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 Public Meeting: October 9, 2024 (Hybrid)
The next WHEJAC public meeting will convene in person with a virtual option (hybrid) on Wednesday, October 9, 2024, from approximately 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM Central Time (10:00 AM to 9:00 PM Eastern Time) at the Jackson Center (6001 Monquin Drive NW in Huntsville, Alabama).
A public comment period will take place from approximately 5:00 PM to 6:45 PM Central Time. Members of the public who wish to participate in the public comment period must register by 11:59 PM Eastern Time, Friday, October 4, 2024. Priority to speak during the public meeting will be given to registered public commenters who have relevant comments on the charges and topics 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_Rk5Yv9p6Tja1IaKeFWqZeQ
This free, hybrid 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 WHEJAC October 2024 Public Meeting Agenda (pdf)
Public Comment Period:
The WHEJAC is interested in receiving public comments relevant to the following charges and topics:
- EnvironmentalJustice.gov (or EJ.gov)
- National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Environmental Justice Science, Data, and Research Plan
- Place-Based and Community-Focused Initiatives
- Environmental Justice Scorecard
- Justice40 Initiative
Learn more about the WHEJAC workgroups and charges.
Registration to speak during the public comment period closes at 11:59 PM Eastern Time, Friday, October 4, 2024.
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 Wednesday, October 23, 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 email whejac@epa.gov.
Previous WHEJAC Meetings
View a message from Vice President Kamala Harris on the WHEJAC
WHEJAC Recommendations
You also may Search all Recommendations.