Substitute House Bill 1303, introduced during Washington State's 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session, directs the Department of Ecology to add environmental justice as an element of the environment under SEPA regulations (WAC 197-11-444 and WAC 197-11-960). The bill was sponsored by Representatives Mena, Berry, Reeves, Reed, Ormsby, Salahuddin, Ramel, Pollet, Nance, Doglio, and Scott, with the stated purpose of reducing disparities in cumulative environmental and health impacts across Washington.

Notes

Washington State legislation (SHB 1303) relating to increasing environmental justice by improving government decisions. The bill adds environmental justice as an element within environmental review processes and requires agencies to consider environmental justice when implementing environmental requirements.

Sidebar On/Off

As the source for federal transportation grants, the Puget Sound Regional Council was charged with developing a system to meet the growing need for commercial aviation. When the search for a second airport failed, they authorized the Port of Seattle to build the Third Runway, with a mandate to develop a noise abatement and mitigation program. In their effort to stop the Third Runway, the ACC argued over every detail of the Port's efforts--including property buyouts and sound insulation. The dispute was meant to be settled by a three member Expert Arbitration Panel. This is their final report. It finds 2-1, that the Port's program was insufficient in several respects. Despite that, funding for the Third Runway was approved by the PSRC, and the 'Port Package' program, proceeded largely unchanged. Expert Arbitration Panel's final decision finding that the Port of Seattle had not shown sufficient reduction in real on-the-ground noise impacts to satisfy noise reduction conditions required for approval of a third runway at Sea-Tac International Airport. The majority decision concluded the Port's noise abatement programs were insufficient despite being impressive in scope.

continue...

V V

Notes

Message