 We believe that where you live, your income, race, or language ability should not determine how healthy and safe you are. The Healthy Environment for ALL (HEAL) Act is a crucial effort to turn this idea into reality. Earlier this week, the HEAL Act (Senate Bill 5141) passed out of the Senate Environment, Energy, and Technology Committee. It’s headed to the Senate Ways & Means Committee next. Click here to send a message to members of the committee to urge them to pass the bill and keep it moving. The HEAL Act would enhance the benefits delivered by our state’s environmental policies by focusing them on reducing human health disparities between communities based on factors like race and income. This will reduce hospitalizations and illnesses and boost our resilience to environmental emergencies, like wildfires or the next pandemic. Tragically, lung ravaging viruses like COVID-19 have higher mortality rates in communities disproportionately exposed to air pollution. The HEAL Act’s aim for high quality environmental health standards across every stretch of our state will save precious time and money that’s lost in sick days from school and work and medical visits. And with a new emphasis on addressing environmental threats where they do the most harm, the state will reduce pollution cleanup and infrastructure maintenance costs. Your support can maintain the groundswell to keep the HEAL Act moving through the Senate. We need to demonstrate to our state leaders that the time for action is now. The HEAL Act would create a statewide definition of environmental justice (see below) for agencies to adopt and follow. This would provide agencies with guiding principles to eradicate the institutional racism from the pillars of our government that results in environmental injustice. To learn more about the bill, check out this factsheet and FAQ. Fill out this formfor your organization to endorse the bill. Thank you for stepping to lead us to a Healthy and Just Washington. Sameer Ranade EJ DEFINITION |