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Airport Communities Coalition (ACC) and CASE filed this response opposing the Port of Seattle’s motion for partial summary judgment on SEPA issues before the Pollution Control Hearings Board. The response argues that the Port misrepresents the SEPA issues at stake, specifically whether Ecology correctly found the Port in compliance with SEPA for CZMA certification purposes given significant new proposals lacking environmental review. ACC identifies several major plans—including a Natural Resources Mitigation Plan, Comprehensive Stormwater Management Plan, and Low Streamflow Analysis—for which no SEPA review has been conducted.

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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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