Federal Independent Agencies
Here's a look at documents from federal independent agencies
Featured Stories
Daily Update: EPA Cleanup Continues in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana
WASHINGTON, Oct. 12 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release:
* * *
Daily Update: EPA Cleanup Continues in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana
*
DALLAS, TEXAS (October 12, 2025) - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in partnership with the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ), continues to lead the cleanup of the impacted area in Roseland, Louisiana, following a fire at the Smitty's Supply facility on August 24.
Response by the Numbers:
-10,496,703 gallons of liquid wastes recovered
-6,648,705 gallons of liquid wastes removed for disposal
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Oct. 12 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release:
* * *
Daily Update: EPA Cleanup Continues in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana
*
DALLAS, TEXAS (October 12, 2025) - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in partnership with the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ), continues to lead the cleanup of the impacted area in Roseland, Louisiana, following a fire at the Smitty's Supply facility on August 24.
Response by the Numbers:
-10,496,703 gallons of liquid wastes recovered
-6,648,705 gallons of liquid wastes removed for disposal
-22,400 feet of containment boom laid
-4938 bales of sorbent material
-Over 450 EPA and contractor personnel deployed
Accomplishments to date include extinguishing the fire and stabilizing the facility to prevent leaks; installing earthen dams, booms, and rainwater collection around the site to contain runoff; deploying boom and sorbent material in ponds and the Tangipahoa River to capture contaminated runoff; and increasing the recovery rate of oily material.
EPA is continuing to conduct additional sampling of the river, ponds, and ditches in the area to increase the amount of information and data we have about the range of pollutants that are present in the water and sediment.
EPA and its partner agencies continue to engage with Smitty's Supply to ensure the cleanup activities conducted at the facility remain efficient and complimentary of cleanup efforts in the drainage ditches, ponds, and the river.
Cleanup Operations
EPA response personnel continue to oversee the recovery of oily waste from the ditches on the perimeter of the facility and Highway 10. Impacted soil and vegetation is being removed and will be shipped off for disposal at approved, permitted disposal facilities.
EPA continues to flush the stormwater run-off channels in the facility to remove oily waste and debris. Other facility operations include the decanting of product within frac tanks - or the separation of collected oily wastes from water - and discharging the water into the ponds. Empty frac tanks are decontaminated and demobilized from the site.
Working with Our Partners
EPA and the LDEQ are jointly responding to questions and concerns submitted by the community via LDEQ's hotline. Both agencies are coordinating efforts to ensure timely, accurate, and consistent information is provided, reflecting a unified approach to addressing community needs.
Yesterday, EPA and LDEQ, with support from the United States Coast Guard, investigated a possible sheen sighting that was determined to be normal biological material. EPA continues to investigate reports of sheen in the river and Lake Pontchartrain.
Community Engagement
EPA has met with over 1,900 community members and answered their questions at regular office hours and events that have taken place since September 12. EPA is also continuing to go door-to-door to engage with residents in Roseland.
EPA has interacted with 244 residents through its door-to-door efforts since October 5.
Residents are invited to continue engaging with our response staff at the upcoming events listed below.
Community Office Hours:
-Hammond Northshore Regional Air Show: Sunday, October 12, 8 am - 5 pm
-House of the Rock Church: Sunday, October 12, 9:45 am - 11 am
Online Resources
Visit EPA's response website for regular updates, including sampling results, cleanup progress, field photos, and an interactive story map: https://www.epa.gov/smittys-supply-fire Exit EPA's website.
Social Media Highlights
Connect with the Environmental Protection Agency Region 6 on Facebook Exit EPA's website, X Exit EPA's website, Instagram Exit EPA's website.
Facebook:
U.S. EPA South Central Region: EPA continues on-the-ground outreach in Tangipahoa Parish, with updated times and locations for community office hours supporting residents affected by the Smitty's Supply fire. See the times and locations for today!
For more updates please follow: https://www.epa.gov/smittys-supply-fire Exit EPA's website
CLICK HERE TO READ AND SHARE Exit EPA's website.
