February 1, 2019July 31, 2026

2018 StART annual report

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Port of Seattle

The 2018 StART Annual Report documents the activities of the Sea-Tac Stakeholder Advisory Round Table, a group formed to improve cooperation between the Port of Seattle and communities surrounding Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The report covers meeting objectives, the development of community priorities, and the establishment of an Aviation Noise Working Group aimed at addressing noise concerns affecting neighboring residents. It also outlines revised operating procedures and a near-term action agenda to guide noise-related efforts into 2019.

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The 2018 Annual Report of the Sea-Tac Stakeholder Advisory Round Table (StART) documents the group’s activities, meeting objectives, and key discussion topics for 2018. It covers the formation and purpose of StART, the development of priorities, the establishment of the Aviation Noise Working Group, and outlines plans for 2019. The report was prepared by Civic Alchemy and Floyd|Snider on behalf of the Port of Seattle.

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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