Notice2023-24937
Environmental Justice Strategic Plan Draft Vision, Goals and Objectives
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
November 14, 2023
Issuing agencies
Interior Department
Abstract
Pursuant to the Executive Order (E.O.) 14096, Revitalizing our Nation's Commitment to Environmental Justice for All, the Department of the Interior (Department) is updating its Environmental Justice Strategic Plan and soliciting feedback on its draft environmental justice vision, goals, and objectives (included in Supplemental Information). The Department is also soliciting feedback on priority actions and performance metrics the Department should evaluate to advance the draft environmental justice vision, goals, and objectives.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 218 (Tuesday, November 14, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 218 (Tuesday, November 14, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 78061-78062]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-24937]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Office of the Secretary
[23XD4523WU DS61100000 DWUE30000.000000 DX61140]
Environmental Justice Strategic Plan Draft Vision, Goals and
Objectives
AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, Interior.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Executive Order (E.O.) 14096, Revitalizing our
Nation's Commitment to Environmental Justice for All, the Department of
the Interior (Department) is updating its Environmental Justice
Strategic Plan and soliciting feedback on its draft environmental
justice vision, goals, and objectives (included in Supplemental
Information). The Department is also soliciting feedback on priority
actions and performance metrics the Department should evaluate to
advance the draft environmental justice vision, goals, and objectives.
DATES: Interested persons are invited to provide oral feedback on the
Department's draft environmental justice vision, goals, and objectives
and priority actions or performance metrics the Department should
evaluate to advance the draft environmental justice vision, goals, and
objectives during one of three public virtual listening sessions:
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Date Time Location Registration link
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November 30, 2023.................... 3:00-4:30 p.m. ET...... Virtual................ <a href="https://bit.ly/generalpublicsession1">https://bit.ly/generalpublicsession1</a> generalpublicsession1.
November 30, 2023.................... 6:30-8:00 p.m. ET...... Virtual................ <a href="https://bit.ly/generalpublicsession2">https://bit.ly/generalpublicsession2</a> generalpublicsession2.
December 1, 2023..................... 3:00-4:30 p.m. ET...... Virtual................ <a href="https://bit.ly/generalpublicsession3">https://bit.ly/generalpublicsession3</a> generalpublicsession3.
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Interested persons are also invited to provide written feedback.
Consideration will be given to all comments received during the public
listening sessions or postmarked by December 15, 2023. Please clearly
indicate whether feedback is intended for the Department's draft
vision, draft goals, and/or draft objectives, priority actions and
performance metrics.
ADDRESSES:
Submitting Comments: Interested persons may submit written comments
by one of the following methods:
1. By email to: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#0f4a6179667d6061626a617b6e6350457a7c7b666c6a4f66607c216b606621686079"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="53163d253a213c3d3e363d27323f0c192620273a3036133a3c207d373c3a7d343c25">[email protected]</span></a>.
2. By hard copy to: Environmental Justice, U.S. Department of the
Interior, Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance (MS-2629), 1849
C Street NW, Washington DC 20240.
Written submissions must include your name and reference the
Department's Environmental Justice Strategic Plan. All feedback,
including any personal information you provide, may be made public.
Therefore, the Department cautions participants against providing
information they do not want made available to the public or submitting
materials that contain personal information (either about themselves or
others).
Accessing Documents and Additional Information: You may access
information on the Department's Environmental Justice program,
information on the Environmental Justice Strategic Plan update, and the
Department's current Environmental Justice Strategic Plan at the
Department's environmental justice website at <a href="https://www.doi.gov/oepc/resources/environmental-justice">https://www.doi.gov/oepc/resources/environmental-justice</a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cheryl Kelly, Office of Environmental
Policy and Compliance, at 202 208-7565 or by email at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#82e1eae7f0fbeedde9e7eeeefbc2ebedf1ace6edebace5edf4"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="492a212c3b302516222c2525300920263a672d2620672e263f">[email protected]</span></a>. Individuals in the United States who are
deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability may dial
711 (TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access telecommunications relay
services.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background: Executive Order 14096 directs Federal agencies to
develop an Environmental Justice Strategic Plan that will ``set forth
the agency's vision, goals, priority actions, and metrics to address
and advance environmental justice and to fulfill the directives of [the
E.O.], including through the identification of new staffing, policies,
regulations, or guidance documents'', as well as ``identify and address
opportunities through regulations, policies, permits, or other means to
improve accountability and compliance with any statute the agency
administers that affects the health and environment of communities with
environmental justice concerns.''
