Notice2024-12775
Listening Sessions on Draft Environmental Justice Strategy Approach
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
June 11, 2024
Issuing agencies
Defense Department
Abstract
Pursuant to an Executive order (E.O.), the DoD is updating its EJ Strategy. DoD is soliciting feedback on its draft goals and overall approach to addressing EJ. This draft information is included in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 113 (Tuesday, June 11, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 113 (Tuesday, June 11, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49160-49162]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-12775]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Office of the Secretary
Listening Sessions on Draft Environmental Justice Strategy
Approach
AGENCY: Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and
Sustainment, Department of Defense (DoD).
ACTION: Notice; listening sessions and notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: Pursuant to an Executive order (E.O.), the DoD is updating its
EJ Strategy. DoD is soliciting feedback on its draft goals and overall
approach to addressing EJ. This draft information is included in the
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section.
DATES: Interested individuals are invited to provide verbal and written
feedback on DoD's draft goals and overall
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approach to addressing EJ throughout the Department.
DoD is offering the following two public, virtual listening
sessions:
Tuesday, June 25, 2024 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time
(EST), Virtual, Registration link: <a href="https://bahmeet.webex.com/weblink/register/r2f51bca3daf05861f651722223990d09">https://bahmeet.webex.com/weblink/register/r2f51bca3daf05861f651722223990d09</a>
Thursday, June 27, 2024 4:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. EST Virtual, Registration
link: <a href="https://bahmeet.webex.com/weblink/register/r14abbe7c9b79eed68e43d6baa288ab07">https://bahmeet.webex.com/weblink/register/r14abbe7c9b79eed68e43d6baa288ab07</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.
DoD will consider all comments received during the public listening
sessions. Please clarify whether feedback is intended for the
Department's draft EJ goals or overall approach to addressing EJ. DoD
also plans to record these listening sessions to accurately capture
inputs on the draft EJ goals and implementation approach. DoD plans to
only use the recordings for this purpose. All feedback, including
personal information, provided during the listening sessions may be
made public. The Department cautions commenters from including personal
or other identifying information they do not want made publicly
available when submitting their feedback.
ADDRESSES: Individuals may also provide written feedback. DoD will
consider all comments postmarked by 07/09/2024. Please clarify whether
feedback is intended for the Department's draft EJ goals or overall
approach to addressing EJ.
Submitting Comments: Individuals may submit written comments via
one of the following methods:
<bullet<ls-thn-eq> Email to: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#6f1b0a1d1d164103410d00180a1d1c5e5b410c06192f020e060341020603"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="7105140303085f1d5f131e0614030240455f121807311c10181d5f1c181d">[email protected]</span></a>;
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#afc0dccb81cac5dcdbddcedbcac8d6efc2cec6c381c2c6c3"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="234c50470d4649505751425746445a634e424a4f0d4e4a4f">[email protected]</span></a> or
<bullet> Mail hard copy to: Terry Bowers, Office of the Assistant
Secretary of Defense for Energy, Installations, and Environment, 3400
Defense Pentagon, Washington, DC 20301-3400.
Written comments must include the commenter's name and reference
the Department's EJ Strategy. All feedback, including personal
information, provided via written comment may be made public. The
Department cautions commenters from including personal or other
identifying information they do not want made publicly available when
submitting their feedback.
Accessing Documents and Additional Information: Individuals may
access additional information on the Department's EJ efforts through
the following link: <a href="https://www.denix.osd.mil/ej/">https://www.denix.osd.mil/ej/</a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Terry Bowers, 571-232-2482,
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#16627364646f387a38747961736465272238757f60567b777f7a387b7f7a"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="1064756262693e7c3e727f6775626321243e737966507d71797c3e7d797c">[email protected]</span></a> and <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#610e12054f040b1215130015040618210c00080d4f0c080d"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="016e72652f646b7275736075646678416c60686d2f6c686d">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background: E.O. 14096 directs Federal
agencies to develop an EJ Strategy 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 its EJ efforts, the Department is updating its EJ
Strategy in accordance with E.O. 14096. DoD will evaluate all verbal
and written feedback received on the draft goals and overall approach
to advancing EJ across the Department.
