August 23, 2001August 2, 2026

Notice of Appeal: Airport Communities Coalition v. Washington Department of Ecology and Port Of Seattle

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The Airport Communities Coalition (ACC), representing the Cities of Burien, Des Moines, Federal Way, Normandy Park, Tukwila, and the Highline School District, filed a Notice of Appeal with the Pollution Control Hearings Board challenging the Washington Department of Ecology’s August 10, 2001 issuance of Clean Water Act Section 401 Certification No. 1996-4-02325 and accompanying Coastal Zone Management Act Section 307(c)(3) concurrence statement. The appeal concerns the certification and concurrence related to the Port of Seattle’s proposed Third Runway and related projects at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. ACC contends that independent scientists and aviation experts identified substantive scientific flaws and insufficient information in the Port’s application.

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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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