[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 197 (Friday, October 13, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71041-71043]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-22527]


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OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY POLICY


Request for Information To Support the Development of a Federal 
Environmental Justice Science, Data, and Research Plan

AGENCY: Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP).

ACTION: Notice of request for information (RFI).

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SUMMARY: The Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) seeks 
information to assist in developing a coordinated Federal strategy to 
identify and address gaps in science, data, and research related to 
environmental justice. Information received through this RFI will 
inform the biennial Environmental Justice Science, Data, and Research 
Plan.

DATES: Interested persons and organizations are invited to submit 
comments on or before December 12, 2023.

ADDRESSES: Interested individuals and organizations should submit 
comments electronically via regulations.gov. Due to time constraints, 
mailed paper submissions will not be accepted, and electronic 
submissions received after the deadline may not be incorporated or 
taken into consideration.
    Instructions: Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to www.regulations.gov 
to submit your comments electronically. Information on how to use 
Regulations.gov, including instructions for accessing agency documents, 
submitting comments, and viewing the docket, is available on the site 
under ``FAQ'' (https://www.regulations.gov/faq).
    Privacy Note: OSTP's policy is to make all comments received from 
members of the public available for public viewing in their entirety on 
the Federal eRulemaking Portal at www.regulations.gov. Therefore, 
commenters should be careful to include in their comments only 
information that they wish to make publicly available. OSTP requests 
that no proprietary information, copyrighted information, or personally 
identifiable information be submitted in response to this RFI.
    Response to this RFI is voluntary. Each responding entity 
(individual or organization) is requested to submit only one response. 
The National Science and Technology Council Environmental Justice 
Subcommittee welcomes any responses to inform and guide the work of the 
subcommittee. Please feel free to respond to as many prompts as you 
choose, indicating the section number and question letter being 
addressed. Responses are encouraged to include the name of the 
person(s) or organization(s) filing the comment, and may also include 
the respondent type (e.g., academic, non-profit, professional society, 
community-based organization, industry, trainee/student, member of the 
public, government, other). Respondent's role in the organization may 
also be provided (e.g., researcher, faculty, student, program manager, 
journalist) on a voluntary basis. Additionally, please include the 
Docket ID at the top of your comments.
    Comments containing references, studies, research, and other 
empirical data that are not widely published should include copies or 
electronic links of the referenced materials. Please note that the U.S. 
Government will not pay for response preparation, or for the use of any 
information contained in the response. A response to this RFI will not 
be viewed as a binding commitment to develop or pursue the project or 
ideas discussed.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information, please 
direct questions to Dr. Kristi Pullen Fedinick, OSTP Assistant Director 
of Environmental Justice Science and Technology at [email protected]. or 
via phone at (202) 881-9335.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On April 21, 2023, President Biden signed 
Executive Order (E.O.) 14096 to revitalize our nation's commitment to 
environmental justice for all.\1\ As set forth in section 2 of E.O. 
14096, ``Environmental justice'' means the just treatment and 
meaningful involvement of all people, regardless of income, race, 
color, national origin, Tribal affiliation, or disability, in agency 
decision-making and other Federal activities that affect human health 
and the environment so that people: (i) are fully protected from 
disproportionate and adverse human health and environmental effects 
(including risks) and hazards, including those related to climate 
change, the cumulative impacts of environmental and other burdens, and 
the legacy of racism or other structural or systemic barriers; and (ii) 
have equitable access to a healthy, sustainable, and resilient 
environment in which to live, play, work, learn, grow, worship, and 
engage in cultural and subsistence practices.
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    \1\ E.O. 14096, Revitalizing Our Nations Commitment to 
Environmental Justice for All, 88 FR 25, 351 (Apr. 26, 2023); White 
House Fact Sheet (Apr. 21, 2023).
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    To address the need for a coordinated Federal strategy to identify 
and address gaps in science, data, and research related to 
environmental justice, Section 5 of E.O. 14096 directs the Director of 
the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) to establish an 
Environmental Justice Subcommittee of the National Science and 
Technology Council (Environmental Justice Subcommittee). As directed by 
the E.O., the Environmental Justice Subcommittee is preparing an 
Environmental Justice Science, Data, and Research Plan (Research Plan) 
to:
    (A) analyze any gaps and inadequacies in data collection and 
scientific research related to environmental justice, with a focus on 
gaps and inadequacies that may affect agencies' ability to advance 
environmental justice, including through the Environmental Justice 
Strategic Plans required under section 4 of E.O. 14096;
    (B) identify opportunities for agencies to coordinate with the 
research efforts of State, Tribal, territorial, and local governments; 
academic institutions; communities; the private sector; the non-profit 
sector; and other relevant actors to accelerate the development of 
data, research, and techniques--including consideration of Indigenous 
Knowledge--to address gaps and inadequacies in data collection and 
scientific research that may affect agencies' ability to advance 
environmental justice;
    (C) provide recommendations to agencies on the development and use 
of science, data, and research to support environmental justice policy 
and the agency responsibilities outlined in section 3 of the E.O.;
    (D) provide recommendations to the Chair of the White House Council 
on Environmental Quality (CEQ) on data sources to include in the 
Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool established pursuant to 
section 222(a) of Executive Order 14008;
    (E) provide recommendations to agencies on ethical standards, 
privacy protections, and other requirements for the development and use 
of science, data, and research addressed in the Research Plan, 
including recommendations with respect to

