Environmental Justice Day highlights human cost of pollution and climate change.

  

From the governor's medium page

https://medium.com/wagovernor/environmental-justice-day-highlights-human-cost-of-pollution-and-climate-change-d3110f3496b0

Hazy air, contaminated water, and hazardous waste hurt families and turn communities into unlivable spaces.

They’re not hard to find: America is dotted with communities burdened by the runoff of our unsustainable, climate-changing approach to industrial waste and greenhouse gas emissions. Sadly, there are communities here in Washington state also shouldering the brunt of these human-made harms. Overwhelmingly, these communities are low-income or have a high proportion of people of color or Indigenous descent.

The connection between climate change and pollution to harm in the environment is sometimes easier to see than what’s happening to people’s health. That daily exposure can cause chronic issues with breathing, headaches or nausea, as well as cancer, kidney failure, reproductive issues and birth defects.

That’s an injustice, and it’s why Gov. Jay Inslee signed a proclamation recognizing Environmental Justice Day. States like Washington have stepped up more in recent years to advance environmental justice, and much work remains here and at the national level. Governments need to include environmental justice principles in strategic planning; empower overburdened and vulnerable communities, as well as Tribes, in decision-making; and establish effective ways to track and improve environmental justice.

Washington state makes progress as new HEAL Act and equity efforts take shape

A chance encounter early in Inslee’s time in office has influenced his thinking on the importance of environmental justice ever since.

While meeting residents of South Park in King County to hear about the impacts of pollution on their small town’s health, he spoke with Jazmyne Carlin — then a middle school student — who told him something he’d never forget: Jazmyne had asthma. Her peers had asthma. Before she met anyone from outside her community, she said she just assumed all children had asthma like her.

“We are going to try to do something about it,” Inslee said at the time.

It was 26 years ago that Sen. Rosa Franklin from Tacoma commissioned the state’s first study on environmental justice. Progress thereafter was slow, but recent legislative sessions have seen major victories for environmental justice in Washington state.

The Healthy Environment for All (HEAL) Act, sponsored by Sen. Rebecca Saldaña and signed by Gov. Jay Inslee in 2021, marked a historic step toward eliminating environmental and health disparities in communities throughout Washington state.

The law creates an Environmental Justice Council with people who represent communities of color, low-income communities, environmental justice advocates and practitioners, unions and Tribes. The law also requires the state departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Ecology, Natural Resources, and Transportation to prioritize environmental justice in their strategic plans. Agencies are developing community engagement plans and tribal consultation frameworks, in coordination with the Environmental Justice Council, to co-create policies and programs that address environmental harms and ensure that state policy does not unduly impact overburdened communities and vulnerable populations.

“Eliminating environmental and health disparities for communities of color and low-income households is key to creating an equitable state for us all,” said Lauren Jenks, assistant secretary of the state Department of Health’s Environmental Public Health Division. “The Environmental Justice Council, formed by the passage of the HEAL Act, aims to elevate the voices of those disproportionately impacted by hazards in our environment to help guide the state’s environmental justice efforts moving forward.”

The law also requires the state Department of Health to maintain a map of environmental health disparities throughout Washington state to help track, measure and report on our progress toward environmental justice.

Separately, the state’s Climate Commitment Act — which created the state’s “cap and invest” program for reducing greenhouse gas emissions — also requires the Department of Ecology to monitor air quality and related health impacts in overburdened communities. The department would use that information to identify the biggest contributions to pollution locally and begin to reduce and mitigate those emissions.

Importantly, the Climate Commitment Act will raise billions of dollars to further reduce pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. It requires at least 35 percent of funds generated through the cap and invest program be invested in projects that benefit overburdened communities. A minimum of 10 percent would go to projects with Tribal support.

Broadly, these policies are just some of the work that reflect Washington’s efforts to create a more equitable state government. State agencies and the state Office of Equity are currently implementing a Pro-Equity Anti-Racism (PEAR) plan for state agencies required under an executive order from the governor.

