### Meeting Overview Whatcom County Council Committee of the Whole met on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, to continue reviewing multiple chapters of the county's comprehensive plan update. The meeting focused heavily on energy policy, agricultural economics, and infrastructure planning, with significant discussion about nuclear energy technologies and water access for farming. ### Key Terms and Concepts **Comprehensive Plan:** A long-term policy document that guides county development and land use decisions over a 20-year period, required by state law. **Nuclear Fusion vs. Fission:** Fusion combines hydrogen atoms to create helium (like the sun), while fission splits uranium atoms. Fusion produces only helium as waste and cannot be used for weapons. **Small Modular Reactors (SMRs):** Fourth-generation nuclear fission technology using smaller, supposedly safer reactor units that require less water than traditional nuclear plants. **Off-Grid Development:** Housing and facilities designed to operate independently from utility infrastructure, often using solar panels, battery storage, and alternative waste processing. **Source Separated Recycling:** Recyclables separated from garbage at the point of generation (your home), even if later combined into single-stream collection. **Agricultural Water Rights:** Legal entitlements to use water for farming purposes, critical for economic viability of agricultural land. **Adjudication:** Legal process to determine water rights in over-allocated river basins, currently ongoing for several Whatcom County watersheds. ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Kaylee Galloway | Council Chair, Committee of the Whole Chair | | Elizabeth Boyle | Council Member | | Barry Buchanan | Council Member | | Ben Elenbaas | Council Member | | Jessica Rienstra | Council Member | | Jon Scanlon | Council Member | | Mark Stremler | Council Member | | Eddie Urie | PUD Commissioner, invited guest speaker on nuclear energy | | Jed Holmes | Executive's Office staff, legislative update presenter | | Kimberly Tolene | Attorney for Council | | Jennifer Hayden | Health Department, Solid Waste Division | ### Background Context This meeting continued comprehensive plan discussions that determine how Whatcom County will grow and develop over the next 20 years. The council addressed several emerging policy challenges: how to enable new energy technologies while maintaining nuclear-free zone protections established by a 1984 citizen initiative; how to support agricultural viability amid ongoing water rights disputes; and how to modernize building codes for off-grid development. The nuclear energy discussion was particularly significant, as it could represent the first major reconsideration of the county's nuclear-free policies in over 40 years. ### What Happened — The Short Version The meeting covered six agenda items. Staff reported on the 2026 legislative session, highlighting $13 million in flood response funding and new ferry district authority. The council then worked through four comprehensive plan chapters, making amendments on trail naming, off-grid development policies, and nuclear energy. Most significantly, they changed language from "fusion" to "nuclear" energy, opening potential paths for both fusion and small modular reactor technologies. They also strengthened agricultural water access policies and updated child care workforce development language. ### What to Watch Next • April 7 meeting will address water-related policies across multiple comprehensive plan chapters, including adjudication impacts • Staff will prepare approved chapters for formal council introduction and public hearing • Follow-up needed on nuclear energy code amendments to align with comprehensive plan changes ---