Building Capacity with American Indians and Alaska Natives Report

Worker Training Program

National Institute of

Environmental Health Sciences

NIEHS WORKER TRAINING PROGRAM

Building Capacity with American Indians

and Alaska Natives to Handle Hazardous

Materials and Respond to Emergencies

MAY 2023

About the NIEHS Worker

Training Program

The

NIEHS Worker Training

Program (WTP)

funds nonprot

organizations to provide

health and safety training for

workers who may be exposed

to hazardous materials

and waste at work or while

assisting with emergency

response. The NIEHS WTP

was authorized by the

Superfund Amendments and

Reauthorization Act of 1986

(42 USC 9660).

Under these NIEHS

Superfund-related activities,

WTP grantees provide

trainings across the country

through the

Hazardous

Waste

HazMat Disaster

, and

Environmental Career

Worker

Training Programs. WTP

grantees also provide non-

Superfund related training at

U.S. Department of Energy

(DOE) facilities. These

activities are funded by the

NIEHS/DOE Nuclear Worker

Training Program.

For more information on the

NIEHS WTP, visit

www.niehs.nih.gov/wtp

COVER:

LEFT: Roy Stover (left), HazMat trainer

from the Alabama Fire College,

poses with David Wolf (right), former

president of the Native American

Fish and Wildlife Society (NAFWS), at

a joint event. Partnerships like those

between WTP grantees and inter-tribal

organizations like NAFWS increase

the reach of crucial training about

environmental and health hazards.

(Photo courtesy of AFC WST)

RIGHT: A St. Regis Mohawk Tribe

member in New York State practices

putting on hazardous materials

(HazMat) protective gear. Alabama

Fire College’s Worker Safety Training

program has developed robust

training that builds the tribe’s

leadership capabilities in regional

environmental and disaster response

planning. (Photo courtesy of AFC WST)

Building Capacity with American Indians

and Alaska Natives to Handle Hazardous

Materials and Respond to Emergencies

The NIEHS Worker Training Program (WTP) funds health and safety training for American

Indian and Alaska Native tribal workers and communities across the U.S. These training

efforts protect workers, improve emergency and disaster response, increase employment

opportunities, and build capacity in American Indian communities.

During the 2022 program year, NIEHS WTP funded organizations (grantees) trained more

than 1,336 American Indians and Alaska Natives, delivering more than 61 courses and

nearly 21,967 contact hours. During this period, 30 courses were offered to tribal workers,

including:

• Adult CPR

• Asbestos Awareness

• Basic Construction Skills

• Basic First Aid

• Basic Math Skills

• Basic Superfund Site Worker

• Chemical Emergency Response

• Conned Space

• Disaster Site Worker

• Emergency Response Awareness

• Emergency Response Basic Operations

• Emergency Response Incident Command

• Emergency Response Radiological

Transportation

• Emergency Response Refresher

• Emergency Response for Specic Hazards

• General Construction Safety

• General Industry Safety

• Hazardous Waste Operations

• HazMat Transportation Awareness

• HazMat Transporter/Basic

• Hazard Communication

• Illicit Drug Response Awareness

• Incident Command System

• Infectious Disease Awareness

• Mass Casualty Incident Awareness

• Oil Spill Response

• Pollution Prevention

• Radiation Worker Refresher

• Reporting Environmental Releases

• Site Worker Refresher

Signicance of Training Courses

WTP was established under the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986.

As such, the program was tasked with training and educating workers who may be

engaged in activities related to hazardous waste removal, containment, or emergency

response. Separate from Superfund-related activities, WTP has a longstanding partnership

with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Ofce of Environmental Management to

administer a health and safety training program for workers at DOE facilities.

Given its unique mission, WTP courses ensure that workers receive the knowledge and

skills to comply with federal standards and regulations set by the Occupational Safety and

Health Administration (OSHA). This includes standards such as those for general industry

(1910), Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) (1910.120),

construction (1926), and more.

WTP courses are important in helping tribal workers involved in response to, cleanup

of, and transport of hazardous materials. Depending on the site and nature of their job,

tribal workers may face risk of exposure to chemical, radiological, or biological hazards.

It is critical that these workers receive training to effectively protect themselves and their

colleagues from harm.

Understanding the

Need for Training

Tribal nations across the U.S. are self-governing entities,

operating their own solid and hazardous waste programs,

utility systems, and law enforcement agencies. However, many

tribal communities are located in rural and remote areas with

underdeveloped infrastructure and high rates of poverty, thereby

lacking access and the means to provide adequate training in

environmental or occupational health and safety compared to

other parts of the country.

