We extend a heartfelt THANK YOU to everyone who contacted their representatives and offered TIFO support these last six weeks. We lost, regained… lost, regained… and then lost access to our EPA funds for our collaboration with the Shoshone-Paiute Tribe SPT. As of today, we cannot access EPA grant funds for the project — and we’re not alone. However, we are committed to achieving our project goals and continue to chart a path forward with SPT. We expect this will continue to be an uphill battle and are preparing ourselves for it.
We have all read about and listened to friends and colleagues describe how the cuts to federal agencies continue to impact individuals and communities. The cuts to USAID and foreign aid will undoubtedly impact our ability to support international projects. Last year, a grant from the US State Department-funded our work in Kyrgyzstan. However, the fact is that while both domestic and foreign assistance plummets, the needs of the communities we serve remain. So does our commitment to realizing a future where all communities have the knowledge and skills to protect future generations and maintain livelihoods.
Amidst the turbulence and uncertainty, we’re charting a path forward. And we even have some good news to share. Thank you for continuing to support these projects, places, and people. We’re grateful to be on this journey with you.
We continue to press on with our Shoshone-Paiute Tribe (SPT) partners on the Duck Valley Indian Reservation. Despite the turbulence of the past six weeks and suspension of our grant funds, we remain steadfast in our commitment to support the Tribe in developing and implementing an innovative strategy for SPT to use when engaging in government-to-government consultation on mining on their lands. There is a proposed change to how the government manages projects on public lands that could have significant impacts on Tribes and the general public.
On February 25, 2025, the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) announced an interim final rule to rescind National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulations. This rule was prompted by Executive Order 14154, which aims to streamline the permitting process for mining on federal lands and prioritize energy development. NEPA requires federal agencies to assess the environmental impacts of proposed projects like mining and oil and gas drilling. Communities rely on NEPA to better understand the impacts of large projects (including mines, pipelines, highways, etc.). It helps ensure robust public engagement and a transparent process, as well as identifying conflicts and presenting solutions.
For Tribal communities, NEPA allows them to participate in decision-making regarding federal projects that could impact their lands and cultural resources. It gives them a seat at the table to ensure their traditional knowledge and perspectives are part of environmental assessments, to voice their concerns, and to advocate for mitigation measures to protect their sacred sites and cultural heritage. Our Shoshone-Paiute partners face unprecedented pressure from extractive industries in and around their lands.
The proposed change does not eliminate NEPA, but it does remove federal rules guiding how agencies should carry out environmental assessments under NEPA, leaving the process largely up to individual agencies. Notably, it impacts some of the directions and rules around consideration for environmental justice or cumulative impacts to overburdened communities. This could significantly weaken environmental protections and reduce input from both the Tribes and the general public.
What you can do:
The interim rule provides a public comment period, closing March 27, 2025. We strongly encourage you to make your voice heard. We have compiled talking points to make it easy for you to comment.
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and TIFO have a long-standing partnership. As a medical humanitarian organization that serves some of the world’s most isolated and impacted people, MSF has unparalleled access to populations that also experience some of the world’s most severe environmental exposures. TIFO has decades of experience in addressing environmental health crises in low-resource settings. From tanneries in Bangladesh to gold mining communities in Nigeria to communities near the former Aral Sea, the MSF-TIFO partnership addresses both immediate health needs and long-term environmental factors, ensuring that communities and governments receive support that tackles the root causes of disease and supports sustainable health improvements.
TIFO is joining MSF this spring to investigate environmental health challenges in six Eastern Europe and Central Asia countries. This project will involve desk research, field visits, and interviews to understand where new MSF/TIFO projects might be considered. Simultaneously, TIFO will develop a rapid assessment “tool” for MSF to use in future activities to determine the potential need for environmental health interventions.
We are thrilled to see the MSF-TIFO collaboration grow and honored to play a role as MSF begins to tackle environmental causes of disease in the populations they serve.
