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Council on Environmental Quality Blog

  • Celebrating Our Environment on National Public Lands Day

    Posted by Nancy Sutley on September 28, 2010 at 7:28 PM EDT

    This weekend, to celebrate the 17th anniversary of National Public Lands Day, CEQ staff, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, and I joined D.C. volunteers to help preserve the beautiful Aquatic Gardens at Kenilworth Park.

    public lands day sutley

    CEQ staff join Chief of Staff Jon Carson and Chair Nancy Sutley to volunteer on Public Lands Day

    We spent the morning working with youth groups who put a lot of elbow grease into planting trees, removing debris and spreading mulch.  By the end of the day an estimated 170,000 Americans across the country, working on over 2,000 community projects had made $15 million in national improvements, answering President Obama’s call to serve.

    lpj and ns plant trees

    EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson and CEQ Chair Nancy Sutley join youth volunteers planting trees

    In order to protect our national treasures, we need to work together at the local, state, and Federal level and to build partnerships between the public sector and the local community.  Improving our public lands not only enriches our natural environment, but gives Americans a place to exercise, relax and enjoy the beauty of our country.  Our public lands belong to all of us.  Let’s keep dedicating time and energy to making sure we protect and enjoy them. 

    Nancy Sutley is Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality

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  • Promoting a Sustainable and Healthy Environment for All Americans

    Posted by Nancy Sutley on September 22, 2010 at 6:40 PM EDT

    EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson and I hosted a meeting today at the White House to reconvene the Interagency Working Group on Environmental Justice.  With a focus on promoting a healthy and sustainable environment for all Americans, work is underway in agencies across the Obama Administration in the area of environmental justice.  Today’s meeting included enthusiastic participation from five Cabinet Secretaries and senior officials from a wide range of Federal agencies and offices, illustrating our commitment to reinvigorating and addressing the environmental and public health threats that many American communities and families face.

    EJ Meeting - Nancy, LPJ

    CEQ Chair Nancy Sutley, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, Attorney General Eric Holder, and HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan discuss environmental justice issues in September.

     

    We recognize at the highest levels of the Administration that too many low-income and minority communities shoulder a disproportionate amount of pollution and environmental degradation, and often the children in these communities suffer the most.  More information about the meeting today and the steps we have planned for the future can be found on the EPA website.

    EJ meeting

    Senior Administration Officials gather to reconvene the Interagency Working Group on Environmental Justice.

     
    Nancy Sutley is Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality

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  • Chair Sutley Visits California with a Focus on Water

    Posted by Nancy Sutley on September 16, 2010 at 5:06 PM EDT

    Last week I traveled west to California with a specific focus on water.  My trip started by joining Senator Feinstein to celebrate the west coast's largest tidal wetland restoration project, the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration.  This project is a unique private-public partnership that will restore habitat for threatened and endangered species.

    Salt pond sutley

    Senator Feinstein, Chair Sutley, President of Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation Steve McCormick, Executive Officer of CA State Coastal Conservancy Sam Schuchat, and California Secretary for Natural Resources Lester Snow at the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project

    Later in the day, we held a series of meetings focused on the California Bay Delta to hear from business, environmental, and Federal and State representatives who are on the front lines of California's water crisis.  That evening, I participated in a public forum in Santa Cruz with Representative Sam Farr focused on the National Ocean Policy that President Obama established by Executive Order on July 19, 2010.  

    The following evening Dr. Lubchenco, Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and I spoke at the Commonwealth Club, where we highlighted the new National Policy for the oceans, our coasts and the Great Lakes.  The National Ocean Policy will create a new National Ocean Council to provide a sustained, high-level and coordinated attention to marine and Great Lakes issues.  It will also establish a flexible framework for effective coastal and marine spatial planning.  This will allow regional bodies across the country to decide how to address challenges tailored to unique regional circumstances.

    Overall, our time in California was very well spent and with a focus on Bay Delta issues and a National Policy that will go a long way towards preserving one of our nation's most valuable resources.

