May 23, 2000August 2, 2026

Review of Wetlands Impacts Resulting from Construction of Temporary Interchange at SR-509 and S. 176th Street

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A letter from Azous Environmental Sciences to the US Army Corps of Engineers reviewing potential wetland impacts from the SR-509 temporary interchange project associated with the third runway construction at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The author concludes that construction will result in direct impacts to Wetland 43 from sediment-laden stormwater discharges due to the steep slope conditions and inadequate erosion controls. The letter argues that the wetland boundary is approximately 50 feet closer to the construction zone than reported, and that temporary erosion measures are insufficient to protect the wetland.

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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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