Since the inception of the Governor’s Environmental Justice Taskforce in 2019, Commerce has been involved in advancing the state’s initiatives aimed at addressing environmental injustices.
With a broad scope of more than 100 programs, Commerce has a unique opportunity to create transformative change. Improving the health conditions for people of color, indigenous individuals and communities, and low-income people who continue to be disproportionately harmed by environmental and health hazards is essential to advancing Commerce’s mission of strengthening communities.
Environmental justice is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, tribal affiliation, disability or income with respect to the development, implementation and enforcement of environmental laws, rules and policies that affect human health and the environment.
Environmental justice also involves addressing disproportionate environmental and health impacts through laws, rules and policies by prioritizing vulnerable populations and overburdened communities, ensuring the equitable distribution of resources and benefits, and eliminating harm to foster sustainable, inclusive and thriving communities.
Washington’s environmental justice law, introduced as the Healthy Environment for All Act (HEAL), passed in 2021. Now in statute, Chapter 70A.02 RCW provides a roadmap for integrating environmental justice into seven state agencies, including Commerce, the state departments of Health, Agriculture, Ecology, Natural Resources, and Transportation, and the Puget Sound Partnership.
In keeping with the requirements of the law, we accomplished the following:
- Adopted and updated Commerce’s Environmental Justice Community Engagement Plan Fiscal Year 25 Community Engagement Plan Update (PDF).
- Incorporated EJ into our strategic plan (PDF)
- Developed a Tribal consultation framework
- The framework was collaboratively developed by the HEAL Interagency Tribal Liaisons Workgroup and includes the HEAL Act Native American Communities Engagement Guide (PDF) and the HEAL Act Tribal Government Engagement Guide
- Prioritized EJ in budget and funding decisions (PDF)
- Conducted EJ assessments for significant agency actions
One of the core elements of the HEAL Act requires covered agencies to conduct environmental justice assessments on significant agency actions defined in RCW 70A.02.010 as:
- Developing significant legislative rules as defined in RCW 34.05.328
- Developing or adopting any new grant or loan programs
- Designing or awarding capital projects, grants, or loans of at least $12 million or more
- Developing agency request legislation
- Any other agency actions deemed significant by Commerce
Commerce’s Additional Significant Agency Action(s)
Agencies are authorized to designate additional Significant Agency Actions that may cause environmental harm or may affect the equitable distribution of environmental benefits to an overburdened community or a vulnerable population. Commerce adopted one additional significant agency action:
- When possible, as decided by Commerce based on program recommendations:
- Projects funded by current Commerce grant or loan programs that don’t meet the definition of a SAA (Significant Agency Action) under state law (RCW 70A.02.010(12); and/or
- Federally funded loans or grants identified by the federal agency as part of the Justice40 Initiative’s covered programs or investments.
For this action, environmental justice assessments will begin starting July 1, 2025.
Log of Commerce Significant Agency Actions and EJ Assessments
To access the regularly updated list of significant agency actions please visit the Significant Agency Actions and Environmental Justice Assessments Dashboard (Smartsheet).
Draft EJ assessments that are open for public comment are listed in the SEEP Buy Clean Buy Fair ARL (on Smartsheet).
This dashboard links to both draft and completed EJ assessments that are open for public comment.
The law also created an Environmental Justice Council to provide recommendations and guidance to state agencies on incorporating environmental justice into agency activities. The council consists of 16 members appointed by the governor. Council membership includes seats for community representatives, a youth community representative, environmental justice practitioners, Tribes, labor and business.
Resources
- Statewide HEAL reporting and dashboards – Office of Financial Management
- Overburdened Communities Mapping Tool – Identify where overburdened communities are located in Washington state. Created using Washington’s Environmental Health Disparities Map, Climate Economic Justice Screening Tool, and tribal data, this tool uses several key indicators including health, income and exposure to environmental hazards.
- Environmental Health Disparities Mapping Tool
- Environmental Protection Agency – EJ Resources