Category : Correspondence(303)

In a March 2020 letter to the FAA Administrator, King County Councilmember Dave Upthegrove urges the FAA to conduct a full Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) covering both short- and long-term projects for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport's expansion, rather than splitting the review into separate studies. Upthegrove argues that a piecemeal approach risks undermining the integrity of the environmental analysis, particularly given the airport's significant noise and air pollution impacts on surrounding communities. He calls for the comprehensive EIS to include mitigation strategies addressing all projects outlined in the Port of Seattle's Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP).

This January 2020 FAA document updates a flight procedure at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), allowing the airport's air traffic control tower to automatically direct southbound turboprop aircraft to make a westerly turn shortly after takeoff during north-flow operations, between 6am and 10pm. The change, which applies to roughly 90% of affected turboprop departures, was previously halted after the City of Burien filed a legal challenge. A thorough environmental and noise review found only minor noise increases in some areas, well below the FAA's thresholds requiring further review.

In December 2019, the Port of Seattle and six surrounding cities (SeaTac, Burien, Des Moines, Federal Way, Tukwila, and Normandy Park) wrote to Washington's congressional delegation urging action on airplane noise and emissions around Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The letter called for the FAA to release completed noise studies, fund health research on overflight impacts, and support an environmental mitigation pilot program under the 2018 FAA Reauthorization Act. It also backed new legislation targeting ultrafine particle emissions, secondary noise insulation for homes, and broader alternatives to commercial air travel.

In December 2019, the Port of Seattle and six surrounding cities wrote to FAA Administrator Steve Dickson urging swift action on noise-related provisions of the 2018 FAA Reauthorization Act. The letter highlights three key priorities: updating the 65 DNL noise standard, studying the health impacts of aircraft overflight noise on local communities, and establishing an environmental mitigation pilot program. The signatories also raised the possibility of allowing secondary noise insulation investments for homes where previous FAA-funded packages have failed.

In a November 2019 letter to the Washington State Department of Commerce, SeaTac Mayor Erin Sitterley raised concerns about the management of the state-mandated Seattle-Tacoma International Airport Study, which SeaTac was funding to the tune of $150,000. The city questioned whether the study's consultant, Stantec, had strayed from the original technical scope of work, cited worries about monitoring stations placed outside the defined study area, and expressed doubt that the study could be completed on time and within budget. The letter demanded a full accounting of project expenditures—including consultant travel costs from Dallas—and requested that public input be limited until after a draft report was reviewed by the Technical Advisory Committee.