Partnering with the Environmental Protection Agency

The Environmental Performance Partnership Agreement establishes and implements a joint work plan for administering federal grant dollars that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides to us for air quality, water quality, and hazardous waste management.

The purpose of this agreement is to:

  • Recognize mutual environmental goals, strategies, activities, and performance measures.
  • Re-commit to maintain a core level of environmental protection for all of Washington’s residents in a manner that supports and advances environmental justice.
  • Use indicators that reflect environmental conditions, trends, and results to measure environmental progress.
  • Collaborate on opportunities to advance children’s health.
  • Re-commit to collaborate with tribal partners and other states.

Notable changes in the 2023-2025 Environmental Performance Partnership Agreement

  • Updated language to reflect EPA priorities and Ecology strategic goals (chapter 1).
  • Added emphasis on environmental justice:
    • Updated language to reflect new goals from the HEAL Act (chapter 4).
    • Expanded climate change and resiliency language to include actively identifying equity impacts (chapter 4).
    • Updated language emphasizing a commitment to advance environmental justice in air quality, hazardous waste, and water quality environmental work (chapters 7, 8 and 9).
  • Updated activities related to the Water Quality Standards and Water Quality Assessment to better reflect current priorities (chapter 9).
  • Added language to address effective management of the new federal infrastructure funding allocated through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (chapter 9.)