This section contains rules for agency compliance with SEPA, including rules for charging fees under the SEPA process, designating environmentally sensitive areas, listing agencies with environmental expertise, selecting the lead agency, and applying these rules to current activities. The city adopts the following sections by reference as supplemented by this article:
WAC 197-11-900
Purpose of this part.
WAC 197-11-902
Agency SEPA policies.
WAC 197-11-916
Application to ongoing actions.
WAC 197-11-920
Agencies with environmental expertise.
WAC 197-11-922
Lead agency rules.
WAC 197-11-924
Determining the lead agency.
WAC 197-11-926
Lead agency for governmental proposals.
WAC 197-11-928
Lead agency for public and private proposals.
WAC 197-11-930
Lead agency for private projects with one agency with jurisdiction.
WAC 197-11-932
Lead agency for private projects requiring licenses from more than one agency, when one of the agencies is a county/city.
WAC 197-11-934
Lead agency for private projects requiring licenses from a local agency, not a county/city, and one or more state agencies.
WAC 197-11-936
Lead agency for private projects requiring licenses from more than one state agency.
WAC 197-11-938
Lead agencies for specific proposals.
WAC 197-11-940
Transfer of lead agency status to a state agency.
WAC 197-11-942
Agreements on lead agency status.
WAC 197-11-944
Agreements on division of lead agency duties.
WAC 197-11-946
DOE resolution of lead agency disputes.
WAC 197-11-948
Assumption of lead agency status.
(Ord. 26-84)
A. 
The city of Richland shall designate environmentally sensitive areas under the standards of WAC 197-11-908 and shall file maps designating such areas together with the exemptions from the list in WAC 197-11-908 that are inapplicable in such areas, with the planning and inspection services department and the Department of Ecology, Headquarters Office, Olympia, Washington. The environmentally sensitive area designations shall have full force and effect of law as of the date of filing.
B. 
The city shall treat proposals located wholly or partially within an environmentally sensitive area no differently than other proposals. The city shall not automatically require an EIS for a proposal merely because it is proposed for location in an environmentally sensitive area.
C. 
Certain exemptions do not apply on lands covered by water, and this remains true regardless of whether or not lands covered by water are mapped.
(Ord. 26-84)
The city shall require the following fees for its activities in accordance with the provisions of this chapter:
A. 
Threshold Determination. For every environmental checklist the city will review when it is lead agency, the city shall collect a fee determined pursuant to RMC § 19.80.020 from the proponents of the proposal prior to undertaking the threshold determination. The time periods provided by this chapter for making a threshold determination shall not begin to run until payment of the fee.
B. 
Environmental Impact Statement.
1. 
When the city is the lead agency for a proposal requiring an EIS, and the responsible official determines that the EIS shall be prepared by employees of the city, the city may charge and collect a reasonable fee from an applicant to cover costs incurred by the city in preparing the EIS. The responsible official shall advise the applicant(s) of the projected costs for the EIS prior to actual preparation. The applicant shall post bond or otherwise ensure payment of such costs.
2. 
The responsible official may determine that the city will contract directly with a consultant for preparation of an EIS, or a portion of the EIS, for activities initiated by some persons or entity other than the city, and may bill such costs and expenses directly to the applicant. Such consultants shall be selected by mutual agreement of the city and applicant. The city may require the applicant to post bond or otherwise ensure payment of such costs.
3. 
If a proposal is modified so that an EIS is no longer required, the responsible official shall refund any fees collected under subsection (A) or (B) of this section which remain after incurred costs are paid.
C. 
Public Notice. The city may collect a reasonable fee from an applicant to cover the cost of meeting the public notice requirements of this chapter relating to the applicant's proposal.
D. 
Cost of Documents. The city may charge any person for copies of any document prepared under this chapter, and for mailing the document, in a manner provided by Chapter 42.17 RCW.
E. 
The city shall not collect a fee for performing its duties as a consulted agency.
(Ord. 26-84; Ord. 63-19 § 4)