Draft Site Certification Agreement (SCA)

We’re responsible for preparing a draft SCA for a proposed facility. The draft SCA lays out all environmental, social, economic, and engineering conditions an applicant must meet for construction of a facility; operation throughout the facility's life; and decommissioning of the facility and site restoration.

The conditions in the draft SCA come from a comprehensive analysis of all measures taken so far to review the application for site certification, which include:

• The determination of land use consistency
• The SEPA review process
• Adjudicative proceedings, if conducted
• All public comments received at any point in the review process

In considering the draft SCA, our Council will adopt conditions and mitigation measures that the applicant has reviewed and accepted. These measures have been designed to protect state, local governmental, and community interests affected by the construction or operation of the facility. 

The draft SCA will also outline any required plans that the applicant needs to submit prior to construction or during operation and decommissioning, as well as any permits the applicant needs to secure.

Related steps

Prior to preparing the draft SCA, we will have prepared the necessary permits, conducted the necessary environmental reviews as required by the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA), issued the necessary orders related to determination of land use consistency, and held the necessary adjudicative hearings.

The recommendation to the governor to approve a proposed facility will include the draft SCA. The governor will be asked to approve or reject the recommendation and the draft SCA, or the governor can return it to us for reconsideration.