(1) An agency may adopt any environmental analysis prepared under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) by following WAC 197-11-600 and 197-11-630.

(2) A NEPA environmental assessment (EA) or documented categorical exclusion may be adopted to support a determination of nonsignificance instead of preparing an environmental checklist, if the requirements of WAC 197-11-340, 197-11-600, and 197-11-630 (and WAC 197-11-350 and 197-11-355 as applicable), are met and elements of the environment in WAC 197-11-444 are adequately addressed.

(3) An agency may adopt a NEPA EIS as a substitute for preparing a SEPA EIS if:

(a) The requirements of WAC 197-11-360, 197-11-600, and 197-11-630 are met (in which case the procedures in Parts Three, Four, and Five of these rules for preparing an EIS shall not apply); and

(b) The federal EIS is not found inadequate: (i) By a court; (ii) by the council on environmental quality (CEQ) (or is at issue in a predecision referral to CEQ) under the NEPA regulations; or (iii) by the administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency under section 309 of the Clean Air Act, 42 U.S.C. 1857.

(4) Subsequent use by another agency of a federal EIS, adopted under subsection (3) of this section, for the same (or substantially the same) proposal does not require adoption, unless the criteria in WAC 197-11-600(3) are met.

(5) If the lead agency has not held a public hearing within its jurisdiction to obtain comments on the adequacy of adopting a federal environmental document as a substitute for preparing a SEPA EIS, a public hearing for such comments shall be held if, within thirty days of circulating its statement of adoption, a written request is received from at least fifty persons who reside within the agency's jurisdiction or are adversely affected by the environmental impact of the proposal. The agency shall reconsider its adoption of the federal document in light of public hearing comments.