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<b><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal;">CEQ Publishes Draft Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool, Key Component in the Implementation of President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative</span><o:p style="color: rgb(10, 36, 88); font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </span></o:p><br>
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<b><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal;">February 18, 2022</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;color:#0A2458"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </span></o:p></span></b></p>
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<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal;">[Last month], the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) released a beta version of the </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(10, 36, 88);"><a href="https://screeningtool.geoplatform.gov/" style="box-sizing: border-box; touch-action: manipulation; transition: all 0.2s ease 0s; text-underline-position: under; border-bottom-width: initial; border-bottom-color: rgba(0, 100, 188, 0.25);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal;">Climate
and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST)</span></a></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal;">, a major step toward addressing current and historic environmental injustices
and fulfilling a key campaign promise from President Biden.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(10, 36, 88);"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </span></o:p></span><br>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: normal;">The CEJST is a critical component of the President’s historic environmental justice commitments in </span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0A2458"><a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/27/executive-order-on-tackling-the-climate-crisis-at-home-and-abroad/" style="box-sizing:border-box;touch-action:manipulation;transition:all 0.2s ease 0s;text-underline-position:under;border-bottom:rgba(0, 100, 188, 0.25)"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal;">Executive
Order 14008</span></a></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: normal;">, including the Justice40 Initiative, a commitment to deliver 40 percent of the overall benefits of Federal climate,
clean energy, affordable and sustainable housing, clean water, and other investments to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized, underserved, and overburdened by pollution. The beta version of the tool, on which the public is being asked to provide
feedback over the coming 60 days, will help agencies identify disadvantaged communities to ensure that everyone is receiving the benefits intended from Federal programs.</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0A2458"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </span></o:p></span></p>
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<b><span style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">CEQ Announces Public Listening Sessions and Training Webinars on Draft Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool</span><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </span></o:p></b></p>
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<b><span style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">March 3, 2022</span><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </span></o:p></b></p>
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<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal;">[On March 3], the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) announced a series of public listening sessions and training webinars
on the beta version of the </span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;color:#0A2458"><a href="https://screeningtool.geoplatform.gov/"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal;">Climate
and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST)</span></a></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal;">. The CEJST will help Federal agencies identify disadvantaged communities for
the purposes of the </span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;color:#0A2458"><a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/ceq/news-updates/2022/02/18/ceq-publishes-draft-climate-and-economic-justice-screening-tool-key-component-in-the-implementation-of-president-bidens-justice40-initiative/"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal;">Justice40
Initiative</span></a></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal;">—a signature initiative of the Biden-Harris Administration that seeks to provide 40 percent of the overall benefits
of certain Federal investments to disadvantaged communities. The current version of the tool is in a public beta form and will be updated based on public feedback and research. In addition to submitting written comments through the </span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;color:#0A2458"><a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/02/23/2022-03920/climate-and-economic-justice-screening-tool-beta-version"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal;">Federal
Register</span></a></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal;">, the public can also provide feedback directly on the CEJST </span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;color:#0A2458"><a href="https://screeningtool.geoplatform.gov/en/contact"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal;">website</span></a></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal;">.
CEQ will also engage in consultation and coordination with Tribal Nations on the beta version of the tool.</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;color:#0A2458"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </span></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal;">Link to articles:</span><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></o:p></p>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal;">https://www.whitehouse.gov/ceq/news-updates/2022/02/18/ceq-publishes-draft-climate-and-economic-justice-screening-tool-key-component-in-the-implementation-of-president-bidens-justice40-initiative/</span><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></o:p></p>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in; line-height: normal;">https://www.whitehouse.gov/ceq/news-updates/2022/03/03/ceq-announces-public-listening-sessions-and-training-webinars-on-draft-climate-and-economic-justice-screening-tool/</span><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></o:p></p>
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