Listening Session Format: The listening sessions listed above will
be two hours. Each session will start with an overview and then
participants will have an opportunity to provide feedback through a
variety of engagement tools. If you require a reasonable accommodation
to attend one of the listening sessions, please email:
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#8efaebfcfcf7a0e2a0ece1f9ebfcfdbfbaa0ede7f8cee3efe7e2a0e3e7e2"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="f3879681818add9fdd919c84968180c2c7dd909a85b39e929a9fdd9e9a9f">[email protected]</span></a>, <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#f39c81cf92d39b819695ce" mailto:osd.ejstrategy@mail.mil"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="b5dac6d19bd0dfc6c1c7d4c1d0d2ccf5d8d4dcd99bd8dcd9">[email protected]</span></a>">or<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#5d322e397338372e292f3c29383a241d303c343173303431"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="f39c8097dd9699808781928796948ab39e929a9fdd9e9a9f">[email protected]</span></a></a>.
Draft Goals and Overall Approach to Addressing EJ: DoD would
appreciate feedback on the following questions:
1. Do the drafted EJ goals and overall implementation approach
address your concerns regarding the advancement of EJ throughout the
Department? Why or why not? Note: the drafted items are included below.
2. Are there any concerns with the Department's drafted overall
approach to addressing EJ?
3. Are there any concerns not currently reflected in the drafted
materials included below?
DoD drafted the following Goals in response to E.O. 14096:
<bullet> Regularly assess EJ-related plans, policies, programs, and
actions across all DoD programs after first educating and expanding EJ
awareness of actions disproportionately impacting low income, minority,
Tribal, disabled, and/or descendant populations across all DoD
programs.
<bullet> Identify, characterize, and assess effects of DoD plans,
programs, policies, and activities disproportionately impacting
communities and stakeholders, including whether effects are chronic or
acute.
<bullet> Investigate methods to mitigate impacts of DoD plans,
programs, policies, and activities after first identifying potentially
affected communities and stakeholders.
<bullet> Provide tools to improve DoD's capacity to conduct
meaningful and effective work supporting EJ.
<bullet> Strengthen outreach to communities and stakeholders that
may be disproportionately affected by high and adverse environmental,
human health, or cultural impacts from DoD programs, policies, and
activities through appropriate public engagement.
DoD also drafted the following overall approach to addressing EJ:
DoD anticipates that it will need to execute a considerable amount
of work to effectively integrate EJ across the enterprise to meet E.O.
14096. Historically, DoD has used compliance with the National
Environmental Policy Act, National Historic Preservation Act, and
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act
processes to address EJ. The Department may take a more proactive
approach by incorporating EJ into Office of the Secretary of Defense
(OSD), Military Department (MILDEP), and installation-level planning
processes. These plans may include or discuss installation master
planning, climate change, cultural and natural resources conservation,
integrated installation resilience, and others. Integrating EJ into the
Department's policies and programs will require consistent coordination
across OSD, the MILDEPs, individual installations, and other DoD
equities.
The Department may investigate methods to streamline EJ
implementation, including:
<bullet> Issuing a Secretary of Defense or Deputy Secretary of
Defense message, discussing the importance of EJ and explaining CEQ's
EJ guidance;
<bullet> Designating a Chief EJ Officer for each MILDEP;
<bullet> Coordinating with the MILDEPs and DoD Components on the
best methods to integrate EJ into existing programming, planning,
acquisition, and other actions;
<bullet> Issuing a DoD Directive, Instruction, and/or Manual,
describing consistent EJ implementation across all programs and
services and identifying actions better managed at the OSD-level versus
the MILDEP- and installation-levels;
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<bullet> Developing EJ training and communication materials for DoD
leadership; and
<bullet> Beginning integration of available EJ tools into planning
documents.
Dated: June 6, 2024.
Patricia L. Toppings,
OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 2024-12775 Filed 6-10-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6001-FR-P
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