Tribal Air Monitoring Support Center (TAMS) Steering Committee, Charter

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TAMS Center Steering Committee, Charter

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Preamble

Purpose of this document
Goals
Participation
Membership, Officers, Duties, Elections, Terms of Office
Meetings, Decision Making, and Responsibilities of the Steering Committee
Charter Review and Amendment

Preamble

The mission of the Tribal Air Monitoring Support (TAMS) Center is to develop tribal capacity to assess, understand, and prevent environmental impacts that adversely affect health, culture, and natural resources. Prioritizing tribal environmental concerns and issues, and responding to shifting tribal air-quality needs, are two key processes that will help to accomplish the TAMS mission.

Fundamental to the TAMS mission is technical training of tribal professionals and technical assistance in air quality measurements. "Air monitoring support," as identified in the Center's title, is construed broadly and includes:

monitoring program design,
equipment selection,
operation and maintenance,
quality assurance,
data management, and
reporting.

In addition to training, tribes will gain assistance in technical and analytical services until satisfactory long-term technical support can be secured. As the TAMS Center matures, tribal governments will seek additional training and support as needs arise and other training options become unavailable or unaffordable.

As the TAMS Center endeavors to support tribal priorities for air quality measurements and associated activities, other needs for environmental technical training and support will continue to arise. For example, most tribal environmental programs cover all media and oversee all of the tribe's natural resources, so in many cases, a broad-based training regimen may be required. We have also come to recognize that many environmental contaminants migrate among air, water, land, and living organisms. Effective management strategies for such contaminants require a clear understanding of contaminant concentrations, fate and transport among all media, and pathways of harm.

Such a multimedia perspective should not be surprising: Most Native American cultures emphasize the intimate relationship and connections among all things, and that awareness is directly applicable to resource management. Protection of air resources is an inherent part of a broader commitment to sustain all tribal lands and resources. This multimedia approach is not only consistent with tribal perspectives but is also the most efficient and effective means of addressing tribal needs for environmental monitoring and assessment. The TAMS Center will continue to develop strategically as tribal governments identify and prioritize objectives for environmental monitoring support. From this perspective, it may be appropriate to assume that the TAMS Center will eventually become the Tribal Environmental Monitoring Support (TEMS) Center.

The TAMS Center represents a collaborative effort among the tribes, ITEP, and EPA to address tribal environmental program development needs. TAMS Center programs are designed to comply with all applicable federal regulations.

