Air pollution: A study with particular reference to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport

A 1992 report by the Regional Commission on Airport Affairs found that Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, despite occupying less than 0.2% of King County's land, was responsible for 8% of the county's carbon monoxide emissions and 5% of its nitrogen oxide emissions, along with significant quantities of toxic pollutants like benzene. At the time of the report, the airport had no air-pollution monitoring system in place, and the author argued this represented a critical gap in the airport's Environmental Impact Statement that urgently needed to be addressed.

Notes

A 1992 report by the Regional Commission on Airport Affairs examining air pollution at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The study highlights that Sea-Tac, occupying only 0.18% of King County land, contributed 8% of carbon monoxide and 5% of nitrogen oxide emissions in King County in 1991. The report identifies numerous unmonitored air pollutants including benzene, a known carcinogen, and calls the lack of an air-pollution monitoring system a ‘fatal flaw’ in the FlightPlan Environmental Impact Statement.

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