Additionally, many tribal communities face unique hazards due

to local contaminated sites. For example, many Superfund sites

needing remediation are located on or near tribal lands. Also,

tribal communities contend with contamination and hazardous

conditions from oil and natural gas exploration, as well as illegal

methamphetamine laboratory sites.

The COVID-19 pandemic also presented challenges for

tribal communities. Infection rates in many American Indian

communities were higher than in the general population. Many

tribes enacted lockdowns of tribal land, which meant a loss

of revenue from tourism and other industries. It also meant

WTP trainers were often unable to enter tribal lands to deliver

training. To help tribal communities overcome these challenges,

NIEHS WTP developed health and safety resources on COVID-19

for workers and communities. WTP grantees also pivoted to

offer training online, particularly in the early phases of the

pandemic. Through grantee-led training, tribal workers gained

skills and knowledge to safely handle hazardous materials

and respond to emergencies and disasters. Similarly, tribal

workers and communities gained more knowledge about how

to navigate, respond to, and prevent exposure to infectious

agents, like COVID-19.

NIEHS WTP also recognizes the importance of inviting tribal

stakeholders to the table and listening to their concerns. This

dialogue helps NIEHS WTP and grantees better understand the

various challenges that persist in tribal communities and nd

appropriate solutions. In early 2021, the Federal Interagency

Working Group on Environmental Justice’s (EJ IWG) EJ and

Natural Disaster Subcommittee, co-led by NIEHS WTP, hosted

three virtual Regional Town Hall Meetings. The purpose of the

Town Hall Meetings was to gain a better understanding of how

natural disasters impact minority, low-income, and underserved

communities, and how the federal government can better

provide support to these communities to prepare and respond to

their needs before, during, and after natural disasters.

A welcome sign reminds residents and visitors

about precautions against COVID-19, reading,

“Entering Ft. Peck Indian Reservation. Respect

everyone and yourself.” Masks on the sign’s

Assiniboine and Sioux figures read: “social

distance, sanitize, gloves, masks.”

(Photo courtesy of AFC WST)

In the West Coast Town Hall held on March 29, 2021,

representatives from different groups spoke on tribal

concerns. Alaska Operations Ofce (Environmental Protection

Ofce Region 10), Hoopa Valley Tribe, and Native American

Environmental Protection Coalition representatives participated.

Community members and volunteers in western states received

a three-hour disaster response follow-up training April 7 from

two WTP grantees, Western Region Universities Consortium and

Alabama Fire College. Representatives from the Fallon Paiute-

Shoshone Tribe and the National Tribal Emergency Management

Council discussed how they handle disasters and emergency

response within American Indian tribes.

In October 2022, NIEHS WTP participated in DOE’s Hazardous

Materials Management and Emergency Response Tribal

Committee meeting. Participating organizations shared the

Biden Administration’s new Memorandum of Agreement (MOA)

on streamlining funding for vocational training and workforce

development among American Indians and Alaska Natives.

The MOA shares goals with WTP for training and workforce

development among historically underserved populations, such

as American Indians and Alaska Natives.

Tribes and Alaska Native Villages Reached

In program years 2018 through 2022, WTP provided training to 105 American Indian tribal nations or Alaska Native villages in 30

states. Training efforts have reached these populations in nine of the 10 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services regions.

Figure 1 shows the number of tribes and Alaska Native Corporations

* There are 13 Alaska Native Corporations (ANCs), which were organized under the laws of the State of Alaska in accordance with the Alaska Native

Claims Settlement Act, as amended (43 U.S.C. 1601, et seq.) Alaska Native Villages and Communities are found within these ANCs. See the Alaska

Department of Natural Resources.

reached in each state. States with the highest number of tribes

or Alaska Native Corporations reached through training inc

lude Alaska, Arizona, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma,

South Dakota, Washington, and Wisconsin. Figure 2 shows the geographic spread of trainees across Alaska, including 13 Alaska

Native Villages under 6 Alaska Native Corporations.

A full list of tribes, Alaska Native Corporations, and Alaska Native Villages that received training in program years 2018 through 2022

is available at the end of this document.

Figure 1. Tribal Nations and Alaska Native Corporations Reached Through NIEHS WTP Training

in the U.S. (2018 – 2022 Program Years)

This map displays the

number of tribal nations and

Alaska Native Corporations

reached within the U.S. It is

important to note that tribal

nation boundaries extend

beyond state boundaries;

therefore, some tribal

nations are accounted for in

more than one state.

