[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 100 (Wednesday, May 22, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44976-44977]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[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: [email protected]; telephone: (202) 441-
7295. For additional information about the WHEJAC, visit https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/white-house-environmental-justice-advisory-council#meetings.

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: https://www.whitehouse.gov/environmentaljustice/white-house-environmental-justice-interagency-council/.
    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 https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/white-house-environmental-justice-advisory-council#meetings. 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 https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/white-house-environmental-justice-advisory-council, 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

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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, https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/white-house-environmental-justice-advisory-council#whejacrecommendations.
    \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), https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Strategic-Planning-to-Advance-Environmental-Justice_final-Oct.-2023.pdf.
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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 https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/forms/white-house-environmental-justice-advisory-council-whejac-public-comment; by emailing comments to [email protected]; 
or by visiting https://www.regulations.gov 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 [email protected]. 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]
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