BP BHEAD INT S [atlas:bill]

AN ACT Relating to avoiding duplicate analysis of major actions significantly affecting the environment including project proposals considered under the public-private transportation initiatives; amending RCW 47.46.030, 47.46.040, and 43.21C.150; and creating a new section.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The purposes of this act are to: (1) Avoid a duplication of efforts by clarifying that efforts under different laws to develop information about a major action significantly affecting the environment may be used as part of the requirements to make a threshold determination and prepare a detailed statement under the state environmental policy act; (2) recognize that information developed under the public-private transportation initiative may provide the department of transportation with a portion of the required information necessary to meet the requirements of the state environmental policy act; and (3) expand the express authority of the department of transportation to contract with a private developer under the public-private transportation initiatives to include information beyond that required to be developed under chapter 47.46 RCW that will enable the department to meet its responsibilities to consider alternatives and other matters under the state environmental policy act.

Sec. 2. RCW 47.46.030 and 1996 c 280 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The secretary or a designee shall solicit proposals from, and negotiate and enter into agreements with, private entities to undertake as appropriate, together with the department and other public entities, all or a portion of the study, planning, design, construction, operation, and maintenance of transportation systems and facilities, using in whole or in part private sources of financing.

The public-private initiatives program may develop up to six demonstration projects. Each proposal shall be weighed on its own merits, and each of the six agreements shall be negotiated individually, and as a stand-alone project.

(2) If project proposals selected prior to September 1, 1994, are terminated by the public or private sectors, the department shall not select any new projects, including project proposals submitted to the department prior to September 1, 1994, and designated by the transportation commission as placeholder projects, after June 16, 1995, until June 30, 1997.

The department, in consultation with the legislative transportation committee, shall conduct a program and fiscal audit of the public-private initiatives program for the biennium ending June 30, 1997. The department shall submit a progress report to the legislative transportation committee on the program and fiscal audit by June 30, 1996, with preliminary and final audit reports due December 1, 1996, and June 30, 1997, respectively.

The department shall develop and submit a proposed public involvement plan to the 1997 legislature to identify the process for selecting new potential projects and the associated costs of implementing the plan. The legislature must adopt the public involvement plan before the department may proceed with any activity related to project identification and selection. Following legislative adoption of the public involvement plan, the department is authorized to implement the plan and to identify potential new projects.

The public involvement plan for projects selected after June 30, 1997, shall, at a minimum, identify projects that: (a) Have the potential of achieving overall public support among users of the projects, residents of communities in the vicinity of the projects, and residents of communities impacted by the projects; (b) meet a state transportation need; (c) provide a significant state benefit; and (d) provide competition among proposers and maximum cost benefits to users. Prospective projects may include projects identified by the department or submitted by the private sector.

Projects that meet the minimum criteria established under this section and the requirements of the public involvement plan developed by the department and approved by the legislature shall be submitted to the Washington state transportation commission for its review. The commission, in turn, shall submit a list of eligible projects to the legislative transportation committee for its consideration. Forty-five days after the submission to the legislative transportation committee of the list of eligible projects, the secretary is authorized to solicit proposals for the eligible project.

(3) Prior to entering into agreements with private entities under the requirements of RCW 47.46.040 for any project proposal selected before September 1, 1994, or after June 30, 1997, except as provided for in subsections ((~~(11) and~~)) (12) and (13) of this section, the department shall require an advisory vote as provided under subsections (5) through (10) of this section.

(4) The advisory vote shall apply to project proposals selected prior to September 1, 1994, or after June 30, 1997, that receive public opposition as demonstrated by the submission to the department of original petitions bearing at least five thousand signatures of individuals opposing the project collected and submitted in accordance with the dates established in subsections (12) and (13) of this section. The advisory vote shall be on the preferred alternative identified under the requirements of chapter 43.21C RCW and, if applicable, the national environmental policy act, 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq. The execution by the department of the advisory vote process established in this section is subject to the prior appropriation of funds by the legislature for the purpose of conducting environmental impact studies, a public involvement program, local involvement committee activities, traffic and economic impact analyses, engineering and technical studies, and the advisory vote.