U.S. EPA South Central Region: On October 11, EPA received a report from Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality of oily product in the Tangipahoa River, south of Lee's Landing. EPA sent reconnaissance teams down-river to investigate. Fortunately, no pockets of oily product were found, but out of caution, EPA deployed absorbent boom in suspected areas to catch any potential material that could travel past Lee's Landing. Since day one, EPA has been fulfilling its mission to protect human health and the environment, and we continue to do that here in Louisiana for the Tangipahoa Parish community. Stay up to date with the latest information about the Smitty's Supply Fire Response: www.epa.gov/smittys-supply-fire Exit EPA's website
CLICK HERE TO READ AND SHARE. Exit EPA's website
X:
@EPA Region 6 : EPA continues on-the-ground outreach in Tangipahoa Parish, with updated times and locations for community office hours supporting residents affected by the Smitty's Supply fire. See the times and locations for today!
For more updates please follow: https://www.epa.gov/smittys-supply-fire Exit EPA's website
CLICK HERE TO READ AND REPOST Exit EPA's website.
@EPA Region 6: On October 11, EPA received a report from Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality of oily product in the Tangipahoa River, south of Lee's Landing. EPA sent reconnaissance teams down-river to investigate. Fortunately, no pockets of oily product were found, but out of caution, EPA deployed absorbent boom in suspected areas to catch any potential material that could travel past Lee's Landing. Since day one, EPA has been fulfilling its mission to protect human health and the environment, and we continue to do that here in Louisiana for the Tangipahoa Parish community. Stay up to date with the latest information about the Smitty's Supply Fire Response: www.epa.gov/smittys-supply-fire Exit EPA's website
CLICK HERE TO READ AND REPOST Exit EPA's website
Media Availability
For interview requests or to coordinate site visits, contact Edward Mekeel at mekeel.edward@epa.gov.
***
Original text here: https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/daily-update-epa-cleanup-continues-tangipahoa-parish-louisiana-6
Santee Sioux Nation Remains Under Manganese Drinking Water Advisory
WASHINGTON, Oct. 10 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release:
* * *
Santee Sioux Nation Remains Under Manganese Drinking Water Advisory
*
LENEXA, KAN. (OCT. 10, 2025) - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 7 would like to clarify the following information after receiving community feedback on the status of the Santee Sioux Nation's drinking water advisory for manganese.
EPA's Oct. 2, 2025, press release does not change the status of the previously issued drinking water advisory for manganese, and the Santee Sioux Nation remains under a drinking
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Oct. 10 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release:
* * *
Santee Sioux Nation Remains Under Manganese Drinking Water Advisory
*
LENEXA, KAN. (OCT. 10, 2025) - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 7 would like to clarify the following information after receiving community feedback on the status of the Santee Sioux Nation's drinking water advisory for manganese.
EPA's Oct. 2, 2025, press release does not change the status of the previously issued drinking water advisory for manganese, and the Santee Sioux Nation remains under a drinkingwater advisory for manganese above the EPA Health Advisory levels.
Based on the EPA Health Advisory levels, Santee Sioux Nation issued public notices recommending that water from the public drinking water system not be consumed. The Tribe continues to supply residents with bottled water as an alternate water source, and water from the public drinking water system can be used for bathing and washing dishes and clothes.
Learn more about EPA Region 7
View all Region 7 news releases
Visit the Region 7 Media page
Connect with EPA Region 7 on Facebook and Instagram
Follow us on X: @EPARegion7
***
Original text here: https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/santee-sioux-nation-remains-under-manganese-drinking-water-advisory
SBA Relief Still Available to the Crow Tribe of Montana Private Nonprofits Affected by May Storm
WASHINGTON, Oct. 10 -- The Small Business Administration's Office of Disaster Assistance issued the following news release:
* * *
SBA Relief Still Available to the Crow Tribe of Montana Private Nonprofits Affected by May Storm
*
Special announcement
Senate Democrats voted to block a clean federal funding bill (H.R. 5371), leading to a government shutdown that is preventing the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) from serving America's 36 million small businesses.
