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Panel and stakeholders back adding environmental‑justice review to SEPA; industry and local governments warn of costs
Summary
Substitute House Bill 1303 would require the Department of Ecology to incorporate environmental‑justice analysis into the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) process and adopt mitigation standards. Supporters said it would address cumulative harms to overburdened communities; opponents said it could slow permitting and raise local costs.
Substitute House Bill 1303 would add environmental‑justice (EJ) elements to the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) review and require the Department of Ecology to adopt rules and a checklist that includes EJ considerations prior to threshold determinations by lead agencies. Jacob Lipson, staff to the Environment and Energy Committee, told the Appropriations Committee that Ecology would be directed to adopt standardized mitigation for EJ impacts and could rely on assessments prepared under the 2021 HEAL Act where applicable.
Nut graf:…
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