Trainees from the Rural Alaska Community

Environmental Job Training (RACEJT)

program’s 2021 class learn to use equipment

needed to safely handle dangerous chemicals.

The RACEJT program is facilitated by Zender

Environmental Health and Research Group, a

partner of the University of Washington (UW).

UW is a member of the WTP-funded Western

Region Universities Consortium. RACEJT

reaches trainees from some of the most

remote Alaska Native Villages. (Photo courtesy of

Zender Environmental Health and Research Group)

Trainees from the RACEJT program train on safe

decontamination practices. (Photo courtesy of Zender

Environmental)

A 2021 RACEJT graduate works in his new

job as a refrigerant recovery technician in

Kongiganak, Alaska. (Photo courtesy of Zender

Environmental)

Figure 2. Zip Codes in Alaska Represented by Alaska Native Trainees of the NIEHS WTP (2018 – 2022 Program Years)

This map shows the zip codes

represented by Alaska Native

trainees during WTP program years

2018 through 2022, including 13

Alaska Native Villages and tribes in

which WTP trainees reside.

Trainings by the Numbers

Figure 3 shows the number of workers trained and contact hours achieved for each of these grantees in program year 2022.

Figure 3. This chart shows the number of American Indian and Alaska Native workers trained during the NIEHS WTP 2022

program year by grantee. The seven grantees with specific programs and partnerships focused on training tribal members are

shown. Contact hours represent the number of hours of training provided multiplied by the number of people trained.

• CCCHST/ PETE: Community College Consortium for Health and Safety Training/Partnership for Environmental Technology

and Education

• WRUC: Western Region Universities Consortium

• AFC WST: Alabama Fire College Workplace Safety Training

• IBT: International Brotherhood of Teamsters

• UAW: International Union, United Auto Workers

• SCEO TMC: Steelworkers Charitable and Educational Organization Tony Mazzocchi Center

• ICWUC: International Chemical Workers Union Council

Grantee Training Highlights

The following examples highlight training accomplishments by NIEHS WTP grantees

who have specic programs and partnerships focused on training American Indians

and Alaska Natives.

Nationwide Training: Building Capacity for American Indians in

Hazardous Chemical Safety and Awareness

The Alabama Fire College Workplace Safety Training (AFC WST) program

delivers training to American Indian tribes focusing on emergency response, disaster

preparedness, and incident command.

Partnerships with external organizations have enabled AFC WST to gain a broad reach.

By working with the Native American Fish and Wildlife Society and United South and

Eastern Tribes, AFC WST connects with tribal members across the country for training,

such as those employed by law enforcement, emergency medical services, re service,

natural resource, and public works agencies. Additionally, American Indian trainees

learn how to pass on knowledge and training methods to others in their tribes through

WST’s peer training courses.

To address the COVID-19 pandemic, AFC WST pivoted to offering some courses online

– broadening the overall reach – and made needed updates to training equipment.

Also, AFC WST and the Deep South Biosafety Worker Training Program, a former

grantee based at the University of Alabama, adapted Ebola/Infectious Disease training

materials to a one-hour online training course offered to American Indian tribes.

During the 2022 program year, AFC WST provided training to 23 tribes in 14 states.

Specically, AFC WST delivered 22 courses on hazardous materials and emergency

response to 227 American Indian responders and hazardous waste workers with 2,696

contact hours of training. These trainings have reached American Indian tribes in all

U.S. regions.

TOP: Trainees practice HazMat control

techniques. AFC WST provided HazMat

technician training to Duck Valley Shoshone

Tribe members who are part of a county-wide

team that provides mutual aid response for the

northeast region of Nevada.

(Photo courtesy of AFC WST)

BOTTOM: Trainees from the St. Regis Mohawk

Tribe in New York learn to put on oxygen masks

and HazMat suits during hazardous waste

worker training. Practicing suiting up with an

experienced trainer helps tribe members prepare

to act quickly to protect themselves and their

communities in an emergency.

(Photo courtesy of AFC WST)

Some examples of the trainees reached by AFC WST from 2018 to 2022 include:

• Alabama—Trainees represent the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, a tribe AFC WST has

been working with for two decades. The training has focused on incident command

and HazMat. Since Hurricane Katrina, the tribe has become a regional leader in

emergency response for severe storms and HazMat incidents. In fact, the tribe’s

emergency preparedness coordinator continues to be involved in AFC WST’s advisory

board activities.

