(1) The department may serve upon a project proponent a stop work order, which is a final order of the department, if:

(a) There is any severe violation of this chapter or of the rules implementing this chapter or there is a deviation from the hydraulic project approval that may cause significant harm to fish life; and

(b) Immediate action is necessary to prevent continuation of or to avoid more than minor harm to fish life or fish habitat.

(2)(a) The stop work order must set forth:

(i) A description of the condition that is not in compliance and the text of the specific section or subsection of this chapter or the rules that implement this chapter;

(ii) A statement of what is required to achieve compliance;

(iii) The date by which the department requires compliance;

(iv) Notice of the means to contact any technical assistance services provided by the department or others;

(v) Notice of when, where, and to whom the request to extend the time to achieve compliance for good cause may be filed with the department; and

(vi) The right to an appeal.

(b) A stop work order may require that any project proponent stop all work connected with the violation until corrective action is taken. A stop work order may also require that any project proponent take corrective action to prevent, correct, or compensate for adverse impacts to fish life and fish habitat.

(c) A stop work order must be authorized by senior or executive department personnel. The department shall initiate rule making to identify the appropriate level of senior and executive level staff approval for these actions based on the level of financial effect on the violator and the scope and scale of the impact to fish life and habitat.

(3) Within five business days of issuing the stop work order, the department shall mail a copy of the stop work order to the last known address of any project proponent, to the last known address of the owner of the land on which the hydraulic project is located, and to the local jurisdiction in which the hydraulic project is located. The department must take all measures reasonably calculated to ensure that the project proponent actually receives notice of the stop work order.

(4) Issuance of a stop work order may be informally appealed by a project proponent who was served with the stop work order or who received a copy of the stop work order from the department, or by the owner of the land on which the hydraulic project is located, to the department within thirty days from the date of receipt of the stop work order. Requests for informal appeal must be filed in the form and manner prescribed by the department by rule. A stop work order that has been informally appealed to the department is appealable to the board within thirty days from the date of receipt of the department’s decision on the informal appeal.

(5) The project proponent who was served with the stop work order or who received a copy of the stop work order from the department, or the owner of the land on which the hydraulic project is located, may commence an appeal to the board within thirty days from the date of receipt of the stop work order. If such an appeal is commenced, the proceeding is an adjudicative proceeding under the administrative procedure act, chapter 34.05 RCW. The recipient of the stop work order must comply with the order of the department immediately upon being served, but the board may stay, modify, or discontinue the order, upon motion, under such conditions as the board may impose.

(6) This section does not apply to a project, or to that portion of a project, that has received a forest practices hydraulic project permit from the department of natural resources pursuant to chapter 76.09 RCW.

(7) For the purposes of this section, “project proponent” has the same meaning as defined in RCW 77.55.410(3).

Finding—Intent—2019 c 290: See note following RCW 77.12.085.