Update from Burien Airport Committee

The City of Burien is calling on Port of Seattle Commissioners to overhaul their decades-old noise insulation program after hundreds of Port-installed soundproofing packages in homes near Sea-Tac Airport have degraded or failed with no repairs made. A 2024 pilot program contacted 3,000 homeowners but evaluated only 30, and none qualified for repair under the Port's narrow federal-funding criteria. Burien is urging the Port to fund a broader replacement program using its own resources, pointing to San Francisco International Airport's locally funded model as a potential template.

Notes

An agenda bill for the Burien City Council Regular Meeting on October 6, 2025, presenting an update from the Burien Airport Committee (BAC) on its work involving the Port of Seattle, StART, and health and environmental issues related to Sea-Tac Airport operations. The bill includes a letter to Port of Seattle Commissioners raising concerns about the multi-decade failure to repair or replace Port-installed noise insulation packages (Port packages) in Burien homes, and recommends the Council approve and sign the letter.

V V