Port Thanks Senator Murray for Inclusion of $3 Million Environmental Mitigation Provision in Transportation Funding Bill

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March 11, 2024

For Immediate Release
Contact: Perry Cooper | SEA Airport
(206) 787-4923 | cooper.p@portseattle.org

Provision could support secondary sound insulation assessment

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SEATTLE – The Port of Seattle expresses its deepest appreciation for the successful efforts made by U.S. Senator Patty Murray (WA) to include $3 million in federal funding in the final fiscal year 2024 Transportation Appropriations bill approved Friday. Funds could be used for the assessment of homes eligible to receive secondary noise insulation. The federal funding coincides with the Port’s Sound Insulation Repair and Replacement Program.

This pilot program, which was sponsored by Commission President Hamdi Mohamed and unanimously approved by the Port Commission last month, allocates $5 million toward the repair and replacement of ineffective sound insulation packages provided to residents of communities near Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA).

The grant provision allows applications for federal funding to help pay for assessments like the one included in the Port pilot program, which aims to determine how many previous installations need to be repaired or replaced. The Commission directed $1.5 million for such an assessment to be completed by the end of 2024. The Port hopes to apply for the newly approved federal funding to help fund the current assessment.

“Senator Murray has truly championed the issue of noise insulation in homes near SEA, and it has been an honor to work alongside her to advance this cause at the Port,” said Commission President Hamdi Mohamed . “Senator Murray has worked closely with us over the last several years to include key provisions in both the appropriations legislation as well as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act that continues to work its way through Congress. This year, I sponsored the Port’s groundbreaking Sound Insulation Repair and Replacement Pilot Program, which, for the first time, includes $5 million dollars to replace Port sound insulation packages confirmed to no longer function as intended. Thanks to Senator Murray’s leadership, the Port will be able to apply for these new federal funds to help swiftly identify and prioritize the homes with the greatest need for the Port’s pilot program.”

Current program continues

In 2020, the Port accelerated its sound insulation projects for homes, apartments, condominiums, and places of worship to be completed in less than half of its scheduled timeline. Since then, the Port approved $40 million for more than 215 apartment units, began insulation of the first condominium units, procured $35 million in funding from the FAA Airport Improvement Program, and approved $25.9 million in funding for places of worship.

The Port has completed nearly $300 million in sound reduction improvements for communities surrounding the airport, plus another $100 million for school buildings. Sound insulation near the airport is typically funded with approximately 80% in grants from the FAA and 20% funding from SEA Airport revenues. Completed work includes:

Installation of sound insulation in over 9,400 single family homes
Sound insulation in 246 condo units in five complexes
Investments of $100 million for sound insulation ($50 million from the Port and $50 million from the FAA) in noise-impacted school buildings; 10 of 15 identified schools are complete
Expenditures of $14 million for sound insulation in 14 Highline College buildings

Read our sound insulation program page to learn more.