The order requires agencies set metrics for measuring progress, conduct equity impact reviews, develop PEAR Strategic Action Plans, and ensure transparency through regular reporting mechanisms. The Office of Equity will create an online dashboard to publish statewide and agency-specific plans, performance measures and outcomes and submit an annual report to the governor and Legislature due later this year.

As the urgency of climate action becomes clear in communities all across the country, Washington state now has a partner in the White House that is getting on board with environmental justice.

Building from many of the policies Inslee has advocated for nationally, President Biden created the Justice40 initiative and the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council to address environmental and economic injustices in disadvantaged communities. But there has been little progress in advancing Justice40, with federal agencies only recently even identifying which programs Justice40 applies to.

And while Congress passed historic investments in the clean energy economy and other investments that will drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions earlier this month, its provisions to allow siting reform and drilling in the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska further exacerbate environmental harms. The federal government must do more to address the harmful impacts of pollution and climate change on the communities bearing the brunt of the impact from polluting, carbon-intensive infrastructure.

For more on how state agencies are partnering with communities to advance environmental justice in Washington, visit the state Environmental Justice Council website.

https://doh.wa.gov/community-and-environment/health-equity/environmental-justice

IN OTHER STATE NEWS HEADLINES.

WASHINGTON RECEIVES $4.7 MILLION IN SPECIALTY CROP BLOCK GRANT FUNDS

OLYMPIA – Specialty crop grants have aided in revolutionizing agriculture, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is at it again, awarding Washington state nearly $5 million to support specialty crops in 2022.

AG Ferguson: Judge rules Facebook parent Meta intentionally violated campaign finance laws.

Judge denies Meta’s attempt to strike down key provision of Washington’s decades-old, best-in-the-nation law.

Ecology considers putting outstanding waters in a class of their own.

Spend time in Washington, and you're likely to encounter one of the many cascading rivers, salmon-filled streams, or picturesque lakes in abundance. From the Puget Sound lowlands to the high desert, Washington has no shortage of water bodies valued for their unique recreational uses and the diversity of life they support. 

Meaningful Momentum: CCA Updates for August 2022.

As summer comes to a close, there are just four short months left before the cap-and-invest program launches on January 1, 2023, and we are hard at work ensuring businesses and individuals that wish to participate in the new allowance marketplace have the tools and resources needed to do so. Here’s a quick recap of what August had in store.

Salmon fishing to close on Columbia River mainstem from Buoy 10 to Bonneville Dam.

OLYMPIA – With Chinook salmon catches trending well above expectation, fishery managers from Washington and Oregon announced today that the lower Columbia River from Bonneville Dam to Buoy 10 (including the Camas Slough) will close to salmon fishing beginning Friday, Sept. 2.

WDFW seeks public input on rules for vessels operating near Southern Resident killer whales to inform legislative report.

Steps you can take now to prepare for wildfire smoke.

Early preparation is key to protect yourself and your family

OLYMPIA – Washington state is in the midst of wildfire season and, although it’s been a mild season to date, it is important to be prepared and ready to protect yourself and your family from wildfire smoke before the smoke hits.

TOLMIE STATE PARK WILL CLOSE PARKING, RESTROOMS FOR FISH PASSAGE PROJECT THIS FALL

OLYMPIA – Aug. 31, 2022 – Washington State Parks will close the lower parking lot and all restroom facilities at Tolmie State Park near Lacey on Tuesday, Sept. 6 to complete a fish passage project. 

NEWS FROM OUR CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION TO DC

KILMER PUSHES FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO IMPROVE SERVICES, ELIMINATE “TIME TAX”

Tacoma, WA – This month, U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer (WA-06) led a bipartisan group of lawmakers in urging the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) to undertake a review or series of reviews of the efforts of the federal government to improve constituent facing agency operations. In a letter to the Comptroller General of the United States and head of GAO, the lawmakers noted that too many Americans – and particularly vulnerable citizens – are spending valuable time, energy, and resources to access federal government and federally funded state social programs.