(5) In preparing for the advisory vote, the department shall conduct a comprehensive analysis of traffic patterns and economic impact to define the geographical boundary of the project area that is affected by the imposition of tolls or user fees authorized under this chapter. The area so defined is referred to in this section as the affected project area. In defining the affected project area, the department shall, at a minimum, undertake: (a) A comparison of the estimated percentage of residents of communities in the vicinity of the project and in other communities impacted by the project who could be subject to tolls or user fees and the estimated percentage of other users and transient traffic that could be subject to tolls or user fees; (b) an analysis of the anticipated traffic diversion patterns; (c) an analysis of the potential economic impact resulting from proposed toll rates or user fee rates imposed on residents, commercial traffic, and commercial entities in communities in the vicinity of and impacted by the project; (d) an analysis of the economic impact of tolls or user fees on the price of goods and services generally; and (e) an analysis of the relationship of the project to state transportation needs and benefits.

(6)(a) After determining the definition of the affected project area, the department shall establish a committee comprised of individuals who represent cities and counties in the affected project area; organizations formed to support or oppose the project; and users of the project. The committee shall be named the public-private local involvement committee, and be known as the local involvement committee.

(b) The members of the local involvement committee shall be: (i) An elected official from each city within the affected project area; (ii) an elected official from each county within the affected project area; (iii) two persons from each county within the affected project area who represent an organization formed in support of the project, if the organization exists; (iv) two persons from each county within the affected project area who represent an organization formed to oppose the project, if the organization exists; and (v) four public members active in a state-wide transportation organization. If the committee makeup results in an even number of committee members, there shall be an additional appointment of an elected official from the county in which all, or the greatest portion of the project is located.

(c) City and county elected officials shall be appointed by a majority of the members of the city or county legislative authorities of each city or county within the affected project area, respectively. The county legislative authority of each county within the affected project area shall identify and validate organizations officially formed in support of or in opposition to the project and shall make the appointments required under this section from a list submitted by the chair of the organizations. Public members shall be appointed by the governor. All appointments to the local involvement committee shall be made and submitted to the department of transportation no later than January 1, 1996, for projects selected prior to September 1, 1994, and no later than thirty days after the affected project area is defined for projects selected after June 30, 1997. Vacancies in the membership of the local involvement committee shall be filled by the appointing authority under (b)(i) through (v) of this subsection for each position on the committee.

(d) The local involvement committee shall serve in an advisory capacity to the department on all matters related to the execution of the advisory vote.

(e) Members of the local involvement committee serve without compensation and may not receive subsistence, lodging expenses, or travel expenses.

(7) The department shall conduct a minimum thirty-day public comment period on the definition of the geographical boundary of the project area. The department, in consultation with the local involvement committee, shall make adjustments, if required, to the definition of the geographical boundary of the affected project area, based on comments received from the public. Within fourteen calendar days after the public comment period, the department shall set the boundaries of the affected project area in units no smaller than a precinct as defined in RCW 29.01.120.

(8) The department, in consultation with the local involvement committee, shall develop a description for selected project proposals. After developing the description of the project proposal, the department shall publish the project proposal description in newspapers of general circulation for seven calendar days in the affected project area. Within fourteen calendar days after the last day of the publication of the project proposal description, the department shall transmit a copy of the map depicting the affected project area and the description of the project proposal to the county auditor of the county in which any portion of the affected project area is located.

(9) The department shall provide the legislative transportation committee with progress reports on the status of the definition of the affected project area and the description of the project proposal.

(10) Upon receipt of the map and the description of the project proposal, the county auditor shall, within thirty days, verify the precincts that are located within the affected project area. The county auditor shall prepare the text identifying and describing the affected project area and the project proposal using the definition of the geographical boundary of the affected project area and the project description submitted by the department and shall set an election date for the submission of a ballot proposition authorizing the imposition of tolls or user fees to implement the proposed project within the affected project area, which date may be the next succeeding general election to be held in the state, or at a special election, if requested by the department. The text of the project proposal must appear in a voter's pamphlet for the affected project area. The department shall pay the costs of publication and distribution. The special election date must be the next date for a special election provided under RCW 29.13.020 that is at least sixty days but, if authorized under RCW 29.13.020, no more than ninety days after the receipt of the final map and project description by the auditor. The department shall pay the cost of an election held under this section.

