In this chapter the department of labor and industries shall be referred to as the "department"; the director of labor and industries as the "director"; the State Environmental Policy Act, chapter 43.21C RCW, as "SEPA"; chapter 197-10 WAC effective January 16, 1976 as the "SEPA guidelines"; and environmental impact statement as "EIS."

The rules contained in this chapter are to carry out the policy and procedures of SEPA and the SEPA guidelines, and shall govern the application of SEPA requirements to the department. These rules are adopted pursuant to the requirement of and authority provided by chapter 43.21C RCW and chapter 197-10 WAC.

From the effective date of this chapter the department in undertaking nonexempt actions shall conform to those relevant and applicable policies and procedures declared mandatory by the provisions of SEPA or the SEPA guidelines. Such pertinent and mandatory policy and procedures are hereby incorporated by reference and adopted as the policy and procedures of the department.

The words and terms in this chapter and in all proceedings of the department in compliance with SEPA shall be deemed to conform to the mandatory definitions contained in the SEPA guidelines.

All activities under programs administered by the department as of December 12, 1975 are hereby exempted, except the issuance of any license for the manufacture of explosives or the adoption or amendment by the department of any regulations incorporating general standards respecting the issuance of licenses authorizing the storage of explosives pursuant to chapter 70.74 RCW.

The adoption of any industrial health or safety regulations containing noise standards shall be considered a major action under this chapter. In addition all other exemptions provided by SEPA or the SEPA guidelines shall apply.

Compliance with the applicable mandatory SEPA guidelines as supplemented by this chapter shall be deemed to constitute compliance with this chapter.

The assistant director of any department, division, or head of any independent department section with major responsibility for any nonexempt action shall be the responsible official for the purpose of complying with SEPA. In any other case the director shall be the responsible official or he shall designate another person to be the responsible official.

There is hereby established a department public information center to carry out the functions contemplated by the SEPA guidelines, WAC 197-10-830, to be located in the offices of the department at Olympia, Washington. The department's public records officer shall have charge thereof.

The department shall maintain an EIS available register at its SEPA public information center. Said register shall be in the charge of the department's public records officer and it shall be available for public inspection and copying.

When actions are exempted from the requirements of SEPA or the SEPA guidelines because they are actions which must be taken immediately, or within a time too short to allow full compliance with SEPA or the SEPA guidelines to avoid an imminent danger to public or private property, or to prevent an imminent threat of serious environmental degradation, the responsible official shall prepare a written statement showing the nature of the action and the reasons for immediate action. Such statement shall be filed in the department's SEPA public information center.

When amendments are adopted to the SEPA guidelines the department shall adopt all amendments to this chapter within one hundred twenty days to bring this chapter into conformance with the SEPA guidelines as amended.

In promulgating rules in compliance with the SEPA guidelines and any environmental, social, health, safety, or other standards connected therewith, the department shall, pursuant to chapter 117, Laws of 1975-'76 2nd ex. sess., give appropriate consideration to economic values along with such other considerations.