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The Podcast!
Subscribe to the only podcast devoted to helping people under the flight path everywhere. It’s definitely not just about noise!Most Recent: Ep #32 Emergency! Do This... (Part 1/3 Mind The Gaps)
The Issues
The Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP) is the blueprint for increasing flight capacity by one third in the next ten years. It will have the same community impact as the Third Runway. In fact, it is happening now. How this is possible, and what it means for us.continue...
A two minute presentation on how the Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP) will increase flight operations at Sea-Tac Airport as much as a new runway. Without a new runway.continue...
Does your home have a Port Package of noise mitigation windows and insulation? Having problems with your windows? Mold? You're not alone. Help us help you.continue... -
The SAMP SEPA EIS Public Comment Period is open now from May 22 – July 21, 2026. Learn what is coming and what you can do to help reduce the noise, the pollution, and obtain the compensation we’ve deserved for decades.Top Story
KIRO7: Public weighs in on Port of Seattle Sustainable Airport Master Plan
June 8, 2026
It’s no secret that the Puget Sound region is growing. To keep up with the increasing demands, The Port of Seattle created the Sustainable Airport Master Plan, a blueprint for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to address the increasing volume of passengers and cargo.
The public can now comment on the draft environmental impact statement, available here.
The plan outlines 31 near-term projects to manage regional growth, and key components include a new terminal designed to feature 19 gates.
Wendy Reiter, managing director of aviation for the Port of Seattle, emphasized the necessity of these developments in a recent meeting.
“These projects are essential for positioning SEA to meet the demand we know is coming, while making the most effective use of our constrained footprint,” Reiter said. “Without these investments, we risk limiting the state’s economic competitiveness and further eroding the level of service travelers’ experience.”
While some are excited for all the possibilities this plan could bring, others are worried about what will happen to the communities that are impacted the most.
JC Harris, a co-founder of the group Sea-Tac Noise, has actively engaged in efforts to address the airport’s effects on surrounding areas for 10 years. His organization aims to find long-term solutions for communities living with the airport.
“They always said that if the airport expanded, the benefits would accrue to everyone around the airport. That is not true,” Harris said. “What has happened is the prosperity aspect of it tends to go north, east.”
Sea-Tac Noise advocates for more research into the effects of airport noise and air pollution. The group also calls for stricter regulation and progressive compensation for communities most affected by the airport’s operations.
“There needs be something where a city like Des Moines or Burien that has these ever-growing budget deficits. That sounds abstract to people, but that means you can’t provide for your parks, your roads, your public safety, your public health concerns. Everything in a city, if you’re near the airport, weakens over time,” Harris said.
He said he’d like to see an economic benefit for those communities, as well as research into health impacts that the cities don’t have to pay for.
The public is invited to provide feedback on the state’s environmental assessment concerning the airport plan. Harris encouraged community members to participate in this process.
The public comment period for the state’s environmental assessment of the Sustainable Airport Master Plan concludes on July 21.
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Recent Stories
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Ep #32 Emergency! Do This… (Part 1/3 Mind The Gaps)
**Discover why environmental progress stalled for airport communities while cars got cleaner** Ever wonder why your car's emissions have dramatically improved over decades, but aviation seems stuck in the past? In this eye-opening episode of The Airport Communities Podcast, we explore the fascinating tale of two environmental paths that diverged after 1970. While Washington Senator Scoop Jackson spearheaded NEPA—one of the largest expansions of environmental policy in American history—and California secured game-changing carve-outs in the Clean Air Act that led to massive air quality improvements, aviation somehow got left behind. Despite Boeing being headquartered in Washington, aviation environmental standards never caught up. UW Meteorologist Cliff Mass delivers some stark perspective: those two annual flights to Europe generate more greenhouse gases than most people produce in their entire homes over a year. Meanwhile, Boeing's monopoly status has eliminated market incentives for cleaner technology. This wasn't an oversight—it was intentional. Today, every airport community continues paying the price for decisions made decades ago that exempted aviation from automotive-level engineering standards. -
Ep #31 Emergency! The only winning move (3/3)