Marina Steiner (TIFO graduate student researcher) has been diving deeper into drinking water data in consultation with our partners in Karakalpakstan enhancing our ability to identify potentially highly-exposed sub-populations. And we’re fortunate to have extra hands helping with the project. Spencer Cook, a University of Idaho undergraduate student studying history and geography, is using GIS to develop maps showing the number of children exposed to unsafe drinking water. In addition, TIFO has partnered with a Washington State University Technical Writing course, and half of the class is supporting the Aral Sea project by developing outreach materials on the air sampling results, water treatment options, and outreach materials for stakeholder groups. We are grateful for their contributions to the project and are looking forward to the final projects! The results of these efforts will be used during TIFO’s May visit to Karakalpakstan.
Finally, join us in congratulating Marina, who received the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine PEER2PEER Fellowship on transboundary water resource management. She will spend two weeks in Uzbekistan supporting research on water-saving technologies in collaboration with Samarkand State University. Marina is looking forward to “diving in” to the water quantity solutions in the region and hearing perspectives from upstream of the Aral Sea. After her time in Uzbekistan, Marina and Casey Bartrem (TIFO Executive Director) will travel to Karakalpakstan to update our partners on data analysis, share outreach materials, and provide interim health intervention recommendations.
We are thrilled to announce the Partnership for Environmental Health (PEH) project in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. We are launching fieldwork in two locations this summer in partnership with the Environmental Health and Pollution Management Institute (EHPMI) and through a grant from the Sigrid Rausing Trust (SRT).
Shymkent, Kazakhstan, and Kutaisi, Georgia, face significant environmental contamination, mainly due to historic industrial activities. In Shymkent, the legacy of a now-abandoned smelter that processed lead and other metals has left the city with severe lead contamination. The now-closed smelter once produced 70% of the lead for the former Soviet Union. The legacy pollution poses serious health risks, particularly to children, who are most vulnerable to lead poisoning. Similarly, Kutaisi struggles with pollution from industrial factories, particularly those related to metallurgy and chemicals. The severity of the contamination in both cities is alarming, with high levels of heavy metals and other environmental chemicals that harm public health and local ecosystems.
EHPMI has completed preliminary soil testing in both locations. This year, we will travel to the sites to build on their groundwork and develop detailed site assessments in partnership with local government agencies. These assessments are essential for helping the government to develop intervention plans, including public health programs and environmental remediation.
The Sigrid Rausing Trust is a grant-making foundation established in 1995. They support the values and principles of human rights and the rule of law; promote cohesive, creative, and open societies; and support the preservation of nature and the regulation of harmful chemicals. We are thrilled to work with EHPMI to advance this Mission, which aligns with TIFO’s vision and values.
Spread the word! TIFO is looking for a Project Support Intern. This position will lend support to and be part of a team passionate about preventing pollution from poisoning people. Our projects are all over the world and offer the opportunity to work with and learn more about diverse perspectives and cultures.
Check it out: https://wsu.givepulse.com/event/582479
Save the date: April 28 - May 1
Idaho Gives is just around the corner. We believe everyone has a right to live and work in a healthy environment and will continue to stand and fight for environmental justice.
By supporting TIFO, you play a vital role in ensuring all communities have the knowledge and skills to protect future generations and maintain livelihoods. Every contribution - big or small - makes a difference!
Ian von Lindern (TIFO board of directors and co-founder) and Faith Quigley (TIFO student researcher) continue to monitor the Stibnite Gold Project, a proposed gold mining project in central Idaho that poses serious environmental and public health concerns. Stibnite has a history of contamination from prior mining, and the current proposed project will develop three open pits at the headwaters of the South Fork of the Salmon River, along the Frank Church Wilderness, in a critical habitat for endangered bull trout and Chinook salmon. Due to its sensitive location, high amounts of arsenic in the ore, and inadequate permit protections of air quality and mine waste, the Stibnite Project poses significant public health risks.
There are multiple groups who have flagged concerns about the proposed mine; TIFO’s focus is on the very real human health risks, particularly for young children. If the air permit for this mine goes through as currently written, the permit will set a precedent allowing children near Idaho mines to be exposed to 70 years’ worth of arsenic exposure in their first six years of life. This is a substantial pediatric cancer risk, and Ian provided expert testimony last fall at the air permit hearings to advocate for Idaho to uphold its current rules that protect children from such high cancer risk. Ian and Faith are preparing for the Idaho Board of Environmental Quality to reconsider the mine’s air permit in early April 2025. If the air permit proceeds unchanged, it could weaken Idaho’s air quality standards, allowing other mining sites in Idaho to follow the precedent of weakened standards and encourage sites nationwide to follow suit, potentially broadening the impact.
