Promoting a Sustainable and Healthy Environment for All Americans

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.

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.

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