The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy today announced the National Science and Technology Council’s Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology’s (“SOST”) release of an Environmental Justice (EJ) Position Statement that it says will guide activities and investments in ocean science and technology. OSTP called it “only a first step” in addressing EJ in coastal and marine environments, and said that SOST “commits to continually evolving its goals and approaches to achieve equitable outcomes.”
Among other things, the Statement notes that “actions related to interagency coordination on environmental justice at the SOST level should be driven by the needs of impacted communities to the extent feasible within the scope and capabilities of SOST interagency working groups,” with a commitment to support such working groups.
The Statement specifically commits SOST to prioritizing EJ by taking a series of actions including through training sessions, providing educational opportunities, coordinating the integration of EJ into work plans, and sharing information on EJ best practices.