(11) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the department may contract with a private developer of a selected project proposal to conduct environmental impact studies, a public involvement program, and engineering and technical studies funded by the legislature, including matters such as: (a) Alternatives to the proposal that are required to be addressed under a threshold determination and detailed statement but are not required to be addressed under this chapter; and (b) maintaining records of the advisory vote based upon the overall result and the vote by residents of communities in the vicinity of the project, as part of the measure of potential impacts from the selected project proposal. For projects subject to this subsection, the department shall not enter into an agreement under RCW 47.46.040 prior to the advisory vote on the preferred alternative.

(12) Subsections (5) through (10) of this section shall not apply to project proposals selected prior to September 1, 1994, that have no organized public opposition as demonstrated by the submission to the department of original petitions bearing at least five thousand signatures of individuals opposing the project, collected and submitted after September 1, 1994, and by thirty calendar days after June 16, 1995.

(13) Subsections (5) through (10) of this section shall not apply to project proposals selected after June 30, 1997, that have no organized public opposition as demonstrated by the submission to the department of original petitions bearing at least five thousand signatures of individuals opposing the project, collected and submitted by ninety calendar days after project selection.

Sec. 3. RCW 47.46.040 and 1995 2nd sp.s. c 19 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) All projects designed, constructed, and operated under this authority must comply with all applicable rules and statutes in existence at the time the agreement is executed, including but not limited to the following provisions: Chapter 39.12 RCW, this title, RCW 41.06.380, chapter 47.64 RCW, RCW 49.60.180, and 49 C.F.R. Part 21.

(2) The secretary or a designee shall consult with legal, financial, and other experts within and outside state government in the negotiation and development of the agreements.

(3) Agreements shall provide for private ownership of the projects during the construction period. After completion and final acceptance of each project or discrete segment thereof, the agreement shall provide for state ownership of the transportation systems and facilities and lease to the private entity unless the state elects to provide for ownership of the facility by the private entity during the term of the agreement.

The state shall lease each of the demonstration projects, or applicable project segments, to the private entities for operating purposes for up to fifty years.

(4) The department may exercise any power possessed by it to facilitate the development, construction, financing operation, and maintenance of transportation projects under this chapter. Agreements for maintenance services entered into under this section shall provide for full reimbursement for services rendered by the department or other state agencies. Agreements for police services for projects, involving state highway routes, developed under agreements shall be entered into with the Washington state patrol. The agreement for police services shall provide that the state patrol will be reimbursed for costs on a comparable basis with the costs incurred for comparable service on other state highway routes. The department may provide services for which it is reimbursed, including but not limited to preliminary planning, environmental certification, and preliminary design of the demonstration projects.

(5) The plans and specifications for each project constructed under this section shall comply with the department's standards for state projects. A facility constructed by and leased to a private entity is deemed to be a part of the state highway system for purposes of identification, maintenance, and enforcement of traffic laws and for the purposes of applicable sections of this title. Upon reversion of the facility to the state, the project must meet all applicable state standards. Agreements shall address responsibility for reconstruction or renovations that are required in order for a facility to meet all applicable state standards upon reversion of the facility to the state.

(6) For the purpose of facilitating these projects and to assist the private entity in the financing, development, construction, and operation of the transportation systems and facilities, the agreements may include provisions for the department to exercise its authority, including the lease of facilities, rights of way, and airspace, exercise of the power of eminent domain, granting of development rights and opportunities, granting of necessary easements and rights of access, issuance of permits and other authorizations, protection from competition, remedies in the event of default of either of the parties, granting of contractual and real property rights, liability during construction and the term of the lease, authority to negotiate acquisition of rights of way in excess of appraised value, and any other provision deemed necessary by the secretary.

(7) The agreements entered into under this section may include provisions authorizing the state to grant necessary easements and lease to a private entity existing rights of way or rights of way subsequently acquired with public or private financing. The agreements may also include provisions to lease to the entity airspace above or below the right of way associated or to be associated with the private entity's transportation facility. In consideration for the reversion rights in these privately constructed facilities, the department may negotiate a charge for the lease of airspace rights during the term of the agreement for a period not to exceed fifty years. If, after the expiration of this period, the department continues to lease these airspace rights to the private entity, it shall do so only at fair market value. The agreement may also provide the private entity the right of first refusal to undertake projects utilizing airspace owned by the state in the vicinity of the public-private project.

