Washington

Washington Moms advocate for electric school buses across the US.

On May 4, 2021, Senator Patty Murray (WA) hosted a roundtable event on electrifying the nation’s school buses to protect children’s health. She invited Rachel Heaton, Washington Supermom and Muckleshoot Tribe member, to be part of the discussion, along with Brett Blechschmidt, Associate Superintendent and Chief Operating Officer of Vancouver Public Schools; Jackie Flowers, Director of Tacoma Public Utilities; and Lance Goodpaster, Superintendent of Franklin Pierce Schools.

Senator Murray is cosponsor of the Clean School Bus Act, which establishes a Clean School Bus Grant Program at the Department of Energy (DOE) to replace diesel school buses with electric school buses, invest in charging infrastructure, and support transportation workforce development. The roundtable participants shared their experiences with electric buses in Washington school districts and the benefits of electric school buses for Washington’s communities.

Watch the replay.

Washington Moms applaud the passage of the Climate Commitment Act.

In April 2021, the Washington state legislature passed the Climate Commitment Act. This act drives down carbon emissions by putting a declining, enforceable limit on climate pollution across our state’s economy. The act ensures that Washington meets its science-based targets for reducing emissions, while spurring new investments in clean energy, slashing health-harming pollution, creating jobs, and prioritizing investments in frontline communities.

In the weeks leading up to the House of Representatives vote, Moms contacted our legislators to let them know that we support reductions in carbon pollution that improve public health and ensure a safe, healthy future for our children.

Rep. Kim Schrier joins our 2020 Stay In and Speak Out for Climate Action.

On August 31, 2020, Congresswoman Kim Schrier joined National Field Manager Trisha Dello Iacono, Supermom Rachel Heaton, and a few of our youngest activists from Washington’s 8th District to discuss air pollution, climate change, and how the congresswoman is working to protect our families from these threats that impact health and well-being.

Moms Clean Air Force helps Washington push for bold climate legislation.

In November 2019, Congressman Donald McEachin (VA-04) introduced the 100% Clean Economy Act of 2019 with Representatives Deb Haaland (NM-01), Debbie Dingell (MI-12), Earl Blumenauer (OR-3), Paul Tonko (NY-20), and Chellie Pingree (ME-01). This ambitious national bill aims to eliminate all climate pollution—including from transportation, electricity, buildings, and agriculture—by no later than 2050.

In the months leading up to the release of the bill, Washington moms met with members of Congress across the state to urge them to join as co-sponsors. Moms Clean Air Force Washington thanks Representatives Suzan DelBene (WA-01), Denny Heck (WA-10), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Derek Kilmer (WA-06), Rick Larsen (WA-02), Kim Schrier (WA-08), and Adam Smith (WA-09) for being among the over 150 original co-sponsors leading on this issue.

Learn more about the bill.

Washington Moms join Moms Clean Air Force members from across the country to demand EPA strengthen the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards.

On March 28, 2019, Moms Clean Air Force Washington traveled to our nation’s capital, along with more than 20 Moms Clean Air Force staff and volunteers from 13 states, to deliver testimony at EPA’s public hearing on the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards. Mercury is a potent neurotoxin that is particularly dangerous to children. In December 2018, Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler announced the EPA’s plan to weaken the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards by changing the legal justification for the rule. Moms arrived at EPA headquarters ready to defend the existing mercury rule, which saves up to 11,000 lives each year and prevents thousands of heart attacks, asthma attacks, and hospital and emergency room visits annually.

At the hearing, Seattle resident Claire Brandt offered her perspective as a cancer survivor who now advocates for strong pollution protections against carcinogens in our environment.

Reducing carbon emissions across the state.

Washington has set a goal of carbon neutrality by 2050, and in 2020, the legislature strengthened intermediate goals for 2030 and 2040 to ensure the state meets its 2050 target. In 2021, the state legislature passed the landmark Climate Commitment Act. This legislation creates a cap-and-invest program that will aggressively cut carbon emissions to meet the state’s carbon reduction goals.

Washington moms supported the Climate Commitment Act and continue to work with lawmakers and government officials to ensure Washington reduces its greenhouse gas emissions in a way that is both in line with science and equitable for all Washington families.

Protecting our families from mercury pollution.

