March 13, 2002August 2, 2026

Prehearing brief of Appellant ACC and prehearing brief of Intervenor-Appellant Citizens Against Sea-Tac Expansion

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A prehearing brief filed before the Pollution Control Hearings Board by the Airport Communities Coalition (ACC) and Citizens Against Sea-Tac Expansion (CASE) challenging the Department of Ecology’s 401 Water Quality Certification for the Sea-Tac Airport Third Runway project. The brief describes the massive scale of the project, including 20 million cubic yards of fill, impacts to over 700 acres, and effects on wetlands, fish-bearing streams, and water quality. It argues that the project fails to meet Washington State water quality standards applicable to Class AA waters including Des Moines, Miller, and Walker Creeks.

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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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