Every day that Senate Democrats continue to oppose a clean funding bill, they are stopping an estimated 320 small businesses
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Oct. 10 -- The Small Business Administration's Office of Disaster Assistance issued the following news release:
* * *
SBA Relief Still Available to the Crow Tribe of Montana Private Nonprofits Affected by May Storm
*
Special announcement
Senate Democrats voted to block a clean federal funding bill (H.R. 5371), leading to a government shutdown that is preventing the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) from serving America's 36 million small businesses.
Every day that Senate Democrats continue to oppose a clean funding bill, they are stopping an estimated 320 small businessesfrom accessing $170 million in SBA-guaranteed funding.
As a result of the shutdown, we wanted to notify you that many of our services supporting small businesses are currently unavailable. The agency is executing its Lapse Plan and as soon as the shutdown is over, we are prepared to immediately return to the record-breaking services we were providing under the leadership of the Trump Administration.
If you need disaster assistance, please visit sba.gov/disaster.
***
Original text here: https://www.sba.gov/article/2025/10/10/sba-relief-still-available-crow-tribe-montana-private-nonprofits-affected-may-storm
SBA Relief Still Available to Texas Businesses, Nonprofits and Residents Affected by July Adverse Weather
WASHINGTON, Oct. 10 -- The Small Business Administration's Office of Disaster Assistance issued the following news release:
* * *
SBA Relief Still Available to Texas Businesses, Nonprofits and Residents Affected by July Adverse Weather
*
Special announcement
Senate Democrats voted to block a clean federal funding bill (H.R. 5371), leading to a government shutdown that is preventing the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) from serving America's 36 million small businesses.
Every day that Senate Democrats continue to oppose a clean funding bill, they are stopping an estimated 320 small
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Oct. 10 -- The Small Business Administration's Office of Disaster Assistance issued the following news release:
* * *
SBA Relief Still Available to Texas Businesses, Nonprofits and Residents Affected by July Adverse Weather
*
Special announcement
Senate Democrats voted to block a clean federal funding bill (H.R. 5371), leading to a government shutdown that is preventing the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) from serving America's 36 million small businesses.
Every day that Senate Democrats continue to oppose a clean funding bill, they are stopping an estimated 320 smallbusinesses from accessing $170 million in SBA-guaranteed funding.
As a result of the shutdown, we wanted to notify you that many of our services supporting small businesses are currently unavailable. The agency is executing its Lapse Plan and as soon as the shutdown is over, we are prepared to immediately return to the record-breaking services we were providing under the leadership of the Trump Administration.
If you need disaster assistance, please visit sba.gov/disaster.
***
Original text here: https://www.sba.gov/article/2025/10/10/sba-relief-still-available-texas-businesses-nonprofits-residents-affected-july-adverse-weather
SBA Relief Still Available to North Dakota Private Nonprofits Affected by June Storm
WASHINGTON, Oct. 10 -- The Small Business Administration's Office of Disaster Assistance issued the following news release:
* * *
SBA Relief Still Available to North Dakota Private Nonprofits Affected by June Storm
*
Special announcement
Senate Democrats voted to block a clean federal funding bill (H.R. 5371), leading to a government shutdown that is preventing the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) from serving America's 36 million small businesses.
Every day that Senate Democrats continue to oppose a clean funding bill, they are stopping an estimated 320 small businesses from
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Oct. 10 -- The Small Business Administration's Office of Disaster Assistance issued the following news release:
* * *
SBA Relief Still Available to North Dakota Private Nonprofits Affected by June Storm
*
Special announcement
Senate Democrats voted to block a clean federal funding bill (H.R. 5371), leading to a government shutdown that is preventing the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) from serving America's 36 million small businesses.
Every day that Senate Democrats continue to oppose a clean funding bill, they are stopping an estimated 320 small businesses fromaccessing $170 million in SBA-guaranteed funding.