• New York—Trainees represent the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe and the Seneca Nation

of Indians. While AFC WST has had a direct partnership with the Saint Regis Mohawk

Tribe for years, the tribe is closely connected to the surrounding community, so

the 40-hour Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER),

HazMat Technician Class, and emergency response trainings benet both the tribe

and local non-tribal residents.

• Mississippi—Trainees in Mississippi represent the Mississippi Band of Choctaw

Indians, who have participated in emergency response and hazard awareness

training. Tribal conservation ofcers, emergency responders, and the housing

authority continue to benet from this training.

• Montana—During the 2022 program year, AFC WST offered a 40-hour HAZWOPER

training reaching the Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of the Fort Peck Indian

Reservation.

• Nevada—Trainees represent many tribes, including the Elko Band Tribe, Ely

Shoshone Tribe, Te-Moak Tribe, and others who are part of the Local Emergency

Planning Committee in Elko County, Nevada. Committee and tribal members receive

training focused on incident command and HazMat.

• Nationwide reach online—Thanks to AFC WST’s ability to pivot many courses online

during the COVID-19 pandemic, crucial worker safety trainings reached more than

twice as many tribes in 2021 and 2022 as in 2018 and 2019. New tribes reached

include the Catawba Indian Nation in South Carolina, Miccosukee Tribe of Indiansin

Florida, Oglala Sioux and Standing Rock Sioux Tribes in South Dakota, Oneida Nation

in Wisconsin, White Earth Nation in Minnesota, Spokane Tribe of Indians and Yakama

Nationin Washington State, and many more.

TRAINEE FEEDBACK

“The Elko Country, Nevada, Local Emergency Planning Committee has many

tribal agencies as members. Since the AFC training, we have had two incidents

where we used the training. The rst was an unknown substance discarded on

the side of the road in ve-gallon buckets. The team suited up and was able to

mitigate the incident, securing the buckets to prevent spillage and monitoring the

air. The second was a train derailment with multiple cars carrying a mixed load of

consumables, hazardous materials, and munitions. Aluminum oxide was released

into the environment from breached cars. The HazMat team was able to identify

the material, monitor the air, and provide decontamination to those exposed.

Since the class, our crews have been very well involved with keeping up their

skills. The AFC class was outstanding. It has beneted the HazMat team and laid

the foundation for development of a formalized regional HazMat team for the ve

counties in Northeast Nevada.”

– Trainee from the Elko Fire Department following a Hazardous Materials Technician

training course with AFC WST in Nevada

“Your training already saved my life. I found two barrels in a eld yesterday.

Normally, I would have just opened them, but because of your training, I knew

better. I tried to read the placards but could only make out the respiratory

sensitizer and acute toxicity symbols. I moved upwind and called in the tribe’s

Brownelds Coordinator.”

– Trainee and American Indian Training Coordinator from the Assiniboine and

Sioux Tribes of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation following a

Hazardous Waste Worker Training course with AFC WST in Montana

TOP: A trainee from the Assiniboine and Sioux Tribe

of the Fort Peck Reservation in Montana learns how

to suit up in protective gear during his 40-hour

HAZWOPER training with the AFC WST program.

(Photo courtesy of AFC WST)

BOTTOM: A barrel with a shredded label appears in a

field on Fort Peck Indian Reservation, in the territory

of the Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes. Because of

AFC WST training, reservation employees knew the

contents were hazardous and treated the barrel with

appropriate caution.

(Photo courtesy of AFC WST)

Partnering with Colleges to Deliver Disaster and Emergency

Preparedness Training

The Community College Consortium for Health and Safety Training, administered by

the National Partnership for Environmental Technology Education (PETE), partners

with over 130 community, technical, or tribal colleges; universities; businesses; and

community-based organizations across the nation to deliver disaster-preparedness

training.

Tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) are integral and essential to their communities,

creating environments that foster American Indian culture, languages, and traditions.

There are roughly 32 accredited TCUs in the U.S. They are often the only postsecondary

institutions within some of the nation’s poorest rural areas. They also serve as

community resources for crucial social services and add hope to communities that

suffer from high rates of poverty and unemployment.

