Document ID: EPA-HQ-OECA-2003-0154-0010
Agency: epa
Document Type: Supporting & Related Material
Title: 
Posted Date: 2003-12-10T05:00Z

The
background
papers
on
the
candidate
national
program
priorities
are
intended
to
initiate
further
discussion.
When
priorities
are
selected
more
detailed
strategies
with
in­
depth
background
information,
numerical
targets,
schedules,
milestones
and
performance
measures
will
be
developed.
______________________________________________________________________________

December
2003
Page
1
of
2
Proposed
Tribal
Priority
for
Drinking
Water
and
Waste
Management
The
proposed
priority
focuses
on
Indian
country
and
other
tribal
areas
in
order
to
address
significant
human
health
and
environmental
problems
associated
with
drinking
water
and
waste
management.
The
proposed
priority
will
also
address
adjacent
noncomplying
facilities
impacting
Indian
country
and
tribal
areas,
including
those
in
Alaska.
(
EPA
is
also
proposing
a
priority
for
Safe
Drinking
Water
Act
contaminant
violations
with
acute
health
effects,
including
microbial
rules
and
nitrate
requirements.)

Universe
and
Types
of
Facilities
Public
Water
Systems
(
PWSs),
defined
at
40
Code
of
Federal
Regulations
(
CFR)
§
l41.2,
are
identified
under
the
North
American
Industry
Classification
System
(
NAICS)
4941
and
may
also
be
located
at
facilities
identified
under
other
NAICS
if
the
facility
produces
drinking
water
onsite.
Disposal
facilities
subject
to
40
CFR
§
§
257
and
258
are
identified
under
NAICS
codes
562111,
562119,
562212,
56222,
and
may
also
be
located
under
other
NAICS
codes
or
under
no
NAICS.

The
EPA
Safe
Drinking
Water
Information
System/
Federal
(
SDWIS/
FED)
database
currently
maintains
an
inventory
of
approximately
972
active
public
water
systems
in
Indian
country.
There
are
approximately
2,800
active
underground
storage
tanks
in
Indian
country.
There
are
approximately
3,000
illegal
dumps
in
Indian
country,
8
treatment
storage
and
disposal
facilities,
91
large
quantity
hazardous
waste
generators,
more
than
339
conditionally
exempt
small
quantity
hazardous
waste
generators,
and
more
than
450
small
quantity
hazardous
waste
generators
in
Indian
country.

Geographic
Range
National.
There
are
562
federally
recognized
Indian
tribes
in
the
United
States;
there
are
no
tribes
in
the
area
covered
by
EPA
Region
3
(
Delaware,
Maryland,
Pennsylvania,
Virginia,
Washington,
D.
C.,
and
West
Virginia).
Collectively,
these
tribes
are
responsible
for
77
million
acres
of
land
covering
4.1
million
tribal
members.
All
water
systems
are
potentially
affected
by
contamination
whether
through
non­
compliance
at
public
water
systems
or
contamination
of
groundwater
or
source
water.
Almost
every
tribe
owns
or
operates
a
public
water
system
and
is
responsible
for
managing
solid
waste.

Environmental
Risks
Native
Americans,
especially
children,
the
elderly,
and
persons
with
compromised
immune
systems,
can
suffer
severe
and
immediate
health
affects
from
drinking
water
which
does
not
meet
National
Primary
Drinking
Water
Regulations
(
NPDWRs)
of
the
Safe
Drinking
Water
Act.
Bacteria,
protozoans
and
viruses
are
all
pathogens
of
concern.
Microbial
contamination
can
be
The
background
papers
on
the
candidate
national
program
priorities
are
intended
to
initiate
further
discussion.
When
priorities
are
selected
more
detailed
strategies
with
in­
depth
background
information,
numerical
targets,
schedules,
milestones
and
performance
measures
will
be
developed.
______________________________________________________________________________

December
2003
Page
2
of
2
present
in
source
water
(
surface
water,
ground
water,
or
purchased
finished
water),
can
be
introduced
by
unsanitary
conditions
at
treatment
facilities,
or
can
enter
the
drinking
water
delivery
infrastructure
through
infiltration
or
cross­
connections.
Adverse
health
effects
of
microbiological
contaminants
can
include,
fever,
jaundice,
pneumonia,
vomiting,
diarrhea,
dehydration,
and
death.

Improper
solid
waste
management
practices
in
Indian
country
and
tribal
areas
in
Alaska
are
widespread
and
include
illegal
dumping
of
household
waste
and
household
hazardous
waste
and
backyard
burning
of
household
waste.
Due
to
changes
in
the
types
and
volumes
of
waste
generated,
improper
waste
management
threatens
human
health
and
the
environment
through
an
increased
incidence
of
disease,
food
and
drinking
water
contamination,
and
air
pollution.
Addressing
solid
waste
management
will
also
benefit
Native
Americans
dependent
upon
fish
and
game
for
subsistence
living
and
facilitate
protection
of
traditional
hunting,
fishing,
and
gathering
capabilities.
Open
dumps
can
attract
young
children
who
may
be
hurt
by
sharp
objects
or
hazardous
material
in
the
dump
or
injured
through
contact
with
toxic
materials
or
contagious
pathogens.
In
addition,
unregulated
solid
waste
activities
can
contaminate
groundwater
and
surface
water
with
hazardous
or
toxic
substances,
including
leaking
lead
acid
batteries,
used
oil,
solvents,
pesticides,
and
herbicides.

Noncompliance
Information
In
calendar
year
2001,
92
health­
based
violations
in
Indian
country
were
reported
to
SDWIS/
FED.
The
Maximum
Contaminant
Level
for
the
Total
Coliform
Rule
was
the
healthbased
standard
most
frequently
violated
in
Indian
country.
Of
the
1,185
violations
reported
to
SDWIS/
FED
in
2001,
983
(
83%)
were
significant
violations
of
monitoring
and
reporting
requirements
in
Indian
country.
If
a
system
did
not
monitor
the
quality
of
its
water,
it
is
impossible
to
know
if
it
has
violated
health­
based
requirements.

EPA
estimates
that
there
are
more
than
1,400
open
dumps
that
are
out
of
compliance
in
Indian
country
and
tribal
areas;
of
which
over
150
pose
a
significant
threat
to
human
health
and
the
environment.
24
percent
of
tribes
indicate
that
open
dumps
are
their
primary
method
of
waste
disposal.
16
percent
of
tribes
indicate
that
burn
barrels
are
their
primary
method
of
disposal.
35
percent
tribes
state
that
recycling
is
the
last
or
next
to
last
disposal
option.
Underground
Storage
tanks
in
Indian
country
have
significant
operational
non­
compliance
rates
 
approximately
5­
11
percent
below
national
average.
Over
44
percent
of
tribes
have
no
waste
management
program
at
all.