Get involved!
Together with the Department of Commerce, we are looking for up to twenty-five community members, especially those with lived experience or working relationships with communities impacted by environmental inequities to join a Community Advisory Committee starting in February 2024!
Members will help make important decisions about how to design grants and will help review grant applications. Members will be paid $75/hour. We welcome English and non-English speaking applicants of all ages. More information and how to apply.
A new law requires the state Department of Health to set up and run three new grant programs to advance environmental justice and build climate resilience. The Legislature based the grant programs on suggestions the Environmental Justice Council made in their Climate Commitment Act funding recommendations and budget priorities.
The Climate Commitment Act creates a cap-and-invest program to limit carbon emissions. It requires businesses to buy allowances for greenhouse gas emissions through auctions. The Legislature invests 35 percent of funds made through carbon auctions in critical climate projects that benefit overburdened communities. The Climate Commitment Act funds these grant programs, and they support meeting this requirement.
Want to get involved?
Together with the Department of Commerce we are looking for up to twenty-five (25) community members, especially those with lived experience or working relationships with communities impacted by environmental inequities to join a Community Advisory Committee starting in February 2024! Committee members will help make important decisions about how to design these grants and will also help to review grant applications. Committee members will be paid at a rate of $75/hour, and we welcome English and non-English speaking applicants of all ages. More information, including the link to apply to participate.
The HEAL Act requires us to do an environmental justice assessment in order to consider the harms or benefits to overburdened communities and vulnerable populations that may result from these grants. You can view the assessments and offer feedback.
HEAL Act Capacity Grant Environmental Justice Assessment (PDF)
Community Informed Budgeting Environmental Justice Assessment (PDF)
Workplace Safety Environmental Justice Assessment (PDF)
Healthy Environment for All Act Capacity
We have $26.3 million to fund tribes, tribal organizations, overburdened communities, and vulnerable populations. These grants will build their capacity to provide guidance and input to agencies and the Environmental Justice Council on the Healthy Environment for All (HEAL) Act and the state Department of Health on updates to the Environmental Health Disparities map. At least half of the money given out must be for tribes and tribal organizations. This one-time funding ends in June 2025.
Grant information for community-based organizations and Tribal organizations
More information about the capacity grants for overburdened communities and vulnerable populations will be coming. In the meantime, the HEAL Community! Fund is an existing grant program supporting participation and engagement with agencies and the Environmental Justice Council in HEAL Act activities. Front and Centered was funded by the Department of Health to establish this fund and manage sub-grants to community-based organizations in Washington.
Community Budgeting for Decarbonization and Resilience
We have $38.6 million to develop and run a grant program to fund projects that benefit overburdened communities as defined in the Climate Commitment Act. We must select five communities in Washington to develop and prioritize projects that achieve the greatest gain for decarbonization and resilience. Decarbonization means reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The Legislature must approve the projects before they are funded. This one-time funding ends in June 2025.
More information about this funding opportunity will be coming.
Workplace Safety for Workers Affected by Climate Change
We have $10 million to develop and run a workplace health and safety program for vulnerable populations in overburdened communities as defined in the Climate Commitment Act. The program is for workers affected by changes to our climate, including but not limited to extreme heat and cold, wildfire smoke, drought, and flooding. This program will focus on workplace health and safety for farmworkers, construction workers, and other workers who face the most risk from climate-related effects. The program includes pass-through grants to buy needed supplies. This is an ongoing grant program.
More information about this funding opportunity will be coming.