[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 177 (Thursday, September 12, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 74260-74263]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-20678]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers


Notice of Virtual Public and Tribal Meetings Regarding the U.S. 
Army Corps of Engineers Civil Works Environmental Justice Strategic 
Plan and Vision, Establishment of a Public Docket, Request for Input

AGENCY: Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers, DoD.

ACTION: Notice; announcement of virtual public and Tribal meeting dates 
and solicitation of input.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Executive order, ``Revitalizing our Nation's 
Commitment to Environmental Justice for All'', the U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers (Corps) is preparing its Environmental Justice Strategic Plan 
for the Civil Works programs. As part of that effort, the Corps is 
soliciting feedback on its Draft Environmental Justice Strategic Plan 
vision, goals, and objectives. The Corps is also soliciting input on 
priority actions and performance metrics that will be evaluated to 
advance the Draft Environmental Justice Strategic Plan vision, goals, 
and objectives. The Environmental Justice Strategic Plan will be a 
living document that is periodically updated, and comments will be 
therefore accepted any time at the email address listed below.

DATES: To be considered for this 2024 Environmental Justice Strategic 
Plan, written recommendations must be received on or before Tuesday, 
October 1st, 2024. The Corps will hold public virtual meetings on the 
following dates: September 17th and September 19th. In addition, the 
Corps will hold Tribal virtual meetings on the following dates: 
September 18th.
    Tribal Nations may request consultation through October 15. Written 
comments from Tribal Nations will be accepted until October 22. Please 
refer to the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section below for additional 
information on these virtual meetings.

ADDRESSES: You may send written feedback, identified by Docket ID No.

[[Page 74261]]

COE-2024-0003, by any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov/ 
(our preferred method). Follow the online instructions for submitting 
written feedback.
     Email: [email protected] and Include Docket 
ID No. COE-2024-0003 in the subject line of the message.
     Mail: Joseph Redican, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, HQ, 
Deputy Chief, Planning and Policy Division; Desk 3F94, 441 G Street NW, 
Washington, DC 20314, Include Docket ID No. COE-2024-0003 on the Letter 
Head.
     Hand Delivery/Courier: Due to security requirements, we 
cannot receive comments by hand delivery or courier.
    Instructions: All submissions received must include Docket ID No. 
COE-2024-0003. Written feedback received may be posted without change 
to https://www.regulations.gov/, including any personal information 
provided. The Corps encourages the public to submit written feedback 
via https://www.regulations.gov/ or email, as there may be a delay in 
processing mail.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jessica Ludy, Office of the Assistant 
Secretary of the Army for Civil Works at 1-415-732-9165 or by email at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background:

    Executive Order (E.O) 14096 directs Federal agencies to develop an 
Environmental Justice Strategic Plan 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 (United States, Executive Office of the 
President, [Joseph Biden], Executive Order 14096: Revitalizing Our 
Nation's Commitment to Environmental Justice for All. Section 4. 26 
April 2023).
    When complete, the Draft Environmental Justice Strategic Plan will 
offer a vision to transform how the Corps works with communities in its 
Civil Works program. Overall, the Corps will integrate environmental 
justice principles into the foundational elements of the Corps Civil 
Works programs. This includes consideration of Federal Tribal trust 
responsibilities and any disproportionate impact on disadvantaged 
communities from Civil Works programs. This vision is reflected in the 
five goals and associated objectives outlined in this notice and 
include our People (the Corps workforce); our Projects, permits and 
other Corps work activities; our Partners (Tribes, communities, 
agencies, and other organizations with whom the Corps collaborates); 
our Processes (including the way the Corps conducts work activities and 
makes decisions); and our Policy (including the laws, authorities, and 
policies that require or inform Corps compliance). Public input 
received through this notice in the Federal Register will help the 
Corps identify ways to further institutionalize environmental justice. 
These five goals can help the Corps directly address any barriers to 
all communities' ability to enjoy the same degree of protections and 
equal access to Civil Works programs and services to achieve a healthy 
environment in which to live.

A. Draft Environmental Justice Strategic Plan Vision

    It is the vision of the Corps to leverage our congressional 
authorities, our technical expertise, and our partnerships to ensure 
environmental justice principles and the Federal trust responsibility 
result in the Civil Works programs supporting all communities and 
enhancing their access to a healthy, sustainable, and resilient 
environment in which to live, play, work, learn, grow, worship, and 
engage in cultural and subsistence practices. It is the vision of the 
Corps to support all communities in enjoying the benefit of protection 
from natural hazards, environmental health and climate risks, and to 
also have meaningful input into Corps decisions that impact them. The 
Corps also aims to build and sustain a world-class, water resources 
workforce where Tribal Nations, U.S. Territories, and all communities 
with environmental justice concerns see themselves and their interests 
well represented, and want to partner with us to restore, and repair 
the nation's waterways for public, environmental, social, cultural, and 
economic benefits.

