Biden Urged to Flood Agencies With Environmental Equity Advisers

The time is ripe to bring a wave of environmental justice advisers into federal agencies to ensure the incoming Biden administration makes good on its pledge to improve racial equity across government, advocates and attorneys say.

Placing such advisers in high-level positions, with direct access to Cabinet secretaries and agency administrators, would elevate issues such as pollution that disproportionately affect low-income and minority populations, observers say.

They also say environmental justice advisers would help agencies—from the Transportation Department to the Small Business Administration—ensure their policies don’t hurt vulnerable communities but also don’t leave them behind on Biden priority issues such ...