FINAL BILL REPORT

                                   ESSB 5728

                                  C 208 L 92

                              SYNOPSIS AS ENACTED

Brief Description:  Requiring that threshold determination must be completed within fifteen to thirty days.

SPONSORS: Senate Committee on Environment & Natural Resources (originally sponsored by Senators Amondson, Vognild, Owen, Bauer, Stratton, McCaslin, West and Johnson)

SENATE COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT & NATURAL RESOURCES

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS

BACKGROUND:

Under the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA), a threshold determination must be made by the responsible public agency to determine if a proposed action/project will have significant adverse environmental impacts.  In making this determination, the agency reviews the environmental checklist and other available documents.

The threshold determination can result in a determination of significance (DS).  This would require the preparation of a full environmental impact statement (EIS).

If the action/project has no significant adverse environmental impacts or these impacts can be mitigated, the threshold determination will be a determination of nonsignificance (DNS), in which case no environmental impact statement is required.

Under the SEPA regulations, the time to complete the threshold determination should not exceed 15 days.

The delay in issuance of the threshold determination has had adverse impacts upon some property owners.  Plat approvals have been affected, resulting in project delays beyond statutory time limits. 

SUMMARY:

Effective September 1, 1992, a threshold determination shall be made by a government entity on an application within 90 days after the application and supporting documentation are complete.  The government entity shall adopt standards for determining when the application and documentation are complete.

The provisions shall not apply to a city, town or county that adopted ordinances and procedures prior to April 1, 1992 to integrate permit and land use decisions.

VOTES ON FINAL PASSAGE:

Senate      42    5

House 95    1     (House amended)

Senate      45    1     (Senate concurred)

EFFECTIVE:  June 11, 1992

                  September 1, 1992 (Section 1)