White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council
The White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council (WHEJAC) has been established pursuant to Executive Order 14008, titled Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad. The White House council will not only bring greater visibility to EJ issues across the federal government but will provide EPA’s National Environmental Justice Advisory Council (NEJAC) with an excellent partner for providing horizon-expanding EJ advice and recommendations to our government’s leadership. As EPA supports the formation of the White House council, we are continuing to support the consistent management of NEJAC, including with our annual membership recruitment process and convening public meetings.
- Overview of the WHEJAC
- WHEJAC Membership, Workgroups, and Charges
- WHEJAC Meetings
- WHEJAC Recommendations
Overview of the WHEJAC
Read the WHEJAC Charter (pdf) (amended January 5, 2024)
Per Executive Order on the continuance of certain federal advisory committees, the WHEJAC has been extended to September 30, 2023.
Through President Biden’s Executive Order 14008, titled Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad (signed January 27, 2021), the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council (WHEJAC) is being established to advise the Chair of the Council of Environmental Quality (CEQ) and the newly established White House Environmental Justice Interagency Council (IAC) to increase the Federal Government’s efforts to address environmental injustice. The WHEJAC’s efforts will include a broad range of strategic, scientific, technological, regulatory, community engagement, and economic issues related to environmental justice.
This council will advise on how to increase the Federal Government’s efforts to address current and historic environmental injustice through strengthening environmental justice monitoring and enforcement. The duties of the WHEJAC are to provide advice and recommendations to the IAC and the Chair of CEQ on a whole-of-government approach to environmental justice, including, but not limited, to environmental justice in the following areas:
- Climate change mitigation, resilience, and disaster management
- Toxics, pesticides, and pollution reduction in overburdened communities
- Equitable conservation and public lands use
- Tribal and Indigenous issues
- Clean energy transition
- Sustainable infrastructure, including clean water, transportation, and the built environment
- NEPA, enforcement and civil rights
- Increasing the Federal Government’s efforts to address current and historic environmental injustice
WHEJAC Membership, Workgroups, and Charges
Current WHEJAC Members:
The WHEJAC members have been appointed by the President.
Members were selected from across a wide range of backgrounds and have knowledge about or experience in environmental justice, climate change, disaster preparedness, racial inequity, among other areas of expertise.
WHEJAC Members Biographies (pdf)
WHEJAC Workgroups and Charges (pdf) (last updated: May 2024)
WHEJAC Meetings
All scheduled meetings will be published in the Federal Register and sent out by the EPA Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights Listserv and the EPA Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights X account.
Upcoming Meetings: June 5-6, 2024 (Virtual)
The next WHEJAC meeting, in coordination with the White House Interagency Council (IAC), will be virtual and will take place on Wednesday, June 5, 2024, from approximately 12:00 PM to 6:30 PM E.T., and continue on Thursday, June 6, 2024, from approximately 12:00 PM to 6:30 PM E.T.
A public comment period will take place on Wednesday, June 5, 2024 from approximately 4:00 PM to 6:30 PM Eastern Time, and a topic-focused session will occur on Thursday, June 6, 2024, from approximately 3:30 PM to 5:00 PM Eastern Time. Members of the public who wish to participate in the public comment period must register by 11:59 PM Eastern Time, May 30, 2024. Priority to speak during the public meeting will be given to registered public commenters who have relevant comments on the charges, topics and questions listed below, however we will strive to accommodate as many registered public commenters as possible within the specified time allocated on the agenda.
Register Here: https://usepa.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_dzehI1kUTAmcAe3kwhE0dQ
This free, virtual meeting is open to the public. Individual registration is REQUIRED to attend. The public will have the opportunity to register at any time before and throughout the duration of the meeting.
Draft Agenda for WHEJAC Public Meeting on June 5-6, 2024 (pdf)
Public Comment Period:
The WHEJAC is seeking public comments relevant to their current charges, topics, and questions currently under consideration:
- Carbon Management
- Environmental Justice Issues Affecting Indigenous Peoples and Tribal Nations
- 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)
- Ways in which the Federal Government can address community impacts on, and concerns of, Indigenous Peoples and Tribal Nations
- Ways in which the incorporation of Indigenous knowledge into Federal decision making could help address environmental hazards and environmental justice concerns.
Learn more about the WHEJAC workgroups and charges.
The IAC is seeking public comments relevant to environmental justice goals and priorities, either for the coming year of over a longer term, that could advance:
- IAC’s mission and work as defined in Executive Orders 14008 and 14096, including ways to address and respond to formal recommendations from the WHEJAC
- The future Environmental Justice Science, Data, and Research Plan of the National Science and Technology Council’s Environmental Justice Subcommittee
- 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.
The public can submit written comments in 3 different ways:
- Entering comments in the Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OEJECR-2024-0147 at http://www.regulations.gov
- Using the webform: https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/forms/white-house-environmental-justice-advisory-council-whejac-public-comment
- Sending comments via email to whejac@epa.gov, for comments with supporting materials
Written comments can be submitted through June 19, 2024.
The meeting agenda and other meeting support materials including the public comments will be posted in the public docket EPA-HQ-OEJECR-2024-0147 as they become available at http://www.regulations.gov.
Learn more about the WHEJAC: https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/white-house-environmental-justice-advisory-council
Questions: Please contact Audrie Washington via email at whejac@epa.gov or by phone at 202-441-7295.
Previous WHEJAC Meetings
View a message from Vice President Kamala Harris on the WHEJAC
WHEJAC Recommendations
You also may Search all Recommendations.