Aerial photograph of a Washington community

Overburdened Communities Highly Impacted by Air Pollution

for Ecology's new Environmental Justice initiative under the Climate Commitment Act

Department of Ecology Air Quality Program, published March 1, 2023 (updated March 2025)

Web pages we site throughout this StoryMap, such as  EJScreen  and the  Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST) , have been removed from their associated websites as of February 5, 2025. While the original source is no longer available online, the information referenced was accurate at the time it was published.

How to use this StoryMap

This StoryMap describes the overburdened communities that the Department of Ecology (Ecology) has identified as highly impacted by air pollution for the " Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities " initiative. There is one major exception that communities on Tribal land, managed under the jurisdiction of a federally recognized Tribal government, will only be finalized following Tribal consultation. Ecology is providing this information about our process, rationale, and sources of data in the interest of full transparency.

Documents outlining the communities and how they were identified are available below:

  •  Focus Sheet - High-level overview of identified communities
  •  Community Summary Report - Information about the overburdened communities that Ecology has identified as highly impacted by air pollution (same content as this StoryMap).
  •  Technical Support Document - Technical information that includes indicators, methods, caveats, and data sources used to identify communities.

The  StoryMap of our draft process for identifying communities  provided for the fall 2022 comment period is still available for reference. For questions about this StoryMap, or to request data, see the contact information at the bottom of this page.

Introduction

What is the "Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities" initiative?

The “ Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities ” initiative is a new effort to reduce air pollution in Washington communities highly impacted by air pollution. While the  Climate Commitment Act  (CCA) focuses on greenhouse gas emissions, the  Environmental Justice Review  of the CCA also requires that we work to reduce another category of air pollution, called  criteria air pollutants  (carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, lead, ozone, particulate matter, and sulfur dioxide), in overburdened communities highly impacted by air pollution. This law requires us to:

  • Identify which Washington communities are overburdened by air pollution and the significant sources of this pollution.
  • Expand and improve Washington’s air quality monitoring network to gather more data about the criteria air pollutants that affect these communities.
  • Develop strategies to reduce criteria air pollutants in these overburdened communities.
  • Conduct periodic analysis to make sure reduction goals for criteria air pollution are being met.

Environmental justice is at the center of this initiative. We are intentionally designing this work to be continuous to incorporate lessons learned, and changes in demographic and air quality data. We will continue to work with Tribes, communities, environmental justice and community-based organizations, the state’s Environmental Justice Council, and others to refine our process every six years.

What are overburdened communities highly impacted by air pollution?

All communities experience air pollution. However, we recognize that some communities are affected more than others. This disparity could be due to the level of air pollution exposure, the vulnerability of the population to health impacts related to that exposure, the ability of the community to mitigate its effects, or any combination of these factors. The Environmental Justice Review of the CCA requires Ecology to identify “overburdened communities highly impacted by air pollution” ( RCW 70A.65.020 (1)) and to take steps to reduce the disparities in criteria air pollution impacts that these communities face.

 RCW 70A.65.010 (54) defines “Overburdened Communities” as:

“a geographic area where vulnerable populations face combined, multiple environmental harms and health impacts or risks due to exposure to environmental pollutants or contaminants through multiple pathways, which may result in significant disparate adverse health outcomes or effects.”

The intent section of the law, also states that "Under the program, the legislature intends to identify overburdened communities where the highest concentrations of criteria pollutants occur..." ( RCW 70A.65.005 (7)). This means that for the purposes of this work, “overburdened communities highly impacted by air pollution” that Ecology is tasked with identifying, evaluating, and protecting under  RCW 70A.65.020  are considered a subset of all overburdened communities – specifically those that experience the highest concentrations of air pollution. Ecology will conduct environmental justice reviews of air quality and health impacts in these communities and develop strategies to reduce criteria pollution.

The Communities

Described below are the communities Ecology has identified as overburdened for the purposes of this initiative, including how and why they were identified. These community descriptions are intended to provide key community characteristics and show potentially vulnerable populations and criteria air pollution concerns. These descriptions are based on the best currently available information. They are not comprehensive and are not intended to reflect community assets, complexity, or diversity for any purpose beyond this initiative. In addition, we recognize that these communities likely include multiple smaller communities, neighborhoods, and towns. We drew these communities with contiguous boundaries for the purpose of expanding air monitoring and pollution reduction efforts in a meaningful and coordinated way. Ecology looks forward to engaging with each community to better understand local needs and concerns related to criteria air pollution and finding collaborative solutions to address them.

The law directs us to “identify overburdened communities where the highest concentrations of criteria pollutants occur…” ( RCW 70A.65.005 (7)).  To identify where criteria air pollutant levels are highest, we used the best data currently available. This is a combination of existing air quality monitoring information and extensive computer modeling of pollution concentrations using emissions data, meteorology, topography, and other factors. In general, we included overburdened communities where at least the modeling indicated there is likely an elevated level of criteria air pollution, even if there is not localized monitoring data to verify it. When we conduct more extensive monitoring in these communities, we may find that pollution concentrations are lower or higher than previously understood.

Data and modeling may not fully capture on-the-ground impacts and experiences, especially at a very local or neighborhood level. Furthermore, air quality changes over time, new data become available, and new policies are enacted. We will reevaluate community boundaries and the list of communities identified as overburdened and highly impacted by air pollution every six years, using the more local community air quality data that has become available.

Summary of communities

Currently, we have identified 16 overburdened communities highly impacted by air pollution, with more to come following Tribal consultation. These communities represent more than 1.2 million people, or about 15.5% of the population of Washington.

The 16 identified communities (shown on the map below) are a mix of urban, suburban, and rural areas, and range greatly in size of population and geographical area. Community populations range from about 1,500 to more than 200,000 people. By area, the communities range from less than 3 square miles to 173 square miles. These differences reflect the diversity of both the communities themselves and the air pollution concerns they face. Likewise, the approach we take to implement this initiative in each of these communities will have to differ to meet the needs and input of each community.

