste issues.” mits ensure that the als. Contractors can choose to lease 

contractors recycle or dispose 20- or 40-yard containers from the

To help bolster support of SWAC of C&D materials properly and tribe or indicate the landfill to 

activities, two members of the comply with the Colville tribes’ which they will haul the waste. 
•

•

•

21 Tribal Waste Journal 

Keeping the Land Clean Through Enforcement 

The Colville tribes are willing to go to great lengths to 

ensure that C&D materials do not litter its reservation. 

Although the building permit explicitly prohibits 

building contractors from illegally dumping materials 

on the reservation and outlines the types of C&D 

materials that can and cannot be disposed in the 

leased containers—for example, hazardous materials 

are prohibited (see side bar)—the tribes have found 

that sometimes contractors ignore some of the terms of 

their building permits. Ensuring compliance therefore 

requires ongoing enforcement. 

To increase compliance, a tribal enforcement officer 

visits construction sites and photographs the C&D 

materials that the building contractors generate. This 

precaution gives the tribes evidence that certain materials belong to specific contractors, in the event that a 

company illegally dumps. As an added measure, the 

enforcement officer also visits the 

nearby landfill and requests a 

receipt that the builder disposed of the waste there. 

If the tribes’ enforcement officer finds violations to the building 

permit, the officer is 

authorized to write 

citations and thereby 

order construction to 

cease. According to 

Stensgar, this vigilance has 

paid off. “The presence of an 

enforcement officer has really cut 

down on illegal dumping,” he says. 

Feature: c&d materials 

Handling Hazardous 

Materials 

Hazardous waste contamination is a serious concern in managing C&D materials. Hazardous constituents such as lead, arsenic, and chrome are 

common at C&D sites, as are hazardous substances such as asbestos and polychlorinated 

biphenyls (PCBs). 

The Colville tribes help prevent hazardous materials contamination of C&D materials by: 

Identifying whether asbestos or lead-based 

paint is present in a building slated for demolition. If these materials are found, a certified tribal inspector oversees demolition. 

Building permit language requires the contractor to remove asbestos and any other 

hazardous materials from the site. 

Requiring contractors to separate hazardous 

materials from C&D materials. The tribal 

inspectors can then ensure proper handling 

of each of these materials. 

Requiring contractors to specify in their 

Compliance Utilization Forms how much 

hazardous material they will generate and 

where they will dispose of it. 
22 

resources
 

Tribal Waste Journal 

resources
 

EPA Publications 

The ABCs of C&D Debris: Tribal 

Construction and Demolition Debris 

Management Training Course 

<www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/ 

tribal/resource.htm> 

This training course, developed by 

TASWER and EPA, covers all aspects 

of C&D materials management in 

eight sessions. 

Characterization of Building-Related 

Construction and Demolition Debris 

in the United States. EPA530-R-98­

010. 

<www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/ 

sqg/c&d-rpt.pdf> 

RCRA in Focus: Construction, 

Demolition, and Renovation. 

EPA530-K-04-005. 

<www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/ 

id/infocus/rif-c&d.pdf> 

WasteWise Update: Building for the 

Future. EPA530-N-02-003. 

<www.epa.gov/wastewise/pubs/ 

wwupda16.pdf> 

Other Publications 

Builder’s Guide to Reuse and 

Recycling: A Directory for 

Construction and Demolition 

Materials 

<www.stopwaste.org/nhguide.html> 

This 36-page booklet produced by 

the Alameda (California) County 

Waste Management Authority and 

Alameda County Source Reduction 

and Recycling Board provides practical, cost-saving tips for building professionals on recycling asphalt, glass, 

and related materials. 

Building and Buying Green in Indian 

Country: A Practical Guide for 

California Tribes 

<www.ciwmb.ca.gov/publications/ 

greenbuilding/43304004.pdf> 

To order a copy, call (916) 341-6306 

and request Pub.# 430-04-004. 

Contractors Guide. Seattle/King 

County, 2002-2003 

<www.metrokc.gov/dnrp/swd/ 

constructionrecycling/documents/ 

ConGuide.pdf> 

Provides recycling and waste prevention information for all builders, from 

the handyman and remodeler to 

large commercial contractors. It is a 

handbook for saving money and 

resources by recycling and preventing 

waste on the job site. 

Recycling Construction and 

Demolition Wastes: A Guide for 

Architects and Contractors 

<www.mass.gov/dep/recycle/files/ 

cdrguide.pdf> 

This guide, sponsored by the Boston 

Society of Architects, Associated 

General Contractors of Massachusetts, 

and the Massachusetts Department of 

Environmental Protection, helps architects, engineers, specification writers, 

and contractors gain an understanding 

of the goals of C&D recycling and 

lay the foundation for a successful 

program. 

