September 7, 2000August 2, 2026

401 Certification for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport: Preliminary review comments on the Stormwater Management Plan

Notes

Northwest Hydraulic Consultants submitted preliminary review comments to the Washington State Department of Ecology regarding the August 2000 Preliminary Comprehensive Stormwater Management Plan for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport Master Plan Update Improvements. The letter identifies significant discrepancies in the evaluation of baseflow impacts, concerns about speculative water rights acquisition estimates, cumulative impact assessment gaps, and inconsistencies between the SMP and the Natural Resource Mitigation Plan. The consultants also object to the inadequate time provided for review of the four-volume SMP.

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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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