Mercury is a toxic heavy metal that occurs naturally in coal in small quantities. When coal is burned without adequate pollution controls, mercury gets into the air. From there, it falls on waterways and enters the food chain. Exposure to mercury can interfere with normal brain development, lowering IQ and causing learning and behavioral problems. Children are especially vulnerable to the health effects of mercury, and pregnant women can pass mercury through their placenta into the brains of their developing babies. Mercury is also linked to heart disease.

Indigenous communities in Washington, particularly the Muckleshoot Tribe, are reliant on fish as a main food source and are particularly concerned about mercury pollution in their air, land, and water. Muckleshoot moms worked with Congresswoman and pediatrician Kim Schrier (WA-08) and other members of Congress on a bipartisan amendment that would have blocked the Trump EPA from weakening the national Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS).

With the change in administration, Washington moms continue to elevate this issue and work with the current EPA to strengthen the mercury rule.

We are leading on clean energy and transportation.

Washington has some of the highest rates of personal electric vehicle adoption and transit agencies switching to electric buses.

Washington has set science-based goals for reducing carbon pollution by 45% below 1990 levels by 2030 and 95% below 1990 levels by 2050. In the 2021 session, the state legislature set a policy framework for meeting these goals. They passed a Clean Fuel Standard that supports the production of lower carbon fuels by requiring transportation fuel to become steadily cleaner over time. This policy will make vehicles that use cleaner fuels, like EVs, more cost-effective for consumers.

The Washington legislature also passed the Climate Commitment Act, which sets a declining, enforceable limit on greenhouse gas emissions. This cap-and-invest program funnels environmental and economic benefits to Washington’s frontline and fenceline communities based on the recommendations of the governor’s Environmental Justice Task Force.

Our children are growing up with more frequent and more intense wildfires—and more dangerous air pollution.

Thanks to hotter, drier weather and earlier snowmelt, Washington’s wildfire season is starting earlier and lasting longer. 2020 saw the largest wildfire in the state’s history—the Cold Springs Canyon Pearl Hill fires, which burned more than 410,000 acres. In the first six weeks of the 2021 fire season, Washington had already seen more than 90 wildfires.

These fires not only pose danger to Washington families, communities, and beloved public land, but expose residents to unsafe air. Children are especially vulnerable to wildfire smoke because their heart and lungs are still growing and developing. The adverse effects of wildfire smoke on children can lead to lifelong illness and can worsen ADHD, autism, school performance, and memory.

Our communities of color are breathing polluted air.

Yakima, Tacoma, Seattle, and Bellingham are among the 25 worst cities in the nation for short-term particle pollution, according to the 2022 State of the Air report.

In the Tacoma-Seattle industrial corridor along Puget Sound, this pollution comes not just from the many industrial manufacturing facilities but more significantly from highway and port traffic. The Duwamish River Valley neighborhoods of Georgetown and South Park, with populations that are 71% nonwhite, are particularly hard hit with pollution. They are feeling the impacts of Seattle’s largest industrial and maritime trade centers, three highways, and a Superfund site.

Past Events

May 2021

On May 4, Washington Supermom Rachel Heaton joined Senator Patty Murray for a roundtable discussion about electric school buses. Watch the replay.

August 2020

On August 31, Rep. Kim Schrier (WA-08) joined Moms Clean Air Force Washington member Rachel Heaton for a conversation about environmental justice, air pollution, and the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards. Watch the replay.

July 2019

Members of Moms Clean Air Force Washington attended the sixth annual Play-In for Climate Action on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. They visited with their members of Congress, including Reps. Kim Schrier (WA-08) and Pramila Jayapal (WA-07).

March 2019

On March 28, Washington Moms traveled to our nation’s capital, along with more than 20 Moms Clean Air Force staff and volunteers from 13 states, to deliver testimony at EPA’s public hearing on the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards.

2022

• Press Release, EPA Restores State Authority to Limit Tailpipe Pollution and Protect Public Health, Allowing 17 States and DC to Lead on Cleaner Cars, Climate Action, and Environmental Justice

2021

• Press Release, At the Biden EPA’s First Climate-Related Public Hearing, 40 Moms Clean Air Force Members From Across Country to Speak Up, Demand Cleaner Cars
• Yahoo News, Sen. Murray’s push for electric school buses highlights Vancouver example
• Press Release, Clean School Bus Act Will Protect Children, Drivers from Diesel Pollution—and All of Us from Climate Change