TIFO also submitted comments on the mine’s proposed cyanidation permit. Cyanide is used to chemically extract gold before directing the rest of the ore as waste to a tailings pond. The permit (as currently written) does not adequately address arsenic in the waste, risking arsenic contamination of soil and water. TIFO emphasized the need for stronger, more transparent plans to control arsenic and protect the public health of Idahoans.
TIFO is not anti-mining, and indeed, would be unable to work with artisanal gold miners in Nigeria, nor antimony mining communities in Kyrgyzstan, nor US Sovereign Tribes in the US if we failed to recognize the economic importance that mining represents. However, a false narrative continues: Idahoans must choose between their children’s health and economic progress. We continue to reject this narrow-sighted approach and call for others to join us in opposing the current plan for the Stibnite Mine. The Stibnite mine is being touted as essential to a cleaner, brighter future, neglecting to reconcile with the reality of posing a significant cancer risk to Idaho children.
What you can do:
- Help spread the word. Let your friends, family, and colleagues across Idaho know what is happening. There is power in collective voices raising concern.
- If you live in McCall or Valley County, attend local meetings and voice your concerns.
- Contact your representatives often. (Be the squeaky wheel!) We have compiled talking points to support your efforts.
Over the past year, Whitney Schroeder has climbed shelves, fraternized with copious amounts of dust, and painstakingly poked through nearly 200 boxes of documents related to what is known today as the Bunker Hill Mining & Metallurgical Complex Superfund Site. The result has been a high-level inventory of what the boxes contain and the welcome transition into rehousing materials for future protection and archiving. Funding from the Idaho Humanities Council (IHC) helped us purchase supplies, assess the collection, and begin rehousing it. The boxes are the personal collection of TIFO co-founder Dr. Ian von Lindern, and they hold important details missing from current historical narratives. At 25 years old and a recent graduate from Yale, Dr. von Lindern conducted a lead study in Idaho’s Silver Valley as an employee of Idaho’s Department of Health and Welfare. This job would be a pivotal moment in his life, launching a lifelong dedication to protecting children’s health and the most vulnerable members of society – eventually leading to the creation of TIFO.
A complete history with evidence demonstrating how and why the Coeur d’Alene Mining District developed the way it did is important to historians, private and public officials, and citizens to make informed decisions about how mining occurs around them. Knowledge is an integral tool for people’s self-determination. When complete, this archive will provide a public resource for continued analysis and study from a wide range of humanities-centered disciplines such as history, environmental studies, and public policy-making.
We are grateful for IHC’s support in this important endeavor. Thank you to Pat Hart, Ivar Nelson, and Kenton Bird for your support and guidance in these efforts. We would not be able to do any of this without the guidance and expertise of Dulce Kersting-Lark and her team at the University of Idaho Special Collections and Archives.
The TIFO team, joined by partners from the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes, will be in Boise April 13-17 for the 34th Annual Pacific Northwest Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) Conference. SETAC serves as a focal point for environmental toxicology and chemistry research and policy application by encouraging interaction among toxicologists in government, industry, academia, and independent research organizations. We are excited to have the opportunity to contribute to the conference with a robust lineup of presentations.
- SPT Chairman Brian Mason will start the conference as the plenary speaker, sharing past, present, and future environmental struggles faced by the Tribe and challenging the audience to consider a different approach to achieving environmental justice.
- Marina Steiner (TIFO) will present her work on water quality monitoring for communities impacted by the Aral Sea Crisis in Karakalpakstan.
- Casey Bartrem (TIFO) and Racheal Thacker (SPT) will present on the Seven Generations project.
- Whitney Schroeder (TIFO) will provide an overview of the Bunker Hill lead poisoning tragedy and ongoing efforts to ensure the complete story is available to future generations through science communication and digital storytelling.
- Ian von Lindern (TIFO) will give context to this century’s critical mineral demands and the proposed changes to the State of Idaho’s pediatric cancer risk assessment practices to related to the Stibnite gold mine project.
