PORT OF SEATTLE 
MEMORANDUM 
COMMISSION AGENDA 
Item No.       6b
Date of Meeting       April 12, 2011 
DATE:    April 6, 2011 
TO:     Tay Yoshitani, Chief Executive Officer 
FROM:    Elizabeth Leavitt, Director, Aviation Planning & Environmental Programs 
Stephanie Jones-Stebbins, Director, Seaport Planning & Environmental 
Programs 
Michael Lufkin, Senior Environmental Program Manager 
Paul Meyer, Manager, Permitting and Compliance 
SUBJECT:  Resolution No. 3650, First Reading, adopting, revising and updating the
Port of Seattle"s (Port) State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) procedures
and formalizing new Port SEPA policies for addressing greenhouse gas
(GHG) emissions. 

ACTION REQUESTED: 
First Reading, Resolution No. 3650, adopting, revising and updating existing Port SEPA
procedures to conform with current law and Port structure, and formalizing new Port
policies clarifying how greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and climate considerations will
be incorporated into SEPA review when the Port is acting as a "lead agency."
SYNOPSIS: 
The Commission is requested to adopt Resolution No. 3650, which compiles and updates 
existing Port SEPA procedures into a single resolution that conforms with changes that
have been made to Washington"s SEPA laws and rules and reflects the current
organizational structure of the Port. Additionally, the resolution provides guidance to
Port staff and the Port SEPA Responsible Official when evaluating proposals under the
SEPA that (1) are likely to result in GHG emissions; and/or (2) may be impacted by the
effects of climate change. In the Port"s recent SEPAdeterminations, we have already
been estimating quantities of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) as part of our SEPA
review of proposed actions.  Other local governments, such as the City of Seattle and
King County, also already require the evaluation of GHG emissions as part of their
permitting actions.

COMMISSION AGENDA 
Tay Yoshitani, Chief Executive Officer 
April 6, 2011 
Page 2 of 4 

BACKGROUND:
The State Environmental Policy Act or SEPA, Chapter 43.21C RCW, was enacted in
1971 to "promote the policy of fully informed decision making by government bodies
when undertaking "major actions significantly affecting the quality of the environment." " 
SEPA requires public agencies to: (1) consider the environmental consequences of their
proposed actions; (2) identify and evaluate probable impacts, alternatives and mitigation
measures; and (3) encourage public involvement in agency decision making. Local 
government agencies like the Port must adopt policies and procedures for implementing
SEPA. These "agency SEPA procedures" must be formally designated by rule,
ordinance, or resolution. 
Proposed Revision to Existing Port SEPA Procedures 
The Port previously adopted three resolutions implementing SEPA: Resolution No. 3028 
(adopted December 1987), Resolution No. 3211(adopted February 1996), and Resolution
No. 3539 (adopted May 2005). Collectively, these three resolutions identify the 
procedures used by the Port for implementing SEPA, including the identity of the
responsible official, the method(s) for public notice, the procedures for administrative
appeals, if any, and other information about the Port"s review procedures.
From time to time it becomes necessary to update, amend and revise SEPA policies and
procedures due to changes in law and/or operations of the Port and in order to improve
the effectiveness of such policies and procedures. Some of the proposed revisions to the
existing Port SEPA procedures include: 
Compilation of the procedures into a single Port SEPA resolution; 
Conformity with changes that have been made to state SEPA laws and rules; 
Revisions that reflect the current organizational structure of the Port; 
Addition of a Table of Contents; 
General cleanup and edits that aim to make the document easier to use and read;
and
Addition of guidance to Port Staff and the Port responsible official when
evaluating proposals under the State Environmental Policy Act that (1) are likely
to result in GHG emissions; and/or (2) may be impacted by the effects of climate
change. 
SEPA and Climate Change 
SEPA was adopted to ensure that environmental values are considered during decisionmaking
by state and local agencies. Until relatively recently, however, climate change

COMMISSION AGENDA 
Tay Yoshitani, Chief Executive Officer 
April 6, 2011 
Page 3 of 4 
and greenhouse gas pollutants have been given relatively little or no consideration in
environmental review documents. This situation is changing rapidly. Many state and
local governments both here in Washington state and around the country are beginning to
develop policies, regulations, and guidance on how, where, and when to address climate
change in their environmental review processes. Some are doing so because their failure
to address climate change was challenged in court as contrary to SEPA-like statutes.
Others are simply recognizing the importance and value of incorporating climate change
considerations into governmental decision-making, resource and development planning,
and permitting and approval.
To date, the Port has not adopted any policies related to the assessment of GHG 
emissions and climate change under SEPA. However, in the Port"s recent SEPA
determinations considerations or evaluations, we have already been estimating quantities
of GHG emissions as part of our SEPA review of proposed actions, as have other local
jurisdictions such as the City of Seattle and King County. 
Staff believes it is in the best interest of the Port to act now to clarify how climate
considerations should be incorporated into its SEPA review when it is acting as a "lead
agency." Towards that end, the proposed SEPA climate change policies address the
following:
Clarifying that the Port will consider GHG emissions and the effect of changes in
climate on proposed actions as a mandatory component of SEPA environmental
review; 
Requiring the identification and calculation of GHG emissions associated with a
project proposal, within reasonable spatial and temporal boundaries, as part of
SEPA environmental review; 
Encouraging the identification of mitigation measures that the Port may 
voluntarily incorporate to reduce a project"s GHG emissions below a level of
significance or to reduce the Port"s GHG emission baseline; 
Acknowledging that when making the "threshold determination" under SEPA
there is no uniform standard for determining the "significance" of a project"s
GHG emissions impacts; 
Acknowledging that any decision by the Port as to whether there is an adverse
environmental impact from a proposal will be made on a case-by-case basis;
Identifying factors that may be considered by the Port when determining whether
a project"s GHG emissions constitute a "significant" impact; and 
Considering the effects of climate change on projects that are designed for long-
term utility and located in areas that are considered vulnerable to specific effects
of climate change (such as increasing sea level or ecological change) within the
project"s timeframe.

COMMISSION AGENDA 
Tay Yoshitani, Chief Executive Officer 
April 6, 2011 
Page 4 of 4 
PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THE PROPOSED RESOLUTION:
Resolution No. 3650 was put out for a 30-day public comment period in order to solicit
feedback and input from interested stakeholders and the public.  The public comment
period ran from February 9, 2011, through March 11, 2011, and included notice in
regional newspapers, distribution to individuals and organizations on the Port SEPA
mailing list, and posting on the Port"s external website. 
No comments were received on Resolution No. 3650. 
OTHER DOCUMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS REQUEST: 
PowerPoint Presentation 
Resolution No. 3650, revising and updating the Port"s SEPA procedures and formalizing 
new Port SEPA policies clarifying how greenhouse gas emissions and climate
considerations will be incorporated into the environmental review process, with Exhibit
A (SEPA Environmental Policies, including Appendix A), Attachment 1 (Basic
Procedural Framework Governing SEPA Administrative Appeal Rules and Procedures),
and Attachment 2 (GHG Emissions Quantification Methodologies). 
PREVIOUS COMMISSION ACTIONS OR BRIEFINGS: 
February 1, 2011- Commission Briefing on Proposed Revisions to the Port"s Policies
Related to the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA).