The Village of Solomon Environmental Department has been funded by the Environmental Protection Agency under an Indian General Assistance Grant (EPA IGAP) since 2013. Each year the Village of Solomon must reapply for a new fiscal year of funding accompanied by a justified work plan of activities. 

The Environmental Department follows a Tribal Environmental Plan which serves as a living document. The Environmental Plan is an all encompassing, detailed long term list of goals for the Community. 

VOS will need new trained employees for water sampling in the Solomon Watershed. The goal is to collect as much data as possible to prevent and mitigate interference within our watershed to maintain the health of our waterways.

Renewable Energy Plan

The IGAP program developed a Renewable Energy Plan and partnered with outside entities and are currently in the implementation stages of the Renewable Energy Plan. Some accomplishments thus far are custom weatherization kits funded by a grant award from Honor The Earth as distribution for each tribal member household, have an Energy Audit performed at the Community Center and the tribal office, install a meteorological tower on a potential solar site to collect data over the time frame of 2 years as a feasibility study and is currently working on providing education and outreach to the community. Providing alternative and renewable energy in Solomon has been a longtime village priority listed on the Local Economic Development Plan, with that, the tribe was also able to purchase a renewable energy bike! While you pedal, you see how many watts you are creating and storing into the small battery bank – from there, you can charge a laptop, phones, and a light.

VOS Environmental Dept. had partnered up with Kawerak’s Energy Specialist to host a Regional Energy Planning workshop for two days in Solomon and in Nome’s Kawerak building, facilitated by the Environmental Coordinator. Deilah was also nominated to sit on the newly formed Regional Energy Leadership Committee which she has also been asked to attend the National Tribal Energy Summit in Washington D.C., September 2019. 

The VOS was awarded a Tribal Solar Accelerator Fund Grant to install a 7kW solar array rooftop system at the Solomon Community Center! VOS hired contractor, GRID Alternatives Tribal Dept. to travel to Solomon for two weeks in July 2021 to conduct training on a solar install for interested Bering Strait Regional registrants and to perform the full install. Completion install date; July 30.

ARENA

In the renewable energy efforts in the Environmental Dept, the Environmental Coordinator applied for ARENA. “The Arctic Remote Energy Networks Academy (ARENA) was approved for a second cohort by the Sustainable Development Working Group in September 2019. The project is co-led by Gwich’in Council International, Canada, The United States and Iceland, and aims to bring participants from the circumpolar Arctic together for learning, knowledge sharing, mentorship and community site visits to build energy projects in their own communities and regions.” Deilah was selected to participate but due to COVID19, some of the on-site visits have been postponed. Regardless, ARENA does plan to ensure all activities, curriculum, mentorship and learning will take place with an extended timeframe.

The implementation phase of the renewable energy plan consists of many grant applications in order to accomplish such an incredible mission, to become a live city again for the community.

This department is always open to hearing suggestions or ideas that have any regard to the environment and moving forward in serving our community in full capacity.

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