August 7, 2001August 2, 2026

EXH AR017915: Ecology Briefing Document for Governor Locke — Third Runway Proposal at Sea-Tac Airport

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Department of Ecology memorandum dated August 7, 2001, from Director Tom Fitzsimmons to Governor Gary Locke, briefing on Ecology’s decision to approve with conditions a 401 Water Quality Certification to Port Of Seattle for construction of a third runway at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac Airport). Covers project impacts including 18.37 acres of wetlands, 980 linear feet of Miller Creek fill, stormwater management plan (SMP), low-flow mitigation plan (LFMP), 390.1 acre-feet detention requirements, 201.14 acres of wetland mitigation in Auburn near Green River, Clean Water Act Section 401/404, Coastal Zone Management Act, King County Stormwater Management Manual, Des Moines Creek, Walker Creek, Green-Duwamish Basin. Cover email AR017915 from Raymond Hellwig to Thomas Fitzsimmons, Gordon White, Ann Kenny, Curt Hart, Joan Marchioro (ATG), Tom Young (ATG), dated August 6, 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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