Environmental Policy

CHB is dedicated to transforming Tacoma’s environmental policies to protect our communities, clean up pollution, and advance climate resilience. Through policy advocacy, community engagement, and regulatory oversight, we push for bold action that prioritizes clean air, safe water, and environmental justice.

For too long, Tacoma’s tideflats and surrounding neighborhoods have shouldered the burden of industrial pollution—from toxic emissions and contaminated lands to fossil fuel expansion and environmental degradation. Transitioning away from a fossil fuel-dependent economy, strengthening environmental protections, and ensuring that communities most affected by pollution have a voice in shaping policy is our priority.

Policy Advocacy for Climate Resilience

CHB works to align local and regional policies with environmental justice principles, ensuring that those most affected by pollution have a say in decisions that shape their environment. We advocate for:

• Stronger climate policies that transition Tacoma and surrounding communities away from fossil fuels and toward clean, sustainable industries.
• Environmental justice reforms that address the disproportionate impacts of pollution on low-income and immigrant communities.
• Tighter industrial regulations to prevent new high-pollution industries from expanding in Tacoma’s tideflats.

Holding Polluters Accountable & Cleaning Up Contaminated Sites

Tacoma has a long history of industrial contamination, leaving behind Superfund sites, toxic landfills, and polluted waterways. While cleanup efforts have made progress, many contaminated sites still pose risks to public health and the environment. CHB monitors these sites, works to hold responsible parties accountable, and pushes for faster, more thorough cleanups.

• We track and advocate for the cleanup of sites like the Occidental Chemical Superfund Site and WestRock Paper Mill.
• We ensure cleanup efforts prioritize community health and long-term environmental restoration.
• We push for regulatory agencies to enforce cleanup requirements and prevent polluters from walking away from their responsibilities.

Improving Air Quality & Public Health Protections

Industrial pollution doesn’t just contaminate our water and land, it threatens the air we breathe. The Port of Tacoma and its surrounding industries release harmful pollutants that increase rates of asthma, cardiovascular disease, and other health issues especially in low-income and frontline communities.

CHB is working to:

• Improve air quality monitoring and transparency so communities know what’s in the air they breathe.
• Strengthen emissions regulations for industrial polluters.
• Advocate for clean energy solutions that reduce reliance on fossil fuels and eliminate harmful emissions.

Sustainable Land Use & Industrial Regulation

The Tideflats Subarea Plan and interim industrial regulations are key to shaping Tacoma’s environmental future. CHB is working to ensure that land-use decisions protect communities from polluting industries, advance sustainability, and support clean economic development.

• We advocate for strong industrial land-use policies that prevent the expansion of fossil fuel industries in Tacoma’s tideflats.
• We work to protect natural shorelines and prevent industrial encroachment into sensitive marine habitats.
• We support sustainable development policies that create a greener, more resilient economy for Tacoma’s future.

Join the Fight for Environmental Justice!