TCUs nationwide have faced ups and downs with student enrollment and faculty

retention due to the impacts of COVID-19. Signicant budget cuts and layoffs, as well

as a loss in student registrations, impacted these schools during the pandemic. Despite

these challenges, PETE worked with TCUs to deliver training virtually. For example, in

March 2021, PETE delivered an online Occupational Safety and Health Administration

(OSHA) 10-hour Construction course and OSHA 15-hour Disaster Site Worker course for

Saginaw Chippewa tribal community personnel and tribal members among the faculty,

staff, and students at Saginaw Chippewa College, a tribal college located in Mount

Pleasant, Michigan.

Saginaw Chippewa College also serves as PETE’s liaison to recruit college instructors

from other TCUs and local tribal government employees, so they are prepared to

deliver disaster-preparedness training to their communities. In 2022, the college liaison

connected PETE with Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College in Newtown, North Dakota, and

in April, PETE was able to deliver an OSHA 10-hour Construction course and 15-hour

Disaster Site Worker course for tribal college personnel and tribal community leaders.

PETE also has a longstanding partnership with Prince William Sound College in Valdez,

Alaska. Since 1998, this college has assisted Alyeska Pipeline Service Company in

conducting annual oil spill-response and disaster-response training, to prepare for any

possible tanker leaks or oil pipeline leaks within the Prince William Sound Fishing Fleet.

The college and company deliver oil-spill-response training to local shing vessels,

many of which are owned or operated by American Indian tribal members. Several

trainees have successfully gained oil sector employment in the area.

During program year 2022, PETE partnered with Prince William Sound College to

deliver oil spill and response courses in the ports of Kodiak, Homer, Whittier, Cordova,

and Valdez, Alaska. This training involves a combination of virtual, classroom, and

A Prince William Sound College student takes

part in oil spill-response training on a fishing

vessel as part of WTP grantee Partnership for

Environmental Technology Education’s disaster-

response program. (Photo courtesy of PETE)

TRAINEE FEEDBACK

I appreciate that the PETE Instructor

was such an interactive, funny, and

kind teacher. He made it easy to stay

engaged in the content. I learned

a lot of material I have never been

exposed to before and I’m very

grateful I had the opportunity to take

this class. Although the class was

virtual, the instructor made it seem

like we were all in the classroom.

– Trainee in the 2022 Nueta Hidatsa

Sahnish College training

hands-on work using the response and clean-up equipment and is conducted both on

the shing vessels and in the port.

Additionally, from 2021 to 2022, two trainees – one from Navajo Technical University

in New Mexico and another from Zender Environmental Health and Research Group

in Alaska – completed PETE’s GreatEST Institute. The GreatEST (Great Environmental

Safety Training) Institute is a two-week train-the-trainer event that delivers required

certications for public and private responders and workers on topics such as waste

site worker health and safety, industrial emergency response, and more. Both the

trainees who participated are now members of the Community College Consortium for

Health and Safety Training.

Alaska: Providing Job Training for Alaska Natives and Rural Villages

Many worker health and safety challenges are particularly acute in Alaska.

Transportation and infrastructure costs make certain safety practices, like the hauling

of dangerous waste out of the region, cost-prohibitive and hazardous. To help address

these challenges, the Western Region Universities Consortium (WRUC) provides

a variety of courses to tribes in Alaska through consortium member University of

Washington (UW).

The 2021 and 2022 Zender program trainees gather in Anchorage for a combined hands-on training

and graduation ceremony from the RACEJT program. (Photo courtesy of Zender Environmental)

An Alabama Fire College trainee from the

Assiniboine and Sioux Tribe of the Fort Peck

Reservation dons protective gear during

HAZWOPER training. AFC’s Worker Safety

Training program trained 227 American Indian

tribe members in 2022.

(Photo courtesy of AFC WST)

TRAINEE FEEDBACK

“Right after I nished the class, I got

hired. This training provided me with

all the skills and things I needed to

know before I got into this eld.”

– Alaska Native program participant

following environmental remediation

training from Zender Environmental,

a local partner of the University of

Washington, a WRUC member

• UW partners with Zender Environmental Health and Research Group to facilitate

their Rural Alaska Community Employment Job Training (RACEJT) program. RACEJT

provides environmental training and employment for residents in Alaska Native

Villages impacted by environmental health issues. Since villages are often remote,

few have adequate disposal methods for hazardous wastes, such as vehicle

batteries, electronics, and chemicals. Trash burning and open landlls near villages

are legal and common. To counteract health threats from these practices, Zender

trains unemployed and underemployed residents in environmental remediation work.

