Current through Register Vol. 24-18, September 15, 2024
The application shall include a detailed socioeconomic impact
analysis which identifies primary, secondary, positive as well as negative
impacts on the socioeconomic environment in the area potentially affected by
the project, with particular attention to the impact of the proposed facility
on population, work force, property values, housing, health facilities and
services, education facilities, governmental services, and local economy. The
study area shall include the area that may be affected by employment within a
one-hour commute distance of the project site. The analysis shall use the most
recent data as published by the U.S. Census or state of Washington
sources.
(1) The analysis shall include:
(a) Population and growth rate data for the most current
ten-year period for the county or counties and incorporated cities in the study
area;
(b) Published forecast population figures for the study area
for both the construction and operations periods;
(c) Numbers and percentages describing the race/ethnic
composition of the cities and counties in the study area;
(d) Average per capita and household incomes, including the
number and percentage of the population below the poverty level for the cities
and counties within the study area;
(e) A description of whether or not any minority or
low-income populations would be displaced by this project or disproportionately
impacted;
(f) The average annual work force size, total number of
employed workers, and the number and percentage of unemployed workers including
the year that data are most recently available. Employment numbers and
percentage of the total work force should be provided for the primary
employment sectors;
(g) An estimate by month of the average size of the project
construction, operational work force by trade, and work force peak
periods;
(h) An analysis of whether or not the locally available work
force would be sufficient to meet the anticipated demand for direct workers and
an estimate of the number of construction and operation workers that would be
hired from outside of the study area if the locally available work force would
not meet the demand;
(i) A list of the required trades for the proposed project
construction;
(j) An estimate of how many direct or indirect operation and
maintenance workers (including family members and/or dependents) would
temporarily relocate;
(k) An estimate of how many workers would potentially commute
on a daily basis and where they would originate.
(2) The application shall describe the potential impact on
housing needs, costs, or availability due to the influx of workers for
construction and operation of the facility and include the following:
(a) Housing data from the most recent ten-year period that
data are available, including the total number of housing units in the study
area, number of units occupied, number and percentage of units vacant, median
home value, and median gross rent. A description of the available hotels,
motels, bed and breakfasts, campgrounds or other recreational
facilities;
(b) How and where the direct construction and indirect work
force would likely be housed. A description of the potential impacts on area
hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts, campgrounds and recreational
facilities;
(c) Whether or not meeting the direct construction and
indirect work force's housing needs might constrain the housing market for
existing residents and whether or not increased demand could lead to increased
median housing values or median gross rents and/or new housing construction.
Describe mitigation plans, if needed, to meet shortfalls in housing needs for
these direct and indirect work forces.
(3) The application shall have an analysis of the economic
factors including the following:
(a) The approximate average hourly wage that would likely be
paid to construction and operational workers, how these wage levels vary from
existing wage levels in the study area, and estimate the expendable income that
direct workers would likely spend within the study area;
(b) How much, and what types of direct and indirect taxes
would be paid during construction and operation of the project and which
jurisdictions would receive those tax revenues;
(c) The other overall economic benefits (including mitigation
measures) and costs of the project on the economies of the county, the study
area and the state, as appropriate, during both the construction and
operational periods.
(4) The application shall describe the impacts,
relationships, and plans for utilizing or mitigating impacts caused by
construction or operation of the facility to the following public facilities
and services:
(a) Fire;
(b) Police;
(c) Schools;
(d) Parks or other recreational facilities;
(e) Utilities;
(f) Maintenance;
(g) Communications;
(h) Water/storm water;
(i) Sewer/solid waste;
(j) Other governmental services.
(5) The application shall compare local government revenues
generated by the project (e.g., property tax, sales tax, business and
occupation tax, payroll taxes) with their additional service expenditures
resulting from the project; and identify any potential gaps in expenditures and
revenues during both construction and operation of the project. This discussion
should also address potential temporal gaps in revenues and
expenditures.
(6) To the degree that a project will have a primary or
secondary negative impact on any element of the socioeconomic environment, the
applicant is encouraged to work with local governments to avoid, minimize, or
compensate for the negative impact. The term "local government" is defined to
include cities, counties, school districts, fire districts, sewer districts,
water districts, irrigation districts, or other special purpose
districts.
Statutory Authority:
RCW 80.50.040(1) and (12).
04-21-013, amended and recodified as §
463-60-535, filed 10/11/04,
effective 11/11/04. Statutory Authority:
RCW 80.50.040. 92-23-012, § 463-42-535,
filed 11/6/92, effective 12/7/92. Statutory Authority:
RCW 80.50.040(1) and
chapter
80.50 RCW. 81-21-006
(Order 81-5), § 463-42-535, filed 10/8/81. Formerly WAC
463-42-620.
