Introduction
The Climate Commitment Act requires Ecology to create a Cap & Invest program to lower greenhouse gas emissions across the state. Additionally, the Climate Commitment Act requires us to identify “ overburdened communities highly impacted by air pollution,” and make sure that this program reduces a class of pollutants called “criteria” air pollutants , as well as greenhouse gas emissions , in these communities. Criteria air pollutants are six common air pollutants that can harm your health and the environment. Ecology, local clean air agencies, and Tribes monitor these pollutants and take action to control and reduce pollution. These criteria pollutants are as follows:
- Carbon Monoxide (CO)
- Lead (Pb)
- Ozone (O 3 )
- Nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 )
- Particulate matter:
- Fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 )
- Coarse particulate matter (PM 10 )
- Sulfur dioxide (SO 2 )
Once we have identified the overburdened communities highly impacted by air pollution, we will expand Ecology’s statewide air monitoring network in these identified communities. New emissions standards to improve air quality for overburdened communities will be developed through future processes.
Overview of Draft Process to Identify Communities
To identify overburdened communities highly impacted by air pollution, we evaluated several indicators that can identify where communities face disproportionate impacts from air pollution and meet the defintition of overburdened communities, as defined in the Climate Commitment Act:
“a geographic area where vulnerable populations face combined, multiple environmental harms and health impacts or risks due to exposure to environmental pollutants or contaminants through multiple pathways, which may result in significant disparate adverse health outcomes or effects.”
To guide this process, we held two tribal listening sessions, eight public and community group listening sessions, as well as a survey and a comment map over a three-month period from January through March of 2022.
With guidance from the Climate Commitment Act and initial public engagement, we developed a set of draft indicators to identify overburdened communities highly impacted by air pollution (Figure 1). To be considered overburdened, an area must meet the following:
- Community Indicators: Either have a 9 or 10 ranking on the Washington Environmental Health Disparities (EHD) map, be in the 90 th percentile or higher of census block groups for the EJScreen Demographic Index, or be Tribal land; and
- Air Pollution Indicators:
- Have an elevated level of one or multiple criteria air pollutants; and
- Meet the threshold for one or more of the eight indicators related to air pollution exposure, health impacts, or vulnerability.
These indicators (shown below) are based on data available statewide. After these statewide indicators are applied, we will apply regional data to refine the boundaries of the overburdened communities highly impacted by air pollution (see “Draft Factors to Identify Community Boundaries” below).
Flowchart of the draft process to identify overburdened communities highly impacted by air pollution.
Draft Indicator Descriptions
This section shows the map and a short description of each the draft indicators we are proposing to identify overburdened communities highly impacted by air pollution. For a full technical description of each of the draft indicators, see the technical support document on our website .
Community Indicators:
Environmental Health Disparity Map Rank
The Environmental Health Disparities Map is an interactive mapping tool that compares communities across Washington for disparities in environmental health. It combines multiple indicators of environmental threats, such as proximity to heavy traffic roadways and toxic releases from facilities with indicators of vulnerability, like socioeconomic status and health outcomes into one final rank. This rank indicates where vulnerable populations face multiple, combined environmental harms and risks.
Threshold: Rank of 9 or 10
Source: WA Environmental Health Disparities Map , Version 2.0
EJScreen Demographic Index
An average of the proportions of low-income population and people of color.
Threshold: ≥ 90th percentile
Tribal Land
Tribal lands in Washington State, including:
- Reservation land – Federally recognized tribal reservation lands.
- Disputed land – Lands designated as being part of a reservation but title is disputed by other parties.
- Off-reservation tribal land – Lands outside of a reservation acquired by or held in trust for tribal use.
We are inviting government-to-government consultation with Tribal nations and organizations affiliated with Washington Tribes on the areas included in “Tribal land.” Tribal land is not limited to the listed bullets and we look forward to input from Tribal nations.
Source: Tribal Lands of Washington , WA Department of Ecology