Salazar announces online energy, environmental database for tribes
The federal government has launched a website to create an environmental information clearinghouse to support American Indian and Alaska Native traditional and renewable energy development, US Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced on March 9.
He said that the Tribal and Energy Information Clearinghouse (TEEIC), which DOI's Indian Energy and Economic Development Office and the US Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory jointly created, will be a knowledge base to assist tribes and tribal organizations in developing environmental analysis and education programs and processes to further their energy and economic development.
"The [TEEIC] is an excellent example of how we can support the goal of increasing traditional and renewable energy development on tribal lands, thereby enhancing economic development opportunities for Indian tribes while ensuring that such activities are conducted in an environmentally sound manner," Salazar said.
He said that the clearinghouse's database includes information on the various types of traditional and renewable energy development and infrastructure projects in addition to environmental best practices, ways to conduct environmental assessments for reaching decisions, and state laws and agency contacts related to energy development.
Salazar said that the database was developed from existing information, which will be augmented with environmental impact assessments as they are completed. TEEIC's online address is http://teeic.anl.gov.
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