Washington Administrative Code

(1) Preapplication consultation. The application shall summarize all consultation that the applicant has conducted with local, state, and federal agencies and governments, Indian tribes, nonprofit organizations, and community citizen and interest groups prior to submittal of the …

It is the intent that material submitted pursuant to these guidelines shall be descriptive and shall include illustrative graphics in addition to narration. This requirement shall particularly apply to subject matter that deals with systems, processes, and spatial relationships. …

It is recognized that not all sections of these guidelines apply equally to all proposed energy facilities. If the applicant deems a particular section to be totally inapplicable, the applicant must justify such conclusion in response to said section. The applicant must address a…

(1) Applications to the council for site certification shall be complete and shall reflect the best available current information and intentions of the applicant.(2) Amendments to a pending application must be presented to the council at least 30 days prior to the commencement of…

(1) Request for expedited processing. Requests for expedited processing shall be accompanied by a completed environmental checklist delineated in WAC 197-11-960. The request for expedited processing shall also address the reasons for which the following are not significant enough…

The application shall contain a description of the proposed site indicating its location, prominent geographic features, typical geological and climatological characteristics, and other information necessary to provide a general understanding of all sites involved, including coun…

(1) Principal facility. The application shall contain a legal description of the site to be certified and shall identify the applicants and all nonprivate ownership interests in such land.(2) Associated and transmission facilities. For those facilities described in RCW 80.50.020 …

The applicant shall describe the characteristics of the construction to occur at the proposed site including the type, size, and cost of the facility; description of major components and such information as will acquaint the council with the significant features of the proposed p…

The application shall identify the federal, state, and industry criteria used in the conceptual design, route selection, and construction for all facilities identified in RCW 80.50.020 (4) and (29), and shall indicate how such criteria are met.[Statutory Authority: RCW 80.50.040(…

(1) Prior to submitting an application for site certification for an electric transmission facility under RCW 80.50.060(2) an applicant shall follow the procedure as set in chapter 463-61 WAC.(2) An application for an electric transmission facility shall include the information r…

(1) Water intake and conveyance facilities. The application shall describe the location and type of water intakes, water lines, pipelines and water conveyance systems, and other associated facilities required for providing water to the energy facility for which certification is b…

The application shall describe both the proposed and alternative systems for heat dissipation from the proposed facilities.[Statutory Authority: RCW 80.50.040 (1) and (12). WSR 04-21-013, amended and recodified as § 463-60-175, filed 10/11/04, effective 11/11/04. Statutory Author…

(1) Where discharges into a watercourse are involved, the applicant shall identify outfall configurations including:(a) Location(s) of water discharge pipeline or conveyance system, the outfall, and any associated dilution systems;(b) Average and maximum discharge rate;(c) Extent…

(1) The application shall describe each wastewater source associated with the facility and for each source, the applicability of all known, available, and reasonable methods of wastewater control and treatment to ensure it meets current waste discharge and water quality regulatio…

The application shall describe all spillage prevention and control measures to be employed regarding accidental and/or unauthorized discharges or emissions, relating such information to specific facilities, including but not limited to locations, amounts, storage duration, mode o…

The application shall describe how surface-water runoff and erosion are to be controlled during construction and operation to assure compliance with state water quality standards. The application shall describe in general detail the content of the construction and operational sto…

(1) The application shall describe and quantify all construction and operational air emissions subject to regulation by local, state, or federal agencies.(2) The application shall identify all construction and operational air emissions that are exempt from local, state, and feder…

For thermal electric energy facilities, the application shall include a carbon dioxide mitigation plan and information required by chapter 463-80 WAC.[Statutory Authority: Chapter 80.50 RCW and RCW 80.50.040. WSR 09-05-067, § 463-60-230, filed 2/13/09, effective 3/16/09.]

For baseload electric generating facilities, the application shall provide information required by chapter 463-85 WAC and describe how the requirements of chapter 463-85 WAC will be met.[Statutory Authority: RCW 80.50.040(1). WSR 25-12-020, s 463-60-232, filed 5/22/25, effective …

The application shall: Provide the proposed construction schedule, identify the major milestones, and describe activity levels versus time in terms of craft and noncraft employment; and describe the proposed operational employment levels.[Statutory Authority: RCW 80.50.040 (1) an…

The application shall describe the organizational structure including the management of project quality and environmental functions.[Statutory Authority: RCW 80.50.040 (1) and (12). WSR 04-21-013, amended and recodified as § 463-60-245, filed 10/11/04, effective 11/11/04. Statuto…

The application shall describe in detail the construction procedures, including major equipment, proposed for any construction activity within watercourses, wetlands, and other sensitive areas.[Statutory Authority: RCW 80.50.040(1). WSR 25-12-020, s 463-60-255, filed 5/22/25, eff…

The application shall describe the means to be employed for protection of the facility from earthquakes, volcanic eruption, flood, tsunami, storms, avalanche or landslides, and other major natural disruptive occurrences.[Statutory Authority: RCW 80.50.040 (1) and (12). WSR 04-21-…