B. Draft Environmental Justice Strategic Plan Goal One: People

    Recruit, retain, and train a workforce with the lived experience, 
expertise, and capacity to deliver the Corps mission in ways that 
advance environmental justice for all communities and protect our 
Federal trust responsibilities. Goal one will be accomplished through 
the following four objectives:
    1. Consistent with merit system principles, develop a Corps 
workforce across all levels including junior staff and senior leaders, 
temporary and permanent staff, technical and operational staff that 
reflects the diversity of the American people. This includes targeted 
recruitment and outreach to people with lived experience of 
marginalization or environmental justice concerns and removing barriers 
to equal opportunity.
    2. Foster a model workplace environment at the Corps where all 
employees are engaged, supported, heard, and empowered, with 
opportunities to learn, grow and excel during their career.
    3. Provide workforce training and support for Corps staff to grow 
their environmental justice literacy and expertise, including how to 
incorporate environmental justice into the analysis of direct, 
indirect, and cumulative effects of proposed Federal actions or permits 
and to increase their understanding of Tribal sovereignty and the 
Federal trust responsibility.
    4. Provide training and tools for staff on how to engage and 
communicate with Tribes and communities with environmental justice 
concerns in ways that foster mutual respect and trust, and in how to 
consider the information received during engagements in projects, 
decisions, and other Corps activities.

C. Draft Environmental Justice Strategic Plan Goal Two: Projects, 
Permits, and Other Corps Activities

    Goal two of the Strategic Plan is to strive to conduct all Corps 
work within its authorities in ways that reduce disproportionate 
environmental burdens including human health effects across the 
landscape and improve environmental, economic, and social conditions in 
places and with communities with environmental justice concerns. Goal 
two will be accomplished through the following three objectives:
    1. Prioritize resources (staff, funding, outreach) to efforts that 
will bring significant benefits with no group bearing a 
disproportionate burden of environmental harms and risks, including 
health burdens, in communities with environmental justice concerns, 
including in U.S. territories and across Tribal Nations.
    2. Integrate best practices in equitable community engagement and 
the principles of Climate Resilience,

[[Page 74262]]

Indigenous Knowledge, Nature Based Solutions, the Federal trust 
responsibility, and Environmental Justice into the Corps Civil Works 
planning and project delivery process, and into current (where 
practicable) and new work activities and decisions that affect 
communities. Fully consider the public input provided as part of all 
decision-making processes.
    3. Evaluate relevant legal authorities to enhance the Corps ability 
to both identify impacts and implement alternative solutions or 
specific mitigation actions that will reduce adverse impacts on and 
increase benefits to communities with environmental justice concerns.

D. Draft Environmental Justice Strategic Plan Goal Three: Partnerships

    As part of a whole-of-government approach, goal three focuses on 
investing in building the trusted partnerships and collaboration needed 
to advance environmental justice across the nation. Goal three will be 
accomplished through the following three objectives:
    1. Build, nurture, repair, or rebuild trusted relationships with 
Tribal Nations and all communities with environmental justice concerns 
to enhance their ability to receive benefits and to reduce burdens 
related to Corps activities. Work together with them to anticipate 
environmental justice concerns before they arise and integrate 
preferences into solutions.
    2. Build strategic partnerships and increase project-based 
collaboration with other agencies and organizations who can help 
advance environmental justice. These organizations may have specialized 
expertise, unique authorities that compliment Corps authorities to 
create a more complete or equitable project, and or may have pre-
existing relationships with local Tribes and communities, or insight 
into community needs.
    3. Continue to participate in and leverage opportunities through 
interagency committees and working groups on relevant topics to 
exchange knowledge and advance environmental justice. Example topics 
include community-driven relocation, issues of homelessness, nature-
based solutions, environmental justice-focused trainings, etc.

E. Draft Environmental Justice Strategic Plan Goal Four: Policy and 
Process

    Goal four of the Strategic Plan is to refine Corps policy, 
processes, and decision making to reduce disparate environmental burden 
including adverse health effects, to increase access to the benefits of 
Corps work activities, and to remove barriers to participation in 
decision-making for Tribal Nations and all communities with 
environmental justice concerns. Goal four will be accomplished through 
the following two objectives:
    1. Staff will review and recommend improvements to policy or 
guidance that could reduce disparate environmental burden, increase 
access to benefits of Corps Civil Works programs for communities, and 
make it easier for affected communities to participate in the Corps 
processes that affect their built and natural environment. Further, 
Environmental Justice and Tribal subject matter experts should review 
Corps policies and guidance updates to ensure that updates will not 
disproportionately affect communities with environmental justice 
concerns.
    2. Review and modify planning, budgeting, procurement, contracting, 
and other processes and decisions to focus resources to the maximum 
extent possible in Tribal and other communities or places that have the 
most environmental burdens, that would be the most affected by a 
particular agency action or decision, or are most in need to advance 
environmental justice.

