Cumulative Impacts? Thurston County Issues SEPA Decision on Taylor/Arcadia Geoduck Farms

Thurston County has issued Mitigated Determination of Non-Significance SEPA decisions for 3 geoduck farms, 2 operated by Arcadia Point Seafood and one by Taylor Shellfish. All are on located on the west side of Henderson Inlet.

These geoduck farms were first proposed in 2010. In early 2011 Thurston County told Taylor and Arcadia they would need to apply for Shoreline Development Permits. Taylor and Arcadia appealed that decision. After large legal expenses funded by current geoduck operations, and long delays in the permitting process which they complained about, they were told by the Superior Court they needed to apply for a permit.

A recent Hearing Examiner decision told Taylor Shellfish they needed to consider cumulative impacts of existing shellfish operations for another Thurston County aquaculture project. Thurston County's planning department has felt that advice does not apply to these projects.

Taylor Shellfish and Arcadia Point Seafoods will still need to apply for a Shoreline Permit.