May 8, 2026July 31, 2026

Sustainable Airport Master Plan near-term projects environmental review – SEPA draft environmental impact statement and public comment period

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This Commission agenda memorandum briefing provides an overview of the SEPA Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) findings for the Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP) Near-Term Projects, to be published May 22, 2026. The DEIS evaluated sixteen environmental resource categories, identifying significant but mitigable impacts to surface transportation. The briefing also outlines a 60-day public comment period (May 22–July 21, 2026) with four in-person public meetings and two virtual meetings, with the SEPA Final EIS anticipated by end of 2026.

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As the source for federal transportation grants, the Puget Sound Regional Council was charged with developing a system to meet the growing need for commercial aviation. When the search for a second airport failed, they authorized the Port of Seattle to build the Third Runway, with a mandate to develop a noise abatement and mitigation program. In their effort to stop the Third Runway, the ACC argued over every detail of the Port's efforts--including property buyouts and sound insulation. The dispute was meant to be settled by a three member Expert Arbitration Panel. This is their final report. It finds 2-1, that the Port's program was insufficient in several respects. Despite that, funding for the Third Runway was approved by the PSRC, and the 'Port Package' program, proceeded largely unchanged. Expert Arbitration Panel's final decision finding that the Port of Seattle had not shown sufficient reduction in real on-the-ground noise impacts to satisfy noise reduction conditions required for approval of a third runway at Sea-Tac International Airport. The majority decision concluded the Port's noise abatement programs were insufficient despite being impressive in scope.

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