The HEALs Act and Environmental Justice
On May 17, 2021 Washington State passed the Healthy Environment for All (HEALs) Act, which focuses on addressing issues of environmental injustice within the state. The bill requires 6 state agencies, including the department of health, to integrate environmental justice into their future policies to ensure that issues related to the environment do not disproportionately affect vulnerable communities.
Environmental Justice Defined
The shift of focus to environmental justice has become a priority for many elected officials in recent years, with a similar piece of legislation being introduced in the United States Senate in 2019. By passing this bill, Washington State has taken the concept of environmental justice and has given it a clear legal definition. This definition explicitly states the necessity of fair treatment when implementing environmental policies, the need to prioritize vulnerable populations as well as ensuring equitable distribution of resources and benefits. The 6 state agencies will each be required to produce an implementation plan for environmental justice, including how the principles of environmental justice will be incorporated into the activities of the agency, and how the agency plans to meet all obligations imposed by the HEALs Act.
Provisions of the HEALs Act
The HEALs Act also requires these agencies to adopt a community engagement plan, which will focus on overburdened and vulnerable populations in order to facilitate meaningful and direct involvement of those most affected. The state has already been focused on assisting these agencies with identifying such populations, with the creation of the Washington Environmental Health Disparities Map. This is an interactive mapping tool that compares communities across the state for disparities in environmental health. The map allows individuals to compare the impacts of issues such as diesel pollution and cardio-vascular disease, and see which regions are being specially affected.
The HEALs Act also contains provisions for special consultation with tribal groups across the state of Washington. These provisions mandate the relevant agencies to develop consultation frameworks in coordination with tribal governments. This requires these agencies to take special consideration of the rights and land interests of federally recognized tribal groups within the state.
Assessments as a Form of Accountability
Starting in 2023 these agencies will also be required to produce environmental justice assessments. These assessments will be conducted by the agencies themselves to support consideration of relevant communities, assist with equitable distribution of environmental benefits, reduce environmental harm, and identify and reduce environmental and health disparities. Based on these assessments the relevant agencies will be required to combat any disparities they have identified.
In addition to these assessments, the bill also mandates the formation of an Environmental Justice Council, tasked with assisting agencies in their development of Environmental Justice policy and approaches. It is also important to note that the Council must provide regular forums for public input, again allowing for further community participation and involvement.
A Step in the Right Direction
The HEALs Act is a unique piece of legislation, directly incorporating social justice into environmental law. Washington State has expanded upon existing environmental legislation in order to prioritize its citizens when dealing with environmental issues, and has also recognized the necessity of public participation in order to fully produce the intended results of the bill. This will allow greater input from those most affected and will allow the government to direct its resources where it is most needed. As society increasingly recognizes the existence of environmental disparities, this bill can provide a framework for others to incorporate environmental justice into future policies.
Learn about our affordable carbon footprint solutions for small and medium-sized businesses
Book a free strategy session to discuss your climate goals with a sustainability manager.
About RyeStrategy
Based in Seattle, RyeStrategy is a CDP-accredited, mission-oriented company specialized in carbon accounting, mitigation coaching, and climate disclosure solutions for organizations at any point in their sustainability journey. Learn how RyeStrategy helped Salesforce, Ideascale, and Wazoku achieve their sustainability goals.
From exhaustive carbon footprinting and mitigation coaching, to setting science-based targets and reporting climate data to CDP, SBTi or custom reporting platforms, RyeStrategy acts as a hands-on extension of the team, custom-tailoring services to fulfill climate disclosure requirements easily and accurately.
Meet with a sustainability specialist to learn more about RyeStrategy solutions.
