[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 113 (Tuesday, June 11, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49160-49162]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-12775]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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

[[Page 49161]]

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: https://bahmeet.webex.com/weblink/register/r2f51bca3daf05861f651722223990d09
Thursday, June 27, 2024 4:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. EST Virtual, Registration 
link: https://bahmeet.webex.com/weblink/register/r14abbe7c9b79eed68e43d6baa288ab07

    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:
     Email to: [email protected]; 
[email protected] or
     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: https://www.denix.osd.mil/ej/.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Terry Bowers, 571-232-2482, 
[email protected] and [email protected].

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: 
[email protected], [email protected]">or[email protected].
    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:
     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.
     Identify, characterize, and assess effects of DoD plans, 
programs, policies, and activities disproportionately impacting 
communities and stakeholders, including whether effects are chronic or 
acute.
     Investigate methods to mitigate impacts of DoD plans, 
programs, policies, and activities after first identifying potentially 
affected communities and stakeholders.
     Provide tools to improve DoD's capacity to conduct 
meaningful and effective work supporting EJ.
     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:
     Issuing a Secretary of Defense or Deputy Secretary of 
Defense message, discussing the importance of EJ and explaining CEQ's 
EJ guidance;
     Designating a Chief EJ Officer for each MILDEP;
     Coordinating with the MILDEPs and DoD Components on the 
best methods to integrate EJ into existing programming, planning, 
acquisition, and other actions;
     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;

[[Page 49162]]

     Developing EJ training and communication materials for DoD 
leadership; and
     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