A 1992 pamphlet published by the Regional Commission on Airport Affairs (RCAA) warns that the Port of Seattle's expansion plan for Sea-Tac Airport — including the addition of a third runway — poses serious health risks to surrounding communities. Citing studies reviewed by physicians at Highline Community Hospital, the brochure links increased airport activity to higher rates of birth defects, cardiovascular disease, mental illness, and dangerous levels of air pollutants such as carbon monoxide, benzene, and lead. The document concludes that when health and community costs are fully considered, Sea-Tac expansion may be neither financially feasible nor ethically justifiable.Open full document
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A mailer produced by the Regional Commission on Airport Affairs (RCAA) warning that the Port of Seattle’s expansion plans for Sea-Tac Airport pose severe health risks to surrounding communities. The document cites medical experts and studies linking airport expansion to birth defects, mental illness, cardiovascular disease, and increased air pollution. It uses a cigarette pack imagery to draw a parallel between airport expansion and tobacco health hazards.