As a result of the shutdown, we wanted to notify you that many of our services supporting small businesses are currently unavailable. The agency is executing its Lapse Plan and as soon as the shutdown is over, we are prepared to immediately return to the record-breaking services we were providing under the leadership of the Trump Administration.
If you need disaster assistance, please visit sba.gov/disaster.
***
Original text here: https://www.sba.gov/article/2025/10/10/sba-relief-still-available-north-dakota-private-nonprofits-affected-june-storm
Daily Update: EPA Cleanup Continues in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana
WASHINGTON, Oct. 10 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release:
* * *
Daily Update: EPA Cleanup Continues in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana
*
DALLAS, TEXAS (Oct. 10, 2025) - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) continues to lead the cleanup of the impacted area in Roseland, Louisiana, following a fire at the Smitty's Supply facility on August 24.
Response by the Numbers:
-10,276,203 gallons of liquid wastes recovered
-6,360,375 gallons of liquid wastes removed for disposal
-22,400 feet of containment boom laid
-4,873 bales of sorbent material
-Over
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Oct. 10 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release:
* * *
Daily Update: EPA Cleanup Continues in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana
*
DALLAS, TEXAS (Oct. 10, 2025) - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) continues to lead the cleanup of the impacted area in Roseland, Louisiana, following a fire at the Smitty's Supply facility on August 24.
Response by the Numbers:
-10,276,203 gallons of liquid wastes recovered
-6,360,375 gallons of liquid wastes removed for disposal
-22,400 feet of containment boom laid
-4,873 bales of sorbent material
-Over450 EPA and contractor personnel deployed
Accomplishments to date include extinguishing the fire and stabilizing the facility to prevent leaks; installing earthen dams, booms and rainwater collection around the site to contain runoff; deployed boom and sorbent material in ponds and the Tangipahoa River to capture contaminated runoff; and increased the recovery rate of oily material.
EPA is also continuing to conduct additional sampling of the river, ponds, and ditches in the area to increase the amount of information and data we have about the range of pollutants that are present in the water and sediment.
EPA appreciates the continued coordination and response efforts of our state and local partners and the cooperation of residents as our recovery efforts continue.
Cleanup Operations
EPA's cleanup operations in the Tangipahoa River are focused on flushing oily waste in the river downstream to established collection points where it is removed and placed in containers for disposal. At the ponds, crews are working 24 hours a day to contain and recover oily wastes.
EPA has increased the efficiency of oil recovery with new equipment, including drum skimmers, rope skimmers, and five marsh excavators.
EPA crews at the Smitty's Supply response have been working to manage recent significant rainfall, including installing stormwater control measures, fortifying ditches, and building underflow dams to prevent material from reaching the river. The plan included a controlled release of stormwater from the Smitty's Supply facility to move across the road and into the ponds adjacent to the site. EPA operations crews confirmed runoff was contained to the ponds and did not reach the Tangipahoa River.
EPA continues to follow recommendations from the U.S. Coast Guard regarding safe boating operations, and as such, has paused work on the river due to high water conditions.
EPA and its supporting agencies, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, investigated a reported sheen south of Lee's Landing in the Tangipahoa River and Lake Pontchartrain using aerial drone overflights. There was no indication of sheen in the river, past EPA's containment booms, or on Lake Pontchartrain. EPA, the U.S Coast Guard, and LDEQ will continue to investigate reports of sheen associated with the Smitty's Supply fire response in the river and the lake.
For the safety of residents and response crews, operations at the facility and ponds require Highway 51 near the Smitty's facility to remain closed to allow the safe movement of trucks, rigs, frac tanks, and other large equipment. EPA appreciates the continued understanding and patience of residents in observing this important safety measure.
Community Engagement
EPA has met with over 1,500 community members and answered their questions at regular office hours and events. Residents are invited to continue engaging with our response staff at the upcoming events listed below.
