Any party in interest deeming itself aggrieved by any order of the director of the department of ecology may appeal to the superior court of Thurston county by serving upon the director and filing with clerk of said court within thirty days after the entry of the order a notice of appeal. The director shall, within ten days after service of the notice of appeal, file with the clerk of the court a return containing a true copy of the order appealed from, together with a transcript of the record of the proceeding before the director, after which the appeal shall be at issue. The appeal shall be heard and decided by the court upon the record before the director and the court may either affirm, set aside, or remand the order appealed from for further proceedings. Appellate review of the superior court's decision may be sought as in other civil cases.