Summary of Bill: The Department of Ecology (Ecology) is directed to update rules for integrating use of National Environmental Policy Act documents in decisions. Ecology is also directed to update, but not decrease, the rule-based categorical exemptions for transportation maintenance activities.

A seven-step process is created for an expedited environmental review and approval process for any transportation project requiring the preparation of an environmental impact statement. The seven steps include the following:

public and agency involvement in defining the project purpose and scope of environmental review;
identify participating agencies and convene meetings with an interdisciplinary team;
involve participating agencies during the screening of alternatives;
involve all participating agencies in identifying environmental permits and approvals, application procedures, and decision standards;
complete an environmental analysis and issue a draft environmental impact statement;
develop a final environmental impact statement; and
issue a final environmental impact statement.

WSDOT is directed to streamline its permitting process by developing and maintaining positive relationships with permitting agencies and the Indian tribes. The Legislature directs WSDOT to demonstrate the capacity to meet its environmental responsibilities. Activities that will achieve this result include having qualified WSDOT staff supervise all environmental documentation in accordance with WSDOT's project delivery tools, holding pre-bid meetings for environmentally complex projects, and conducting field inspections to ensure that project activities comply with permit conditions and environmental commitments.

WSDOT must provide an annual report summarizing violations of environmental permits and regulations to Ecology and the Legislature on March 1 of each year for violations occurring during the preceding year.

WSDOT must use available technologies to minimize permit delays for, inform, and interact with a workgroup of interested parties regarding, and optimize the effectiveness of, proposed compensatory mitigation projects. WSDOT also must consider the correction of fish-passage barriers on city streets and county roads within the same watershed as a proposed project for compensatory mitigation. WSDOT must report to the Legislature on the use, effectiveness, and suggested improvements to the new mitigation option by December 1, 2015.

By August 1, 2015, Ecology must provide a report on the outcome of the workgroup to the appropriate committees of the Legislature. WSDOT must provide an annual report summarizing violations of environmental permits and regulations to Ecology and the Legislature on March 1 of each year for violations occurring during the preceding year. WSDOT must submit a report to the transportation committees of the Legislature by December 1, 2015, regarding the effectiveness of the mitigation programs. These programs include the forestry riparian easement program, the riparian open space program, and the family forest fish passage program.

WSDOT must submit a report to the transportation committees of the Legislature detailing engineering errors on highway construction projects resulting in project cost increases in excess of $500,000. An initial report is due within 30 days of the engineering error occurring. A full report must be submitted within 90 days of the engineering error occurring. The full report must include an assessment of how the engineering error happened, what employees made the error – without disclosing the name of the employee or employees, and what corrective action was taken.

This bill takes effect only if SB 5987, concerning transportation revenue, takes effect by June 30, 2015.