SEPA Environmental Checklist

SEPA Environmental Checklist
The State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) requires state and local agencies to consider the likely environmental consequences of a proposal before approving or denying the proposal.

SEPA environmental review usually starts when:

• Someone submits an application to an agency for a license to construct a private project, such as an office building, grocery store, apartment building; or
• An agency is considering construction of a public project, such as a new school, highway, water pipeline; or
• An agency is feveloping a regulation, policy or plan, such as a county or city comprehensive plan, a critical area ordinance, or a state water quality regulation.

Some minor projects do not require environmental review, so the lead agency will first decide if the review is needed.  If the proposed project is they type of project that has been "categorically exempt" from SEPA review, no further environmental review is needed.

If the proposed project is not exempt, the applicant will ususally be asked to fill out an "SEPA Environmental Checklist".  This checklist asks questions about the proposal and its potential impacts on the envrionment.  After the checklist has been completed, the lead agency will start the review process.  For more information on SEPA, visit WA State Department of Ecology's website.

For Environmental Checklists, Article X - A SEPA review fee of $229 (effective from 7/09/07 - 6/30/08) will be invoiced to the applicant after the project has been reviewed.