Environmental Protection Department
Our ancestors lived in harmony with the land for thousands of years. They understood that people are interconnected to their natural environment and that the Earth’s resources should be used without depleting or destroying them.
Preserving the integrity of our natural resources for future generations is of utmost concern to our Tribe. Our Environmental Protection Department (EPD) is tasked with protecting the land, air, and water resources of the Jamul Indian Village of California reservation. The EPD incorporates the knowledge of our people’s rich traditions with today’s modern technologies to best manage our precious natural resources.
Project Areas
In addition to promoting environmental awareness, the EPD plays an important role in the operations of our Tribe. For example, as part of the planning and construction of our casino, we undertook a major environmental impact review of the project, which assessed the project’s impact on air and water quality, noise and dark sky ordinances, and the facility’s imprint on the land and surrounding community. Significant changes were made to the facility’s design to incorporate environmental concerns, including reducing the size and footprint of the casino and incorporating water and wastewater reclamation facilities into the project.
Environmental Protection Department project areas include:
- Air
- Waste Management
- GIS
- Water
- Education & Outreach
- Climate Change
- Natural Resources
- Emergency Response
- Recycling
Water
Water is the source of life; the Jamul Indian Village of California (JIVoC) since time immemorial have protected the natural resources throughout their ancestral territory. The JIVoC Environmental Protection Department water programs priorities assist in the protection of the water for the Tribal community and their future generations.
Education and Outreach Materials:
- What is Non-Point Source (NPS) Pollution
- How to Save Water and Reduce Polluted Runoff
- Drought Facts & Conservation
- How Do Droughts Affect Invasive Species
Education and Outreach
The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) provides environmental education and outreach for Tribal members and the community at large. Programs are focused on all ages with interactive actives. The EPD develops newsletters, informational handouts, presentations, educational craft projects, and more. The EPD host booths at several events throughout the year including Tribal Earth Days, environmental meetings, and other public events.
Climate Adaptation
In preparation for climate impacts, the Jamul Indian Village of California through the Environmental Protection Department developed a Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment in 2023 and Climate Adaptation Plan in 2024. Exposure impacts were determined that could impact the health, social, natural, and built environments. These direct exposure impacts included temperature extremes, wildfire, storms & flooding, drought and sea level rise. As direct exposures these are priorities that are considered for awareness in preparation for emergency response and planning tasks in all facets of community safety for the future.
Climate adaptation planning offers security and protection for the community members and other resources while reducing potential climate change impacts.
Education and Outreach Materials:
- How to Save Water and Reduce Polluted Runoff?
- Drought Facts & Conservation
- How Do Droughts Affect Invasive Species?
- Coastal Concerns
- How does Wildfire Impact Watersheds?
Air
Jamul Indian Village of California is situated downwind from the prevailing winds that pass over more than 1 million of the 3 million population in San Diego County. In addition, long range transport from offshore shipping, the Los Angeles metropolitan area and Mexico contribute to the Jamul airshed. The area has historically been in non-attainment for ozone and particulate pollution. Ozone precursors are highly concentrated in cities, and they commonly travel downwind to rural areas to form ozone.
AirNow https://www.airnow.gov/?city=Jamul&state=CA&country=USA an EPA website can be checked daily for air quality data in your area. The site hosts a wilfire smoke map, educational information and a mobile app.
Education and Outreach Materials:
- Bees & Air Quality
Tribal Emergency Response Commission (TERC)
Under Title III of the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) 1986, the Emergency Planning & Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) was enacted by Congress as the national legislation on community safety. This law is designed to assist local communities protect public health, safety, and the environment from chemical hazards. The U.S. EPA (EPA) published a final rule designating Tribes and their chief executive officers as the implementing authority for EPCRA on all Tribal lands. This also gave Tribes the responsibility of either joining a state emergency response commission or local emergency planning committee (SERC or LEPC) or the option to begin a Tribal Emergency Response Commission (TERC).
The EPA’s policy is to work with Tribes on a government-to-government basis in implementing the requirements of EPCRA. EPCRA contains four major provisions: planning for chemical emergencies, emergency notification of chemical accidents and releases, reporting of hazardous chemical inventories, and toxic chemical release reporting.
The Jamul Indian Village of California developed its Tribal Emergency Response Commission (TERC) in 2020. The TERC includes Tribal Government officials, department heads, security, facilities, risk management, gaming commission and Tribal members along with federal, state, and local partners including fire, police and sheriff departments. The TERC was formed to fulfill emergency response preparedness planning and training needs, along with fulfilling EPCRA responsibilities. At this time the Tribe is a Temproary Evacuation Point (TEP) for the county of San Diego and assisted in response as a TEP during the Border 32 Fire in August 2022, hosting 250 evcuees. The TERC holds annual scenarios to bolster constant awareness on a variety of subjects including wildfire and hazardous chemical spills. Each time an active event occurs the TERC is activated and becomes part of Incident Command (IC).
Education and Outreach Materials:
- Home Emergency Response Brochure
- Accessible Earthquake Protective Actions Flyer
- Seven Steps Earthquake Safety Flyer
- Seven Steps Key Facts Flyer
Recycling
The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) define “solid waste” as any garbage or refuse, sludge from a wastewater treatment plant, water supply treatment plant, or air pollution control facility and other discarded material, resulting from industrial, commercial, mining, and agricultural operations, and from community activities. Nearly everything we do leaves behind some kind of waste. The definition of solid waste is not limited to wastes that are physically solid. Many solid wastes are liquid, semi-solid, or contained gaseous material.
Several materials are excluded from the definition of solid waste. These materials are excluded for a variety of reasons, including public policy, economic impacts, regulation by other laws, lack of data, or impracticability of regulating the waste.
Under RCRA, the U.S. EPA’s Tribal Waste Management Program encourages environmentally sound waste management practices that promote resource conservation through recycling, recovery, reduction, clean up, and elimination of waste. The Tribal Waste Management Program provides national policy direction and assists Tribes with the management of their waste. The main priority, intended to address the most pressing waste-related environmental issues on Tribal lands, is the promotion of sustainable Tribal waste management programs through the development and implementation of Integrated Waste Management Plans.
The Tribe’s Integrated Solid Waste Management Plan guides the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) in building Tribal capacity to improve solid waste management strategies going forward. The EPD attends training on solid waste topics and provides education and outreach on recycling issues.
Border 2025
In early 2026 the next phase of the Border Program will begin with the Border 2035 program. Tribes will once again be working to have a seat at the table and to rectify the short comings of the current program and enhance any areas that may currently exist.