Senator Murray Secures Millions in Federal Fishery Disaster Assistance for Washington Tribes.

Senator Murray Applauds Biden Administration Announcing the VA Will Provide Abortion Services to Veterans.

WORLD NEWS HEADLINES.

Pakistan: More than 6.4 million in ‘dire need’ after unprecedented floods.

The scale of the humanitarian crisis in Pakistan is unprecedented, with a third of the country under water, UN humanitarians warned on Friday.

Ukraine: ‘Physical integrity’ of Zaporizhzhya nuclear plant ‘has been violated several times’

Further damage to the embattled Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine “cannot” be allowed to happen, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has said. 

World food prices drop for fifth consecutive month: FAO.

World food prices have fallen for a fifth consecutive month but are still nearly eight per cent higher than a year ago, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reported on Friday. 

Women lead marine restoration efforts in the UNESCO Seaflower Biosphere Reserve.

Did you know that women represent just 38 per cent of all ocean scientists? A women-led community organisation in the Seaflower UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in the Caribbean, is working to restore some of the most important marine ecosystems in the world and paving the way for bigger women's representation in ocean science.

Police in the field embody ‘promise, hope and optimism’ of whole UN: Guterres.

Police officers from more than 90 countries who serve at UN operations around the world represent “multilateralism in action”, Secretary-General António Guterres said in New York on Thursday. 

Mikhail Gorbachev: UN chief hails ‘one of a kind statesman who changed the course of history’

The Secretary-General has paid warm tribute to the last leader of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, whose death aged 91 was announced on Tuesday, describing him as the person who “more than any other” brought about the peaceful end of the Cold War, which had dominated international relations since the 1940s.

Statement at the Adoption of the First-Ever UN General Assembly Resolution on Survivors of Sexual --USUN

UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Report on the Human Rights Situation in Xinjiang--US STATE DEPT.

NATIONAL & BUSINESS HEADLINES.

U.S. Honors Service Members Involved in Afghan Evacuation.--DOD

DOD Creates New Infrastructure Focused on Mitigating Harm to Civilians--DOD

Philips Subsidiary to Pay Over $24 Million for Alleged False Claims Caused by Respironics for Respiratory-Related Medical Equipment

Philips RS North America LLC, formerly known as Respironics Inc., a manufacturer of durable medical equipment (DME) based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has agreed to pay over $24 million to resolve False Claims Act allegations that it misled federal health care programs by paying kickbacks to DME suppliers. The affected programs were Medicare, Medicaid and TRICARE, which is the health care program for active military and their families.--DOJ

U.S. Department of Education Awards Over $35 Million to Alaska Native Education Program to Support Unique Experience of Alaska Native Students

Increased Use of Telehealth for Opioid Use Disorder Services During COVID-19 Pandemic Associated with Reduced Risk of Overdose

Study findings support value of expanding use of telehealth services for opioid use disorder-related care.

FDA Approves First Treatment for Acid Sphingomyelinase Deficiency, a Rare Genetic Disease

HUD PUBLISHES FY 2023 FAIR MARKET RENTS

FMRs Will Make It Easier for Families with Housing Vouchers - Including Vouchers Created Under this Administration - to Use Their Vouchers to Access Affordable Housing.

Secretary Fudge Announces $15 Million to Help Older Americans Age in Place

WASHINGTON - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Marcia L. Fudge today announced that the Department is making available $15 million to help older Americans age in place through home modifications. 

BUSINESS HEADLINE NEWS.

Preliminary Annual Report on U.S. Holdings of Foreign Securities at Year-End 2021--US TREASURY

September is National Preparedness Month; IRS urges everyone to update and secure their records to prepare now for natural disasters.

