Category : Key Documents(137)

The FAA's 2016 NextGen Implementation Plan outlines progress on six major air traffic modernization programs, including ADS-B surveillance, Data Communications, and automation upgrades, which are reshaping operations across the National Airspace System. Key milestones include Data Comm departure clearance services being rolled out to over 56 airports by end of 2016, three years ahead of schedule, and a doubling of ADS-B-equipped aircraft since 2014. While this plan focuses on nationwide airspace modernization rather than Sea-Tac-specific noise policy, the technologies described—such as more precise flight routing—can have implications for aircraft flight paths and noise impacts at airports like Sea-Tac.

This FAA document outlines the grant assurances that airport sponsors must agree to when accepting federal funding for airport development, planning, or noise compatibility programs. Sponsors are required to comply with a wide range of federal laws, regulations, and executive orders — including civil rights, environmental, and labor standards — for the duration of the project's useful life, generally up to 20 years. Key provisions include unlimited-duration obligations related to exclusive rights, airport revenue, and real property acquired with federal funds.

This 2005 memo from the White House Council on Environmental Quality instructs federal agencies on how to handle past actions when analyzing cumulative environmental impacts under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Agencies are not required to exhaustively catalog every past action, but must describe their current combined effects when those effects are relevant to a proposed action's foreseeable environmental impacts. The guidance emphasizes using the scoping process to focus analysis on truly significant cumulative effects rather than accumulating unnecessary background data.

A 2003 Washington State legislative memorandum outlines a proposed striking amendment to HB 2276, which would establish Aviation Mitigation Zones (AMZs) around large regional airports like Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to address noise impacts on nearby communities. The amendment would require the Port of Seattle to levy $10 million annually from 2004 to 2007 into a dedicated mitigation fund, with spending restricted to affected areas within the AMZ. An advisory board and competitive grant process would be created to help distribute funds to eligible local governments, schools, and nonprofits in impacted neighborhoods such as Burien, Des Moines, Tukwila, and Normandy Park.

A King County motion to adopt the King County International Airport’s Federal Aviation Regulation Part 150 Noise and Land Use Compatibility Study and to accept federal grants for implementing recommended programs. The motion outlines the airport’s economic importance and various noise mitigation strategies including sound insulation programs, flight restrictions, and a Ground Run-up enclosure.

This January 2002 Revised Draft Environmental Impact Statement evaluates proposed improvements to SR 509 and I-5 in southwest King County, Washington, including a freeway extension to enhance southern access to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The study, prepared jointly by the Federal Highway Administration, WSDOT, Port of Seattle, King County, and the Cities of SeaTac and Des Moines, examines three build alternatives and a no-action alternative, differing in their proximity to Des Moines Creek Park and the airport runway protection zone. The proposed SR 509 extension corridor would be a minimum of 200 feet wide to accommodate general purpose and high-occupancy vehicle lanes in each direction.

The original Interlocal Agreement (ILA) between the Port of Seattle and the City of SeaTac.