Port seeks to change SEPA rules

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Port seeks to change SEPA rules

Submitted by emmettoconnell on Tue, 02/21/2006 - 8:15pm.

From email:

Next Monday, February 27, the Olympia Port Commission will consider changes in its SEPA procedures. Sounds bureaucratic but this could result in a major new impediment to citizen involvement in environmental decisions at the Port. Worse, it could set a precedent for other governments to further restrict the ability of citizens to play a meaningful environmental role.

The meeting will begin at 5:30 at the Commission meeting room on the second floor of the Market Centre Building. The Market Center Building is across from the public market. Entrance to the second floor is in the breezeway between the two buildings that comprise the Market Centre.

Based on materials presented at the last Port Commission meeting, it is highly likely that the Commission will vote to impose significant fees for filing appeals of Port Commission decisions. In other words, they will make it far more difficult for citizens to challenge their recent decisions to ignore the State Environmental Policy Act by declaring several major actions to be "non-significant". These include the Weyerhaeuser contract, the planned dredging of Budd Inlet, and the expansion of the airport.

I have written the Port to request copies of the proposed SEPA regulations. I will send these out if I get them before leaving town on Wednesday for three days.

Otherwise, call the Port to request copies be sent to you by e-mail. The phone is: (360) 528-8000

emmettoconnell's blog
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Do you have information about

Submitted by Rick on Tue, 02/21/2006 - 10:31pm.

Do you have information about what amount other agencies require to file an appeal? It might be useful to compare, especially if it turns out that the proposed increase is way out of whack with respect to other agencies.

So much for democracy. Wha

Submitted by Robert Whitlock on Tue, 02/21/2006 - 10:49pm.

So much for democracy.

What a bunch of phooey. I hope that a crew shows up to speak against this tyrranical proposal.

Anyway...How exactly can the port (a county run deal) change state rules?

Aren't port officials elected

Submitted by The Fire Inside on Tue, 02/21/2006 - 11:12pm.

Aren't port officials elected?

Yes... It doesn't change my p

Submitted by Robert Whitlock on Wed, 02/22/2006 - 5:10pm.

Yes... It doesn't change my point. Seeking to increase the fees for filing papers is anti-democratic.

How much of an increase are w

Submitted by The Fire Inside on Wed, 02/22/2006 - 5:22pm.

How much of an increase are we talking about?

And yes, I do agree with you in principle that if they're simply raising the fee to an unreasonable amount just to prevent any appeal, that would be wrong and either an abuse of the position or incompetence.

Giving the benefit of the doubt (and I have zero idea how many people actually appeal their decisions), they could be raising the fee slightly to prevent any frivolous challenges.

Good point, I don't know... I

Submitted by Robert Whitlock on Wed, 02/22/2006 - 5:25pm.

Good point, I don't know... I don't think that current challenges are 'frivolous' - of course that's a value laden term, and brings up a loaded argument.

Having attended commission meetings, I am aware of the environment of intimidation that exists there.

I hope someone at the state l

Submitted by Robert Whitlock on Tue, 02/21/2006 - 10:51pm.

I hope someone at the state level puts the hammer down on this one.

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