HOUSE BILL REPORT

ESB 6172

BYSenators Sellar, Sutherland, McCaslin and Barr

Revising provisions for environmental coordination procedures.

House Committe on Environmental Affairs

Majority Report:  Do pass as amended.  (11)

      Signed by Representatives Rust, Chair; Valle, Vice Chair; Brekke, G. Fisher, Fraser, Phillips, Pruitt, Schoon, Sprenkle, Van Luven and Walker.

House Staff:Harry Reinert (786-7110)

AS PASSED HOUSE FEBRUARY 27, 1990

BACKGROUND:

The Environmental Procedures Coordination Act was adopted in 1973 as one of the early "one-stop" procedures to streamline the environmental permit process.  It was designed so that applicants for state and local permits could submit one master application to the Department of Ecology.

The department must circulate the application to all potential permit granting agencies.  If any agency fails to express an interest in requiring a permit within a specified period, that agency is barred from requiring one at a later date.

SUMMARY:

After the Department of Ecology furnishes the list of required permits, an applicant may choose to pursue the coordinated process for all or part of permit requirements, or may choose to deal with each of the permit granting agencies independently.

Fiscal Note:      Requested February 23, 1990.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:    Mike Palko, Department of Ecology; and Dave Rogers, Washington Public Ports Association.

House Committee - Testified Against:      No one.

House Committee - Testimony For:    The bill will explicitly authorize what is common practice and may encourage more use of the procedure.

House Committee - Testimony Against:      None.