Environmental justice assessment notices

The Clean Buildings Performance standard, passed in 2019 (HB 1257) and expanded in 2022 (SB 5722), sets first-in-nation energy efficiency standards for large buildings in the state. In the 2023 capital budget, the legislature directed Commerce to convene a workgroup to study the financial impacts for the standard’s largest buildings (also called Tier 1 buildings) to comply with the law. The workgroup, composed of representatives from across the Washington buildings sector, has convened for more than a year to identify barriers and opportunities for the Clean Buildings performance standard. The workgroup is developing a list of recommendations to help building owners be able to comply more easily with the statewide standard. This ARL will bring forward several of those legislatively-focused recommendations on increasing the options buildings can use to comply with the standard.

Public comments for this EJA can be submitted to buildings@commerce.wa.gov.

The Department is proposing legislation that would allow the agency to review and verify the results of required EPA tests for wood burning stoves to ensure stove performance data is reliable. This will allow Ecology to ensure stoves truly meet national standards so that consumers and residents can have confidence in the performance of the devices installed in their homes.

Ecology plans to conduct public engagement in August and early September of 2024, with outreach focused on people from overburdened communities, vulnerable populations, and Tribes, for the purpose of developing this Environmental Justice Assessment. Ecology will provide a variety of ways for the public to provide input to inform this Environmental Justice Assessment, including: online public meetings, individual and small group meetings with interested parties, and online public comments. We will also reach out to groups with an environmental and environmental justice focus and community-based groups by email and phone to see if they would like to provide input for this assessment. We will also provide a summary of the proposal to Tribes and provide an opportunity for government-to-government consultation. As we schedule opportunities for public feedback and participation, we will share them through our website.

RCW 70A.05 requires Ecology, in coordination with other partner agencies, to recommend a durable governance structure for coordinating and implementing the state’s climate resilience strategy by September 30, 2024. This legislation would establish the recommended governance structure. It will ensure the state has an ongoing mechanism for strategic alignment, collaboration, transparency, and accountability across the many state agencies that can support and advance greater climate resilience in Washington.

A public comment period was held on the draft climate resilience strategy, including the proposed governance structure. Public comments on the EJ Assessment can be provided by email to agency staff at: jennifer.hennessey@ecy.wa.gov. Ecology plans to reach out to and meet with representatives of environmental justice organizations to gather additional input on the EJ Assessment and the proposed significant agency action.

Ecology has initiated an agency rulemaking action to update our Water Quality Permit Fees (Chapter 173-224 WAC).

This chapter carries out Ecology’s requirement under RCW 90.48.465 to establish, by rule, annual fees to recover Ecology’s program cost of administering the wastewater and stormwater permit programs. This chapter also considers the economic impact of our fees on permitted small dischargers and public entities, and makes appropriate adjustments where applicable.

Ecology strives to update this chapter every two years to ensure our permit fees reflect the most current costs to Ecology and impacts on our permittees. We use these fees to recover our program costs to administer our permit programs, which protect Washington’s waters from pollution.

This rule covers a statewide geographical scope. The anticipated impact of this rulemaking action is limited to the permitted facilities that pay these fees. This rulemaking action does not expect to introduce new environmental impacts or impacts specific to overburdened communities, vulnerable populations, and Tribes.

Ecology is beginning to develop draft rule language and will invite the public to participate in the development over the next few months. This may include workshops, webinars, and online comment periods. To stay engaged with this process, please join our email list (https://ecology.wa.gov/EmailList/WQfee) and visit our webpage for updates (https://ecology.wa.gov/WQ-fee-rule). Please contact Faith Wimberley at faith.wimberley@ecy.wa.gov to discuss this environmental justice assessment.

The Washington State Department of Ecology, the Washington State Conservation Commission, and Bonneville Environmental Foundation, established a partnership coalition to promote innovative and sustainable approaches to riparian management. The Climate Resilient Riparian Systems Lead (CR2SL) team will administer sub-awards to Puget Sound partners that result in greater area of riparian acreage protected, restored, or maintained for climate resiliency. Surrounding Puget Sound communities will benefit from resulting riparian restoration efforts as these projects are known to increase canopy cover and green spaces, improve water quality and improve habitat for fish and aquatic life. The CR2SL team will engage key stakeholders and partners to design the funding program to best support their needs and to increase their efficiency and capacity. This approach will foster the identification of multi-benefit project opportunities to promote collaborative riparian area management in Puget Sound watersheds, including nature-based solutions to climate resiliency and adaptation.

The CR2SL program will use a variety of methods to engage with Puget Sound Tribes, as well as people from overburdened communities and vulnerable populations to inform this work, including: inviting formal consultation with Tribes; hosting virtual listening sessions for Tribal members and staff; distributing a Tribal listening session follow-up worksheet; inviting consultation with the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission; inviting Tribal participation in the CR2SL advisory group; inviting a tribal liaison to participate in the CR2SL oversight team; hosting virtual and in-person meetings to solicit input from community based organizations operating within the program footprint; web content; and GovDelivery distribution list. Outreach and engagement efforts began in January 2024 and will continue throughout program development and implementation. Outreach and engagement will focus on Tribal engagement and engagement with the Puget Sound watershed restoration community, including community based organizations that represent overburdened and vulnerable communities that might potentially impacted by the new grant program.

Running an agency request legislation to extend public records act exemptions at the department of commerce

N/A

Agency Request Legislation with funds appropriated to implement a pilot program during 2025-2027 to give direct cash transfers to youth experiencing homelessness or housing instability

Currently, the funds passed during the 2023-2024 legislative session to contract and design a direct cash transfer program are being utilized to host a team of individuals with lived experience to host focus groups and decide how to design the pilot program. OHY has agreed that we can utilize the existing planned focus groups which will occur in late August to specifically ask about environmental justice and health in relation to the proposed program to utilize for the final EJA.

This proposal seeks to make seven (7) RCW changes to streamline and clarify statutes related to housing and homelessness programs operated by Commerce.

Tribal engagement and survey

WSDOT has a safety improvement project on State Route 7 between SR 507 and 267th Street. The project will build roundabouts at 260th Street E, 224th Street E, 22nd Avenue E and at SR 507. This pre-design study will also use Complete Streets to identify safety and accessibility improvements for everyone along and across SR 7 including active transportation users. Recommended improvements will become part of this project.

TBD

ARL to request changes to the Washington State Reentry Council RCW to 1) allow for compensation for community members participating on the council for their lived experience, and 2) to expand the Council to include 2 additional representatives of people who are currently incarcerated.

Advisory Groups

OCVA’s most significant resources for crime victims in Washington is tied to federal funding associated with the Victims of Crime Victim’s Act (VOCA). Federal VOCA Assistance funds have been declining and, in response, the state has provided supplemental funds that will expire on June 30, 2025. We are anticipating a very severe “funding cliff” for WA state if both state supplemental funds go away and federal VOCA funds are reduced as projected. Washington state needs a sustainable solution to maintain VOCA infrastructure and ensure access to services for victims/survivors.

Advisory Groups Email comments Listening Sessions (as host) Surveys Draft EJA posted for public comment at the link below