In this Winter 2019 edition of Des Moines City Currents, Mayor Matt Pina outlines the city's strong opposition to Sea-Tac Airport's expansion plans, arguing that rapid growth between 2012 and 2017—including surging passenger numbers, aircraft operations, and air cargo—has already caused disproportionate noise, health, and environmental impacts on surrounding communities. The city formally called on the Port of Seattle to conduct a comprehensive environmental review under Washington State's SEPA laws before approving any further capacity-building projects, and specifically demanded that issues such as nighttime flight noise, fuel dumping, ultra-fine particle emissions, and Third Runway usage be included in the scoping process. Members of the city's Aviation Advisory Committee also voiced concerns about the health toll on residents, outdated federal standards, and the need for alternatives such as a second regional airport.Open full document
Notes
Des Moines Mayor Matt Pina discusses the city’s strong financial position, including a bond rating upgrade to AA+, and the city’s formal opposition to Sea-Tac Airport expansion through comments on the Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP) scoping process. The article includes a letter to the Port of Seattle outlining environmental review concerns and quotes from Aviation Advisory Committee members on airport impacts. The newsletter also announces upcoming ‘Coffee with a Cop’ community events.