(8) Agreements under this section may include any contractual provision that is necessary to protect the project revenues required to repay the costs incurred to study, plan, design, finance, acquire, build, install, operate, enforce laws, and maintain toll highways, bridges, and tunnels and which will not unreasonably inhibit or prohibit the development of additional public transportation systems and facilities. Agreements under this section must secure and maintain liability insurance coverage in amounts appropriate to protect the project's viability and may address state indemnification of the private entity for design and construction liability where the state has approved relevant design and construction plans.

(9) Agreements shall include a process that provides for public involvement in decision making with respect to the development of the projects.

(10)(a) In carrying out the public involvement process required in subsection (9) of this section, the private entity shall proactively seek public participation through a process appropriate to the characteristics of the project that assesses and demonstrates public support among: Users of the project, residents of communities in the vicinity of the project, and residents of communities impacted by the project.

(b) The private entity shall conduct a comprehensive public involvement process that provides, periodically throughout the development and implementation of the project, users ((~~and~~)) of the project, residents of communities in the ((~~affected~~)) vicinity of the project, and residents of communities impacted by the project ((~~area~~)) an opportunity to comment upon key issues regarding the project including, but not limited to: (i) Alternative sizes and scopes; (ii) design; (iii) environmental assessment; (iv) right of way and access plans; (v) traffic impacts; (vi) tolling or user fee strategies and tolling or user fee ranges; (vii) project cost; (viii) construction impacts; (ix) facility operation; and (x) any other salient characteristics.

(c) The private entity may conduct a comprehensive public involvement process that provides, periodically throughout the development and implementation of the project, users of the project, residents of communities in the vicinity of the project, residents of communities impacted by the project, and the general public with an opportunity to comment upon key issues regarding alternatives to the project, including those items specified under (b) of this subsection relating to alternatives to the project, that are necessary to meet the requirements of chapter 43.21C RCW.

(d) If the affected project area has not been defined, the private entity shall define the affected project area by conducting, at a minimum: (i) A comparison of the estimated percentage of residents of communities in the vicinity of the project and in other communities impacted by the project who could be subject to tolls or user fees and the estimated percentage of other users and transient traffic that could be subject to tolls or user fees; (ii) an analysis of the anticipated traffic diversion patterns; (iii) an analysis of the potential economic impact resulting from proposed toll rates or user fee rates imposed on residents, commercial traffic, and commercial entities in communities in the vicinity of and impacted by the project; (iv) an analysis of the economic impact of tolls or user fees on the price of goods and services generally; and (v) an analysis of the relationship of the project to state transportation needs and benefits.

The agreement may require an advisory vote by users of and residents in the affected project area.

((~~(d)~~)) (e) In seeking public participation, the private entity shall establish a local involvement committee or committees comprised of residents of the affected project area, individuals who represent cities and counties in the affected project area, organizations formed to support or oppose the project, if such organizations exist, and users of the project. The private entity shall, at a minimum, establish a committee as required under the specifications of RCW 47.46.030((~~(5)~~)) (6)(b) (ii) and (iii) and appointments to such committee shall be made no later than thirty days after the project area is defined. To assist in making an adequate threshold determination and adequate detailed statement under chapter 43.21C RCW, the private entity may distinguish in its records the public participation by users of the project, residents of communities in the vicinity of the project, residents of communities impacted by the project, and the general public.

((~~(e)~~)) (f) Local involvement committees shall act in an advisory capacity to the department and the private entity on all issues related to the development and implementation of the public involvement process established under this section.

((~~(f)~~)) (g) The department and the private entity shall provide the legislative transportation committee and local involvement committees with progress reports on the status of the public involvement process including the results of an advisory vote, if any occurs.

(11) Nothing in this chapter limits the right of the secretary and his or her agents to render such advice and to make such recommendations as they deem to be in the best interests of the state and the public.

Sec. 4. RCW 43.21C.150 and 1975 1st ex.s. c 206 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

The requirements of RCW 43.21C.030(2)(c) pertaining to the preparation of a detailed statement by branches of government shall not apply when an adequate detailed statement has been previously prepared pursuant to the national environmental policy act of 1969, in which event said prepared statement may be utilized in lieu of a separately prepared statement under RCW 43.21C.030(2)(c). Issues addressed in a major investment study, prepared under the national environmental policy act of 1969, may be included as a portion of the broader analysis required for a threshold determination or detailed statement under this chapter.