Rulemaking - Chapter 173-446 WAC, Climate Commitment Act Program
THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Lynette Rynders 56095 E 56th AveStrasburg, CO 80136
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Lorraine Johnson 13716 Lake City Way NESeattle, WA 98125
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Jason Bowman 4361 Turnbridge DrSacramento, CA 95823
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Billie Allen 451 Sextans Ave SWOcean Shores, WA 98569
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Norm Conrad 1120 S 25th StMount Vernon, WA 98274
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Kim Smith 405 Files Creek RdBeverly, WV 26253
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Rita Hogan 4437 31st Ave NEOlympia, WA 98516
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, mia heavyrunner 9540 SE Glendale StPort Orchard, WA 98366
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Jennifer Valentine 10601 5th Ave NESeattle, WA 98125
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, James Bates 6821 44th Ave NESeattle, WA 98115
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Dan Senour 809 37th StAnacortes, WA 98221
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Sheila Siegel 604 S Washington SquarePhiladelphia, PA 19106
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Katrina Stroud 6890 Frying Pan RdBoulder, CO 80301
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Erin Shirey 7200 W Lincoln AveYakima, WA 98908
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Don Thomsen 1106 S Woodfern StSpokane, WA 99202
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Rein Attemann 316 NW 86th StSeattle, WA 98117
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, James Dawson 1055 Trinita TerraceDavis, CA 95618
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Art Peskind 1713 35th AveSeattle, WA 98122
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Mary Keeler 1102 NW 83rd StSeattle, WA 98117
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Daniel Brant 310 Willow StPort Townsend, WA 98368
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Nicole Fountain 1860 Maple Grove LnLincoln, CA 95648
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Querido Galdo 39361 CA-1Gualala, CA 95445
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Leila Mohseni 2333 13th StBoulder, CO 80304
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Vanessa Jamison 7724 87th St NEMarysville, WA 98270
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Beth Levin 3043 NE 51st AvePortland, OR 97213
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Dear Mr. Grice, As ...↓a medical professional, a mother and grandmother, and a regular voter, I would like to thank you for the opportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, (WE ARE PROUD AND HAPPY!) and I am VERY excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I VERY MUCH appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Mary Todd 24701 NE 228th CirBattle Ground, WA 98604
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Yvonne Leach 4 E 26th AveSpokane, WA 99203
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Max Burg 4746 S Woodlawn AveChicago, IL 60615
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Robert Johnson 362 S 3rd AveWalla Walla, WA 99362
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Jeff Kulp 5417 Oldtowne RdRaleigh, NC 27612
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Patrick Gray 1418 S Maple StSpokane, WA 99203
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Jody Caicco 23402 NE 108th StVancouver, WA 98682
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Sandra Joos 4259 SW Patrick PlPortland, OR 97239
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, H ande 3310 69th St EInver Grove Heights, MN 55076
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Dolores Arndt 7565 W Lockhart RdDafter, MI 49724
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, R.Court Olson 15817 SE 26th StBellevue, WA 98008
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Amber Eby 411 Camellia WayModesto, CA 95354
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Janelle Church 13947 Rainier View Ln SEYelm, WA 98597
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Paul Netusil 9 Lachmund CtOld Tappan, NJ 07675
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Dorothy Anderson 125 River StWeymouth, MA 02191
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Greg Goodwin 13804 26th Ave NESeattle, WA 98125
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Candice Cassato 6417 54th Ave NWOlympia, WA 98502
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Steve Williams 2125 N Prospect StTacoma, WA 98406
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Daniel Arnold 4011 S Chicago StSeattle, WA 98118
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Richard Han 16 Eastbury CtAnn Arbor, MI 48105
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Adina Parsley 20420 Marine Dr Apt P2Stanwood, WA 98292
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.I would like to add that there are reports of increased rape, murder & disappearance ofNative American women in areas were drilling happens.We need to look at more alternative power & hopefully keep lithium out of the ecosystem.Lithium is used to treat a variety of mental health issues. We need to look at any correlation between the lithium in the air & mined & look for other clean ways of storing energyThank you, Constance Curran 15907 Ash WayLynnwood, WA 98087
