Category : Legislation(152)

King County Ordinance No. 2883, passed in September 1976, officially adopted the Sea-Tac Communities Plan as an addendum to the King County Comprehensive Plan, establishing it as the guiding policy for land use, development, and redevelopment around Sea-Tac International Airport. The plan, developed with Federal Aviation Administration grant funding and extensive community involvement, addresses noise programs, open space acquisition areas, and compatible land use in the airport's vicinity. It required coordination between King County and the Port of Seattle on any future changes, with the Highline Communities Plan designated as the official zoning guideline for implementing its land use concepts.

Resolution No. 2626, adopted by the Port of Seattle Commission on June 8, 1976, formally accepted the Sea-Tac/Communities Plan as a guide for developing Sea-Tac International Airport in a way that maximizes compatibility with surrounding neighborhoods. The resolution directed Port staff to pursue federal funding for land acquisition in flight path zones, establish an aircraft noise monitoring system, and launch a pilot acoustic insulation program for nearby homes. Total noise abatement efforts were estimated to cost approximately $50 million over a ten-year period, with funding expected from airport revenues and federal assistance.

The Clean Air Amendments of 1970 (Public Law 91-604) strengthened the federal Clean Air Act by expanding research into the health and environmental effects of air pollutants, increasing grant funding to state and regional air pollution control agencies, and establishing a framework for national ambient air quality standards. The law required the EPA Administrator to publish and maintain a list of harmful air pollutants and issue scientific criteria for each within 12 months of listing. It also directed states to take primary responsibility for meeting national air quality standards within their borders through mandatory implementation plans.