Congressman A. Donald McEachin and White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Brenda Mallory visited Virginia Commonwealth University Rice Rivers Center to learn more about the facility’s climate research and conservation efforts.
During the visit, Rep. McEachin (D-VA-04) and Mallory spoke on the pressing need to advance environmental justice priorities and combat climate change. Mallory also highlighted the Biden-Harris Administration’s work on the America the Beautiful initiative to improve access to nature and discuss the importance of locally-led, community driven conservation efforts.
They met with several VCU faculty members and students, who shared details about their research on air quality and environmental justice, climate change, avian conservation, and the Chesapeake Bay and its ecosystems.
“It was an honor to welcome Chair Mallory to Virginia to discuss the White House Council on Environmental Quality’s important work and our conservation efforts here in the Commonwealth,” McEachin said. “We cannot address climate change without addressing environmental justice and prioritizing historically marginalized and underrepresented communities. I commend the work VCU is doing at the Rice Rivers Center to protect Virginia’s natural resources and prepare young minds for a career in climate research and advocacy. I look forward to continued collaboration with Chair Mallory and the Biden administration to advance environmental justice for all Americans.”
“From helping write and pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to leading the fight for cleaner air and water for all communities, Congressman McEachin has been an invaluable partner to the Biden-Harris Administration,” Mallory said. “I’m grateful he invited me here today to see the remarkable conservation work VCU Rice Rivers Center staff and students are doing to protect the local environment, fight climate change and advance environmental justice. These are exactly the kinds of partnerships and projects that President Biden’s America the Beautiful Initiative is designed to support and celebrate.”
“We are incredibly honored to share with Rep. McEachin and Chair Mallory our enthusiasm for the research and training we are conducting at VCU Rice Rivers Center, and to showcase our new research facility and the entire river campus,” said H. Benson Dendy III, Rector, VCU Board of Visitors.
McEachin and Mallory ended the day with an on-water boat excursion to learn more about local fisheries and efforts to protect the Commonwealth’s waterways and water resources.
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