SWACH Hosts Environmental Health Disparities Roundtable
On May 13, Southwest Washington Accountable Community of Health (SWACH) held an Environmental Health Disparities (EHD) Roundtable at Fourth Plain Community Commons.
The event was essential in shaping the EHD Map, a tool developed and maintained by the Washington State Department of Health (DOH). The purpose of the map is to identify and track cumulative environmental health impacts and highlight overburdened communities—specifically those experiencing disproportionate exposure to environmental harm and systemic disadvantages.
The roundtable was organized on the SWACH side of things by Dominique Horn, SWACH’s Equity & Collaborative Impact Specialist, who played a central role in coordinating the event and ensuring community voices were prioritized. Dominique has been instrumental in facilitating listening sessions across Southwest Washington to gather insights from those most impacted by environmental health disparities—particularly historically marginalized and underrepresented communities. Her leadership helped ensure the roundtable met its goal of grounding data in lived experience and regional knowledge.
“Centering historically marginalized and underrepresented communities is essential,” Horn said, “because these groups often bear the greatest burden of environmental hazards due to systemic inequities. Their lived experiences provide critical insights into the true scope and nature of environmental health disparities, which can be overlooked by traditional data and policy approaches.”
The roundtables are part of a state-mandated community engagement process requiring the State to receive feedback from representatives of vulnerable communities through regional listening sessions. For this session, the first 100 participants were also given $300 for their participation in the three-hour session.
Led by the Department of Health, the session combined environmental data—such as air, water, and soil quality—with demographic information including race, income, and health outcomes. This approach helps the DOH identify where environmental risks overlap with vulnerable communities.
Horn reflected on the importance of the process: “Seeing the state integrate community feedback in the development and ongoing refinement of the EHD Map is both personally and professionally inspiring. It demonstrates a commitment to equity and justice, recognizing that those most affected by environmental health disparities are experts in their own experiences.”
“It validates the importance of participatory research, showing that policy tools can be both scientifically rigorous and community-driven.”
Benefits of the Roundtable:
Community members can directly review and respond to the data and indicators used in the map.
Participants share lived experiences and local knowledge that can’t be captured by data alone.
The State can better identify local priorities, community-led solutions, and possible gaps in representation.
Developers of the map have more opportunities to receive public input on which environmental and social factors should be emphasized.
The takeaway from these roundtables will:
Shape which indicators are included in the map.
Define how data is presented.
Indicate what limitations or improvements need to be addressed in future updates.
SWACH remains committed to advancing environmental justice through authentic community engagement—ensuring the voices of those most impacted continue to shape the future of health equity in Southwest Washington.