[CPEO-BIF] Date extended to August 15th for public comments on EPA's EJ Strategic Plan

["Robert Hersh" <b_hersh@verizon.net>]

>From the Federal Register, 7/28/05

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
[FRL-7946-6]
Environmental Justice Strategic Plan
Framework and Outline
AGENCY: Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Supplemental notice; reopening
of public comment period.

SUMMARY: On June 22, 2005 (70 FR
36167), EPA's Office of Environmental
Justice announced a solicitation for
public comment on the draft: (1)
''Framework for Integrating
Environmental Justice;'' and (2)
''Environmental Justice Strategic Plan
Outline,'' which includes proposed
Environmental Justice Priorities (''EJ
Priorities''). The Framework for
Integrating Environmental Justice will
be the foundation for the Environmental
Justice Strategic Plan for FY2006-2011.
The Environmental Justice Strategic
Plan Outline identifies the anticipated
structure of the EJ Strategic Plan. EPA
is drafting the Environmental Justice
Strategic Plan to integrate its
environmental justice efforts more fully
into the Agency's existing programs and
operations, including its 5-year
planning and budgeting processes. This
supplemental notice announces an
extension to the public comment period.

DATES: The public comment period is
extended to August 15, 2005.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be
addressed to Mr. Barry E. Hill, Director,
Office of Environmental Justice, U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200
Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Mail Code
2201A, Ariel Rios South Building, Room
2226, Washington, DC 20460-0001. You
may also e-mail comments to
hill.barry@epa.gov. Please identify
e-mailed comments with the phrase ''EJ
Strategic Plan Comments'' in the subject
line.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Danny Gogal, Senior Environmental
Protection Specialist, EPA Office of
Environmental Justice, (202) 564-2576,
gogal.danny@epa.gov, or Delleane
McKenzie, Senior Program Analyst, EPA
Office of Environmental Justice, (202)
564-6358, mckenzie.delleane@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: To
provide additional time for the public to
comment and in response to requests for
additional time, EPA is extending the
comment period until August 15, 2005.
The draft Framework identifies the
proposed key elements of the EJ
Strategic Plan that will help the Agency
track progress and benchmark its
national environmental justice program
objectives. The draft Framework also
describes the proposed link between the
Environmental Justice Action Plans of
the Agency's 10 regional offices and the
substantive headquarters program
offices (e.g., Office of Air and Radiation,
Office of Solid Waste and Emergency
Response) and the National
Environmental Justice Priorities and
targets established in the EJ Strategic
Plan.

The draft Outline identifies the
''mission'' and ''vision'' that will guide
the Environmental Justice Strategic Plan
and identifies where specific
Environmental Justice Strategic Targets
will be included, once they are
developed. The Outline also includes 12
potential National EJ Priorities, which
would help focus attention on critical
human health and environmental issues
faced by communities with
disproportionate impacts (e.g., asthma
reduction, healthy schools, safe
drinking water). While the regional
offices will continue to take action on a
wide range of environmental justice
issues, using a spectrum of strategies
including cross-cutting approaches (e.g.,
community capacity-building, grants,
training) to address local needs, we
would like to select 5-7 priorities for
heightened national attention.
Therefore, in addition to providing
comments on the overall Outline, we
ask that you rank the potential priorities
(1 = highest priority, 12 = lowest
priority) and submit your ranking with
your other comments. If you have
additional suggested priorities, please
include those as well.
The draft ''Framework for Integrating
Environmental Justice'' and the
''Environmental Justice Strategic Plan
Outline,'' along with responses to
anticipated questions and a one-page
fact sheet, are available online at:
http://www.epa.gov/compliance/
resources/reports/ej.html. A hardcopy of
these documents is available upon
request.
Dated: July 25, 2005.
Barry E. Hill,
Director, Office of Environmental Justice.
[FR Doc. 05-15041 Filed 7-27-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION


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