This autumn, we joined partners and friends in marking the release of the Washington Environmental Justice Task Force report, an important step toward creating a state where everyone can live free from outsize exposure to pollutants and other environmental health hazards.
In our pursuit of solutions to the climate crisis and other environmental challenges, it is crucial that we keep justice and equity for all people central to the decisions we make as a society and a state. So, though the release of a government-appointed committee report might not sound very exciting, this one is vitally important.
Creating a better future means all communities - regardless of race, income, language ability or neighborhood - must benefit from public policy changes and investments. Too often, that hasn’t been the case. We must start focusing our work to benefit communities that have borne a disproportionate burden of pollution and environmental health risks - many of them for generations.
The Environmental Justice Task Force was created in 2019, following a push led by Front & Centered to urge the Legislature to pass the Healthy Environment for All (HEAL) Act as a way to address the disparities laid bare in the then-newly created Environmental Health Disparities (EHD) Map. The EHD Map starkly illustrates just how much inequity exists among Washington communities when it comes to our relative health risks.
Though the HEAL Act did not ultimately become law that year, the Legislature authorized the task force to develop recommendations for how Washington state should address environmental health disparities. It was a step in the right direction, and this report is the culmination of that work.
The report includes ten model policy recommendations, as well as recommendations for using the Environmental Health Disparities Map and addressing barriers to community engagement. Among the recommendations are:
Environmental Justice at Work
EJ Task Force co-chair David Mendoza was recently hired as our new Director of Public Advocacy and Engagement! Meet David and learn about his deep experience and expertise in policy and community leadership.
A state-specific definition of Environmental Justice;
Requirement that agencies with an environmental and natural resource nexus use environmental justice analyses to inform and guide their work;
Incorporation of environmental justice into state laws and policy development, and embedding the principle in agency strategic plans;
Equitable investments in communities, directing resources where they are needed most, and prioritizing high labor standards and diversity in contracting to increase inclusion and protect health and safety;
Removing barriers in state law that restrict agencies from purchasing goods and services (such as childcare and food) that support broad community participation; and
Development of agency community engagement plans.
Senator Rebecca Saldaña (D-37) and Representative Debra Lekanoff (D-40) are developing a new version of the HEAL Act for the 2021 legislative session. We are proud to partner with these legislative leaders, Front & Centered and others to incorporate a number of the recommendations from the Environmental Justice Task Force into the bill.
Stay in touch with opportunities to advocate for the HEAL Act and other policy and budget priorities during the 2021 legislative session and beyond. The button below lets you sign up to join our advocacy community.
Banner photo (c) Hannah Letinich.
