October 8, 2001August 2, 2026

EXH AR007111: Declaration of Sally Nelson, Mayor, City of Burien — ACC v. Ecology & Port Of Seattle, PCHB No. 01-133 / 01-160

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Declaration of Sally Nelson, Mayor of Burien, filed October 8, 2001 in PCHB No. 01-133 and PCHB No. 01-160, Airport Communities Coalition v. State of Washington Department of Ecology and Port Of Seattle. Nelson supports ACC’s request for a stay of Ecology’s Clean Water Act Section 401 Certification (Department of Ecology Orders No. 1996-4-02325 and No. 1996-4-02325 Amended-1) for the Port Of Seattle’s Sea-Tac Airport third runway project. Declaration addresses Miller Creek, Walker Creek, salmon habitat, Tom Luster’s removal from the Section 401 process, air traffic demand projections, Boeing layoffs, post-September 11 aviation downturn, Army Corps Section 404 permit, and overriding public interest in water quality and Pollution Control Hearings Board review.

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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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