Notes

The Washington State Department of Ecology filed this reply in support of its Motion in Limine to preclude Thomas F. Luster from testifying as an expert witness on behalf of the Airport Communities Coalition (ACC) before the Pollution Control Hearings Board. Ecology argues that Luster, a former senior Ecology employee, took an active part in the investigation of the Port of Seattle’s Third Runway Clean Water Act Section 401 certification application and is therefore barred from testifying under WAC 371-08-475(7). The document refutes four arguments made by ACC, including the contention that Luster had no role in the October 2000 application renewal.

Sidebar On/Off

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.

continue...

V V

Notes

Message