Overburdened Communities Highly Impacted by Air Pollution

Note: Community boundaries are census block group boundaries, unless otherwise stated. More information about how each community was identified is in the summary for each community below.

Overburdened Communities Highly Impacted by Air Pollution

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Spokane and Spokane Valley

Community Description

This community is in the greater Spokane area and encompasses parts of both the city of Spokane and neighboring Spokane Valley. Air quality is managed by Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency. The community is approximately 42 square miles with a population of about 150,108 people. It is mostly adjacent and parallel to the Spokane River and Interstate 90 and includes northeastern Spokane. The western part of the community is primarily Spokane’s downtown area and zoned for high-density housing. Northeast Spokane is predominantly single-family housing with some industrial areas to the north and between the Spokane River and Interstate 90. This industrial area follows along railway lines into Spokane Valley. Spokane Valley also has some single-family residential and mixed-use areas. The community has many  sensitive receptors , including schools, childcare facilities, multiple hospitals, and prisons. Several economic factors indicate that the community may be more vulnerable to air pollution impacts, including high rates of poverty, unaffordable housing, and unemployment. The community on average also experiences higher rates of asthma and lower life expectancy, compared to the rest of Washington State.

All the Spokane area is currently considered in attainment with national ambient air quality standards, however it does have relatively high particulate matter pollution (PM 2.5 )   for Washington State. Some of the sources of pollution include wildfire, residential wood burning, mobile sources like cars, trucks, trains, and dust from construction and agriculture. There are currently two monitoring sites in the Ecology network within the community boundaries and another less than a mile away. There are also a few additional monitoring sites in Ecology’s network to the north of Spokane in Colbert and Greenbluff.

Why was this community identified?

Part of northeast Spokane and the Spokane Valley to the Idaho border along Interstate 90 met the statewide screening criteria for either the  Washington Environmental Health Disparities map  ranking,  EJScreen  demographic index or both, as well as elevated levels of PM 2.5 . Upon closer scrutiny of other environmental justice tools and local data, the screened area was shifted west to include more of the urban center of Spokane along Interstate 90. Environmental justice screening tools, including the  Environmental Justice Index ,  Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST) , and EJScreen supplemental demographic index, showed that central and northeast Spokane, as well as the industrial area in north Spokane Valley, were most likely to be overburdened or disadvantaged. This area includes, or is close to, several sources of pollution like major roadways, railways, and industrial sites. Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease rates, as well as lower life expectancy, are also well-correlated to the identified area. In Spokane, this is consistent with historic redlining maps. We also heard from commenters in both the initial listening sessions in winter 2022 and during the fall 2022 public comment period, areas of concern for air pollution along the major roadways and railways in Spokane, as well as along the river and in the Downtown area. Commenters also noted the rapid growth currently happening in Spokane.

Additional Resources

Tri-Cities to Wallula

Community Description

This community is located along the Columbia River and the Snake River and includes parts of Franklin, Walla Walla, and Benton Counties. In Benton County, air quality is managed by the Benton Clean Air Agency, and in Franklin and Walla Walla Counties, it is managed by Ecology’s Eastern Regional Office. The community encompasses all or part of the Tri-cities (Richland, Pasco, and Kennewick), Finley, Burbank, and Wallula. The Tri-Cities is the third largest metropolitan area in Washington and is surrounded by rural, primarily agricultural land. The part that is identified as overburdened and highly impacted by air pollution is located along the Columbia River in the Tri-Cities, as well as a sizeable portion of rural land to the East, including Wallula. It has approximately 113,522 residents. Parts of the community have high rates of poverty, linguistic isolation, and high incidence of asthma, which can increase vulnerability to air pollution impacts.

At approximately 173 square miles, this is the largest overburdened community highly impacted by air pollution by area that has been identified so far. However, the pollutants of concern are primarily regional in scale. Ozone forms in the atmosphere on hot summer days when two forms of air pollution – nitrogen oxides (NO x ) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) – react with sunlight. NOx and VOCs come from many sources, but cars and trucks are the largest contributors. Conditions in the Tri-Cities area, including prevailing winds, push ground-level ozone up against the Horse Heaven Hills, where it can become concentrated in the basin over more populated areas. PM 10  and PM 2.5  also collect in the basin, and come from sources like windblown dust from construction, agriculture, or open lands, outdoor and agricultural burning, residential wood burning, wildfires, mobile sources like cars and trucks, and industrial sources.

Why was this community identified?

This community met the statewide screening criteria for the  Washington Environmental Health Disparities ma p ranking and elevated levels of ozone, coarse particulate matter (PM 10 ), or in some parts, cumulative criteria air pollution only. Most of the environmental justice tools show parts of Pasco and Kennewick as overburdened or disadvantaged. Some parts of the community also have higher prevalence of asthma and relatively lower life expectancy. Both the Environmental Health Disparities map and  Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST)  also include part of Richland, as well as the large census tract to the east of the Tri-Cities, which includes Burbank and Wallula, as highly impacted or disadvantaged. These areas were combined into one community. The large block group containing Burbank and Wallula was cut off south of Wallula Junction as that area appears to be a wind farm and largely uninhabited.

While the community is currently in attainment with the  national ambient air quality standards  for criteria air pollution, it does experience high levels of ozone and particulate matter, when compared to the rest of Washington state. This area also is subject to occasional “ exceptional events ” for air quality like windblown dust storms, which can lead to temporary exceedances of the national ambient air quality standards for particulate matter and unhealthy air quality.