[[Page 71042]]

engaging in consultation with and obtaining consent of Tribal Nations; 
and
    (F) provide recommendations to agencies on:
    (1) encouraging participatory science, such as research or data 
collection undertaken by communities or the public, and, as 
appropriate, integrating such science into agency decision-making 
processes;
    (2) taking steps to ensure or encourage, as appropriate, that 
collections of data related to environmental justice include data from 
the Territories and possessions of the United States;
    (3) improving the public accessibility of research and information 
produced or distributed by the Federal Government, including through 
the use of machine-readable formats, where appropriate;
    (4) disaggregating environmental risk, exposure, and health data by 
race, national origin, income, socioeconomic status, age, sex, 
disability, and other readily accessible and appropriate categories;
    (5) identifying and addressing data collection challenges related 
to patterns of historical or ongoing racial discrimination and bias;
    (6) analyzing cumulative impacts (including risks) from multiple 
sources, pollutants or chemicals, and exposure pathways, and accounting 
for non-chemical stressors and current and anticipated climate change;
    (7) in collaboration with Tribal Nations, as appropriate, 
collecting, maintaining, and analyzing information on consumption 
patterns of fish, wildlife, and plants related to subsistence and 
cultural practices of Tribal and Indigenous populations;
    (8) providing opportunities for meaningful engagement for 
communities with environmental justice concerns on the development and 
design of data collection and research strategies relevant to those 
communities; and
    (9) implementing sections 3-3 and 4-4 of Executive Order 12898 in 
an efficient and effective manner.

Information Requested

    Respondents may provide information as many topics below as they 
choose. The Subcommittee on Environmental Justice formed under the 
National Science and Technology Council Committee on the Environment, 
co-chaired by OSTP, the White House Council on Environmental Quality 
(CEQ), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Department of 
Transportation (DOT), will develop an Environmental Justice Science, 
Data, and Research Plan. Input is welcome from stakeholders and members 
of the public representing all backgrounds and perspectives.
    To support the development of the Federal Environmental Justice, 
Science, Data, and Research Plan, OSTP seeks information on the 
collection and use of science, data, and research in Federal decision 
making, including on the following topics:

1. Development and Use of Science, Data, and Research To Support 
Environmental Justice Policy

    a. What kinds of Federal activities \2\ do you think should better 
include or consider data or research related to environmental justice? 
Are there specific data types of research you would prioritize?
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    \2\ As set forth in E.O. 14096, section 3, `` `Federal activity' 
means any agency rulemaking, guidance, policy, program, practice, or 
action that affects or has the potential to affect human health and 
the environment, including an agency action related to climate 
change. Federal activities may include agency actions related to: 
assuring compliance with applicable laws; licensing, permitting, and 
the reissuance of licenses and permits; awarding, conditioning, or 
oversight of Federal funds; and managing Federal resources and 
facilities. This may also include such activities in the District of 
Columbia and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Commonwealth of 
the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, Guam, the U.S. Virgin 
Islands, and other Territories and possessions of the United 
States.''
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    b. What are the biggest opportunities for advancing research and 
development to support environmental justice-related decision making, 
both within the Federal research programs and in Federal extramural 
grant programs?
    c. What types of data and evidence, including Indigenous Knowledge 
\3\ as appropriate, do you find most important or most needed for 
advancing governmental decision-making related to environmental 
justice?
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    \3\ https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/OSTP-CEQ-IK-Guidance.pdf.
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    d. What data sources should the Environmental Justice Subcommittee 
consider recommending to the Chair of CEQ for inclusion in the Climate 
and Economic Justice Screening Tool established pursuant to section 
222(a) of Executive Order 14008?
    e. Please provide specific examples in which data have been used to 
improve conditions in communities with environmental justice concerns 
or any other communities?
    f. Please provide examples of data, research, local or Indigenous 
Knowledge, and/or science--or the lack thereof--that have been misused 
or misinterpreted in environmental justice-related decisions and 
actions?

