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The Airport Communities Coalition (ACC) filed a motion before the Pollution Control Hearings Board seeking an order compelling entry upon the Third Runway/Master Plan Update project area to observe, photograph, and sample soils, wetlands, and streams. ACC argues the Port of Seattle has routinely granted unfettered site access to Ecology officials and public groups without preconditions, but has repeatedly obstructed ACC’s CR 34 request for entry by demanding excessive detail and offering no proposed dates. The motion details the history of correspondence between ACC and Port counsel from November through December 2001.

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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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