Washington passes most climate-friendly building codes in the nation

Washington celebrated an exciting win this Earth Day when the Washington Building Codes Council passed groundbreaking building codes for new commercial and large multi-family buildings! Starting July 2023, new commercial and multi-family residential buildings will be required to be built with high-efficiency electric heat pumps for water and space heating.

WA Building Electrification Codes

Continued dependence on polluting fossil fuels, especially fracked gas, is not faithful. Join us in supporting an energy code that requires electric heat pump technology for water and space heating in commercial and multifamily buildings. Add your name to Earth Ministry/WAIPL’s clean buildings faith community letter to the Washington State Building Code Council!

Puyallup Tribe and Community Organizations Challenge Decision Allowing Dangerous Tacoma LNG Facility to Operate

The Puyallup Tribe of Indians and several community and environmental organizations are appealing the WA Pollution Control Hearings Board’s November decision to uphold Puget Sound Energy’s Tacoma LNG facility’s clean air permit in Pierce County Superior Court. The Puyallup Tribal Council said in a statement. “We were put here to protect these lands and waters and that is what we will continue to do. We will continue the fight. Too much is at stake.”

Tacoma LNG Appeal Denied

People of faith have been in a prayerful stance of solidarity supporting the Puyallup Tribe and co-litigants' appeal of PSE's immoral project. We are incredibly disappointed that the PCHB failed to make the right decision to uphold the Tribe’s request for further review of this dirty and dangerous fracked gas facility.

Tacoma City Council Passes Non-Interim Land Use Regulations

After four years of renewing temporary protections every six months, in November the Tacoma City Council passed long-term Non-Interim Regulations that ensure that no new fossil fuel facilities can be built on the Tideflats. Though not as strong as we wanted, it is a win that existing fossil fuel infrastructure cannot expand unless it’s part of a “Cleaner Fuels” blend, and even then expansion is limited. We look forward to continuing to engage on this issue in new ways through the Tacoma Tideflats Subarea Plan. Many thanks to the faith community and activists in Tacoma for advocating for strong protections for multiple years.