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Re: The Climate Com...↓mitment Act I support the strongest carbon pricing program possible in the country, and urge you to implement it to the fullest extent possible.Climate change is upon us and is very costly to the natural world as we know it, to human health, to the economy. Effective action to address climate change is urgently needed. The Climate Commitment Act has the potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities - if it is implemented strongly.The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.I support the following considerations to implementing the program as written by the Washington Conservation Voters, a group that I follow:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility;- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity;- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Sara Bhakti 521 7th AveKirkland, WA 98033
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, JL Angell 2391 Ponderosa RdRescue, CA 95672
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Helen Greer 1170 W Wabash StTucson, AZ 85705
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, June Elliott-Cattell 200 Pineview RdWest Columbia, SC 29169
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Vincent Feliciano 3615 Bennett DrBellingham, WA 98225
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Charles Pomeroy 12020 NE 26th PlBellevue, WA 98005
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, James Mulcare 1110 Benjamin StClarkston, WA 99403
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Richard Zerbe 939 21st Ave ESeattle, WA 98112
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Ellen Homsey 466 Snuff Mill LnHockessin, DE 19707
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Richard Horner 230 NW 55th StSeattle, WA 98107
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Jim Cronin 2525 W Maxwell AveSpokane, WA 99201
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, melodie martin 2339 11th Ave ESeattle, WA 98102
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Michael Saunders 1311 8th Ave SWOlympia, WA 98502
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Robin Beukers 525 Mountain Park Blvd SWIssaquah, WA 98027
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Robert Feuchter 175-20 Wexford TerQueens, NY 11432
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Nicholas Heyer 5102 S Adams StSeattle, WA 98118
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Carolyn Haupt 3243 Gunston RdAlexandria, VA 22302
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Erik melear 2406 Carlton DrOrlando, FL 32806
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, W. Clark 1550 Augusta StLynchburg, VA 24501
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Toniann Reading 300 4th StSnohomish, WA 98290
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Marian Gillis 15100 6th Ave SW Unit 623 Unit 623Burien, WA 98166
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Richard Stern 11 Riverside DrNew York, NY 10023
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Cynthia Cote 27203 216th Ave SEMaple Valley, WA 98038
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Janet Riordan 12739 7th Ave NWSeattle, WA 98177
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Carole Henry 6345 Seabeck Holly Rd NWSeabeck, WA 98380
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Susan Vossler 12945 64th Ave NEKirkland, WA 98034
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Marilee Henry 14042 97th Ave NEKirkland, WA 98034
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, hillary ostrow 5835 Hesperia AveLos Angeles, CA 91316
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Heidi colkitt 720 16th St SEPuyallup, WA 98372
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, STEPHANIE BELL 21507 42nd Ave SSeatac, WA 98198
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Steven Brown 5213 SW Point Robinson RdVashon, WA 98070
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Tyra Pellerin 5421 Lafaye StNew Orleans, LA 70122
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, JUDITH STARBUCK 1126 Grand AveSeattle, WA 98122
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Amy Mower 7392 Mt Baker HwyMaple Falls, WA 98266
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Gail McDonough 1010 Yale AveWenatchee, WA 98801
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Heather Van Vorous 2336 32nd Ave SSeattle, WA 98144
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Matt Brzezinski 21216 Briar CtSt. Clair Shores, MI 48081
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Michael Abler 99 Frederick StSanta Cruz, CA 95062
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Roger Vortman 134 John StSanta Cruz, CA 95060
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Louis Richard 688 Tiffany Meadows Dr NEBainbridge Island, WA 98110
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Sabrina Jacklin 1318 N McDonald RdSpokane Valley, WA 99216
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Jared Howe 4107 Martin Luther King Jr Way SSeattle, WA 98108
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Danielle Rowland 1654 153rd Ave SEBellevue, WA 98007
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Melanie Kenoyer 708 W 24th StVancouver, WA 98660
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Tina Brown 5526 Sugarloaf StAnacortes, WA 98221
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Perry Gx 14312 Franklin AveTustin, CA 92780
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Elizabeth Kelly 900 W Tyler StDalton, GA 30720
