EPA signs MOU with Tribes

WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. EPA's Assistant Administrators, Luis Luna, from the Office of Administration, Resources Management and Jim Guillford, from the Office of Prevention, Pesticides, and Toxic Substances announced on February 7, 2007 the official signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Salish Kootenai College and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and the Office of Administration, Resources Management and the Office of Prevention, Pesticides, and Toxic Substances. The signing ceremony was held at the Russell Senate Building and is hosted by the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs.

The Memorandum of Understanding provides an opportunity for EPA and the Salish Kootenai College and the Confederated Salish Kootenai Tribes to increase our ability to address our mutual environmental challenges in the future by increasing the numbers of qualified and diverse candidates for environmental careers and to expand opportunities for faculty enrichment and undergraduate and graduate student training with emphasis upon sciences, technology and related environmental sciences. The MOU also supports the President's Management agenda for Strategic Management on Human Capitol and the Presidential Executive Order 13270 on Tribal Colleges and Universities. The MOU also promotes Tribal environmental capacity, and effective communications to address mutual environmental issues and concerns.

"This culminates the efforts of numerous people over the last two years" said Rich Janssen, CSKT Division Manager of Environmental Protection. "We fully expect in the future to be able to provide a place of employment and experience for SKC students who are future federal EPA employees."