Lynn Zender, director of Zender Environmental, stated, “Our goal is to have trained

graduates in every community acting as rst responders.” On December 7, 2022,

Zender presented the RACEJT program to a national audience during the NIEHS

Partnerships for Environmental Public Health webinar, “Safety & Health Training for

American Indians & Alaska Natives in the Western U.S.”

• UW collaborates with the Alaska Forum on the Environment Training and

Apprenticeship Program, offering hazardous materials and waste management

training. The program provides industry-recognized trainings and job-placement

assistance for environmental and natural resource-related jobs in the state, elds

with expanding employment opportunities. The Alaska Forum travels to remote

villages to present hazardous materials training and provides online courses as

requested.

TOP: A burnbox stands in a rural community’s

landfill, surrounded by trash waiting to be burned.

BOTTOM: Broken-down equipment sits at the

edge of a landfill. When vehicles, equipment, or

electronics break or age out, it can be difficult to

remove them from the most remote and under-

resourced Alaska Native communities, which

presents hazards to health and the environment.

(Photos courtesy of Zender Environmental)

TRAINEE FEEDBACK

“This training helped me to better understand hazards in our community. It opened

my eyes. It taught me to better prevent contamination from solid waste, properly

dispose of waste, and use the proper PPE. It will help me make the community

better. My recommendation is for everyone to take this training.”

– Alaska Native program participant following environmental remediation training

from Zender Environmental, a local partner of the University of Washington, a WRUC member

Trainers and trainees from the International

Brotherhood of Teamsters gather on a famous

corner after their 40-hour Chemical Emergency

Response course in Winslow, Arizona in

March 2019.

(Photo courtesy of IBT)

Arizona and New Mexico: Delivering Training to Railroad Workers on

Tribal Reservations

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) delivers health and safety training

to workers involved in the remediation,

construction, and transport of hazardous

materials to and from U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) facilities. IBT also works

cooperatively with tribal communities living near DOE sites to increase awareness of

hazards and build capacity for emergency response.

Railroad and other transportation workers face occupational risks such as accidental

releases of hazardous materials, hazardous waste exposure during cleanup projects,

and hazardous waste and materials transported via trucks, rail cars, and intermodal

shipping containers. For rural and remote tribal nations across the U.S., these risks

are heightened by lack of proximity to and resources for extensive health and safety

training. Trainees may be learning about safety information for the rst time, despite

being employed for years.

In Winslow, Arizona, located on the outskirts of the Navajo Nation reservation, IBT

delivers OSHA-specic training courses to American Indian railroad workers. The

courses include hands-on activities, and cover topics such as general industry,

transportation security, chemical emergency response, and radiological transportation

training. These courses help railroad workers enhance their awareness and knowledge

of hazardous materials they may encounter on the job, and skills to protect their health.

For example, IBT has delivered their 40-hour Chemical Emergency Response course to

railroad workers for years, and it continues to receive positive feedback from trainees.

IBT also delivers training to railroad workers living on reservations near Albuquerque,

New Mexico. These workers support the transportation of radiological materials to

and from Los Alamos National Laboratory as well as other DOE facilities. Examples of

courses include the OSHA 10 Hour General Industry Safety and Health course and the

Condensed Modular Emergency Response Radiological Transportation Training.

Overall, by participating in the IBT courses, railroad workers receive training

certication required by OSHA standards and U.S. Department of Transportation

regulations; qualify for or continue employment; and acquire knowledge that permits

them to work more safely.

Trainees learn to identify hazardous materials

during the IBT 16-hour Modular Emergency

Response Radiological Transportation training

course in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in

November 2019. (Photo courtesy of IBT)

TRAINEE FEEDBACK

“I learned the importance of having a backup plan at home and work for situations

that may happen. I will be talking with my family about evacuations and a meeting

place, should we need them. This course is good for work and home.”

“The biggest thing I took from this class is how to respond to hazards. I had no

idea all the information provided in the Emergency Response Guidebook and New

Jersey Safety Sheets.”

“There was a gas re at my apartment complex and I went into the apartment

uninformed about the dangers of hazardous materials or knowledge of what I was

dealing with. I could have become part of the problem, had the circumstances

been different. After taking this class, my eyes have been opened about how

differently this situation could have turned out. This is not a risk I would take again

after this classroom learning.”