WASHINGTON — September is National Preparedness Month. With the height of hurricane season fast approaching and the ongoing threat of wildfires in many places, the Internal Revenue Service urges everyone to develop an emergency preparedness plan, or if they already have one, update it for 2022.

Federal Reserve updates FedNow Service timing to mid-2023, marks beginning of full-scale pilot testing.

US DEPARTMENT OF LABOR ANNOUNCES AVAILABILITY OF $10M IN FUNDING FOR PROJECT TO SUPPORT STATE-LEVEL LABOR COURTS IN MEXICO.

US DEPARTMENT OF LABOR UPDATES INTERPRETIVE BULLETIN ON INDEPENDENCE REQUIREMENT FOR ACCOUNTANTS AUDITING EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS.

USDA Extends Flexibility that’s Helping Manufacturers, States get Formula to WIC Families.

FTC Chair Lina M. Khan Files Comment Supporting Proposed USDA Protections for Poultry Farmers

Comment highlights how poultry farmers lack buyer options and face unfair contract terms and practices

United States Obtains Warrant for Seizure of $45 Million Airplane Owned by Russian Energy Company PJSC LUKOIL

The United States obtained a warrant to seize a Boeing 737-7EM aircraft owned by PJSC LUKOIL, a Russian multinational oil and gas corporation headquartered in Moscow, Russia. The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas authorized the seizure, finding probable cause that the Boeing aircraft was subject to seizure based on violations of federal law.--DOJ

IN FOCUS!

DOJ: Two Defendants in ‘Grandparent Scam’ Network Sentenced for RICO Conspiracy Targeting Elderly Americans.

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/two-defendants-grandparent-scam-network-sentenced-rico-conspiracy-targeting-elderly-americans

Two defendants were sentenced today to substantial prison time for their participation in a large-scale “grandparent scam.”

According to court documents, Timothy Ingram aka “Bleezy,” 30, of North Hollywood, California; and Joaquin Lopez, 46, of Hollywood, Florida, were part of a network of individuals who, through extortion and fraud, induced elderly Americans across the United States to pay up to tens of thousands of dollars each to purportedly help their grandchild or other loved one. In spring 2022, Ingram and Lopez each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. Today, the court sentenced Ingram to 108 months in prison and Lopez to 24 months in prison.  

Members of the network contacted elderly Americans by telephone and impersonated a grandchild, other close relative or friend of the victim. They falsely convinced the victims that their relatives or friends were in legal trouble and needed money to pay for bail, for medical expenses for car accident victims, or to prevent additional charges from being filed. The defendants and their co-conspirators then received money from victims via various means, including in-person pickup, the mail, and wire transfer, and then laundered the proceeds, including through the use of cryptocurrency. Ingram, personally and through others, directed a network of money mules in California. Ingram personally picked up cash from victims and recruited others to participate in the scheme. Lopez also received wire transfers from numerous victims and funneled victim proceeds for co-defendant Tracy Knowles, who remains at large.

“The Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Branch will continue to investigate and prosecute criminals who target elderly Americans and take advantage of their concern for loved ones,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We are grateful to our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California and the FBI for their work to advance the department’s efforts against organized elder fraud, and to the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office.”

“These defendants were crucial members of a sophisticated criminal organization that shamelessly exploited the grandparents’ love for their grandchildren,” said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman for the Southern District of California. “The long-lasting effects of this crime on our seniors and the community cannot be overstated.  The victims were financially and emotionally devastated by callous people who thought only of enriching themselves. With the convictions and sentences imposed today, the government is securing justice for the victims who fell prey to this heartless crime.”

“Today's sentencing of two key members of the criminal enterprise targeting our elderly population is a testament to the San Diego Elder Justice Task Force's continued commitment to bringing fraudsters to justice,” said Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy of the FBI San Diego Field Office. “It is the FBI's mission to protect the American people and protecting our seniors from financial crimes is imperative to the well-being and safeguarding of our communities. The FBI, along with our law enforcement partners, will not stop until all the defendants are held accountable for their involvement in this complex organized crime.”

