This section 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 as now or hereafter amended by reference, as supplemented or modified in this section:
Purpose of this part.
Inviting comment.
Availability and cost of environmental documents.
SEPA register.
Public hearings and meetings.
Effect of no comment.
Specificity of comments.
FEIS response to comments.
Consulted agency costs to assist lead agency.
(Ord. 1080 § 6 Preamble, 1984; Ord. 1157, 1998; Ord. 1170B, 2000)
(1) 
Whenever possible, the county shall integrate the public notice required under this section with existing notice procedures for Lewis County's nonexempt permit(s) or approval(s) required for the proposal.
(2) 
Whenever Lewis County issues a DNS under WAC 197-11-340(2) or a DS under WAC 197-11-360(3) the county shall give public notice as follows:
(a) 
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.
(b) 
If no public notice is otherwise required for the permit or approval, the county shall give notice of the DNS or DS by at least one of the following:
(i) 
Posting the property for site-specific proposals;
(ii) 
Publishing a notice in a newspaper of general circulation in the county;
(iii) 
Notifying public or private groups which have expressed interest in a certain proposal or in the type of proposal being considered; and/or
(iv) 
Notifying the news media.
(c) 
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.
(3) 
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 the SEPA public notice requirements.
(4) 
Whenever the county issues a DEIS under WAC 197-11-455(5) or a SEIS under WAC 197-11-620, notice of availability of those documents shall be given by:
(a) 
Indicating the availability of the DEIS in any public notice required for a nonexempt license; and in addition by at least one of the following.
(b) 
Posting the property for site-specific proposals;
(c) 
Publishing a notice in a newspaper of general circulation in the county;
(d) 
Notifying public or private groups which have expressed interest in a certain proposal or in the type of proposal being considered; and/or
(e) 
Notifying the news media.
(5) 
The county may require a applicant to complete the public notice requirements for the applicant's proposal at his or her expense.
(Ord. 1080 § 6(A), 1984; Ord. 1157, 1998; Ord. 1170B, 2000; Ord. 1170C § 6, 2001)
(1) 
The department with jurisdiction 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.
(2) 
This department 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. 1080 § 6(B), 1984; Ord. 1157, 1998; Ord. 1170B, 2000)