To advance environmental justice, the Department established an
Environmental Justice Steering Committee, made up of representatives of
the Department's bureaus and offices. The Environmental Justice
Steering Committee's Policy Subcommittee developed the draft
environmental justice vision, goals, and objectives on which feedback
is being sought by evaluating the Department's existing 2016
Environmental Justice Strategic Plan, the Department's 2022-2026
Strategic Plan, recent Executive Orders, and input received from
Departmental employees in feedback sessions. The Policy Subcommittee
will evaluate all
[[Page 78062]]
oral and written feedback received on the draft environmental justice
vision, goals, and objectives, as well as potential actions and
performance measures to develop the draft Environmental Justice
Strategic Plan.
Listening Session Format: Listening sessions will be 90 minutes.
The sessions will start with an overview and then interested persons
will have the opportunity to provide feedback using a variety of
engagement tools. If you require a reasonable accommodation to attend a
listening session, please email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#f1b49f8798839e9f9c949f85909daebb848285989294b1989e82df959e98df969e87"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="6a2f041c03180504070f041e0b0635201f191e03090f2a030519440e0503440d051c">[email protected]</span></a>.
Draft Environmental Justice Vision, Goals, and Objectives: The
Department would appreciate comments on the following questions:
1. Do the draft environmental justice vision, strategic goals, and
objectives provided in the table address your interests and concerns
about the advancement of environmental justice by the Department? Why
or why not?
2. What actions should the Department undertake to advance
environmental justice?
3. What performance measures or metrics should the Department
establish to monitor progress towards advancing environmental justice?
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Draft Environmental Justice Vision
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To provide outstanding management of the natural and cultural resources
entrusted to us in a manner that is sustainable, equitable, accessible,
and inclusive of all populations.
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Draft Strategic Goal 1 and Objectives
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Institutionalize environmental justice within the Department and
establish accountability for decisionmakers and practitioners as they
apply environmental justice principles in policies, budgeting,
decisions, activities, and processes.
1.1 Increase our employees' awareness and understanding of
environmental justice.
1.2 Solicit resources, support, and commitment from leadership to
cultivate an enabling environment for their employees to advance
environmental justice.
1.3 Expand our employees' capacity and skillsets to build their
ability to advance environmental justice through their work.
1.4 Develop a structure to ensure that employees at all levels are
held accountable for advancing environmental justice.
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Draft Strategic Goal 2 and Objectives
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Engage early and often with communities and Tribal Nations to support
meaningful involvement, equitable decisions, better inform the
Department's activities, and proactively address/involve environmental
justice concerns.
2.1 Expand the Department's capacity to maintain and deepen
relationships with communities and Tribal Nations.
2.2 Build skills and capacity among our employees to deliver
intentional, anticipatory, respectful engagement.
2.3 Remove barriers and provide resources and opportunities for
communities and Tribal Nations to engage with the Department.
2.4 Maintain and model an open and ongoing dialogue with communities
and Tribal Nations about how their input is incorporated into our
decisions.
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Draft Strategic Goal 3 and Objectives
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Identify, prevent, and mitigate environmental injustices, including
adverse human health or environmental effects, in collaboration and
coordination with communities and other partners.
3.1 Adjust actions, policies, programs, and program implementation
to better account for environmental justice considerations to
prevent injustices.
3.2 Actively address the impacts of historical environmental and
health injustices.
3.3 Employ a whole-of-government approach to maximize benefits to
and reduce burdens on communities and Tribal Nations.
3.4 Build new and deepen existing partnerships to both broaden and
localize our engagement.
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Draft Strategic Goal 4 and Objectives
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Leverage funding, training, educational and professional opportunities
to empower efforts to build and sustain healthy, environmentally, and
economically sound communities.
4.1 Identify and remove barriers that prevent communities and Tribal
Nations from accessing and executing opportunities.
4.2 Expand and improve technical assistance to communities and
Tribal Nations.
4.3 Create new and amend existing opportunities for outreach,
communication, and accessibility for communities and Tribal
Nations, and aim to increase available funding when possible.
4.4 Work with communities and Tribal Nations to identify and deliver
desired opportunities.
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Draft Strategic Goal 5 and Objectives
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Apply environmental justice principles in the Department's production,
collection, and use of data, science, and research to benefit
communities and better inform our decision making.
5.1 Identify data gaps and address those gaps.
5.2 Employ diverse sources, methodologies, and perspectives,
including Indigenous Knowledges, across our activities, and apply
related findings in the Department's decision-making.
5.3 Make the Department's research/data available and accessible to
communities and Tribal Nations, as appropriate.
5.4 Abide by respectful, ethical research and data practices,
including confidentiality and data sovereignty.
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Eric Werwa,
Deputy Assistant Secretary--Policy and Environmental Management,
Department's Environmental Justice Officer.
[FR Doc. 2023-24937 Filed 11-13-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4334-63-P
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