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Gena DiLabio 3124 Dakota DrMount Vernon, WA 98274
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Lisa Mintz 2011 142nd Pl SWLynnwood, WA 98087
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Anne Autry 821 Eastland DrVilla Hills, KY 41017
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,If we don't act to ...↓curb carbon in our air I believe many people will die.Thank you for the opportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, Dixie Edwards 2039 44th AveLongview, WA 98632
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THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE EMAIL SYSTEM - Take caution not to open attachments or links unless you know the sender AND were expecting the attachment or the linkDear Mr. Joshua Grice WA Dept. of Ecology,Thank you for the o...↓pportunity to comment on this critical rule that will shape implementation of our state’s cap & invest program. The Climate Commitment Act is the strongest carbon pricing program in the country, and I am excited about its potential to reduce carbon, grow the economy, and invest in overburdened communities. The state legislature intentionally integrated environmental justice, tribal sovereignty, and tools to address environmental impacts into the structure of the law. I appreciate the work that Ecology has undertaken to translate this far-reaching statute and faithfully implement its directives.The program rules are important to get right so that Ecology has the clear authority to act, the responsibilities of covered entities are clear, and the people of Washington have clarity on this program. Overall, I support the general direction of the proposed rule and urge Ecology to strengthen it in the following ways:Overburdened communities and environmental harm:- Articulate Ecology’s responsibility to ensure the cap-and-invest program avoids negative impacts to overburdened communities and describe how information will be gathered and used to fulfill that responsibility.- Clarify Ecology’s role in evaluating impacts of all Emission-Intensive Trade-Exposed facilities (EITEs) on overburdened communities, regardless of when each facility becomes a covered entity.- Establish an explicit process to review impacts of program implementation on outcomes relative to overburdened communities, in order to inform Ecology’s mandatory reporting to the legislature required by RCW 70A.65.060(5). The rule must provide information sufficient to conduct a meaningful and thorough review. This process should be separate from the “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities” initiative, be inclusive of the full range of overburdened communities as defined by the law, and focus on disparities of impacts across the entire program.Tribal Sovereignty:- Explicitly incorporate Ecology’s existing obligation to proactively engage and consult with federally recognized tribes.Information to enable review and accountability:- Require all covered entities to provide information about: a) their impacts to overburdened communities and to tribal lands and treaty rights; b) the chemicals and pollutants they process and/or manage; and c) if there are any violations under any permits they hold.- Provide guidance and establish reporting requirements for consumer-owned utilities on the use of the value of no cost allowances and engage with the UTC on its regulation of investor-owned utilities’ use of the value of no cost allowances. - Best available technology: Require EITEs applying for an upward adjustment of no cost allowances to submit information on any excessive environmental impacts of the fuels, processes, and equipment used by each facility. The rule should be clear that if the facility is found to create excessive environmental impacts, upward adjustments should be denied.- Establish requirements for Ecology to publicly share and document data being used to establish baseline information, subtotal baselines, and allocations. Environmental Justice Council:- Include explicit language describing how Ecology will engage with the Environmental Justice Council in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the full program.- Track information about the environmental and health impacts of all covered entities to inform Council review. Offsets:- Establish a process for future modification of offset protocols, including: 1) Adaptation of existing carbon offset protocols in response to lessons learned in California and Washington. For example, updating the existing Urban Forestry Protocol, which is not currently implementable, to provide benefits in urban communities hardest hit by facilities and pollution; and 2) Creation of new protocols to harness climate mitigation potential of other ecosystems and land uses, such as blue carbon or agriculture.- Provide mechanisms for aggregation of landowners who would otherwise face barriers to participation in carbon offsets—particularly Tribal Nations and small forest landowners— in order to maximize benefits to local communities, tribes, and land owners of all sizes.- Clarify the process for reducing offset limits in response to cumulative air pollution burden in overburdened communities, including how data will be gathered and shared.- It is critical that offset rules are guided by feedback from Tribal Nations, designed to facilitate participation of tribal nations, and support tribal sovereignty.I look forward to Ecology’s ongoing work to strengthen and finalize this rule as part of our state’s work to meet our climate goals in an equitable and just way.Thank you, diane marks 728 Caroline StPort Angeles, WA 98362
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