Cary Moon, head of the pro-surface/transit People's Waterfront Coalition, says she thinks it will actually be good for surface/transit supporters like Mayor Mike McGinn if the city is no longer a co-lead on the deep-bore tunnel project. (Council president Richard Conlin signed off on the supplemental draft environmental impact statement for the tunnel yesterday; McGinn said Conlin's signature isn't valid, and that as a result, the city is no longer a co-lead on the project, meaning that it no longer has a seat at the table during negotiations with the state.)

Moon's argument: As an active participant in the project negotiations, the city is (or was---it remains an open question whether Conlin's signature is valid) barred from filing a complaint against the project under the State Environmental Policy Act. If the city is no longer bound by those requirements, it would have more leverage to raise questions and complaints about the EIS---and, potentially, to sue under SEPA.

"As co-lead, the city had a really murky relationship with the state," Moon said. If the city is no longer bound by that relationship, "the city can point out the real risks and force the state to find the funding to protect Seattle's interests," Moon said.

During his press conference this morning, McGinn said coyly that although he personally has "no plans for litigation ... what we know about EISs is that they get challenged by those who are dissatisfied with their quality on a regular basis. ... It's highly possible that someone will challenge it."