SB 5990: Env. justice/SEPA projects

Summary

• Requires lead agencies to carry out environmental justice impact statements as a supplement to review under the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) for government actions related to certain potentially impactful projects.
• Specifies the contents of environmental justice impact statements, the process, including public notification and input processes, that must be followed when a SEPA lead agency is carrying out an environmental justice impact statement, and the means by which a lead agency must determine whether a project will have disproportionate impacts on pollution burdened communities.
• Requires lead agencies, after the completion of an environmental justice impact statement and using substantive SEPA authority, to deny or mitigate proposed actions that would cause or contribute to adverse environmental or public health stressors in a pollution burdened community.
• Authorizes SEPA lead agencies to require project proponents to reimburse the agency for demonstrated costs associated with environmental justice impact statements.

From the Senate Bill Report (SB 5990), written by the Legislature's nonpartisan staff. Read the full report ↗