WSR 15-17-083

PREPROPOSAL STATEMENT OF INQUIRY

[Order 15-09—Filed August 18, 2015, 8:28 a.m.]

Subject of Possible Rule Making: The purpose of this rule making is to update and modernize State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) rules.

Statutes Authorizing the Agency to Adopt Rules on this Subject: RCW 43.21C.110.

Reasons Why Rules on this Subject may be Needed and What They Might Accomplish: Chapter 144, Laws of 2015 regular session (SHB 1851) directed ecology to update SEPA rules by creating a categorical exemption for replacement of structurally deficient bridges owned by local government. The other changes as described above are intended to modernize and update the SEPA rules.

Other Federal and State Agencies that Regulate this Subject and the Process Coordinating the Rule with These Agencies: Washington's SEPA requires all state and local agencies to implement SEPA review and disclose the likely environmental consequences, to both the natural and the built environment, of a proposed action.

Process for Developing New Rule: Ecology has an existing SEPA advisory committee we plan to engage with during this rule making. We will post information on the agency web site; hold advisory committee meetings, share information with interested parties via our listserv and e-mail. We will hold at least one public hearing on the rule proposal.

Interested parties can participate in the decision to adopt the new rule and formulation of the proposed rule before publication. Interested parties can access more information on this rule making by contacting Fran Sant, Department of Ecology, Shorelands and Environmental Assistance Program, P.O. Box 47703, Olympia, WA 98504-7600, phone (360) 407-6004, e-mail separulemaking@ecy.wa.gov, interested parties can subscribe for e-mail updates at http://listserv.wa.gov/cgi-bin/wa?A0=ECOLOGY-SEPA-UPDATES or accessing the ecology web site http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/sea/rules/1509time.html.

August 17, 2015

Gordon White

Program Manager

Shorelands and Environmental

Assistance Program