Notice2024-11181
White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council; Notification of Public Meeting
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
May 22, 2024
Issuing agencies
Environmental Protection Agency
Abstract
Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) hereby provides notice that the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council (WHEJAC) will meet on the dates and times described below. Due to unforeseen administrative circumstances, EPA is announcing this meeting with less than 15 calendar days public notice. The White House Environmental Justice Interagency Council (IAC) will meet jointly with the WHEJAC and jointly take public comment, as described below, consistent with the Executive order on Revitalizing Our Nation's Commitment to Environmental Justice for All. These meetings are open to the public. For additional information about registering to attend the meetings or provide public comment, please see "REGISTRATION" under the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. Pre-registration is required.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 100 (Wednesday, May 22, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 100 (Wednesday, May 22, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44976-44977]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-11181]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL: 11943-01-OEJECR; EPA-HQ-OEJECR-2024-0147]
White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council; Notification
of Public Meeting
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notification for a public meeting.
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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) hereby provides notice that
the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council (WHEJAC) will
meet on the dates and times described below. Due to unforeseen
administrative circumstances, EPA is announcing this meeting with less
than 15 calendar days public notice. The White House Environmental
Justice Interagency Council (IAC) will meet jointly with the WHEJAC and
jointly take public comment, as described below, consistent with the
Executive order on Revitalizing Our Nation's Commitment to
Environmental Justice for All. These meetings are open to the public.
For additional information about registering to attend the meetings or
provide public comment, please see ``REGISTRATION'' under the
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. Pre-registration is required.
DATES: The WHEJAC will convene a virtual public meeting on Wednesday,
June 5, 2024, from approximately 12 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and Thursday,
June 6, 2024, from approximately 12 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., Eastern Time.
The IAC, in coordination with the WHEJAC, will convene a virtual joint
public meeting, which will include a public comment period on
Wednesday, June 5, 2024, from approximately 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.,
Eastern Time, and reconvene a topic-focused session on Thursday, June
6, 2024, from approximately 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m., Eastern Time. Members
of the public who wish to participate in the public comment period must
register by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, May 30, 2024.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Audrie Washington, WHEJAC Designated
Federal Officer, U.S. EPA; email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#a4d3ccc1cec5c7e4c1d4c58ac3cbd2"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="85f2ede0efe4e6c5e0f5e4abe2eaf3">[email protected]</span></a>; telephone: (202) 441-
7295. For additional information about the WHEJAC, visit <a href="https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/white-house-environmental-justice-advisory-council#meetings">https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/white-house-environmental-justice-advisory-council#meetings</a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Charter of the WHEJAC states that the
advisory committee ``will provide independent advice and
recommendations to the Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality
(CEQ) and to the White House Environmental Justice Interagency Council
(IAC) on how to increase the Federal Government's efforts to address
current and historic environmental injustice. The WHEJAC will provide
advice and recommendations about broad cross-cutting issues related,
but not limited, to issues of environmental justice and pollution
reduction, energy, climate change mitigation and resiliency,
environmental health, and racial inequity. The WHEJAC's efforts will
include a broad range of strategic, scientific, technological,
regulatory, community engagement, and economic issues related to
environmental justice.''
Executive Order 14008 on Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and
Abroad, as amended by Executive Order 14096 on Revitalizing Our
Nation's Commitment to Environmental Justice for All, established the
IAC to, among other things, pursue a whole-of-government approach to
advance environmental justice for all, as defined in Executive Order
14096, including to facilitate interagency coordination and
collaboration on programs and activities related to environmental
justice; and to develop and sustain a strategy to address current and
historic environmental injustice and to cultivate effective strategic
planning to advance environmental justice. To facilitate the work of
the IAC, each IAC member has designated an official within the agency
to serve as an Environmental Justice Officer, with the authority to
represent the agency on the IAC. Executive Order 14096 directs the IAC
to hold a public meeting in coordination with the WHEJAC. For more
information about the IAC, see: <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/environmentaljustice/white-house-environmental-justice-interagency-council/">https://www.whitehouse.gov/environmentaljustice/white-house-environmental-justice-interagency-council/</a>.
The WHEJAC meeting will focus on several topics including, but not
limited to, workgroup updates, updates from the Council on
Environmental Quality (CEQ), panels, and final recommendations for CEQ
and the IAC.
The IAC/WHEJAC joint public meeting will focus on several topics,
such as Federal agencies' progress to advance environmental justice,
including through the Justice40 Initiative, the Environmental Justice
Scorecard, and environmental justice strategic planning; and formal
recommendations from the WHEJAC to CEQ and the IAC. During the session,
the WHEJAC and IAC will hear comments from the public relevant to
current WHEJAC charges and other topics of interest.