Additional Resources

East Yakima

Community Description

East Yakima is a community in Yakima County, located in the upper Yakima Valley. Air quality is managed by the Yakima Regional Clean Air Agency. The East Yakima community is approximately 15.8 square miles, with a population of about 60,640 people. The community also contains Union Gap on the south end. To the north and east it is bounded by both Interstate 82 and the Yakima River and is surrounded by agricultural land outside of the city. The community includes a downtown commercial area and mixed single-family and multi-family housing. There are also many agricultural and food processing facilities connected to rail lines that run North-South through the middle of the community. East Yakima includes several groups that are vulnerable to air pollution, such as people of color and low-income residents. The community experiences relatively high rates of asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and cardiovascular disease. It also has many  sensitive receptors  including schools, childcare facilities, health clinics, long term care facilities, and migrant farmworker housing.

While it is currently in attainment with the  national ambient air quality standards , East Yakima often experiences elevated levels of PM 2.5  year-round, when compared to the rest of the state. Particulate matter comes predominantly from wildfire smoke in the summer months, and wood burning related to home heating in the wintertime. Yakima is situated in a valley, which can act as a funnel for air pollution. Temperature inversions, which keep pollution trapped close to the ground, are a common reason for elevated levels of PM 2.5  in the wintertime.

Why was this community identified?

East Yakima met the statewide screening criteria, based on the  Washington Environmental Health Disparities map  ranking,  EJScreen  demographic index, and elevated level of PM 2.5 . The boundaries are consistent with the screened area. The  Environmental Justice Index  matched the Environmental Health Disparities map in showing that this community is highly impacted by cumulative environmental burdens. The  Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST)  also identified the same part of Yakima as disadvantaged. Most of the census tracts in this community are >90 th  percentile for both asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease prevalence, and <10 th  percentile for life expectancy. During our public comment period, commenters specifically referred to East Yakima as an area of concern. Based on exposure to PM 2.5 , cumulative environmental burdens and vulnerability, and likely health impacts, East Yakima has been identified as an overburdened community highly impacted by air pollution.

Additional Resources

Lower Yakima Valley

Community Description

The Lower Yakima Valley intersects both Yakima County and Benton County. Air quality is managed by either the Yakima Regional Clean Air Agency or the Benton Clean Air Agency in the corresponding counties. The community includes the cities of Granger, Outlook, Sunnyside, Mabton, Grandview, Apricot, and Prosser. Most of the cities are situated along Interstate 82. The Lower Yakima Valley is primarily an agricultural community with a high density of dairy farms. Residents are predominantly Hispanic. A high percent of the population is children under age 18, who are particularly sensitive to air pollution impacts. Additional factors such as poverty, linguistic isolation, and limited access to health care can increase the vulnerability of community members to air pollution impacts.

While it is currently in attainment with the national ambient air quality standards, the Lower Yakima Valley experiences elevated levels of PM 2.5  year-round. Particulate matter comes from sources like wildfire smoke, silvicultural and prescribed burning, residential and agricultural burning, and agricultural dust. The community is situated in a valley, which can act as a funnel for air pollution. Temperature inversions, which keep pollution trapped close to the ground, are a common reason for elevated levels of PM 2.5  in the wintertime. There are currently two monitoring sites in Ecology’s network in the Lower Yakima Valley. However, since the towns and residents are spread out, the community could benefit from a higher density of monitoring for more localized information.

Why was this community identified?

Lower Yakima Valley met the statewide screening criteria for the  Washington Environmental Health Disparities map  ranking and/or  EJScreen  Demographic Index, as well as elevated levels of PM 2.5  and cumulative level of criteria air pollution. The  Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST)  identifies the same census tracts as disadvantaged. These areas were connected into one community, except one large block northeast of Sunnyside, which was cut where the land use changes from cultivated land to grassland. This boundary also corresponds to where elevation rapidly increases, and the ridge appears to be largely unpopulated.

During the public comment period, we received several comments stating concerns about the impact of concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) on air quality and public health in the Lower Yakima Valley.  Studies  conducted in this area have investigated associations between agricultural emissions and asthma health outcomes.

Additional Resources

Moxee Valley

Community Description

Moxee Valley is in Yakima County, approximately 5 miles to the east of the city of Yakima but somewhat separated by topography. Air quality is managed by the Yakima Regional Clean Air Agency. The Moxee Valley community identified for this initiative is approximately 38 square miles, with a population of about 3,000 residents. It is bounded between Yakima Ridge and Rattlesnake Hills. Moxee Valley is primarily an agricultural area. Data shows that the community experiences relatively high rates of poverty and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which may increase vulnerability to air pollution impacts.

Like nearby Yakima Valley, Moxee Valley likely experiences wintertime temperature inversions, keeping pollution close to the ground, although emissions are likely less due to the smaller population. Although there are currently no monitors in the Ecology network in this community, the air modeling results indicate that there are possibly elevated levels of PM 2.5 . With the nearest monitor approximately 6 miles away in Yakima, this area could benefit from additional monitoring for more localized information.

Why was this community identified?

Moxee Valley met the statewide screening criteria for  EJScreen  demographic index and elevated level of PM 2.5 . The area that was screened was from one large census block group, which includes the Yakima Firing Center. The  Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST)  also labels the census tract that includes the Moxee Valley as disadvantaged because of transportation barriers. We focused on the community in the populated part of the screened area. While the city of Moxee was not included in the screened area, it is the only city or census designated place in the valley. We included part of the city of Moxee that covers most of the areas zoned for single and multi-family housing and community resources like schools, the health clinic, and city hall.

Additional Resources

Mattawa

Community Description

Mattawa is in Grant County along the Columbia River. Air quality is managed by Ecology’s Eastern Regional Office. It is a rural farming community and is predominantly Hispanic and Spanish-speaking. The town has a population of about 3,600 residents, according to the latest census estimates. The community has high rates of poverty, asthma, and limited access to health care, which may increase vulnerability to air pollution impacts. It also has several  sensitive receptors  including schools, childcare facilities, healthcare clinics, and migrant farmworker housing.