F. Draft Environmental Justice Strategic Goal Five: Further 
Institutionalize Environmental Justice

    Goal five of the Strategic Plan is to institutionalize 
environmental justice and Federal trust principles across the Corps 
throughout all operations and establish accountability for 
decisionmakers and practitioners as they apply these principles across 
agency activities, in the Army Civil Works program. Goal five will be 
accomplished through the following three objectives:
    1. Learn how environmental justice and Tribal trust issues 
intersect with every functional or work area at the Corps and use 
findings to update Policy and Process Guidance referenced in Goal four.
    2. Develop a structure that ensures all employees can both learn 
and be held accountable for advancing environmental justice and 
upholding the Federal trust responsibilities.
    3. Create a feedback mechanism to update Senior Leaders on progress 
and challenges to implementing environmental justice strategies.

II. Accessing Documents and Additional Information

    You may access information on the Corps' Environmental Justice 
program, and information on the Environmental Justice Strategic Plan 
update at the Corps' environmental justice website at https://www.usace.army.mil/Missions/Environmental-Justice/.

III. Stakeholder Engagement

    The Corps poses a series of questions detailed in this notice for 
stakeholder input. These questions are only guideposts for comments. 
Input on all aspects of the Draft Environmental Justice Strategic Plan 
are welcome. Written input to the docket as well as verbal input during 
the virtual meetings are strongly encouraged. Verbal input received 
during the listening sessions will be considered equally to written 
comments.
    1. Do the Draft Environmental Justice Strategic Plan vision, 
strategic goals, and objectives discussed in this notice address your 
interests and concerns about the advancement of environmental justice 
by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers? Why or why not?
    2. What actions should the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers undertake 
to advance environmental justice?
    3. What performance measures or metrics should the U.S. Army Corps 
of Engineers establish to monitor progress towards advancing 
environmental justice?

IV. Public Meetings and Outreach

    The Corps will hold a series of public virtual meetings intended to 
solicit input to inform its preparation of the Draft Environmental 
Justice Strategic Plan. At the virtual meeting, a brief presentation 
will be provided to give an overview of the Draft Environmental Justice 
Strategic Plan Vision, Goals and Objectives. The rest of the time is 
for participants to provide input. The introductory presentation in 
each virtual meeting will be recorded and posted on the Army Civil 
Works website and on the Corps' Environmental Justice website https://www.usace.army.mil/Missions/Environmental-Justice.
    The Corps will hold 2 virtual meetings open to all stakeholders and 
an additional 1 virtual meeting specific for Tribal input. Registration 
information for the public and Tribal virtual meetings is included in 
this notice. Separate notification to Tribal leaders is also being 
provided.
    Registration of members of the public who wish to attend the 
virtual meeting is required. Spots are limited and those unable to 
attend are encouraged to provide written comments to the docket which 
will be given equal consideration. Attendees will be asked to provide 
their name and contact information to include email address. 
Registration instructions can be found at

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the following website: https://www.usace.army.mil/Missions/Environmental-Justice.
    Persons or organizations wishing to provide verbal input during the 
meetings will be selected on a first-come, first-serve basis. Due to 
the expected number of participants, individuals will be asked to limit 
their spoken presentation to three minutes. Once the speaking slots are 
filled, participants may be placed on a standby list to speak or 
continue to register to listen to the input. Supporting materials and 
written feedback from those who do not have an opportunity to speak can 
be submitted to the docket as described above. The schedule for the 3 
virtual meetings is as follows:

Public Virtual Meetings

September 17, 2:00-3:30 p.m. ET: https://usace1.webex.com/weblink/register/r36c21ff92925df01db195f735ad21871.
September 19, 10:30-12:00 p.m. ET: https://usace1.webex.com/weblink/register/r0ff400b54abeffff21ee493b057e782d.

Tribal Virtual Meeting

Wednesday, September 18, 2024--2:00-3:30 p.m. ET: https://usace1.webex.com/weblink/register/r61e3be2c29453bf62518275359ee3dea.

Michael L. Connor,
Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works).
[FR Doc. 2024-20678 Filed 9-11-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3720-58-P