**Discover why environmental progress stalled for airport communities while cars got cleaner** Ever wonder why your car's emissions have dramatically improved over decades, but aviation seems stuck in the past? In this eye-opening episode of The Airport Communities Podcast, we explore the fascinating tale of two environmental paths that diverged after 1970. While Washington Senator Scoop Jackson spearheaded NEPA—one of the largest expansions of environmental policy in American history—and California secured game-changing carve-outs in the Clean Air Act that led to massive air quality improvements, aviation somehow got left behind. Despite Boeing being headquartered in Washington, aviation environmental standards never caught up. UW Meteorologist Cliff Mass delivers some stark perspective: those two annual flights to Europe generate more greenhouse gases than most people produce in their entire homes over a year. Meanwhile, Boeing's monopoly status has eliminated market incentives for cleaner technology. This wasn't an oversight—it was intentional. Today, every airport community continues paying the price for decisions made decades ago that exempted aviation from automotive-level engineering standards. -
Ep #30 Emergency! NTP (2/3)
**Discover why environmental progress stalled for airport communities while cars got cleaner** Ever wonder why your car's emissions have dramatically improved over decades, but aviation seems stuck in the past? In this eye-opening episode of The Airport Communities Podcast, we explore the fascinating tale of two environmental paths that diverged after 1970. While Washington Senator Scoop Jackson spearheaded NEPA—one of the largest expansions of environmental policy in American history—and California secured game-changing carve-outs in the Clean Air Act that led to massive air quality improvements, aviation somehow got left behind. Despite Boeing being headquartered in Washington, aviation environmental standards never caught up. UW Meteorologist Cliff Mass delivers some stark perspective: those two annual flights to Europe generate more greenhouse gases than most people produce in their entire homes over a year. Meanwhile, Boeing's monopoly status has eliminated market incentives for cleaner technology. This wasn't an oversight—it was intentional. Today, every airport community continues paying the price for decisions made decades ago that exempted aviation from automotive-level engineering standards. -
Ep #29 Emergency! Be Prepared (1/3)
**Discover why environmental progress stalled for airport communities while cars got cleaner** Ever wonder why your car's emissions have dramatically improved over decades, but aviation seems stuck in the past? In this eye-opening episode of The Airport Communities Podcast, we explore the fascinating tale of two environmental paths that diverged after 1970. While Washington Senator Scoop Jackson spearheaded NEPA—one of the largest expansions of environmental policy in American history—and California secured game-changing carve-outs in the Clean Air Act that led to massive air quality improvements, aviation somehow got left behind. Despite Boeing being headquartered in Washington, aviation environmental standards never caught up. UW Meteorologist Cliff Mass delivers some stark perspective: those two annual flights to Europe generate more greenhouse gases than most people produce in their entire homes over a year. Meanwhile, Boeing's monopoly status has eliminated market incentives for cleaner technology. This wasn't an oversight—it was intentional. Today, every airport community continues paying the price for decisions made decades ago that exempted aviation from automotive-level engineering standards. -
Port of Seattle Commission May 26, 2026
Introduction of SAMP-NTP 2026 05 26 Regular Meeting Packet At almost four hours, the May 26 Port Commission meeting had several lengthy presentations. The longest was not the one of interest to airport communities: the first public briefing on the Sustainable Airport Master Plan Near-Term Projects SEPA Draft EIS. The practical outcomes: no required mitigations
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Upcoming Events
10a. Introduction of Resolution Nos. 3849 and 3850: Issuance and Sale of Intermediate Lien Revenue Refunding Bonds (Not-to-Exceed $250,000,000) and Issuance and Sale of First Lien Revenue Refunding Bonds (Not-to-Exceed $70,000,000)
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11b. SEA Stakeholder Advisory Round Table (StART) Annual Report
11c. 2026 State Legislative Session Review
I. CALL TO ORDER 10:30 a.m. II. ITEM OF BUSINESS Commission Planning Retreat 2026 III. ADJOURNMENT Document Link
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By King Conservation District Midway CovenantDes Moines, WA Saturday, June 20 • 10 AM – 2 PM Overview Join us for free lead and arsenic soil testing at our SoilSHOP event at Midway Covenant in Des Moines! Puget Sound has a rich history of land and industry – but industrial practices from long ago may
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From The Web
Customers line up to board Alaska’s inaugural trans-Pacific flight to Tokyo at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport last year. Fatal aviation incidents are rare, but because they are highly publicized and… (Kevin Clark / The Seattle Times, 2025)More By Lauren Rosenblatt Seattle Times business reporter If you’re worried about flying on an airplane, you’ve probably heard this [...]
From The Library
A report examining the barriers to implementing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in Massachusetts, authored by Neil Rasmussen and Chuck Collins from the Institute for Policy Studies. The report analyzes challenges and obstacles facing SAF adoption in the state.continue...
Under The Flight Path
Under The Flight Path: A Community History of Sea-Tac Airport. Help us complete the first comprehensive documentary of any major US airport; the impacts on the cities and the people.continue...
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