– Trainees from the IBT 16-hour Modular Emergency Response Radiological Transportation

Training course in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in November 2019

Trainees learn to suit up in protective gear during

the IBT 40-hour Chemical Emergency Response

course in Winslow, Arizona,

in March 2019. (Photo courtesy of IBT)

Arizona and New Mexico: Collaborating with the Bureau of Indian

Affairs in the Southwest

Arizona State University (ASU), also part of WRUC, offers courses to American Indians

in New Mexico and Arizona as part of a program coordinated with the U.S. Department

of the Interior Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), through the Navajo Region Division of

Environmental and Safety Management. ASU is the only provider of HAZWOPER

training, as well as other key hazardous materials courses, for BIA in this region. In

2022, ASU trained 196 American Indian workers in 6 courses for the BIA. Other courses

provided included Pollution Prevention and Hazard Communication.

ASU offers a number of American Indian open-enrollment courses in coordination with

the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The classes include attendees from multiple Southwest

tribes. The majority are Navajo, since the three main training sites are located in the

heart of the Navajo Nation (Tuba City and Chinle, Arizona, and Gallup, New Mexico).

A number of Hopi Nation members – a tribe surrounded by the Navajo Nation in

northeastern Arizona – are included in each class. In addition, several trainees

come from the White Mountain Apache Tribe of the Fort Apache Reservation in

eastern Arizona.

During the pandemic, ASU provided a COVID-19 awareness class to tribal members in

the Southwest through their partnership with the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

Oregon: Raising COVID-19 Awareness for Pre-Apprentices

WRUC also provides training to increase opportunities for individuals from

disadvantaged and underserved communities to obtain environmental careers. These

efforts are part of their NIEHS-funded Environmental Career Worker Training Program

(ECWTP), a unique training program area within the broader WTP.

In Portland, Oregon, WRUC member UW partners with local nonprot Constructing

Hope, a construction pre-apprenticeship program. In 2022, seven American Indians

from the metropolitan Portland area were trained. Classwork included a COVID-19

overview for students to ensure they could complete the in-person course safely, were

aware of the current pandemic conditions, and knew how to keep themselves safe.

Idaho: Delivering HAZWOPER Training for Tribes

The International Union of Operating Engineers National Training Fund (NTF)

delivers HAZWOPER training courses to members of the Nez Perce Reservation.

1 The IUOE was a WTP grantee until 2021 and thereafter became a participating organization

through CPWR–The Center for Construction Research and Training.

This training is important because it has allowed the Nez Perce Tribe to form

organizations mirroring the federal OSHA to provide occupational health and safety

oversight for the tribe.

In 2019, the International Union of Operating Engineers National Training Fund (NTF)

delivered a 40-hour HAZWOPER course on the Nez Perce Reservation. Overall support

from the tribe was excellent and a total of 18 students participated. In March 2020,

NTF postponed a 40-hour HAZWOPER course and 8-hour refresher on the Nez Perce

Reservation due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

North Dakota: Advancing Emergency Preparedness for Tribes

For nearly 20 years, WTP grantee the Midwest Consortium for Hazardous Waste

Worker Training has offered training through their consortium members to the

Three Afliated Tribes in North Dakota, preparing tribal members to act in case of

an emergency. The Three Afliated Tribes, otherwise known as the Mandan, Hidatsa,

and Arikara (MHA) Nation, are located on the Fort Berthold Reservation, which lies

at the heart of the massive Bakken oil elds. As a longtime partner of the Midwest

Consortium, the Three Afliated Tribes have built the capacity to help deliver training to

residents and emergency responders in North Dakota.

Petroleum and natural gas products from the Bakken oil elds are constantly moving in

and out of the reservation via trucks, railways, and pipelines. As a result, tribal workers

and residents on the reservation face safety hazards, including spills, tank ruptures,

TOP: A member of the Assiniboine and Sioux

Tribes of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation

attends a 40-hour HAZWOPER training in Poplar,

Montana. Attendees learned both content

knowledge and hands-on skills to identify and

handle hazardous materials.

(Photo courtesy of AFC WST)

BOTTOM: Trainees from the Rural Alaska

Community Environmental Job Training

(RACEJT) program practice resuscitation as

part of their training as hazard first-responders.

WRUC partners with Zender Environmental to

deliver training to Alaska Natives from rural

communities.

(Photo courtesy of Zender Environmental)

derailments, pipeline leaks, res, and explosions, as well as serious health risks due to

air pollution from heavy truck trafc.

To prevent or mitigate these risks, members of the Three Afliated Tribes delivered

a two-day, 16-hour training program for interagency emergency responders related

to large-volume fuel releases. The program included a tabletop exercise. The Three

Afliated Tribes training center also delivered multiple three-hour HAZWOPER

Awareness, four-hour Reporting Environmental Releases, and four-hour Personal

Protective Equipment programs.

