Environment & Water

Expanding SEPA to Address Human Health (HB 1355)

The House Select Committee on Environmental Health will consider HB 1355 at 8 am on Tuesday, January 30. The State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) requires the state and local governments to conduct a review and analysis on a wide variety of activities they permit, primarily land use actions of one sort or another.

This bill would require every state and local agency to revise their regulations and procedures to ensure that each project and non-project SEPA review consider "physical, mental, economic, and the social well-being of the community." It is unclear what problem this is trying to solve. AWC will testify and ask a number of questions expressing our concern with this costly expansion of SEPA review.

Funding Puget Sound Clean-Up (SB 5286)

As reported last week, SB 5372/HB 1374 have been introduced to accelerate and better plan and monitor clean-up efforts in and around the Puget Sound. These bills essentially recreate a state agency (currently the Puget Sound Action Team, formerly the Puget Sound Water Quality Authority) to be called the Puget Sound Partnership. This week, the Senate Water, Energy and Telecommunications Committee is scheduled to hear SB 5286, which would establish a more coordinated state process to prioritize state funds aimed at clean-up efforts. The hearing is scheduled for 1:30 pm on Friday, February 2.

AWC is focusing our efforts on working with the Governor’s office, prime sponsors and other interests to better understand how a new Puget Sound clean-up plan would be developed, what it would involve, and how it relates to a wide range of utility provision, land use, planning and environmental protection activities undertaken by cities on and near the Puget Sound.

For more information, please contact either Dave Williams davew@awcnet.org or Tim Gugerty at timg@awcnet.org.

AWC Priority Issue
Residential Burn Ban in Smaller Cities

Following ongoing discussions with the Department of Ecology, a bill is being drafted that seeks to

1. Extend the exemption on residential burning in cities under 5,000 in population in non-Puget Sound GMA-planning counties; and
2. Establish a working group, including city representatives, that will explore an appropriate rationale for exemptions and the development of alternatives to residential burning.

We expect the bill to be introduced next week.

Federal Issue
Potential Amendment to the Clean Water Act – "Waters of the U.S."

AWC has learned of an effort in Congress to potentially broaden the scope of the Clean Water Act (CWA). The proposed change could require cities to obtain a CWA permit for projects that would impact "waters of the United States," rather than "navigable waters," potentially increasing the number of projects requiring a CWA permit.

Look for updates in future Bulletins as we learn more about this effort and its potential impact on Washington’s cities. If you have input or questions on this issue, please contact Dave Williams at davew@awcnet.org or Tim Gugerty at timg@awcnet.org.

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