OLYMPIA – Too many projects get stalled thanks to regulatory requirements, putting communities at risk when those projects are not completed timely and in a cost-effective way. On Monday the House passed a bipartisan bill, HB 1902, with a vote of 94-1 to engage stakeholders in a conversation about aligning environmental labor and other standards to so we can deliver for Washingtonians efficiently and effectively.
“There’s roads in my district that we’ve known for years are dangerous,” said Rep. Adison Richards (D-Gig Harbor), the bill’s prime sponsor. “Reviewing and streamlining the permitting process can help us tackle these problems sooner, making roads safer and delivering projects more efficiently and effectively.”
The bill directs the Washington State Department of Transportation in collaboration with the Department of Ecology to create a work group to issue recommendations to streamline the permitting of transportation projects.
The twelve-member body will be comprised of representatives from twelve different offices and departments. The work group will develop recommendations to reduce project costs, and the time required from project conception to project completion along with aligning priorities, legal requirements, processing, and interests.
By including stakeholders like ports and tribes in the conversation, this legislation would result in a more effective and efficient permitting process while also protecting environmental and labor standards.
“Over time the permitting process has become burdened with inefficiency, but we don’t have to accept that,” said Rep. Richards. “Bringing a diverse group of stakeholders together will make sure we’re looking at the process and solutions holistically to get the best possible outcome.”