Environmental impact statement (EIS)

Description of a proposed facility’s environmental effects

An EIS provides information about a proposed facility’s impacts on the environment. It allows us to notify our Council and the public about any potential negative effects.

Steps in Environmental review

Select one of the steps to view details.

Threshold determination
Scoping and agency notification
Environmental impact statement (EIS)

About this milestone

An EIS describes how a proposed facility may affect the environment. It also recommends reasonable ways to prevent or reduce its negative effects or improve environmental quality.

We have an independent consultant who helps us with the EIS, ensuring we address all relevant environmental issues. In some cases, we may issue a data request to the applicant for additional information.

The applicant will pay the costs of preparing the EIS.

How we prepare an EIS

First, we prepare a draft EIS (DEIS). Then, we host a public comment period and public hearing on the DEIS to get feedback. If we’re working with a federal agency on an EIS, we’ll hold the hearing with them. After reviewing all comments and the results of the public hearing, we will prepare the final EIS (FEIS).

Sometimes, we may need to address major changes to a proposed facility through a supplemental EIS (SEIS). We will take this step when we expect a facility to have significant negative effects on the environment, usually based on a change to the proposal or new information we receive.

The amount of time we need to prepare an EIS depends on:

  • Whether the information in the application is complete
  • The time it takes to prepare draft and final documents

If we’re working with a federal agency, we’ll also need time to hold planning sessions and develop a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The MOU clarifies how each agency will contribute to the document.

What an EIS includes

  • Fact sheet
  • Table of contents
  • Summary
  • Alternatives including the proposed action
  • Affected environment, significant impacts, and mitigation measures
  • Appendices with comment letters and responses

We don’t need to include technical reports and supporting documents in the appendices. However, we keep this information available for the public and government agencies during the public comment period.

Related steps

While we prepare the EIS and hold public hearings on it, adjudicative proceedings can happen at the same time. However, we need to finish adjudicative proceedings before issuing the FEIS.

Laws related to Environmental impact statement (EIS)

Laws

WAC 197-11 SEPA Rules
Ecology State Environmental Policy Act Handbook

Facilities at this step

Badger Mountain Solar

Douglas County
Battery
Solar
Application review

Completing this milestone

Milestone requirements

1. We'll issue the DEIS and provide it to the applicant, the agencies with jurisdiction (local, county, regional, state, and federal), the affected tribes, and the Washington Department of Ecology (WAC 197-11-455). We also post the DEIS to the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) Register (WAC 197-11-508).

2. We'll publish a public notice inviting your comments on the DEIS no later than 10 days before our public hearing (WAC 197-11-510).

3. We'll hold a public comment period for at least 30 days to allow you to comment on the DEIS [WAC 197-11-455(6) and WAC 197-11-502(5)].

4. We'll publish a notice with the date of the public hearing on the DEIS at least 10 days before it happens [WAC 197-11-502(6)(b)].

5. We'll hold a public hearing on the DEIS to hear public comments [WAC 197-11-502(6) and WAC 197-11-535]. 

6. We'll prepare an FEIS unless the applicant withdraws or indefinitely postpones their proposal (WAC 197-11-560).

7. We'll issue the FEIS within 60 days of the DEIS comment period, unless the proposal has an unusually large scope, the proposal has unusually complex environmental effects, or we need to make extensive changes to respond to public comments (WAC 197-11-460).

8. We'll issue a public notice indicating where to find the FEIS (WAC 197-11-460).

9. We'll provide the FEIS to the Department of Ecology, all agencies with jurisdiction, all agencies who commented, and to everyone who requested a copy of the FEIS (WAC 197-11-460). Note: We may charge fees for copies.

10. We'll post the FEIS to the SEPA Register (WAC 197-11-508).

11. If there is a need to prepare a supplemental EIS (SEIS), we'll provide notices and copies in the same way as other draft and final EISs [WAC 197-11-502(8)].