(1) The energy facility site evaluation council is created and established.
(2) The chair of the council shall be appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the senate, shall have a vote on matters before the council, shall serve for a term coextensive with the term of the governor, and is removable for cause. The chair may designate a member of the council to serve as acting chair in the event of the chair's absence. The salary of the chair shall be determined under RCW
43.03.040. The chair is a "state employee" for the purposes of chapter
42.52 RCW. As applicable, when attending meetings of the council, members may receive reimbursement for travel expenses in accordance with RCW
43.03.050 and
43.03.060, and are eligible for compensation under RCW
43.03.250.
(3)(a) The council shall consist of the chair of the council and:
(i) The director of the department of ecology or the director's designee;
(ii) The director of the department of fish and wildlife or the director's designee;
(iii) The director of the department of commerce or the director's designee;
(iv) The chair of the utilities and transportation commission or the chair's designee; and
(v) The commissioner of public lands or the commissioner's designee.
(b) The directors, administrators, or their designees, of the following departments, agencies, and commissions, or their statutory successors, may participate as councilmembers at their own discretion provided they elect to participate no later than sixty days after an application is filed:
(i) Department of agriculture;
(ii) Department of health;
(iii) Military department; and
(iv) Department of transportation.
(4) The appropriate county legislative authority of every county wherein an application for a proposed site is filed shall appoint a member or designee as a voting member to the council. The member or designee so appointed shall sit with the council only at such times as the council considers the proposed site for the county which he or she represents, and such member or designee shall serve until there has been a final acceptance or rejection of the proposed site.
(5) The city legislative authority of every city within whose corporate limits an energy facility is proposed to be located shall appoint a member or designee as a voting member to the council. The member or designee so appointed shall sit with the council only at such times as the council considers the proposed site for the city which he or she represents, and such member or designee shall serve until there has been a final acceptance or rejection of the proposed site.
(6) For any port district wherein an application for a proposed port facility is filed subject to this chapter, the port district shall appoint a member or designee as a nonvoting member to the council. The member or designee so appointed shall sit with the council only at such times as the council considers the proposed site for the port district which he or she represents, and such member or designee shall serve until there has been a final acceptance or rejection of the proposed site. The provisions of this subsection shall not apply if the port district is the applicant, either singly or in partnership or association with any other person.
(7) A quorum of the council consists of a majority of members appointed for business to be conducted.