2. Identifying and Addressing Data Gaps and Inadequacies in Data 
Collection and Scientific Research Related to Environmental Justice

    a. What data gaps or data collection challenges have you 
encountered related to patterns of historical or ongoing discrimination 
and bias (e.g., related to income, race, color, national origin, Tribal 
affiliation, or disability)?
    b. What datasets have you used that may be relevant to assessing 
environmental, health, economic, or environmental justice burdens or 
impacts in the U.S. Territories?
    c. What recommendations do you have to ensure or encourage, as 
appropriate, that collection of data related to environmental justice 
include data from U.S. Territories?

3. Encouraging Participatory Science and Meaningful Engagement for 
Communities

    a. What role should the Federal government play in collecting, 
storing, and managing community-derived data, including information 
collected from communities with environmental justice concerns?
    b. What suggestions do you have for use of community-derived data 
in Federal decisions with varying needs for quality assurance, 
reproducibility, and peer review across different decision contexts?
    c. What are the priority decision contexts in which community-
derived data should be applied?
    d. What other actions could the Federal government take to 
encourage use of community-generated data in state or local decision 
making?
    e. What recommendations do you have for encouraging, implementing, 
and institutionalizing community and/or participatory science, such as 
research or data collection undertaken by communities or the public, 
and, as appropriate, integrating such science into agency decision-
making processes?
    f. What practices could ensure that effective, respectful, and 
meaningful public engagement is built into the research process?
    g. What methods, processes, or structures do you know of for 
respectfully collecting, maintaining, and analyzing information with 
communities?
    h. What mechanisms of submitting community-derived data to the 
Federal government for use in decision-making would you find the most 
useful?
    i. What types of research strategies are most meaningful to you, 
and how do you prefer to be engaged in environmental justice research? 
Please

[[Page 71043]]

feel free, if appropriate, to indicate if your perspective is grounded 
in any personal experience, including any experiences as a member of 
any community with environmental justice concerns. If you are providing 
comments as a representative of a Tribal Nation, or as a representative 
of a U.S. Territory, or any other governmental entity please also feel 
free to note that as relevant to this or any other question.

4. Ethical Standards, Privacy Protections, and Other Requirements for 
the Development and Use of Science, Data, and Research

    a. What systems or approaches to privacy protections, attribution, 
and ethical standards have you encountered or developed that have been 
useful in community-derived experiential data?
    b. What suggestions do you have on ethical standards, privacy 
protections, and other requirements for the development and use of 
science, data, and research?

5. Research Coordination and Public Access to Federal Data

    a. Are there datasets not owned by the Federal government that you 
have utilized to help support the advancement of environmental justice? 
If you have used non-Federal data sets to advance environmental 
justice, which ones have you used and why?
    b. How can the Federal government better collaborate across Federal 
agencies, and partner with State, Tribal, territorial, and local 
governments, academic institutions, the private sector, the non-profit 
sector, and other entities to accelerate the development of data, 
research, and techniques to address gaps and inadequacies in data 
collection and scientific research that may affect agencies' ability to 
advance environmental justice?
    c. What kinds of tools and resources would help communities and 
local decision makers better access data and information and address 
environmental justice in decision making?
    d. What recommendations do you have for improving the public 
accessibility of data and information produced or distributed by the 
Federal Government, including through the use of digital and spatial 
formats, where appropriate?

6. Data Analysis and Methodological Considerations

    a. What methods do you recommend for disaggregating environmental 
risk, exposure, and health data by race, national origin, income, 
socioeconomic status, age, sex, disability, and/or other readily 
accessible and appropriate categories?
    b. What methods do you recommend for analyzing cumulative impacts 
(including risks) from multiple sources, pollutants or chemicals, and 
exposure pathways, and accounting for non-chemical stressors and 
current and anticipated climate change?
    c. What methods, processes, or structures do you recommend for 
respectfully collecting, maintaining, and analyzing information, in 
collaboration with Tribal Nations, on consumption patterns of fish, 
wildlife, and plants related to subsistence and cultural practices of 
Tribal and Indigenous populations?

7. Additional Considerations

    a. Is there anything else you would like to be considered in the 
development of the Environmental Justice Science, Data, and Research 
Plan as described in E.O. 14096?

    Dated: October 6, 2023.
Stacy Murphy,
Deputy Chief Operations Officer/Security Officer.
[FR Doc. 2023-22527 Filed 10-12-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3270-F1-P