Community Office Hours:
-Loranger High School football game: Friday, October 10, 6 - 7:30 pm
-Hammond Northshore Regional Air Show: Saturday, October 11, 8 am - 5 pm
-Roseland Dollar General: Saturday, October 11, 10 am - 5:30 pm
-Hammond Northshore Regional Air Show: Sunday, October 12, 8 am - 5 pm
-House of the Rock Church: Sunday, October 12, 9:45 am - 5 pm
Online Resources
Visit EPA's response website for regular updates, including sampling results, cleanup progress, field photos, and an interactive story map: https://www.epa.gov/smittys-supply-fire Exit EPA's website.
Social Media Highlights
Connect with the Environmental Protection Agency Region 6 on Facebook Exit EPA's website, X Exit EPA's website, Instagram Exit EPA's website.
Facebook:
U.S. EPA South Central Region: EPA continues on-the-ground outreach in Tangipahoa Parish, with updated times and locations for community office hours supporting residents affected by the Smitty's Supply fire. For more updates please follow: https://www.epa.gov/smittys-supply-fire Exit EPA's website
CLICK HERE TO READ AND SHARE. Exit EPA's website
U.S. EPA South Central Region : EPA continues to conduct sampling of ditches, ponds and the Tangipahoa River at the Smitty's Supply Fire Response in Roseland, LA. The results will help us learn more about what pollutants could be in the water and sediment. To stay up to date with the latest information, visit: www.epa.gov/smittys-supply-fire Exit EPA's website.
CLICK HERE TO READ AND SHARE Exit EPA's website.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Daily Smitty's Supply Fire Response Update
For more information: https://spgv.io/6186B9B2 Exit EPA's website
CLICK HERE TO READ AND SHARE. Exit EPA's website
X:
@EPA: Daily Smitty's Supply Fire Response Update
For more information: https://spgv.io/6019B9Bv Exit EPA's website
CLICK HERE TO READ AND REPOST Exit EPA's website.
@EPA Region 6: EPA continues on-the-ground outreach in Tangipahoa Parish, with updated times and locations for community office hours supporting residents affected by the Smitty's Supply fire. For more updates please follow: https://www.epa.gov/smittys-supply-fire Exit EPA's website
CLICK HERE TO READ AND SHARE. Exit EPA's website
Media Availability
For interview requests or to coordinate site visits, contact Kellen Ashford at ashford.kellen@epa.gov.
***
Original text here: https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/daily-update-epa-cleanup-continues-tangipahoa-parish-louisiana-4
"Water's Edge: The Art of Truman Lowe" Opens Oct. 24 at the National Museum of the American Indian
WASHINGTON, Oct. 10 -- The Smithsonian Institution National Museum of the American Indian issued the following news release on Oct. 9, 2025:
* * *
"Water's Edge: The Art of Truman Lowe" Opens Oct. 24 at the National Museum of the American Indian
The Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian will open "Water's Edge: The Art of Truman Lowe," the first major retrospective of the acclaimed Hoocak (Ho-Chunk) artist, at its museum in Washington, D.C. The exhibition opens to the public Oct. 24 and closes in January 2027.
This landmark exhibition brings together for the first time many
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Oct. 10 -- The Smithsonian Institution National Museum of the American Indian issued the following news release on Oct. 9, 2025:
* * *
"Water's Edge: The Art of Truman Lowe" Opens Oct. 24 at the National Museum of the American Indian
The Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian will open "Water's Edge: The Art of Truman Lowe," the first major retrospective of the acclaimed Hoocak (Ho-Chunk) artist, at its museum in Washington, D.C. The exhibition opens to the public Oct. 24 and closes in January 2027.
This landmark exhibition brings together for the first time manyof Truman Lowe's (1944-2019) monumental sculptures and significant works from public and private collections, including 28 from the National Museum of the American Indian. Featuring nearly 50 of his sculptures, drawings and paintings, the exhibition surveys his career and the key themes he explored in his work. Lowe's sculptures made of willow branches, feathers and other natural materials evoke the waterways of the Wisconsin woodlands where he was raised and the canoes used to traverse them. His work also considers human relationships to place and memory.
