Washington § 86.16.031 - Duties of the department of ecology.

The department of ecology shall:

(1) Review and approve county, city, or town floodplain management ordinances pursuant to RCW 86.16.041;

(2) When requested, provide guidance and assistance to local governments in development and amendment of their floodplain management ordinances;

(3) Provide technical assistance to local governments in the administration of their floodplain management ordinances;

(4) Provide local governments and the general public with information related to the national flood insurance program;

(5) When requested, provide assistance to local governments in enforcement actions against any individual or individuals performing activities within the floodplain that are not in compliance with local, state, or federal floodplain management requirements;

(6) Establish minimum state requirements that equal minimum federal requirements for the national flood insurance program;

(7) Assist counties, cities, and towns in identifying the location of the one hundred year floodplain, and petitioning the federal government to alter its designations of where the one hundred year floodplain is located if the federally recognized location of the one hundred year floodplain is found to be inaccurate; and

(8) Establish minimum state requirements for specific floodplains that exceed the minimum federal requirements for the national flood insurance program, but only if: (a) The location of the one hundred year floodplain has been reexamined and is certified by the department as being accurate; (b) negotiations have been held with the affected county, city, or town over these regulations; (c) public input from the affected community has been obtained; and (d) the department makes a finding that these increased requirements are necessary due to local circumstances and general public safety.