The Pollution Control Hearings Board ruled largely in favor of community groups ACC and CASE in their challenge to Sea-Tac Airport's water pollution permit, ordering stricter wastewater treatment standards and rejecting most of the Port's appeals. Key victories included requiring the airport to meet long-overdue water quality standards for its industrial wastewater discharged into Puget Sound, mandating improved toxicity testing during de-icing season, and directing a professional wetlands analysis of Lake Reba. Of the seven final directives issued by the Board, six favored the community appellants and only one favored the Port.Open full document
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A legal analysis by Rick Poulin summarizing the Pollution Control Hearings Board’s 73-page ruling on Sea-Tac Airport’s Section 402 water pollution permit, resulting from a challenge by ACC and CASE. The ruling was largely a victory for appellants, with the Board reversing Ecology’s AKART determination, requiring stricter water quality compliance for the Industrial Wastewater Treatment Plant, and rejecting virtually all of the Port of Seattle’s appeal issues. The document outlines the issues won by ACC/CASE, the issues the Port lost, and the few issues ACC/CASE did not prevail on.