    Nancy Sutley is Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality

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  • Leading by Example Toward a Sustainable Future

    Posted by Nancy Sutley on September 10, 2010 at 10:11 AM EDT

    As part of our commitment to lead by example, yesterday, Federal agencies released Strategic Sustainability Performance Plans that outline how they will achieve the environmental, economic and energy goals called for by President Obama.  This is the first time agencies have developed and submitted Sustainability Plans, now available here.

    In the President's 2009 Executive Order on Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy and Economic Performance, he asked agencies to develop, implement and annually update a plan that prioritizes sustainability actions based on a positive return on investment for the American taxpayer.  The goal is to meet energy, water, and waste reduction targets that will save taxpayer dollars, create clean energy jobs, and reduce pollution.

    Federal agencies of all sizes came up with a range of sustainability actions that align with their individual missions and responsibilities.  At the Department of Defense, for example, the Air Force has a plan to certify all of its aircraft to operate with a 50 percent alternative fuel blend by 2011. And at the Department of Transportation, they've established an awards program to highlight and promote intra-agency best practices in waste prevention, recycling, and green procurement.

    The Federal Government has an obligation to lead by example toward a sustainable future.  Today we took another step in the right direction.

    Nancy Sutley is Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality
     

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  • Administration Officials Travel to the Gulf Coast

    Posted by Nancy Sutley on August 25, 2010 at 7:07 PM EDT

    This morning, I had the opportunity to appear before the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling to discuss the CEQ report on the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) procedures for environmental reviews by the former Minerals Management Service (MMS).  President Obama established the Commission to examine the relevant facts and circumstances concerning the root causes of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil disaster and to develop options to guard against, and mitigate the impact of, any oil spills associated with offshore drilling in the future.

    Last week, I joined EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, NOAA Administrator Dr. Jane Lubchenco, and Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar in Louisiana to view firsthand relief work following the Deepwater oil spill, assess the Federal response efforts and discuss long-term Gulf Coast restoration and recovery.

    Gulf Coast Sutley

    Administrator Lubchenco, Chair Sutley, Secretary Salazar, and Administrator Jackson visit the Delta National Wildlife Refuge in Louisiana August 18, 2010. (by Tami Heilemann)

    We began our trip at the Natural Resource Damage Assessment Trustee Steering Committee Meeting.  The BP oil spill is another blow to the already fragile ecology of the Gulf Coast, and we are doing everything in our power to contain the damage from this disaster and get the people of the Gulf the help they need. 

    Following the meeting we traveled to Venice, LA, to view some of the environmental cleanup progress so far.  We took a boat tour of the Delta National Wildlife Refuge and the surrounding areas affected by the spill, saw marsh restoration projects and were briefed on the recovery efforts.  This refuge comprises almost 50,000 acres of marshlands and open water and provides refuge for fish, waterfowl and other wildlife, providing opportunities for hunting, fishing, and recreational activities.

    We are committed to doing everything in our power to protect these natural resources and rebuild what has been harmed, both in response to this environmental disaster, and as part of our pre-existing, long-term commitment to ensuring the health and viability of the rich and beautiful ecosystems of the Gulf Coast. 

    Nancy Sutley is the Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality

    Learn more about Deepwater BP Oil Spill, Energy and Environment

  • A Discussion on Environmental Justice

    Posted by Nancy Sutley on July 30, 2010 at 10:38 AM EDT

    Wednesday morning I had the opportunity to speak at the National Environmental Justice Advisory Council's (NEJAC) public meeting in Washington, D.C. and discuss the most pressing issues we face as a country when it comes to environmental justice. NEJAC provides important advice as we work to ensure that all American communities have equal environmental protections.

    Too often pollution and environmental degradation fall disproportionately on low-income and minority residents. Every parent deserves to know that their child can play outside at recess without getting asthma from dirty air and Americans should know their neighborhoods are clean and healthy.

    In the Obama Administration, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson is leading this issue as we work to ensure that all Americans have clean air and water, and access to parks and other green space, cost-saving clean energy programs, and emerging job opportunities in the clean energy sector. This country was built on the promise of equal opportunity for all of us.  We are committed to keeping that promise.

    Nancy Sutley is the Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality

    Learn more about Energy and Environment