June 8, 2001August 2, 2026

EPA Region 10 Letter to Army Corps of Engineers Regarding Port Of Seattle Sea-Tac Airport Third Runway Project

Notes

EPA Region 10 submitted comments to the Seattle District Corps of Engineers reviewing the third public notice for the Port of Seattle Sea-Tac Airport project. The letter addresses wetland impacts, hydrological concerns, and compliance with Clean Water Act §404(b)1 guidelines for a project involving approximately 20 million cubic yards of fill affecting 18.37 acres of wetlands and 980 feet of Miller Creek. EPA raises concerns about hydrological impacts from the retaining wall, borrow pit excavations, and future land use of vacant parcels.

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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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