Revisions to Port State
Environmental Policy Act
Policies
ITEM NO: ___6b_supp_____
DATE OF
MEETING: April 12, 2011___
Overview
• Proposed revisions to Port SEPA policies
and procedures
• Proposed Port SEPA climate change
policy
• Public comment
• Next Steps
Proposed Revisions to Existing SEPA
Procedures
• Would consolidate procedures into a
single document;
• Updated to conform with current law;
• Reflect changes to Port organization and
process;
• Cleanup and edits that make the
document easier to use and read.
Proposed SEPA Climate Change Policy
Rationale for Policy:
– Clarify to public and staff how Port will
address climate change under SEPA;
– Improve consistency with respect to
environmental decision making;
– Promote improvements to projects that
reduce GHG emissions.
Proposed SEPA Climate Change Policy
• Statement of Port policy to consider GHG
emissions and the effect of changes in climate
on proposed actions;
• Identification and calculation of project
emissions;
• Encouraging mitigation;
• Guidance for making “threshold determination”;
• Consideration of effects of climate change on
projects.
Public Comment
• Resolution was put out for 30 day public
comment period.
• No comments were received.
• Also conducted environmental review of
the proposed resolution and staff is
prepared to issue Determination of Non-
Significance (DNS).
Next Steps
• Issue DNS on proposed resolution
• Second reading to Commission (May 3
rd
) -
request adoption
• Questions?
