June 4, 2001August 2, 2026

EXH AR017293: Ecology Internal Emails — Acceptable Fill Criteria Language for Draft 401 Certification, Sea-Tac Third Runway

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Internal deliberative emails from Kevin Fitzpatrick (NWRO Water Quality Program Section Manager) to Chung K. Yee, Ann Kenny, Ching-Pi Wang, and others at Washington State Department of Ecology regarding development of acceptable clean fill criteria language for the 401 Water Quality Certification for the Sea-Tac Airport Third Runway (Sea-Tac Master Plan Improvements project). Emails reference Pete Kmet (TCP), US Fish & Wildlife Service Biological Opinion conditions on fill quality and placement, MTCA regulations, and borrow site impacts. Draft fill criteria language (sections E6–E7c) specifies state-certified borrow pits, contractor-certified construction sites, and Port-owned property as acceptable fill sources, with documentation and site investigation requirements. AR 017293, AR 017294, AR 017295. Marked as deliberative document currently exempt from public disclosure.

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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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