This article contains rules for consulting, commenting, and responding on all environmental documents under SEPA, including rules for public notice and hearings. The county adopts the following sections by reference, as supplemented in this part:
WAC 197-11-500
Purpose of this part.
WAC 197-11-502
Inviting comment.
WAC 197-11-504
Availability and cost of environmental documents.
WAC 197-11-508
SEPA register.
WAC 197-11-535
Public hearings and meetings.
WAC 197-11-545
Effect of no comment.
WAC 197-11-550
Specificity of comments.
WAC 197-11-560
FEIS response to comment.
WAC 197-11-570
Consulted agency costs to assist lead agency.
(Ord. 84-122 Part 5 (part); Ord. 98-048 Exh. A)
A. 
Whenever possible, the county shall integrate the public notice required under this section with existing notice procedures for the county's nonexempt permit(s) or approval(s) required for the proposal. Whenever Whatcom County issues a DNS under WAC 197-11-340(2) or a DS under WAC 197-11-360(3) the county shall give a public notice as follows:
1. 
If a SEPA document is issued concurrently with the notice of application, the public notice requirements for the notice of application will suffice to meet the SEPA public notice requirements.
2. 
If no public notice is required for the permit or approval, the county shall give notice of the DNS or DS by:
a. 
Posting the property, for site-specific proposals; or
b. 
Publishing notice in a newspaper of general circulation in the county, city, or general area where the proposal is located; or
c. 
Notifying public or private groups which have expressed interest in a certain proposal or in the type of proposal being considered; or
d. 
Notifying the news media.
3. 
Whenever the county issues a DS under WAC 197-11-360(3), the county shall state the scoping procedure for the proposal in the DS as required in WAC 197-11-408 and in the public notice.
B. 
If a DNS is issued using the optional DNS process, the public notice requirements for the notice of application as supplemented by the requirements in WAC 197-11-355 will suffice to meet SEPA public notice requirements.
C. 
Whenever the county issues a DEIS under WAC 197-11-455(5) or a SEIS under WAC 197-11-620, notice of the availability of those documents shall be given by:
1. 
Indicating the availability of the DEIS in any public notice required for a nonexempt license; and
2. 
Posting the property, for site-specific proposals; or
3. 
Publishing notice in a newspaper of general circulation in the county, city, or general area where the proposal is located; or
4. 
Notifying public or private groups which have expressed interest in a certain proposal or in the type of proposal being considered; or
5. 
Notifying the news media.
D. 
The county may integrate the public notice required under this section with existing notice procedures for the county's nonexempt permit(s) or approval(s) required for the proposal.
E. 
The county may require an applicant to complete the public notice requirements for the applicant's proposal at his or her expense.
(Ord. 84-122 Part 5 (part); Ord. 98-048 Exh. A)
A. 
The director of planning and development services or his/her designee shall be responsible for preparation of written comments for the county in response to a consultation request prior to a threshold determination, participation in scoping, and reviewing a DEIS.
B. 
This person shall be responsible for the county's compliance with WAC 197-11-550 whenever the county is a consulted agency and is authorized to develop operating procedures that will ensure that responses to consultation requests are prepared in a timely fashion and include data from all appropriate departments of the county.
(Ord. 84-122 Part 5 (part); Ord. 98-048 Exh. A)