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
Read the WHEJAC Charter (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 and Workgroups
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 Member Biographies (pdf)
Request for Expression of Interest in Membership on the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council Now Available!
The White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) invites the public to submit expressions of interest in serving as members of the WHEJAC. This notice solicits expressions of interest to fill approximately fifteen (15) new vacancies for a two-year term. These expressions of interest will inform CEQ’s recommendation of potential new members to the President, who appoints all members of the WHEJAC and retains discretion over membership. Please use this link to access the interest form. Submittals must be received no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on January 17, 2023.
The WHEJAC is composed of a diverse group of experts and representatives from across a broad range of backgrounds with knowledge or experience in environmental justice, climate change, public health, disaster preparedness, racial inequity, and other related areas.
To inform CEQ's recommendation, CEQ is seeking candidates with knowledge of:
- Community sustainability and resiliency
- Climate resilience (both mitigation and adaptation)
- Environmental measures
- Public health
- Water infrastructure and other water concerns
- Land use and development
- Farmworker concerns and pesticides
- Workforce development
- Working with sub-populations with environmental justice concerns (e.g., unhoused individuals, veterans, individuals involved in the criminal justice system, etc.)
- Youth-led or youth-focused environmental organizations
The WHEJAC expects to meet publicly approximately once per quarter and more frequently as needed and may require travel. Workgroups will meet on an as-needed basis.
How Do I Indicate My Interest?
To be considered for membership on the WHEJAC, interested individuals must submit:
- A completed Expression of Interest Questionnaire Expression of Interest in WHEJAC Membership Form (pdf)
- Resume describing your professional and educational qualifications, including a list of relevant activities and current or previous service on advisory committees.
Submit interest questionnaire and resume via email to whejac@epa.gov with “WHEJAC Membership” in the subject line.
For questions, contact: Karen Martin, U.S. EPA, by telephone at (202) 564-0203, or email at whejac@epa.gov.
WHEJAC Meetings
All scheduled meetings will be published in the Federal Register and sent out by the EPA-EJ Listserv and the EPA EJ Twitter account.
Upcoming Meetings: TBD in 2023.
Subscribe to the EPA-EJ Listserv to receive the details as soon as they are released!
Previous WHEJAC Meetings
View a message from Vice President Kamala Harris on the WHEJAC
WHEJAC Recommendations
You also may Search all Recommendations.
| Date | Title |
|---|---|
| May 2021 | |
| March 2022 | WHEJAC Phase One Scorecard Recommendations Report (pdf) |
| March 2022 | |
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August 2022 |
WHEJAC Recommendations on the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (pdf) |
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August 2022 |
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| August 2022 | WHEJAC Recommendations on Air Pollution Emissions Limits for Incinerators (pdf) |