Residential Construction Waste 

Management: A Builder’s Field Guide 

<www.ilsr.org/recycling/ 

buildingdebris.pdf> 

This EPA-funded publication from the 

National Association of Home Builders 

Research Center explains cost-effective 

techniques for construction waste management. This 32-page field guide presents several approaches builders can 

take to manage construction waste and 

provides real case studies to support the 

recommended actions. Appendices 

contain references and supporting documents. 

Web Sites 

EPA’s Construction and Demolition 

(C&D) Materials Web Site 

<www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/ 

debris-new/index.htm> 

Environmental Protection, Native 

American Lands: A Cultural Approach 

to Integrated Environmental Studies 

<tismil.humboldt.edu/epa/> 

A curriculum written and edited by a 

team of Indian teachers and community members to ensure the cultural 

integrity of American Indian lands by 

preparing tribal communities to make 

informed decisions about land development, as well as to prevent household hazardous waste contamination. 

King County, Washington’s 

Construction Recycling Web Site 

<www.metrokc.gov/dnrp/swd/ 

construction-recycling/index.asp> 

Provides the tools and assistance needed to achieve the highest recycling 

rates possible on construction/deconstruction projects. Tools include job site 

waste guidelines, a waste management 

plan template, sample waste recycling 

specifications, and a directory of local 

construction waste recyclers. 

Resource Efficient Residential 

Construction: Industry Web Directory 

<peakstoprairies.org/p2bande/ 

construction/CnstrMatrix.pdf> 

The Peaks to Prairies Residential 

Environment Web Site provides the 

following services: technical assistance and referrals, industry contacts, 

database of resources and publications, news, events calendar, and 

frequently asked questions. 

Solid Waste Association of North 

America (SWANA) <swana.org/ 

sections/educate/certification.aspx> 

SWANA offers training and certification in eight solid waste management 

disciplines, including C&D materials 

management. 

Tribal Pollution Prevention 

<www.tribalp2.org/index.php> 

A user-built collection of tribal pollution prevention resources where tribes 

can share their projects, case studies, 

publications, tools, events, news, or 

funding opportunity with other visitors. 
23 Tribal Waste Journal 

c ontacts
 

The Tribal Waste Journal would like to thank everyone who shared their stories and experiences for this 

issue. Interviewee contact information is provided below for those who are interested in learning more 

about specific tribal programs. 

Feature: c&d materials
 

Bois Forte Reservation 

Nett Lake, Minnesota 

Darin Steen 

Environmental Services Director 

(218) 757-3543 

dsteen@rangenet.com 

Confederated Tribes of The 

Colville Reservation 

Nespelem, Washington 

Danny Joe Stensgar 

Solid Waste Manager 

(509) 634-2810 

Fond du Lac Reservation 

Cloquet, Minnesota 

Bruce Savage 

Fond du Lac Construction— 

Aggregate Division 

(218) 393-6902 

spiritlakesugar@yahoo.com 

Nathan Reinbold 

Environmental Education Outreach 

Coordinator 

(218) 878-8023 

nathanreinbold@fdlrez.com 

Nambe Pueblo Reservation 

Santa Fe County, New Mexico 

Steve Romero 

Water Quality Technician 

(505) 690-9874 

sromero_denr_nambe@yahoo.com 

Oneida Tribe of Wisconsin 

Oneida, Wisconsin 

Steve Linsken 

Environmental Planner 

(920) 496-5347 

slinsken@oneidanation.org 

Shoshone Paiute Tribes of the 

Duck Valley Reservation 

Elko County, Nevada/Owyhee 

County, Idaho 

Marcie Phillips 

Environmental Director 

(208) 759-3100, ext. 247 

ShoPaiTr8@aol.com 

Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa 

Indians of North Dakota 

Belcourt, North Dakota 

Mitchell Latucer 

Solid Waste Director 

(701) 477-2664 

meladd2001@yahoo.com 

Indian Health Service (Aberdeen) 

Brent Rohlfs 

Aberdeen Area Solid Waste 

Coordinator 

(605) 226-7451 

brent.rohlfs@ihs.gov 

Jack Sorum 

Tribal Utility Consultant 

(701) 852-0250 

jack.sorum@ihs.gov 

USDA Rural Development 

(North Dakota) 

Rod Beck 

(701) 530-2069 

rod.beck@nd.usda.gov 

To be placed on our mailing list or submit 

ideas or success stories, send an e-mail to 

Janice Johnson, creative director of the Tribal 

Waste Journal, at <johnson.janice@epa.gov>. 
United States Environmental 

Protection Agency Municipal and Industrial Solid Waste Division (5306P) Ariel Rios Building 1200 Pennsylvania 

Ave., NW 

Washington, DC 20460 Official Business Penalty for Pri

vate Use $300 

www.epa.gov/tribalmsw June 2006 EPA530-N-06-003