TagHB2070(11)

The CURB (Cumulative Risk Burden) Pollution Act is a proposed Washington State law that would require environmental justice considerations to be factored into pollution permitting decisions, with the goal of protecting communities that have historically faced disproportionate pollution burdens due to redlining and institutional racism. The act would require agencies to deny new permits that add cumulative pollution effects in overburdened communities and increase public participation in the permitting process. It builds on Washington's existing Healthy Environment for All (HEAL) Act by directly applying environmental justice principles to pollution permitting.

This Washington State fiscal note summarizes the estimated costs of House Bill 2070, which relates to environmental justice and State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) projects. The bill is projected to cost multiple state agencies a combined total of approximately $1.28 million in operating expenditures for 2023-25, rising to $2.64 million in 2025-27, before declining to about $1.61 million in 2027-29. The Department of Ecology, Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Office of the Attorney General are among the primary agencies expected to incur costs, with some impacts remaining indeterminate.

Washington State House Bill 2070 requires government agencies to complete environmental justice impact statements alongside standard environmental reviews for new, expanding, or permit-renewing projects located in pollution-burdened communities. The bill outlines what these statements must include, how affected communities must be notified and given input, and mandates that agencies deny or require mitigation for projects that would worsen environmental or public health conditions in already overburdened areas. Note that this bill addresses broad statewide environmental justice policy and does not specifically pertain to Sea-Tac Airport noise issues.

Washington Senate Bill 5990, introduced in January 2024, aims to reduce environmental health disparities by requiring assessment of cumulative pollution burdens on overburdened communities before approving new projects. The bill defines key terms such as 'disproportionate impact' and 'environmental justice impact statement,' and establishes a framework to evaluate stressors like air pollution, water quality, and public health risks. Note: this bill addresses broad environmental justice concerns statewide and does not specifically address Sea-Tac Airport noise policy.

Washington House Bill 2070 (2024) aims to reduce environmental health disparities by requiring environmental justice impact assessments for projects that may add pollution burdens to already overburdened communities. The bill defines key terms such as 'disproportionate impact' and 'adverse cumulative stressors' to evaluate whether a proposed project would worsen air, water, or other environmental conditions in vulnerable neighborhoods. Note: this bill addresses broad environmental justice considerations statewide and does not specifically concern Sea-Tac Airport noise policy.