Purpose of This Document
This charter sets forth the basic goals, principles, and operating procedures for the TAMS Center Steering Committee. The role of the Steering Committee is to:
- provide timely guidance and information to the Tribal Air Monitoring Support (TAMS) Center staff,
- inform the development and maintenance of the Center, and
- ensure that the TAMS Center reflects tribal air monitoring needs and concerns.
Development of the TAMS Center is heavily dependent on dialog with tribes. The Steering Committee serves as a primary mechanism for this dialog.
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Goals
The goals of the TAMS Center Steering Committee, and of the TAMS Center, are to:
- provide a centralized point of contact for tribal air monitoring training, technical support, issues and information;
- respond to evolving tribal environmental program needs by developing and implementing recommendations reflecting current tribal air monitoring issues;
- promote and strengthen tribes' efforts to manage environmental programs through technical training and support and building tribal program capacity; and
- facilitate intertribal dialog among environmental professionals, encouraging the exchange of knowledge and information.
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Participation
All federally recognized tribal and intertribal environmental staff, and others engaged in tribal environmental-quality issues, are eligible to use the services of the TAMS Center and participate in its programs. Other individuals may also use TAMS Center services at the discretion of the Steering Committee and TAMS Center.
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Membership, Officers, Duties, Elections, Terms of Office
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1. Membership
  1. Steering Committee membership is open to any individual affiliated with a federally recognized tribe or intertribal group and engaged in tribal environmental quality issues. Membership shall be determined by nomination and election.
  2. The Steering Committee is composed of seven voting members and seven ex officio members1. Each of the seven voting members must be affiliated with a federally recognized tribe or intertribal group and engaged in tribal environmental quality issues. The ex officio members shall be appointed as follows:
    - one by the ITEP Director,
    - one by the EPA Headquarters Office of Air and Radiation Director,
    - one by the EPA ORIA Las Vegas Office Director,
    - one by the EPA OAQPS Office Director,
    - one by the regional EPA Tribal Air Coordinator who is currently serving as the lead for tribal air issues,
    - one by the National Tribal Environmental Council, and
    - one by the National Tribal Air Association.
  3. The Steering Committee shall be established effective October 1, 2000. The voting membership consists of the members of the Interim Steering Committee established in Washington D.C. in Winter, 2000. The Steering Committee members shall serve terms of one or two years, to be determined by the Interim Committee members prior to October 1, 2000. All subsequent terms shall last for two years.
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2. Nominations, Elections, Terms
  1. Any person engaged in tribal environmental quality issues may make nominations. Once an individual is nominated, the TAMS Center Administrative Assistant will send a letter of notification of nomination to the nominee and to his or her supervisor. To be eligible to participate as a member of the Steering Committee, each nominee must have authorization from an appropriate elected official or his or her supervisor.
  2. Nominees must be affiliated with a federally recognized tribe or intertribal group and must be engaged in tribal environmental quality issues.
  3. Voting members of the Steering Committee shall elect individuals from the pool of nominees to fill open seats on the Steering Committee. The intent of the Steering Committee is to provide broad, regional representation. Such representation is one consideration for member selection.
  4. The voting members shall serve staggered two-year terms that begin October 1 and expire September 30. There are no term limits. Ex officio members shall be appointed and replaced by ITEP and EPA at their discretion.
  5. If a steering committee seat should become vacant before the normal expiration of the term, the Chairperson shall request nominations for the vacated position. After receiving the nominations, the Chairperson shall convene the Steering Committee physically or through other means (written or oral), and the Committee shall vote to elect the new member to complete the term of the vacated steering committee seat.
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3. Officers, Duties of Officers
  1. Chairperson. The Chairperson shall facilitate, or designate a facilitator, for discussion and consensus during Steering Committee meetings. The Chairperson may convene separate subcommittees to accomplish goals and objectives. If the Chairperson cannot attend a Steering Committee meeting, the Vice-Chairperson shall be designated to act in his or her place. The Chairperson shall be elected by the Steering Committee through majority vote.
  2. Vice-Chairperson. The Vice-Chairperson is responsible for ensuring that the Administrative Assistant or designee creates a written record of all meetings, teleconferences, and discussions, as well as arranging for the transmittal of this information to all members of the Steering Committee, and other individuals as identified. The Vice-Chairperson shall be elected by the Steering Committee through majority vote.
  3. The terms of office for the Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson shall be one year.
  4. Administrative Assistant. The Administrative Assistant shall be responsible for
    - scheduling meetings;
    - notifying Committee members of meetings and agenda items;
    - creating a written record of Steering Committee meetings, teleconferences, and discussions; and
    - providing logistical support as necessary.
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Meetings, Decision Making, and Responsibilities of the Steering Committee
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1. Meetings, Recommendations
  1. The Steering Committee provides recommendations to the TAMS Center staff. The TAMS Center staff reviews the recommendations for feasibility and other concerns and reports their findings to the Steering Committee. The TAMS Center staff may also bring recommendations to the Steering Committee for review.
  2. The Steering Committee meets quarterly, with additional meetings and conference calls as necessary. More than half of the voting members must be present to constitute a quorum. One meeting per year shall be a non-technical meeting intended in part to provide information accessible to the layperson. Agendas and reports shall be made available to the public through the Internet or other means. All meetings shall be open.
  3. Steering Committee members should make every effort to participate in meetings. If they cannot participate, they may submit in writing their comments and recommendations prior to the meeting. A Steering Committee member may designate another member, in writing, as a proxy for voting purposes. Regular absence from meetings may lead to replacement of a member. Members may not appoint an alternate representative to participate in their absence. In the event that an individual Steering Committee member anticipates enough absences to warrant appointing an alternate, the Steering Committee may elect to replace that member.
  4. Under direction of the Vice-Chairperson, the Administrative Assistant shall submit a call for topics to all members at least 30 days prior to a scheduled meeting.
  5. Under direction of the Vice-Chairperson, the Administrative Assistant shall submit a draft agenda to all members at least 15 days prior to a scheduled meeting.
  6. Under direction of the Vice-Chairperson, the Administrative Assistant shall accept agenda items from all members up to 7 days prior to a scheduled meeting.
  7. The Co-Directors of the TAMS Center shall make periodic reports to the Steering Committee on
    - expenditures,
    - budget development, and
    - accomplishments.
  8. The Administrative Assistant shall be responsible for distributing copies of meeting proceedings and Steering Committee recommendations to all Steering Committee members, and to identified TAMS Center staff.
  9. Discussions and divergent viewpoints on all decisions and discussion points shall be reflected in the meeting minutes. Individual votes and names of voting members shall be recorded.
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2. Decision Making Processes
  All Steering Committee members, voting and non-voting, may participate in deliberations and discussion related to Steering Committee decision making. However, only voting members may vote in the consensus and majority voting processes outlined below. All members are responsible for representing the TAMS Center in their day-to-day communications with others.
  1. Consensus. Recommendations for the TAMS Center shall be based on consensus, including determining priorities for each fiscal year and recommending budget allocations.
  2. Majority Vote. Simple majority vote shall be the method used for elections, modifications to the Charter, and other similar decisions, as determined by the Steering Committee.
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3. Responsibilities
  The Steering Committee shall advise the TAMS Center staff regarding the following:
  1. tribal priorities and evolving concerns. (ITEP and the TAMS Center will also play a role in assessing these issues);
  2. the development and/or implementation of TAMS Center training programs, facilities and physical resources; clearinghouse and repository services, functions and development; and program development priorities for TAMS Center activities;
  3. the development of channels for communication between tribal staff and other interested parties and the TAMS Center on matters relative to TAMS activities; and
  4. any other recommendations related to implementation of the mission and goals of the TAMS Center.
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Charter Review and Amendment
The Charter shall be reviewed and amended as necessary upon vote of all voting Steering Committee members. Ex officio, ITEP and TAMS Center staff members may provide recommendations to the voting membership.

Randy Ashley, Air Quality Program Manager
Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes, Montana

Les Benedict, Assistant Director of Environmental Programs
St. Regis Band of Mohawk Indians, New York

TallChief Comet, Environmental Programs Director
Blue Lake Rancheria, California

Darrel Harmon, Air Quality Manager
Penobscot Nation, Maine

Rose Lee, Air Quality Specialist
Yakama Nation, Washington

B. Bobby Ramirez, Air Quality Engineer
Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, Arizona

Ben Stevens, Air Quality Technician
Council of Athabascan Tribal Governments, Alaska

Joy Wiecks, Air Quality Technician
Fond du Lac Band of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota

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