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Air & Climate > Climate Commitment Act > Overburdened communities

Improving air quality in overburdened communities

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Important information

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We're working to improve air quality in 16 Washington communities and participating Tribes that are historically overburdened with health, social, and environmental inequities and are highly impacted by criteria air pollution, such as ozone and fine particles. A section of the Climate Commitment Act directs this work.

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Community information
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Grants for CCA overburdened communities
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Rulemaking for CCA overburdened communities
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Next steps

2025 report about overburdened communities

The 2025 report shares new data about the impacts of air pollution as well as signs of progress. Within the 16 overburdened communities:

  • An estimated 430 adult deaths (ages 18-84) were associated with fine particle (PM2.5) exposure. Seasonal ozone exposure contributed to about 35 deaths per year from various causes.
  • From 2022–2024, people in overburdened communities experienced 2.9 days per year with air quality considered "unhealthy for sensitive groups" or worse. This is down from 7.5 days per year between 2020–2022. Most of these unhealthy days were linked to wildfire smoke events.
  • From 2020–2023, greenhouse gas emissions from facilities covered by Washington's cap-and-invest program decreased by 20%.
Governor's Office logo for Climate Commitment Act. Stacked text: Climate Commitment Act.

Learn more about climate action in Washington.

Air quality community grant program

Projects are underway for a new grant program to reduce criteria air pollution in these overburdened communities and participating Tribal communities. Grant funding supports participating Tribes and local organizations to develop and implement community-led projects to improve air quality and protect people's health.

These grants are paid for by funds from the Climate Commitment Act. The Climate Commitment Act supports Washington's climate action efforts by putting cap-and-invest dollars to work reducing climate pollution, creating jobs, and improving public health.

Communities identified as overburdened

We have already identified 16 areas in Washington that are overburdened and highly impacted by criteria air pollution. The places are a mix of urban, suburban, and rural. They vary in population, from about 1,500 to more than 200,000 people. They also range in area, from less than three square miles to 173 square miles. Together, they represent more than 1.2 million people or about 15.5% of Washington’s population.

Washington map-communities identified as overburdened by criteria air pollution

This list is intended for the purposes outlined in the environmental justice review section of the Climate Commitment Act.

Community information

Each community listed in the table is linked to more information, specific boundaries, and the process we used to identify them. Click any column header in the table to sort the information.

Overburdened communities highly impacted by criteria air pollution
Area 1 Estimated Population Size (approximate square miles) Elevated Air Pollutants
Ellensburg 17,751 6 Fine particles (PM2.5), cumulative criteria air pollution
Everett 87,620 17 Fine particles (PM2.5)
George and West Grant County 3,392 118 Fine particles (PM2.5)
King County, South 211,445 68 Fine particles (PM2.5), cumulative criteria air pollution
Mattawa 5,412 12 Fine particles (PM2.5)
Moxee Valley 9,556 38 Fine particles (PM2.5), cumulative criteria air pollution
Puyallup, Northeast 9,621 3 Cumulative criteria air pollution
Seattle, North and Shoreline 41,628 5 Fine particles (PM2.5), cumulative criteria air pollution
Seattle, South 207,863 44 Fine particles (PM2.5), cumulative criteria air pollution
Spokane and Spokane Valley 150,692 42 Fine particles (PM2.5), cumulative criteria air pollution
Tacoma, South and East 144,325 28 Fine particles (PM2.5), cumulative criteria air pollution
Tri-Cities to Wallula 114,203 173 Particle pollution (PM2.5 and PM10), ozone, cumulative criteria air pollution
Vancouver 109,146 29 Fine particles (PM2.5), cumulative criteria air pollution
Wenatchee and East Wenatchee 32,495 10 Fine particles (PM2.5)
Yakima, East 59,938 16 Fine particles (PM2.5), cumulative criteria air pollution
Yakima Valley, Lower 56,628 157 Fine particles (PM2.5), cumulative criteria air pollution

 

1 All areas ranked high on the Washington Environmental Health Disparities map and/or EPA's EJScreen mapping tool. These tools show where vulnerable populations face more risk or exposure to pollution. We also looked at other factors:  social and economic differences, historic redlining, health care access, known health disparities (such as increased asthma and lower life expectancy).

Background documents

Next steps

Reducing criteria air pollution in identified communities will happen in stages over multiple years. Next steps include:

  • Continue to expand Washington's air monitoring network in the 16 communities.
  • Continue to ask for community input, including about the new grants program.
  • Work with Tribal governments that may be interested in participating in this work.
  • Collect and analyze data about criteria air pollutants affecting these communities.
  • Continue rulemaking for more protective air quality standards in the 16 communities.
  • Track and report every two years about criteria air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and health impacts in each community.
  • Re-evaluate the list of communities every six years.
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Related links

Contact information

Taylor Van Cise
Communications Manager
taylor.vancise@ecy.wa.gov
360-688-8070

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