​SEPA Guide for lead agencies

Introduction

• Identifying and evaluating probable environmental impacts
• Developing mitigation measures to reduce adverse environmental impacts

Agency actions

Project Actions 

• Public buildings such as city or county offices, jail facilities, public libraries, and school buildings
• Public facilities such as water and sewer lines, electrical lines, and roads
• Private projects such as subdivisions, shopping centers, other commercial buildings, and industrial facilities

Nonproject Actions

• Rules, ordinances, or regulations to regulate future projects such as water quality rules, critical area ordinances, and other state and local regulations
• Comprehensive plans and zoning codes
• Capital budgets
• Road and highway plans

SEPA process summary

1. Provide a preapplication conference (optional). Although not included in state SEPA rules, we recommend agencies offer applicants the opportunity to discuss a proposal with staff prior before a permit application or environmental checklist is submitted. The applicant and agency can discuss existing regulations, steps and possible review timeline, and other information an applicant needs to submit a complete application.

2. Determine whether SEPA is required. Determine whether environmental review is required for the proposal by (1) defining the entire proposal, (2) identifying any agency actions (licenses, permits, etc.), and (3) deciding if the proposal fits one of the categorical exemptions.  If the project does not involve an agency action, or there is an action but the project is exempt, environmental review is not required.

3. Determine lead agency. If environmental review is required, the "lead agency" is identified. This is the agency responsible for the environmental analysis and procedural steps under SEPA.

4. Evaluate the proposal. The lead agency must review the environmental checklist and other available information to evaluate a proposal’s likely environmental impacts. The lead agency and applicant may work together to reduce probable impacts by revising the proposal or identifying mitigation measures to be included as permit conditions.

5. Distribute draft checklist for interagency and tribal government consultation. Often the best opportunity to make changes to a proposal based on environmental impacts occurs before the threshold determination and a Determination of Nonsignificance or Determination of Significance has been issued. 

6. Assess significance and issue a threshold determination - After evaluating the proposal and identifying mitigation measures, the lead agency must determine whether a proposal would still have significant, adverse environmental impacts. The lead agency issues either a Determination of Nonsignificance (DNS), which may include mitigation conditions. If the proposal is determined to have likely significant adverse environmental impacts, the agency will issue a Determination of Significance / Scoping notice (DS/Scoping) which kicks off the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process. The EIS will analyze alternatives and possible mitigation measures to reduce a proposal's environmental impacts.

7. Use SEPA in decision-making - The agency decision-maker must consider environmental information, along with technical and economic information, when deciding whether to approve a proposal. Decision-makers may use SEPA substantive authority to condition or deny a proposal based on information in the SEPA document and the agency's adopted SEPA policies.