The application shall describe the means employed for protection of the facility from sabotage, terrorism, vandalism, and other security threats.[Statutory Authority: RCW 80.50.040(1). WSR 25-12-020, s 463-60-275, filed 5/22/25, effective 6/22/25. Statutory Authority: RCW 80.50.0…

The application shall furnish a brief description of all present or projected schedules for additional environmental studies. The studies' descriptions should outline their scope and indicate projected completion dates.[Statutory Authority: RCW 80.50.040(1). WSR 25-12-020, s 463-…

The application shall describe the potential for any future additions, expansions, or further activities which might be undertaken by the applicant on or contiguous to the proposed site.[Statutory Authority: RCW 80.50.040 (1) and (12). WSR 04-21-013, amended and recodified as § 4…

The application shall include an analysis of alternatives for site, route, and other major elements of the proposal.[WSR 04-23-003, recodified as § 463-60-296, filed 11/4/04, effective 11/11/04. Statutory Authority: RCW 80.50.040 (1) and (12). WSR 04-21-013,§ 463-42-296, filed 10…

(1) Each application shall include a list of all applicable federal, state, and local statutes, ordinances, rules, permits, and required use authorizations (i.e., leases, easements, rights of way, or similar authorizations) that would apply to the project if it were not under cou…

(1) The applicant shall provide detailed descriptions of the existing environment, project impacts, and mitigation measures for the following:(a) Geology. The application shall include the results of a comprehensive geologic survey showing conditions at the site, the nature of fo…

The application shall provide detailed descriptions of the affected environment, project impacts, and mitigation measures for the following:(1) Air quality. The application shall identify all pertinent air pollution control standards. The application shall contain adequate data s…

(1) The application shall provide detailed descriptions of the affected natural water environment, project impacts, and proposed mitigation measures, and shall demonstrate that facility construction and/or operational discharges will be compatible with and meet state water qualit…

The application shall describe all existing habitat types, vegetation, wetlands, fish, wildlife, and in-stream flows on and near the project site which might reasonably be affected by construction, operation, decommissioning, or abandonment of the energy facility and any associat…

The application shall include a report for wetlands prepared by a qualified professional wetland scientist. For purposes of this section, the term "project site" refers to the site for which site certification is being requested, and the location of any associated facilities or t…

(1) Amount required/rate of use/efficiency. The application shall describe the rate of use and efficiency of consumption of energy and natural resources during both construction and operation of the proposed facility.(2) Source/availability. The application shall describe the sou…

(1) Noise. The application shall:(a) Describe and quantify the background noise environment that would be affected by the energy facility. The number of locations used for assessment of the existing noise environment shall be commensurate with the type of energy facility being pr…

(1) The application shall identify land use plans and zoning ordinances applicable to the project site.(2) Light and glare. The application shall describe the impact of light and glare from construction and operation and shall describe the measures to be taken in order to elimina…

(1) Transportation systems. The application shall identify all permanent transportation facilities impacted by the construction and operation of the energy facilities, the nature of the impacts, and the methods to mitigate impacts. Such impact identification, description, and mit…

The application shall include a detailed socioeconomic impact analysis which identifies primary, secondary, positive as well as negative impacts on the socioeconomic environment in the area potentially affected by the project, with particular attention to the impact of the propos…

(1) The application for site certification shall include a completed prevention of significant deterioration (PSD) permit application and a notice of construction application pursuant to the requirements of chapter 463-78 WAC.(2) The application shall include requests for authori…

The application for site certification shall include:(1) Either:(a) A completed National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit application, for any proposed discharge to surface waters of the state of Washington, pursuant to the requirements of WAC 463-76-031; or(…

The application for site certification shall include:(1) A completed joint aquatic resource permit application (JARPA) for any proposed activities that would require the issuance of a water quality certification under section 401 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, or wou…

This chapter describes the preapplication process that is mandatory prior to filing an application and the requirements for applications to site electrical transmission facilities.[Statutory Authority: Chapter 80.50 RCW and RCW 80.50.040. WSR 08-21-092, § 463-61-010, filed 10/15/…

The following definitions apply when these terms are used in the provisions of this chapter:"EFSEC" means the energy facility site evaluation council and where appropriate the EFSEC staff."Facilities" means those energy transmission facilities described in RCW 80.50.060 and WAC 4…

(1) The provisions of this chapter apply to the construction, reconstruction, or modification of electrical transmission facilities in each of the following circumstances:(a) The facility is located in a national interest electric transmission corridor as specified in RCW 80.50.0…

Prior to filing a preapplication request under WAC 463-61-050, the preapplicant shall meet and consult with the EFSEC staff concerning the proposed project. Topics for discussion shall include but not be limited to:(1) The nature of the project, the contents of the preapplication…

The preapplication request shall be filed with EFSEC at the EFSEC's office and contain the following information:(1) The name and mailing address of the preapplicant, including a contact name, address, telephone number, and email address of the contact person.(2) A description of…

(1) Within three days of filing a preapplication request with EFSEC, the preapplicant shall send notice to:(a) All the towns, cities, and counties in which the proposed electric transmission line route is located;(b) Persons or governmental agencies owning land that may be acquir…