CAMAS MILL DISTRICT PLAN
Discussion Draft
January 6, 2026
Environmental Justice. Environmental justice is at the forefront in state policy and it’s inclusion in the GMA requires revisiting basic principles of planning. Many of these past principles created environmental justice communities and their need for identification and mitigation through new planning policies and maps. “The DOE defines environmental justice as Environmental justice is the fair treatment… with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. This goal will be achieved when everyone enjoys the same degree of protection from environmental and health hazards and has equal access to the decision-making process to have a healthy environment in which to live, learn, and work. ” 29 Traditional sources that impact environmental justice communities are industrial facilities such as power plants, refineries, and diesel transportation emissions. A primary source in Camas are the heavily used railroad tracks. Rail emissions are the purview of the federal government. While Camas can’t affect rail emissions, Camas can within its own government control its diesel emissions through the electrification of machinery and vehicles within the municipal fleet. Within the 20-year time frame it is expected that electrified equipment/vehicles will be cost competitive with their diesel counterparts and offer lower maintenance. The Mill District Plan includes such guidance as most of the city’s diesel equipment is within the downtown area. The primary way Camas can respond to environmental justice issues is through overhaul of its planning philosophy. Income challenged environmental justice impacted residents are clustered downtown with limited housing opportunities. Past implementation of land use policy created a city hostile to environmental justice needs. The cost of entry for Camas is largely a sizable single-family home located where an auto is a necessity. Between the cost of the car and insurance, not to mention the housing itself Camas created a barrier to many having “fair treatment” for housing. This is not consistent with core principles of environmental justice and the new state emphasis on building density and affordability. The Mill District Plan represent the new philosophy of planning centered on promoting equality of access to housing, employment and recreation. Preserving a sizable portion the industrial land with environmentally sustainable industry, The Mill District Plan creates the jobs where income-challenged households can live without the need for an auto and its pollution, expense, and use of land for parking.
In last year’s Palisades and Eaton fires in southern California, the immense power of wild land fire storms was witnessed. A grocery store anchored commercial district (shown in dotted red) burned to the ground nearly a half-mile away from the urban/wild land interface.
https://ecology.wa.gov/about-us/who-we-are/environmental-justice 29 Page of 32 35
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