"Truman Lowe's art reflects on the waters and woodlands of his home, as well as family and cultural traditions, memory and knowledge," said Rebecca Head Trautmann, exhibition curator. "We are excited to share his work and his story with our visitors."
The exhibition is organized around four intersecting themes: Moving Water, The Land Holds Memory, Woodland Structures and Memory and Shared Knowledge.
Moving Water
Raised near the banks of the Black River, Lowe developed a lifelong fascination with water that deeply influenced his work. Sculptures such as "Ottawa" (1992) and "Waterfall VIII" (2011) demonstrate his ability to convey the fluidity of water in wood. Drawings in charcoal and pastels, including his "Water Reflections" series, explore water's surface reflections, soft ripples and changing colors.
The Land Holds Memory
Lowe felt a deep connection to the Wisconsin woodlands where he was raised--the homeland Hoocak people had struggled to retain. While his "Totem" sculptures draw visually and conceptually on that forested landscape, the "Petroglyph Series" (1995) contemplates the knowledge and stories Indigenous people recorded in painted and incised drawings on rock walls.
Woodland Structures
Lowe also took inspiration from ancestral Hoocak and neighboring Woodland people's expertise with craft and construction. He admired the domed architecture of traditional dwellings and the forms of canoes. Lowe explored the design of the watercraft in works such as "Shadow Canoe" (1996) and "Feather Canoe" (1996).
Memory and Shared Knowledge
Lowe was interested in mnemonic devices and infused his work with Hoocak and family knowledge, memories and creative practices. In 1996's "Wa-Du-Sheh" (Bundle) he considered the ways people protect the things they value and preserve them for future generations. In drawings including "Sauninga" (1992), "Ribbon Applique" (ca. 1980) and "Untitled (Ribbonwork)" (ca. 1980), Lowe honors the creativity of his mother, Mabel Davis Lowe, and the story of her Hoocak name, while other works draw on the knowledge of wood and its properties that he learned from his father.
Leading support for the exhibition is provided by Bank of America. Major support is provided by the Henry Luce Foundation. Generous support is provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art and Ameriprise Financial. Additional support is provided by John and Meryl Lavine, Greg and Cathy Tibbles and Leslie A. Wheelock.
About the Artist
As an artist, museum curator, university educator and mentor, Lowe influenced generations of emerging artists, scholars and curators. He left an enduring legacy to the fields of American and Native North American art.
An internationally exhibited artist, Lowe also taught sculpture for 35 years at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and was the founding curator of contemporary art at the National Museum of the American Indian. While there, he significantly expanded the museum's contemporary art collection. In 2022, the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, his undergraduate alma mater, dedicated the Truman T. Lowe Center for the Arts, which houses the school of visual and performing arts.
Exhibition Catalog
Water's Edge: The Art of Truman Lowe celebrates the artist's life and career in a retrospective featuring more than 100 images and intimate insights on his original and evocative sculptures and drawings.
The catalog explores the overlapping themes of moving water, woodland structures, memory and knowledge, and landscape and place that permeate Lowe's work. Essays from scholars contextualize the art within his life, career and heritage, including the repeated expulsion of the Hoocak people from their ancestral homeland and their resolve to return. In deeply moving reflections, fellow artists share their connections to Lowe, his influence on their lives and work, and his impact on American art.
In addition to featuring his work, Water's Edge includes personal and historical photos of his family and studio to offer an intimate look at his influences and process.
* * *
About the Museum
In partnership with Native peoples and their allies, the National Museum of the American Indian fosters a richer shared human experience through a more informed understanding of Native peoples. Through two locations, it features exhibitions and programs in New York City and the National Mall in Washington, D.C. For additional information, including hours and directions, visit AmericanIndian.si.edu. Follow the museum via social media @SmithsonianNMAI.
* * *
Original text here: https://www.si.edu/newsdesk/releases/waters-edge-art-truman-lowe-opens-oct-24-national-museum-american-indian