- Faith Quigley (TIFO) will dive into recent reinterpretations of Idaho’s air quality regulations for the Stibnite gold mine project and how it could set a dangerous legal precedent for other mining operations in Idaho and beyond.
- Additional representatives from SPT will participate in a panel discussion, sharing challenges they face in safeguarding their communities and natural resources, barriers they encounter in mitigating environmental harm, and the cultural and lifestyle impacts of these environmental threats.
TIFO has joined the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) as a member organization! IRMA provides a framework for promoting environmental and social responsibility in mining practices. By aligning with IRMA, TIFO can enhance its mission of improving environmental sustainability and community health in areas affected by mining. We remain committed to supporting community priorities around proposed, active, and abandoned mining operations. IRMA’s standards offer a way for TIFO to collaborate with experts, including the mining industry, to ensure that operations minimize harm to the environment and local populations. This advances our ability to support communities and governments globally. Joining IRMA also strengthens TIFO’s advocacy for safer, more inclusive, and more responsible mining practices and opens opportunities for partnerships with other organizations committed to responsible mining.
The magical watercolor of Kate Perkins highlights the beauty of four TIFO project locations: Nigeria, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and the Duck Valley Indian Reservation.
We offer a wide range of ways to wear this art and represent TIFO. From shirts to hoodies, crop tops to totes, and a range of color options (tye dye or camo anyone?), make sure you explore the wide variety of options!
See the merch here: https://www.bonfire.com/store/terragraphics-international-foundation/
TIFO Meat and Greet
5:30 - 7:30 PM
Tuesday, March 25
Shattuck West Taproom
630 N. Almon St., Suite 135,
Moscow, ID
Eat sausage, do good. Happy Hog meatery will be grilling up sausages with all proceeds going to TIFO and Shattuck West Taproom will donate $1 from each beverage sold. Learn More >>
Boise Meet and Greet
4-6 PM
Wednesday, April 16
Payette Brewing Company
733 South Pioneer St.,
Boise, ID
Join the TIFO team for a casual evening of drinks and camaraderie at Payette Brewing. Learn More >>
Nonprofit x Community Block Party
Noon - 4 PM
Saturday, April 26
Moscow Contemporary
Palouse Place (Mall)
1850 Pullman Rd.,
Moscow, ID
Celebrate community with regional nonprofits and fun-filled games and activities for the whole family! Learn More >>
Idaho Gives Karaoke Night
6 PM, Monday, April 28
Shattuck West Taproom
630 N. Almon St., Suite 135
Moscow, ID
Warm up your vocals, and get ready to sing the night away! Join local nonprofits as they kick off Idaho Gives. (Beverages on hand for extra courage!) Learn More >>
Uncharitable Documentary
5:30 PM
Thursday, May 1
Kenworthy Theatre
508 S Main St
Moscow, ID
“UnCharitable” will change you. It will change everything you’ve ever thought or been taught about charity, giving, solving the great problems of human suffering that have plagued humanity since the beginning of time. You will come away with hope you thought was no longer possible. Learn more >>
Dr. Ed Galindo Book Signing
10 AM - Noon
Saturday, May 10
BookPeople of Moscow
521 S Main St
Moscow, ID
Join us for a book signing event with TIFO Board Member Dr. Ed Galindo. Talk with the author and kick off your summer reading with two incredible stories. We will have both of Ed's books - Children of the Stars and Dance of the Salmon - on hand. Learn more about Dr. Galindo here.
- The impact of pollution: How plastics are affecting our health. Boise State Public Radio. (Interview with TIFO Board Member Phil Landrigan.)
- The U.S. may have the largest known lithium deposit in the world. BigThink.
- US rules on conflict minerals have not reduced violence in Congo, watchdog says. Mining.com.
- Some mining is necessary, but must be done responsibly, Idaho Conservation League report says. Idaho Capital Sun.
- Kazakhstan Sees Incredible Progress Scaling Back World’s Worst Environmental Disaster. Good News Network.
- Idahoans with connections to USAID dismayed by Trump, Musk actions | Opinion. Idaho Statesman.
- A one-stop-shop for updates on changes to the EPA and the impacts to vulnerable communities: Environmental Protection Network News Feed.