The Washington state  emissions inventory  shows that particulate matter pollution in Grant County comes mainly from sources like outdoor burning, agricultural tilling, and dust from roads and livestock. Ecology recently installed a PM 2.5  monitor in the community due to air pollution concerns expressed by the community and air quality modeling that indicates a possible elevated level of PM 2.5  in the community. Local air quality monitoring will ensure that people who live and work in and around this community have more representative air pollution information.

Why was this community identified?

Mattawa met the statewide screening criteria for  EJScreen  demographic index and elevated level of PM 2.5 . The  Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST)  also identifies the census tract that includes Mattawa as disadvantaged due to workforce development burden. The boundaries mostly follow the screened area to the east of the Columbia River, using existing census block group lines where feasible, and ensuring that the entire city urban growth area for Mattawa was included. The community also includes the schools, health care clinics, and other community resources for the surrounding area.

Additional Resources

George and West Grant County

Community Description

This community is in Grant County near the Columbia River. Air quality is managed by Ecology’s Eastern Regional Office. This is a rural community with a population of about 1,500 residents, predominantly Hispanic and Spanish-speaking. This community’s proximity to Interstate 90 and the Gorge Amphitheatre exposes it to additional traffic. It is predominantly an agricultural area with a low population density. The only incorporated city in the community is George, and therefore is likely to be one of the places where people gather and access community resources. Additionally, data shows that the community experiences high rates of poverty and limited access to healthcare, which may increase vulnerability to air pollution impacts.

The Washington state  emissions inventory  shows that particulate matter pollution in Grant County comes mainly from sources like outdoor burning, agricultural tilling, and dust from roads and livestock. There are currently no air pollution monitors in this community that are part of Ecology’s network, however the modeling data indicates that it could have an elevated level of PM 2.5 . Currently the nearest monitor is about 10 miles away in Quincy. Additional monitoring will ensure that people who live, work, and visit in and around this community have more representative air pollution data.

Why was this community identified?

A large area, including George, met statewide screening criteria, based on  EJScreen  demographic index, and elevated level of PM 2.5 . While the community is currently in attainment with the  national ambient air quality standards  for criteria air pollution, it likely experiences high levels of PM 2.5 , when compared to the rest of Washington State. The  Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST)  also identified these census tracts as disadvantaged due to workforce development and legacy pollution burden. Most environmental justice tools are based on census tracts, which are very large in rural areas. The boundaries are made up of census block group lines and major roadways, such as Highway 26 W, and encompass most of the screened area.

Additional Resources

Ellensburg

Community Description

Ellensburg is in Kittitas County. Air quality is managed by Ecology’s Central Regional Office. The community is about 5.5 square miles and has a population of approximately 17,500 residents. The city of Ellensburg is home to Central Washington University, which means that it has an additional student population for most of the year, many of which are not counted as residents in the census. Data shows that this community experiences high rates of poverty and asthma prevalence, which may increase vulnerability to air pollution. It also has many  sensitive receptors  such as schools, childcare facilities, healthcare clinics, and a hospital.

The statewide  emissions inventory  shows that wildfire is the predominant source of PM 2.5  in Kittitas County, by a wide margin. Prescribed burning and woodstove smoke related to home heating are also prominent sources. There is an existing PM 2.5  monitor located centrally within the identified community boundaries.

Why was this community identified?

Northeast Ellensburg met the statewide screening criteria based on  EJScreen  demographic index and an elevated level of PM 2.5 . While the community is currently in attainment with the  national ambient air quality standards  for criteria air pollution, it does experience high levels of PM 2.5 , when compared to the rest of Washington State. The southeast portion of Ellensburg was identified as disadvantaged by the  Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST)  for workforce development. Although only the northeast portion of the city met the screening criteria, the area was expanded to include the census block groups for most of the city of Ellensburg, bounded by Interstate 90. This includes most of the population of Ellensburg, and the  sensitive receptors  like schools and healthcare facilities. The city is relatively small in area and past Ecology mobile monitoring has shown pollution levels to be relatively consistent across the community.

Additional Resources

Wenatchee and East Wenatchee

Community Description

The Wenatchee and East Wenatchee community is located along the boundary between Chelan County and Douglas County. Air quality is managed by Ecology’s Central Regional Office. The community includes portions of both the cities of Wenatchee and East Wenatchee, is about 10 square miles, and has approximately 32,312 residents. The part identified as highly impacted by air pollution includes the higher density housing around the business districts in Wenatchee, as well as business district and surrounding residential area in East Wenatchee.

The Wenatchee and East Wenatchee community has high rates of poverty, asthma, and uninsured populations, which can increase vulnerability of community members to air pollution impacts. This community also has a high proportion of children under age 18 and includes many  sensitive receptors  such as schools, hospitals and healthcare clinics, long term care facilities, and migrant farmworker housing.

The Wenatchee and East Wenatchee community has increasingly experienced more and more frequent wildfire smoke events.  The Washington Tracking Network  shows that between 2015-2021, the area experienced an average of 13 smoke days a year. Other sources of particulate matter include silvicultural/prescribed burning, agricultural burning, and wood smoke associated with home heating. Temperature inversions, which keep pollution trapped close to the ground, are a common reason for elevated levels of PM 2.5  in the wintertime. While there are currently no monitors within the community boundaries, there is an Ecology monitor nearby at Wenatchee Valley College, which provides air quality information for the area. However, additional monitoring, particularly across the river in East Wenatchee, could provide more localized air quality information.

Why was this community identified?

Part of Wenatchee and East Wenatchee met the statewide screening criteria based on the  Washington Environmental Health Disparities map  ranking, and/or  EJScreen  demographic index, and an elevated level of PM 2.5 . While the community is currently in attainment with the  national ambient air quality standards  for criteria air pollution, it does experience high levels of PM 2.5 , when compared to the rest of Washington State. This area also overlapped with areas that the  Environmental Justice Index  identified as highly impacted, and the  Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST)  identified as disadvantaged due to projected wildfire risk. All these block groups were connected to identify the portion of Wenatchee that is considered overburdened and highly impacted by air pollution.

