September 12, 2001August 2, 2026

EXH AR008048: Declaration of Dr. Peter Willing in Support of ACC’s Motion for Stay — Section 401 Certification No. 1996-4-02325

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Declaration by Dr. Peter Willing, Principal of Water Resources Consulting LLC (Bellingham), filed in Pollution Control Hearings Board Case No. 01-133, Airport Communities Coalition v. State of Washington Department of Ecology and Port Of Seattle. Supports ACC’s motion for stay of Ecology’s Section 401 Water Quality Certification No. 1996-4-02325 and CZMA concurrency statement issued August 10, 2001, for Sea-Tac Airport third runway construction. Willing identifies two specific deficiencies: (1) flawed low streamflow analysis and changing plans for Des Moines Creek Flow Augmentation Facility, and (2) inadequate stormwater management plans under the Sea-Tac Stormwater Master Plan. References Section 404 permit application, NPDES permit major modification, Best Management Practices, Class AA streams, and water quality standards violations.

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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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