Registration: Individual registration is required for the public
meeting. No two individuals can share the same registration link. To
register, visit <a href="https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/white-house-environmental-justice-advisory-council#meetings">https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/white-house-environmental-justice-advisory-council#meetings</a>. Members of the public
may register to attend the public meeting throughout the duration of
the meeting. Members of the public who wish to speak during the public
comment period must register by 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, May 30, 2024.
When registering, please provide your name, organization, city and
state, and email address for follow up, and indicate whether you would
like to provide public comments during the meeting.
A. Public Comment: The WHEJAC is interested in receiving public
comments relevant to the following charges and recommendations:
(1) Carbon management.
(2) Environmental justice issues affecting Indigenous Peoples and
Tribal Nations.
The WHEJAC Indigenous Peoples and Tribal Nations Workgroup is
particularly interested in receiving comments on: (a) Examples of
environmental hazards of particular concern for Indigenous Peoples and
Tribal Nations (for example, environmental hazards related to Federal
activities that may affect sacred sites and areas of cultural
significance, cultural or other traditions or practices, subsistence,
and ways of life); (b) Ways in which the Federal Government can address
community impacts on, and concerns of, Indigenous Peoples and Tribal
Nations; and (c) Ways in which the incorporation of Indigenous
knowledge into Federal decision making could help address environmental
hazards and environmental justice concerns. More information about the
WHEJAC's current charges can be found online at <a href="https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/white-house-environmental-justice-advisory-council">https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/white-house-environmental-justice-advisory-council</a>, under WHEJAC Membership and Workgroups.
The IAC is interested in receiving public comments relevant to
environmental justice goals and priorities, either for the coming year
or over a longer term, that could advance the IAC's mission and work as
defined in Executive Orders 14008 and 14096, including on ways to
address and respond to formal recommendations
[[Page 44977]]
from the WHEJAC; \1\ the future Environmental Justice Science, Data,
and Research Plan of the National Science and Technology Council's
Environmental Justice Subcommittee; and environmental justice strategic
planning and implementation of Executive Order 14096, including
specific goals, objectives, priority actions, and metrics that could
help agencies advance and assess progress over time.\2\
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\1\ To reference the WHEJAC's recommendations to CEQ and the
IAC, as well as reports to Congress on these recommendations, see
White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council, U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, <a href="https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/white-house-environmental-justice-advisory-council#whejacrecommendations">https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/white-house-environmental-justice-advisory-council#whejacrecommendations</a>.
\2\ See CEQ, Strategic Planning to Advance Environmental Justice
Under Executive Order 14096, Revitalizing Our Nation's Commitment to
Environmental Justice for All (October 2023), <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Strategic-Planning-to-Advance-Environmental-Justice_final-Oct.-2023.pdf">https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Strategic-Planning-to-Advance-Environmental-Justice_final-Oct.-2023.pdf</a>.
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Individuals or groups making remarks during the oral public comment
period will be limited to three minutes. EPA will give priority to
speak during the meeting to public commenters with comments relevant to
the topics and questions listed above. The WHEJAC and the IAC will make
every effort to hear from each public commenter who has registered to
provide oral comments during the time specified on the agenda but, in
the interest of time, commenters are strongly encouraged to consider
submitting written comments for the record. You can submit your written
comments by using the webform at <a href="https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/forms/white-house-environmental-justice-advisory-council-whejac-public-comment">https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/forms/white-house-environmental-justice-advisory-council-whejac-public-comment</a>; by emailing comments to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#96e1fef3fcf7f5d6f3e6f7b8f1f9e0"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="5f28373a353e3c1f3a2f3e71383029">[email protected]</span></a>;
or by visiting <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> and opening Docket ID No.
EPA-HQ-OEJECR-2024-0147. The WHEJAC and the IAC will accept written
comments through Wednesday, June 19, 2024.
B. Information About Services for Individuals With Disabilities or
Requiring English Language Translation Assistance: For information
about access or services for individuals requiring assistance, contact
Audrie Washington at (202) 441-7295 or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#81f6e9e4ebe0e2c1e4f1e0afe6eef7"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="bfc8d7dad5dedcffdacfde91d8d0c9">[email protected]</span></a>. All requests
should be sent via this email or phone number. To request special
accommodations for a disability or other assistance, please submit your
request at least seven (7) working days prior to the meeting, to give
EPA sufficient time to process your request.
Theresa Segovia,
Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator, Office of Environmental
Justice and External Civil Rights.
[FR Doc. 2024-11181 Filed 5-21-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
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