During the public comment period, we heard concerns about air quality and subsequent health impacts, particularly from wildfires, in Wenatchee.

Additional Resources

Everett

Community Description

Everett is in Snohomish County. Air quality is managed by Puget Sound Clean Air Agency. The part of Everett that is identified as overburdened and highly impacted by air pollution is about 16.5 square miles, with a population of approximately 86,400 people. The community runs parallel to Interstate 5 on the eastside and extends from the Snohomish River in the north to Paine Field Airport in the south. Most of the area identified is single-family or multi-family residential and includes commercial mixed-use areas and part of the metropolitan center. Parts of the community experience economic burdens such as lower income and unaffordable housing. The community also experiences a high rate of asthma and lower life expectancy relative to the rest of Washington state, which may indicate increased vulnerability to air pollution impacts.

The 2017 statewide  emissions inventory  indicates that the vast majority of PM 2.5  pollution in Snohomish County is from residential wood smoke associated with home heating. However, this community includes or is near several other sources of air pollution, including Interstate 5 to the east and Paine Field airport and the industrial section of Everett to the southwest. Currently the nearest monitor is less than 3 miles away in Marysville. Additional air quality monitoring in this area will ensure that people who live and work in and around this community have more representative air pollution data.

Why was this community identified?

Parts of this community met the statewide screening criteria based on the  Washington Environmental Health Disparities map  ranking, and/or  EJScreen  demographic index, and an elevated level of PM 2.5 . There are currently no monitors in this community that are part of the Ecology network, however there is one nearby in Marysville. While the community is currently in attainment with the  national ambient air quality standards  for criteria air pollution, air modeling results indicate a possible elevated level of PM 2.5 , when compared to the rest of Washington State. The  Environmental Justice Index  and  Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST)  also identified parts of Everett as highly impacted or disadvantaged, particularly around the metropolitan area, near the railyards in the north, and west of the airport. This was an area where the screened areas were checkerboarded, so it made sense to connect them into one community, considering air quality is continuous.

Additional Resources

North Seattle and Shoreline

Community Description

This community is in North King County and includes parts of both Seattle and Shoreline. Air quality is managed by Puget Sound Clean Air Agency. This community covers approximately 4.5 square miles and has a population of approximately 41,081 people. It is primarily residential and includes all or part of the following neighborhoods in Shoreline: Ridgecrest and Briarcrest; and all or part of the following areas of Seattle: Northgate, Lake City, Bitter Lake, and Greenwood.

According to the various environmental justice tools, this area ranks high for proximity to heavy traffic roadways and diesel exhaust particulate matter emissions. It also has relatively high rates of unaffordable housing.

There are currently no monitors in this area that are part of the Ecology network, however there is a nearby PM 2.5  monitor in Lake Forest Park that provides air quality information for this area.

Why was this community identified?

Parts of this community met the statewide screening criteria based on the  Washington Environmental Health Disparities map  ranking, and/or  EJScreen  demographic index, and an elevated level of PM 2.5  or cumulative criteria air pollution. There are currently no monitors within these boundaries that are part of the Ecology network, however air quality modeling indicates possible elevated levels of PM 2.5 . While other environmental justice tools, like the  Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST)  and the  Environmental Justice Index  do not identify this area as disadvantaged or highly impacted, both the Environmental Health Disparities map and EJScreen identified small pockets of vulnerable populations, including people of color, linguistically isolated, and low-income populations. This was an area where the screened areas were checkerboarded, so it made sense to connect them into one community, considering that air quality is continuous.

Additional Resources

South Seattle

Community Description

South Seattle is in King County. Air quality is managed by Puget Sound Clean Air Agency. The community identified as highly impacted by air pollution is approximately 44 square miles stretching from the seaports of Seattle in the north to the SeaTac airport in the south. It includes a large portion of South Seattle, as well as parts of Tukwila, Burien, and SeaTac. This community is a hub of transportation and industry, intermingled alongside residential areas. With some of the highest population density in the state, the community includes nearly 200,000 residents. This area includes many groups that are vulnerable to air pollution, such as people of color, low-income, and linguistically isolated populations. It also has high rates asthma and low life expectancy for Washington state.

The heavy transportation and industrial activity impact air quality in the community, as well as pollute the water and soil. This community has five monitors in Ecology’s network, including the  National Core (NCore) air monitoring  location at Jefferson Park in Beacon Hill that monitors for every criteria pollutant, volatile organic compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, chemical components of PM 2.5 , meteorology, and air toxics. Beacon Hill has also been host to several academic air pollution studies by the University of Washington, including the measurement of ultrafine particulate matter as the site lies directly beneath the flightpath from two major airports. Puget Sound Clean Air Agency has conducted several local air monitoring, mobile monitoring, and air toxics studies in this area, particularly in its two focus communities: The Duwamish Valley and the Chinatown-International District. The Duwamish Valley has also been the subject of several academic and community health and pollution studies (links below). This is perhaps the most well-studied and documented part of the state in terms of air pollution.

Why was this community identified?

This community met the statewide screening criteria for the  Washington Environmental Health Disparities map  ranking and part of it also for  EJScreen  demographic index, and partially an elevated level of PM 2.5  and cumulative criteria air pollution. While the community is currently in attainment with the  national ambient air quality standards  for criteria air pollution, it does experience high levels of criteria air pollution, when compared to the rest of Washington State. The  Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST)  and  Environmental Justice Index  both identify most of this screened area, as well as areas further south, as highly impacted or disadvantaged. The screened area of this community was extended south to the SeaTac airport to include parts of Burien and Tukwila.

