A victory for meaningful environmental review in San Juan County

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, May 13, 2026

On May 6, 2026, the San Juan County Hearing Examiner issued a decision that reinforced our state’s mandate for meaningful environmental review. He issued that decision in response to concerns that Shaw Islanders raised about the county’s inadequate review of the impacts of their proposal to convert a tranquil residential property to an industrial zone at the northwest end of Shaw Island. To satisfy state law, the County had to complete an environmental checklist to identify and provide mitigation for all environmental impacts that could result from designating the property for the new use. Rather than study the impacts of dumping ditch spoils and conducting commercial burn piles, among other proposed industrial activities, the County admitted it had done no analysis and had performed no environmental studies.

A group of Shaw Islanders brought an appeal to have this omission corrected. The Hearing Examiner’s Decision has provided the needed correction. The Decision requires “the County, before operations commence, to identify proposed uses and operational activities, prepare traffic and stormwater analysis, obtain water and sewage approvals, identify all materials proposed for storage or handling, evaluate contamination and stormwater risks, address burning and vegetation disposal, and conduct additional SEPA review if later information identify probably significant adverse impact not adequately addressed.”

The clear need for this kind of environmental review is now on display at the Shaw Island Community Building. Public Works has dumped a mountain of ditch spoils next to the Community building, spilling over onto the community’s lawn where children and pets play. Thousands of square feet of untested ditch spoils have been piled directly on a parking area with no cover to prevent wind-blown dust or erosion control for water runoff. According to a conversation with the State Department of Ecology, this type of dumping requires specific safeguards, which have not been followed. Just imagine, if that type of activity can occur at the primary gathering place on the busiest road on Shaw Island, what could have happened in a quiet residential corner along Neck Point Road without the Decision?

This excellent Decision will provide the county with good guidance for considering future requests to redesignate rural lands for intense industrial use.

Lynn Bahrych, J.D., Ph.D., Shaw Island