Washington State Substitute House Bill 1303 requires the Department of Ecology to add environmental justice as a formal element of environmental review under the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA), including updates to environmental checklists and impact assessments. The bill directs the agency to develop standardized mitigation measures for potential environmental justice impacts, which must be factored into project threshold determinations. These new requirements are intended to reduce disparate environmental and health burdens on overburdened communities across Washington State.Open full document
Notes
Washington State Substitute House Bill 1303 requires the Department of Ecology to add environmental justice as an element of the environment in SEPA rules and the environmental checklist. The bill mandates that lead agencies consider environmental justice in their SEPA reviews and that the Department of Ecology identify standardized mitigation measures for potential adverse environmental justice impacts. It also clarifies the relationship between these new obligations and existing requirements under chapter 70A.02 RCW.