There currently are no Ecology network monitors between Tukwila and Kent, although Puget Sound Clean Air Agency has done several studies in this area (links below). Furthermore,  a recent study  out of the University of Washington did extensive mobile monitoring and found levels of PM 2.5  and NO 2  were highest around downtown Seattle, the port, and the major transportation corridors. The area identified also aligns with the most impacted areas identified through Puget Sound Clean Air Agency’s Community Air Tool, a region-specific tool mapping air pollution disparity. Puget Sound Clean Air Agency has identified Chinatown-International District and Duwamish Valley as focus communities, both of which are also included in this community. While identification criteria and scope of work is different between Puget Sound Clean Air Agency’s work and this initiative, we look forward to collaborating on efforts to improve air quality in the community.

During the public comment period, we heard numerous recommendations that this area, or parts of it, be included as an overburdened community highly impacted by air pollution. Some of the areas of interest were the Duwamish Valley, Beacon Hill, and communities around the SeaTac airport. We also heard concerns about several particular sources this area, including the airport and flight paths, industry and port activity, and freeways.

Additional Resources

South King County

Community Description

Air quality in South King County is managed by Puget Sound Clean Air Agency. This community is about 67.6 square miles and has approximately 207,973 residents. It contains all or part of the following cities: Tukwila, Renton, Des Moines, SeaTac, Kent, Auburn, Algona, Pacific, and Federal Way. A corridor of manufacturing facilities, distribution centers, and other businesses, as well as rail lines, runs north-south down the center of this community. Other parts are mostly residential, although there is also some agricultural land and nature areas along the Green River. This area includes many groups that are vulnerable to air pollution, such as people of color, low-income, and linguistically isolated populations.

The community has two PM 2.5  monitors in Ecology’s network in Kent and Auburn, with additional monitors nearby in Tukwila and Tacoma. Puget Sound Clean Air Agency does more localized monitoring and studies within this area, particularly in their focus community, Auburn-Algona-Pacific. Wood smoke associated with home heating is a significant source of particulate matter pollution in the wintertime. The whole community is also crisscrossed by multiple transportation routes, rail lines, is home to a large number of warehouses, distribution centers, and is close to several airports.

Why was this community identified?

This community met the statewide screening criteria for the  Washington Environmental Health Disparities map  ranking and part of it also for  EJScreen  demographic index, and partially an elevated level of cumulative criteria air pollution and PM 2.5  on the south end. That means, for most of the community, we don’t expect any single criteria pollutant to be elevated, but the combination of all pollutants may lead to community health impacts. While the community is currently in attainment with the  national ambient air quality standards  for criteria air pollution, it does experience high levels of criteria air pollution, when compared to the rest of Washington State. Most environmental justice tools, including the  Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST)  and the  Environmental Justice Index , identify the communities along the transportation corridors (west of Interstate 5 and east of state route 167) as most impacted or disadvantaged. A  recent mobile monitoring study  out of University of Washington also showed that PM 2.5  and NO 2  pollution concentrations were higher in this area as well. While some areas North of Kent and between Kent, Auburn, and Federal Way did not meet our screening criteria, there is indication that this is a single airshed, so the boundary is designed to make a single, contiguous, community.

The area identified also aligns with the most impacted areas identified through Puget Sound Clean Air Agency’s Community Air Tool, a region-specific tool mapping air pollution disparity. Puget Sound Clean Air Agency has identified Auburn-Algona-Pacific as a focus community, which is also included in this community. While identification criteria and scope of work is different between Puget Sound Clean Air Agency’s work and this initiative, we look forward to collaborating on efforts to improve air quality in the community.

The community is bounded by the Puyallup Tribe Reservation to the southwest, the Muckleshoot Tribe Indian Reservation to the southeast and contains a small piece of off-reservation Tribal land. Boundaries are subject to change following Tribal consultation.

Additional Resources

South and East Tacoma

Community Description

Tacoma is in Pierce County and is the third largest city in the state. Air quality is managed by Puget Sound Clean Air Agency. The community identified for this initiative is about 28.4 square miles and has approximately 133,700 residents. It includes all or part of the following neighborhoods: New Tacoma, Central, Eastside, South End, and South Tacoma. It also includes parts of Lakewood, Parkland, and Midland to the south. The community includes the manufacturing and industrial areas at the Port of Tacoma and in South Tacoma and downtown Tacoma. The rest is primarily single-family residential. This area includes many groups that are vulnerable to air pollution, such as people of color, low-income, and linguistically isolated populations.

There are currently three monitoring sites in Ecology’s network at the Port of Tacoma, near the junction of Interstate 5 and Highway 16, and in the South End neighborhood. While other air pollutants like air toxics, odors, and greenhouse gases are likely to primarily come from industrial sources in Tacoma, criteria air pollution is a different story. An  Ecology study  of PM 2.5  pollution resulting from a violation of the PM 2.5  standard in 2009 found that PM 2.5 , the criteria pollutant of greatest health concern, primarily came from residential wood smoke. Particulate matter concentrations have since declined in Tacoma, and it now considered in attainment with the  national ambient air quality standards . However, PM 2.5  levels remain elevated at times and the community still experiences high rates of asthma, death from cardiovascular disease, and lower life expectancy compared to other parts of Washington state.

Why was this community identified?

This community met the statewide criteria for the  Washington Environmental Health Disparities map  ranking and  EJScreen  in some parts, as well as elevated level of PM 2.5  and high cumulative level of criteria air pollution for Washington State. While the community is currently in attainment with the  national ambient air quality standards  for criteria air pollution, it does experience high levels of PM 2.5 , when compared to the rest of the state. The  Environmental Justice Index  also identifies the port, several of the surrounding tracts, and parts of Lakewood as most impacted. The  Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST)  is more checkered, but also identifies much of Tacoma, Lakewood, Parkland, and Midland as disadvantaged. The screened area was extended west to include parts of the South Tacoma neighborhood to align with environmental justice screening tools, as well as historic redlining maps.

