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Project Review  

In February 1996 the Washington State Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council (EFSEC) received an application from the Olympic Pipe Line Company to construct a 230-mile petroleum products pipeline from Thrasher's Corner in Snohomish County to Pasco (Map - 216k). EFSEC   reviewed the application and in April 1996 submitted comments to the Olympic Pipe Line Company. Throughout 1997 Olympic Pipe Line Company submitted additional information to EFSEC.  EFSEC and the cooperating federal agencies issued a draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in September 1998.  EFSEC began adjudicative hearings during the Spring of 1999.  In June 1999 OPL withdrew the application and review of the project by EFSEC was terminated.

Revised Application Submitted

In May 1998 Olympic Pipeline Company submitted a revised application.  The revised application adds additional technical information and data collected by the applicant during 1997 and 1998.  The pipeline alignment was modified in some areas, predominately east of Kittitas to the Columbia River.  The proposed route was moved north of I-90 (rather than along the border of the Yakima Firing Range) and several alternatives were proposed for crossing the Columbia River.  The revised Summary outlines the proposed project.  The Table of Contents links to PDF files of the revised application.   It should be noted that most of the maps and figures are not available on this archive.

Environmental Impact Statement

Under the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA), EFSEC was required to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) to study  the purpose and need of the project, alternatives, and its impacts on the environment. Because the proposed route crossed federal lands and required federal permits, the EIS was prepared jointly with the lead federal agency, the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), as required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). 

EFSEC and the cooperating federal agencies issued a draft EIS in September 1998. Comments on the draft EIS were due December 17, 1998.   EFSEC and the cooperating federal agencies held public meetings along the pipeline route to receive oral or written comments from the public about the draft EIS. The cooperating EIS agencies planned to review any new information resulting from EFSEC's adjudicative hearings planned for the Spring of 1999. The SEPA/NEPA EIS process was terminated in June 1999 when OPL withdrew the Application.

For more information on the EIS review process see the following pages:

• EIS Review Process
• Draft EIS
• US Forest Service Status Reports

Adjudicative Proceeding

In addition to preparing an EIS, the Council began conducting an Adjudicative Proceeding for this project in April 1999.   The Council  scheduled formal adjudicative hearings similar to a trial, with testimony by expert witness and cross-examination of the witnesses.   EFSEC has issued several Administrative Orders regarding adjudicative and procedural matters.

For additional information and documents relating to the Adjudicative process and hearings, see the following pages:

• Adjudication Archive: includes Chronological Logs of Documents received by EFSEC, Pre-hearing Conference Orders, Council Orders, and Olympic Pipeline Company's Letter of Application Withdrawal.
  

• Prefiled Testimony Archive: includes Exhibit List, Prefiled Testimony, Stipulations, Opening Statements.

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