After their training in the 16-hour program, participants said local leaders must be

brought together to understand conditions at the fuel terminal in New Town, North

Dakota, on the Fort Berthold Reservation. They also recognized tribal government

departments need to work together, and with cooperating agencies and organizations,

in the event of hazardous situations like large-scale fuel releases.

Although the COVID-19 pandemic curtailed many in-person training efforts, the Three

Afliated Tribes continued to respond to urgent needs. For example, in 2020, the

program director for the Three Afliated Tribes worked with the Federal Emergency

Management Agency to send out critical COVID-19 awareness to tribal members and

also participated in efforts to ensure isolation housing on the reservation, during the

time many hotels were being converted to housing.

Washington: Improving Tribal Capacity for Superfund Cleanup

The International Union of Operating Engineers National Training Fund (NTF)

provides training to workers and members of the Spokane Indian Tribe in Washington

State. Training is delivered to tribal workers from several departments on the

reservation, including Tribal Housing, the Tribal Environmental Department, and the

Tribal Forestry Department.

Others tribal workers are trained to protect themselves from exposure to hazardous

materials during cleanup activities at the Midnite Mine Superfund site in Washington

State, which is located within the Spokane Indian Reservation. After 30 years of

uranium mining activities at the Midnite Mine (from 1954 to 1981), roughly 2.4 million

tons of stockpiled ore and 33 million tons of waste rock remain at the site, which poses

a potential threat to health and the environment. The NTF efforts ensure that Spokane

TOP: Trainees from the Pueblo of Zia in New

Mexico take part in the classroom portion of

their HazMat training with Alabama Fire College

trainers. (Photo courtesy of AFC WST)

BOTTOM: Leadership from the Umatilla Indian

Reservation Tribal Employment Rights Office

gather with Rodrigo Toscano (center), a senior

coordinator for labor and environmental

education with the United Steelworkers Tony

Mazzocchi Center, during a Radiological Control

Technician training program.

(Photo courtesy of USW TMC)

tribal members receive HAZWOPER and OSHA Construction Outreach training, enabling

them to protect themselves and gain employment on the mine site.

Through a train-the-trainer model, the NTF also teaches tribal workers to become

course instructors so they can train others on the reservation.

The NTF’s trainings for the Midnite Mine site cleanup are funded by the NIEHS

Hazardous Waste Worker Training Program, through WTP grantee CPWR–The Center

for Construction Research and Training, and the NIEHS/DOE Nuclear Worker

Training Program.

Washington: Preparing Workers for Hazardous Materials Cleanup at

the Hanford Site

Using funds from the NIEHS/DOE Nuclear Worker Training Program, the Steelworkers

Charitable and Educational Organization Tony Mazzocchi Center (SCEO TMC)

provides health and safety trainings to protect nearby tribes from hazardous waste at

the Hanford Site in southeastern Washington. For nearly 30 years, Hanford produced

tons of plutonium for use in the atomic weapons program. Today, it is the site of one of

the world’s largest nuclear cleanup efforts, managed by DOE.

SCEO TMC works with the Tribal Employment Rights Ofce of the Confederated Tribes

and Bands of the Yakama Nation, about 20 miles from the Hanford Site, and the

Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation close by in Oregon. Recently,

two Yakama Nation youth completed SCEO TMC trainings and went on to pursue

careers as environmental health and safety specialists.

SCEO TMC is now partnering with the two Nations to bolster the tribes’ OSHA training

capabilities. The partnership provided effective training to the newly formed health

and safety training committees on tribal lands. Working closely with tribal regional

employment ofcers, the partnership was able to assess, select, and train 12 tribal

members as OSHA outreach trainers. This is the rst group of such trainers in the

region. The goal of the two partnerships is to create a corps of OSHA General Industry

trainers who can deliver crucial trainings to others in their communities. The two

Nations, and now the Nez Perce Tribe of Idaho, are currently training more members to

become OSHA construction outreach trainers.

These trainings increase the tribes’ ability to respond to incidents or emergencies that

may happen on or surrounding sites like Hanford, such as radiological events, train

derailments, underground pipe breaks or leaks, or transport truck accidents.

TRAINEE FEEDBACK

“Our tribe absolutely needs and requires your fantastic certication trainings!”

– Tribal leader from Washington State, following Incident Command System

training from AFC WST