The area identified also aligns with the most impacted areas identified through Puget Sound Clean Air Agency’s Community Air Tool, a region-specific tool mapping air pollution disparity. Lakewood was also selected as a focus community by Puget Sound Clean Air Agency. While there is some overlap, selection criteria and scope of work is different between Puget Sound Clean Air Agency’s work and this initiative.

We received many comments recommending Tacoma be included as an overburdened community highly impacted by air pollution, during both the public comment period, and listening sessions in Winter 2022. Specific places in Tacoma that were mentioned are the port, Hilltop, West End, South Tacoma, and Eastside. Please note that the community does not include Puyallup Tribe reservation land. Boundaries are subject to change following Tribal consultation.

Additional Resources:

Northeast Puyallup

Community Description

Northeast Puyallup is in Pierce County. Air quality is managed by Puget Sound Clean Air Agency. It is approximately 2.8 square miles and has an estimated population of 9,629. The community is bounded by State Route 512 on the west and the Puyallup River to the north. This community is primarily residential with some limited manufacturing along a rail line near the river.

This community was identified based on cumulative impacts for both environmental health disparities in general and criteria air pollution. That means that this community may not experience a particularly high level of any one type of pollution or be especially vulnerable because of any one single factor. However, the cumulative impact of all these factors may mean increased risk of health impacts from air pollution to this community.

Why was this community identified?

Northeast Puyallup met the statewide screening criteria, based on the  Washington Environmental Health Disparities map  ranking and high cumulative level of criteria air pollution for Washington State. That means we don’t expect any single criteria pollutant to be elevated, but the combination of all pollutants may lead to adverse public health impacts. Health indicators in  EJScreen  and the Environmental Health Disparities map do indicate disparities in both life expectancy and cardiovascular disease deaths for these census tracts. Parts of this community also rank “low” or “very low” on the Pierce County Equity Index, which is a local EJ tool to identify disparities in opportunity at the county level.

Puget Sound Clean Air Agency previously had a PM 2.5  monitoring site several miles away in South Hill. That data was included in Ecology’s dataset to identify areas with an elevated level of pollution. Puget Sound Clean Air Agency has also done several studies around the area, one of which included an additional temporary monitoring site in Puyallup (links below). Their results show similar or lower concentrations of PM 2.5  and O 3  to Ecology’s data and did not find any previously unknown hotspots.

Additional Resources

Vancouver

Community Description

Vancouver is in Clark County and is the fourth largest city in the state. Air quality is managed by Southwest Clean Air Agency. The part identified as overburdened and highly impacted by air pollution is about 29 square miles and has about 109,900 residents. The community includes most of the city of Vancouver and is bounded by Interstate 205 on the east, and the Columbia River in the south and west. Vancouver is a transportation hub, with heavy roadway, trains, and port activity. It is likely impacted by pollution sources in the more populated city of Portland across the Columbia River. Several social and economic factors contribute to the vulnerability of this community to air pollution impacts, including poverty, linguistic isolation, and unaffordable housing.

Vancouver currently has two air quality monitors in Ecology’s network, one near Peter S. Ogden Park in central Vancouver and one at Mountain View High School in east Vancouver. Additional air quality monitoring in this area will ensure that people who live and work in and around this community have more representative air pollution data.

Why was this community identified?

Part of this community met the statewide criteria for the  Washington Environmental Health Disparities map  ranking and  EJScreen  in some parts, as well as elevated level of PM 2.5 . While the community is currently in attainment with the  national ambient air quality standards  for criteria air pollution, it does experience high levels of PM 2.5 , when compared to the rest of the state. Both the  Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST)  and the  Environmental Justice Index  identify portions of central Vancouver, and the tract containing the port as highly impacted. However, we did not identify a clear continuous part of the city that is generally considered overburdened. The screened area included part of central Vancouver between Interstate 5 and Interstate 205. The community boundary was extended west to include West Vancouver and the port, where they are currently no criteria air pollutant monitors.

During the public comment period, we received requests to include Vancouver as an overburdened community highly impacted by air pollution. The port, railyards, airports, freeways, and fossil fuel facilities were noted as particular areas of concern.

Additional Resources

How were communities identified?

To identify these overburdened communities, we started with public engagement in early 2022 to hear about people’s experiences with air pollution across the state and researched how criteria air pollution impacts communities across all of Washington. Next, we looked for data and resources that were available to represent these real-world issues. Then we studied existing approaches and environmental justice tools to identify overburdened or underserved communities, to see where we could apply principles or lessons learned into how we put all the data together to identify communities. Using that initial input and research, we created a draft process to identify communities and held a second public comment period in fall 2022. All comments and feedback were reviewed and considered and several changes were made to the draft process. A summary of changes made and response to comments can be found in the Concise Explanatory Statement document available on our  website .

Overview of the process to identify communities

To be considered an overburdened community highly impacted by air pollution, an area must meet the following conditions, based on data available statewide:

  1. Community Indicators: Either have a 9 or 10 ranking on the  Washington Environmental Health Disparities (EHD) map , be in the 90 th  percentile or higher of census block groups for the  EJScreen  Demographic Index, or be  Tribal land ; and
  2. Air Pollution Indicator: Have an elevated level of one or multiple criteria air pollutants

Community Indicators:

Environmental Health Disparities Map Rank

The  Washington Environmental Health Disparities Map  is an interactive mapping tool that compares communities across our state for environmental health disparities.

The map includes measures related to environmental hazards such as diesel emissions and proximity to hazardous waste sites, as well as measures related to population vulnerability such as poverty, and cardiovascular disease. All of these measures are combined into a single score, or rank for each census tract in Washington. This rank indicates where vulnerable populations face multiple, combined environmental harms and risks.

Threshold:

Community Indicators:

EJScreen Demographic Index

The  EJScreen  Demographic Index is an average of the proportions of low-income population and people of color for each census block group in Washington. These population groups are more likely to be at a higher risk for poor health outcomes in response to environmental harms.

