Washington State

House of Representatives

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BILL

ANALYSIS

Environment & Energy Committee

HB 1549

This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent.

Brief Description: Directing the department of ecology to adopt a rule governing the evaluation of greenhouse gas emissions under chapter 43.21C RCW.

Sponsors: Representatives Blake, Chapman, Springer and Fey.

Brief Summary of Bill

  • Directs the Department of Ecology (Ecology) to adopt a rule that establishes the process by which lead agencies evaluate environmental impacts of greenhouse gas emissions when conducting environmental review of project and non-project actions under the State Environmental Policy Act.

  • Establishes requirements for the rule.

  • Requires Ecology to submit a report to the Legislature in 2020, and every three years thereafter, that includes inventories of, and anticipated trends for, emissions for categories of various industries and activities.

Hearing Date: 2/7/19

Staff: Robert Hatfield (786-7117).

Background:

State Environmental Policy Act.

The State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) establishes a review process for state and local governments to identify environmental impacts that may result from governmental decisions, such as the issuance of permits or the adoption of land use plans. The SEPA environmental review process involves a project proponent or the lead agency completing an environmental checklist to identify and evaluate probable environmental impacts. Government decisions that the SEPA checklist process identifies as having significant adverse environmental impacts must then undergo a more comprehensive environmental analysis in the form of an environmental impact statement (EIS).

Projects which undergo a SEPA review may be required to mitigate significant adverse environmental impacts in order to receive approval from the government entity performing the SEPA analysis. Project proponents may also choose to mitigate environmental impacts identified in the environmental checklist in order to receive a determination that the project does not have significant environmental impacts, and therefore can avoid the process of completing an EIS for the project.

Under SEPA rules adopted by the Department of Ecology, air quality and climate are among the elements of the environment that must be considered by lead agencies.

Summary of Bill:

The Department of Ecology (Ecology) must adopt a rule that establishes the process by which lead agencies evaluate environmental impacts of greenhouse gas emissions when conducting environmental review of project and non-project actions under the Stater Environmental Policy Act (SEPA). The rule must be adopted by July 1, 2020.

The rule is subject to the following requirements:

The rule must establish a framework by which lead agencies may calculate an inventory of direct and indirect emissions that are reasonably attributable to an action. The framework is subject to the following requirements:

The rule must establish a methodology by which a lead agency must identify reasonable mitigation measures when the lead agency determines conditions are necessary to mitigate emissions of greenhouse gases of an action. The methodology is subject to the following requirements:

The Department of Ecology must submit a report to the Legislature that includes inventories of, and anticipated trends for, emissions for categories of industries and activities, including transportation activities, and how those inventories and trends may be used in project and non-project environmental review. The inventories must use the same scope and context for emissions as is required by rules adopted pursuant to SEPA for lead agencies when quantifying the inventory of indirect emissions. The report is due by July 1, 2020, and must be updated every three years.

Prior to adopting the rule, Ecology must engage in government-to-government consultation with Indian tribes.

As part of the rule-making process, Ecology must convene and consult with a stakeholder group composed of representatives from the following groups:

When the state develops comprehensive strategies to achieve state greenhouse gas reduction goals, Ecology must review the rule in order to ensure consistency with those strategies.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Requested on January 29, 2019.

Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.