Addressing environmental justice (EJ) concerns highlighted
during the campaign is an important priority for the Biden
Administration. Within a week of taking the oath of office,
President Biden issued a sweeping executive order with a number of
EJ initiatives, including creation of a White House Environmental
Justice Interagency Council consisting of the heads of each
Cabinet-level and independent federal agency. The order also
directed federal agencies to “make achieving environmental
justice part of their missions” through development of
programs and policies aimed at addressing disproportionately high
adverse environmental impacts on disadvantaged communities.
On the heels of Biden's executive order, Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission (FERC) Chairman Richard Glick announced on
February 11, 2021 plans to create a senior position at FERC to
coordinate incorporation of EJ and equity concerns into the
Commission's decision-making process. While Glick did
not
