September 27, 2017July 31, 2026

Regional air quality briefing: Highline Forum

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Port of Seattle

Highline Forum 2017

A September 2017 regional air quality briefing presented by the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency to the Highline Forum covers air pollution sources, trends in south King County, and efforts to improve air quality in the region. The presentation also introduces an upcoming University of Washington study on ultrafine particle pollution, which is particularly relevant to communities near high-traffic corridors. The agency's vision emphasizes clean and healthy air for all residents regardless of socioeconomic status or location, covering four counties: King, Pierce, Snohomish, and Kitsap.

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A presentation by Kathy Strange, Manager of Technical Analysis at the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, delivered to the Highline Forum on September 27, 2017. The briefing covers agency overview, priority air pollutants and affected communities, sources of pollution, air quality trends in south King County, improvement efforts, and an upcoming University of Washington study on ultrafine particle pollution.

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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