The FBI San Diego Field Office and the North County Resident Agency investigated the case with critical assistance from investigators of the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office.

Trial Attorneys Lauren M. Elfner and Wei Xiang of the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Oleksandra Johnson for the Southern District of California prosecuted the case.

The department’s extensive and broad-based efforts to combat elder fraud seeks to halt the widespread losses seniors suffer from fraud schemes. The best method for prevention, however, is by sharing information about the various types of elder fraud schemes with relatives, friends, neighbors and other seniors who can use that information to protect themselves.

If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is staffed seven days a week from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish and other languages are available.

Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts may be found at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Information about the Department of Justice’s Elder Fraud Initiative is available at www.justice.gov/elderjustice.

LOCAL MEETINGS.

CLALLAM COUNTY MEETINGS.

Clallam County Commission Work Session for 9/6/22

https://clallam.granicus.com/GeneratedAgendaViewer.php?view_id=2&event_id=1331

Clallam County Board meeting for 9/6/22

https://clallam.granicus.com/GeneratedAgendaViewer.php?view_id=2&event_id=7333

City of Port Angeles County meeting for 9/6/22

https://www.cityofpa.us/DocumentCenter/View/11996/CC-Agenda-Packet-09062022

JEFFERSON COUNTY MEETINGS.

Jefferson County Commission meeting for 9/6/22

https://media.avcaptureall.cloud/meeting/ef84c2ab-5d8c-43c2-88d5-7c10f104a07b

Port of Port Townsend meeting for 9/6/22

https://cityofpt.granicus.com/GeneratedAgendaViewer.php?view_id=4&event_id=1708

Weekly devotional

BIBLE VERSE: Isaiah 48:17 (New King James Version)

Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, The Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, Who teaches you to profit, Who leads you by the way you should go.

 

Weekly Bible Study 

Understanding Luke 17:20-37, by Jeffrey W. Hamilton

Teachers in various denominations connect many strange ideas with the second coming of Christ. Often these ideas are the result of applying verses to topics the original author never had in mind. Luke 17 deals with a coming judgment, but to understand what Jesus is saying, we must decide what judgment to which Jesus is referring.

http://lavistachurchofchrist.org/LVarticles/JudgmentUnderstandingLuke17.htm

  

Free bible studies (WBS)

https://www.worldbibleschool.org/

Learn English using the bible as text (WEI)

http://www.worldenglishinstitute.org/

(Join us in worship every Sunday starting at 10:30AM Church of Christ)

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 The Chosen: About the life of Christ

https://studios.vidangel.com/the-chosen

 

The Port Angeles Globe is a weekly Publication, every Saturday-- Publisher, Peter Ripley

Your donation is appreciated.

 This Week's Video:

 

President Donald Trump Rally LIVE in Wilkes-Barre, PA 9/3/22

10,841 watching now  Started streaming 11 minutes ago  Saturday, September 3, 2022: Join the RSBN crew LIVE from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, PA for all day coverage of President Donald J. Trump's SAVE AMERICA rally.

This even is brought to you by Birch Gold! Get your free Gold information kit by going to https://www.birchgold.com/trump

Also sponsored by Olde Country Soap! https://www.oldecountrysoap.com/ use promotional code RSBN at checkout! And, sponsored by eSpire, get your FREE kids guide to Trump at FreeTrumpBook.com!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6OmE7_Ngi8

HEADLINES FROM OTHER SOURCES:

 

Biden and the Dems Are Skipping Straight to the Final Stage of Socialism--PJ Media

Who Are You Calling a Fascist, Mr. President?

Are the most vociferous defenders of “democracy” not the ones who sound suspiciously like they want a one-party state?--Patriot Post

Conrad Black’s Blind Spots: FDR and Truman

“To err is Truman” — a telling campaign slogan.--AMERICAN SPECTATOR