Tribal Superfund Working Group

Dino Chavarria is the director for the Santa Clara Pueblo Office of Environmental Affairs. He oversees diverse programs dedicated to the protection of Pueblo resources such a Water Quality, Solid Waste, Superfund and Non-Point Source Pollution. The Pueblo is impacted by the North Railroad Avenue Plume Superfund site, which is comprised of multiple shallow and deep groundwater plumes of chlorinated solvents from a dry cleaner. The site was turned over to the State of New Mexico in 2019 after 10 years of remediation efforts by EPA Region 6. The site is within the exterior boundaries of the Pueblo. Monitoring wells and a treatment system were placed on Pueblo lands to assist in the clean-up of the site.

Kristen Hanson serves as the Environmental Response Program Coordinator and Environmental Specialist for the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians located in northern Wisconsin.  Her work focuses on assessment and cleanup of contaminated sites.  Kristen holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Geology from the University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire. 

Alex James is the environmental program manager for the Yakutat Tlingit Tribe. He lives in Yakutat, Alaska and works, fishes, and hunts throughout the usual and accustomed areas of the Tribe all around Yakutat. Alex manages planning and on -the-ground removal actions and cleanup work performed by trained and qualified Tribal members. This work is supported by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Native American Lands Environmental Mitigation Program (NALEMP) and EPA Tribal Response Program. Alex brings several years of experience in construction management and conducting work in the forests of Southeast Alaska. Alex has accomplished a series of successful removal actions and site investigations that have contributed to the cleanup of Tribal lands and protection of Tribal resources since 2008. 

Summer King is the Environmental Scientist for the Quapaw Nation’s Environmental Department. She has a Master’s Degree in Industrial Management, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Management. She primarily works on the Tar Creek Superfund Site in northeast Oklahoma, in partnership with the EPA, State of Oklahoma, and the Quapaw Nation. Summer is charged with conducting sampling activities on active superfund remediation sites, and is involved in the remediation process from planning to final reporting. Summer is also a liaison to Colleges and Universities wanting to do research at Tar Creek. As such, she can be found doing everything from migratory bird point counts to acid mine discharge analysis. Summer is a proud citizen of the Cherokee Nation, and serves on the Tribal Superfund Working Group Advisory Council.

Aanii. Traven ndizhnikaaz. Waabizhiish ndodem. Baawating Ojibwe ndodabendaagwaz. My name is Traven Michaels, I am of the Marten clan, I am Ojibwe and I am from Petoskey. I graduated from Central Michigan University in May 2015 with a Bachelor of Science. My specific degree was a double major in Environmental Science and Land Use Planning. I am currently the Environmental Response Specialist with LTBB, which puts me in charge of the brownfields and environmental emergency response program.   I have lived in this area for most of my life and have a deep connection to the land, water, wildlife and people of Northwestern Michigan. I am actively passionate about protecting our environment and unique natural resources both on and off the job. During my free time I enjoy disc golfing, backpacking, playing and writing music, camping, geocaching, kayaking, spending time with friends and family and anything outdoors. I am beyond grateful to be able to apply my education and my skills to ensure that our beautiful home is here for the next seven generations to enjoy.

Rebecca is the Program Manager for the Coeur d’Alene Tribe’s Lake Management Department-Hazardous Waste Management Program. She also serves the role as the Restoration Coordinator with the Restoration Partnership. Rebecca has been working on water quality related issues for over 15 years and in 2009, she was co-author of the Coeur d’Alene Lake Management Plan. Rebecca represents the Tribe in the Bunker Hill Mining and Metallurgical Complex Superfund Site working with EPA while implementing their remedy for the Basin. She is also the Tribe’s technical representative on the Restoration Partnership for which all Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) claims have been settled and on the ground restoration work will commence in 2019. Rebecca continues to work with other Tribes on NRDA issues while coordinating with the United States Department of the Interior.

Rebecca is a proud member of the Tribal Waste and Response Steering Committee where she also serves on the Tribal Superfund Work Group Advisory Council. She is very honored to work for the Coeur d’Alene Tribe and is proud to be a part of restoring natural resources in the Coeur d’Alene Basin.

Laurie Suter works for the Tohono O’odham Nation Department of Natural Resources Mining Office as the Mineral Resources Administrator since Nov 26, 2014.   She has extensive experience comprised in environmental assessments, laboratory analysis, soils, mineral and oil/gas exploration, and reclamation.  The Tohono O’odham Nation’s mine site issues include two active copper mines, as well as about 90 claims and hundreds of abandoned mine-scarred sites.  Her education includes biology, geology, teaching, and art.