Threshold:

Community Indicators:

Tribal Land

, including:

  • Reservation land - Federally recognized tribal reservation lands.
  • Disputed land - Lands designated as being part of a reservation but title is disputed by other parties.
  • Off-reservation tribal land - Lands outside of a reservation acquired by or held in trust for tribal use.

We are reaching out to Tribes that we have identified as highly impacted by criteria air pollution, based on the overlap between Tribal land and elevated levels of air pollution, for government-to-government consultation. We welcome government-to-government consultation with all Tribal Nations and organizations affiliated with Washington Tribes on the areas included in “Tribal land” at any time.

Air Pollution Indicator:

Elevated level of criteria air pollution

Areas with elevated level(s) of one or more criteria pollutants (CO, NO 2 , O 3 , Pb, PM 2.5 , PM 10 , or SO 2 )* or the highest cumulative level of criteria pollutants. Elevated levels of these pollutants are linked with negative health effects, particularly for individuals with increased risk, such as people of color, children and older adults, and people with underlying health conditions. We either measure or estimate pollution levels across the state for each pollutant using a combination of monitoring, modeling, and/or emissions data reported to Ecology.

These thresholds are for community identification purposes only and do not reflect any new air quality standards set by Ecology.

Thresholds:

  • PM 2.5  24-hour design value > 20.4 ug/m 3 
  • PM 2.5  annual design value > 8 ug/m 3 
  • PM 10  (not shown): At least one recent exceedance of the federal 24-hour PM 10  standard of 150 µg/m 3  not attributable to natural events (e.g. wildfire)
  • O 3  design value > 65 ppb
  • NO 2  1-hour design value > 54 ppb
  • SO 2  1-hour design value >36 ppm
  • CO 8-hour design value > 4.5 ppm
  • Lead (not shown): proximity to any lead source emitting more than 0.5 ton per year
  • 98th percentile or above for the AQI sum of all statewide interpolated criteria pollutants combined (PM 2.5  24-hour, O 3 , NO 2 , SO 2 , CO)

*This map has separate layers for each pollutant. To turn individual layers on and off, click on the "Layers List" icon in the box in the bottom-right corner. The "Elevated Level of Critera Air Pollution" layer represents the area that exceeds the threshold for each of the seven pollutant layers combined.

After identifying where these communities are across the state using statewide data, Ecology looked at additional factors, including regional- and local-level data and public comments, to refine the boundaries of the overburdened communities highly impacted by air pollution. To inform our list of overburdened communities for this initiative, we engaged with Tribes, communities, environmental justice advocates, and the Environmental Justice Council throughout our process. See the Technical Support Document for more details on this process, and its development.

Flowchart of the process to identify overburdened communities highly impacted by air pollution

Next Steps

For communities identified as highly impacted by air pollution

We will provide additional public outreach and begin placing air monitors in the identified communities in early 2023. By the end of 2023, we will publish the first biennial reports on community criteria pollution levels, greenhouse gas emissions, and health impacts.

The Climate Commitment Act also requires Ecology to develop standards and strategies to reduce the criteria air pollution in overburdened communities highly impacted by air pollution. We will use the data in our biennial reports to inform future decision-making and policy development. Ecology’s budget package to develop these standards and strategies was included in the  Governor’s proposed 2023-2025 biennial budget . Pending legislative appropriation, Ecology proposed rulemaking to develop control technology standards using existing authority under the state Clean Air Act. Ecology also proposed a new grant program to target the different types of emission sources that contribute to criteria air pollution in identified communities. Depending on legislative appropriation, Ecology would begin rulemaking and the development of a community centered grant program later in 2023. We look forward to working directly with identified communities on actions to improve air quality.

For Tribes

We are reaching out to Tribal governments for government-to-government consultation about the communities we have identified as highly impacted by criteria air pollution, based on the overlap between Tribal land and elevated levels of air pollution. Ecology is also available for further staff-to-staff engagement and government-to-government consultation for Tribes not identified by Ecology’s process.

We invited government-to-government consultation with all Tribal governments in December 2021 and conducted Tribal meetings in January 2022 and September 2022, prior to each public engagement period. We will continue to consult with Tribal governments and engage organizations affiliated with Washington Tribes throughout every stage of this initiative.

Reevaluation

This is a continuous process. We expect both the air quality that communities experience and the availability of data related to environmental justice to change with time. As data are updated and new information is gathered through continued engagement with stakeholders, communities, and Tribes, we may identify new overburdened communities highly impacted by air pollution in the future. New data and information may include updates in environmental justice screening tools, new air monitoring data (including monitoring efforts taken separately from this initiative), air pollution model results, and lessons learned from the  Healthy Environment for All (HEAL) Act  and other efforts to identify overburdened communities. We also may need to adjust the boundaries of identified communities from time to time. We are committed to reevaluating these communities regularly every six years to gauge changes in air quality. Importantly, we do not intend to remove an overburdened classification from identified communities unless air quality targets are met (or there is express direction from a Tribal government to do so regarding Tribal lands).

Find Out More

Please visit  our website  for more information about the Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities Initiative, including information about public input opportunities. We provide translated materials in Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, and Russian.

Additional resources

All communities experience air pollution. This effort was focused on identifying communities that are overburdened and highly impacted by criteria air pollution.  Ecology continuously works with local clean air agencies, the EPA, and Tribes to ensure healthy air to breathe for all Washingtonians.  Here is some further information about this work and grant opportunities:

Federal programs and initiatives for addressing air quality and environmental justice are also ongoing, including funding through the  American Rescue Plan  and the  Inflation Reduction Act .

Contact information

For questions about this StoryMap, contact Kirsten Dodroe at kirsten.dodroe@ecy.wa.gov or (564) 669‑9639.

Flowchart of the process to identify overburdened communities highly impacted by air pollution