Category : Correspondence(309)

Internal email chain dated September 27, 2000, among Washington State Department of Ecology staff Tom Luster, Raymond Hellwig, Joan Marchioro (ATG), Kevin Fitzpatrick, and Erik Stockdale, forwarded to Gordon White, marked ‘Attorney Client Privileged’ and ‘Deliberative Document.’ Concerns the Dinsmore project draft 401 certification denial letter and withdrawal letter (AR017924–017926). Luster raises concerns that the

A September 26, 2000 letter from Water Resources Consulting L.L.C. to the Washington State Department of Ecology critiques the Port of Seattle's plans to augment water flow in Des Moines Creek, a project related to Sea-Tac Airport operations. The letter identifies several serious flaws in the proposal, including the lack of a secured water source, concerns about water temperature and fluoride toxicity to fish, and a maintenance-intensive design prone to failure. The author concludes that the Port's 'preliminary design' does not provide reasonable assurance that water quality standards will be met.

Letter dated April 27, 2000 from Ann E. Kenny, Senior Permit Specialist, Washington State Department of Ecology (Northwest Regional Office), to William A. Rozeboom and K. Malcom Leytham of Northwest Hydraulic Consultants, Inc. Responds to their April 11, 2001 letter to Gordon White concerning Ecology’s review of Port Of Seattle’s December 2000 Low Streamflow Analysis.

In February 2000, the Regional Commission on Airport Affairs (RCAA) wrote to U.S. Senators Patty Murray and Slade Gorton urging an investigation into aviation safety concerns at Sea-Tac Airport, following a KIRO-TV news report that revealed hundreds of unreported near-misses, runway incursions, and mechanical problems documented in NASA AMES files. The RCAA argued that these hidden dangers raised serious questions about the Port of Seattle's plans to expand the airport with a third runway. The letter also requested a moratorium on expansion-related construction permits until a full safety investigation — ideally led by the FAA Inspector General — could be completed.

In this November 1999 letter, the Port of Seattle's Noise Abatement Program Manager responds to a Normandy Park resident's complaints about low-flying aircraft and late-night jet noise near Sea-Tac Airport. The letter explains that smaller propeller aircraft fly different, lower-altitude flight paths than jets for safety reasons, which brings them over residential neighborhoods like Normandy Park. It also notes that while Sea-Tac restricts older, louder aircraft between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., the Port lacks legal authority to restrict newer aircraft, though it works with airlines to minimize nighttime noise.

A October 1999 laboratory analysis report from Aquatic Research Incorporated details water sample testing conducted for Parametrix/Port of Seattle. One water sample collected on October 8-11, 1999 was tested for total suspended solids, petroleum hydrocarbons (diesel and motor oil), and total metals including cadmium, copper, lead, and zinc. Results showed low levels of contaminants, with zinc detected at 0.102 mg/l and copper at 0.0070 mg/l, while diesel and motor oil levels fell below detection limits.

In a June 1998 letter to a Seattle Times reporter, Washington State legislators Karen Keiser and Julia Patterson urged media coverage of the Port of Seattle's violations of federal grant rules governing its noise remedy programs near Sea-Tac Airport. The State Auditor's Office confirmed the Port failed to obtain required written support from surrounding local jurisdictions, while auditors at Deloitte and Touche had repeatedly flagged the same violations without the Port taking corrective action. Over $130 million in federal funds had already been spent insulating and assisting homeowners, with an additional $11 million needed to redo 1,141 homes due to building-code violations that local consultation might have prevented.

This Port of Seattle document explains flight track plots for propeller aircraft at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, showing the ground paths of arrivals and departures during daytime hours (6 a.m. to 10 p.m.) for both north and south traffic flows. Aircraft flight paths vary due to pilot technique, weather, and air traffic control, meaning planes assigned the same route will not follow identical tracks. On average, Sea-Tac experiences south flow conditions 65% of the year and north flow 35%, with propeller aircraft kept on separate tracks from faster jet aircraft.

This Port of Seattle document explains flight track plots for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, which map the ground paths of jet aircraft arrivals and departures during daytime hours (6am–10pm). It describes how wind conditions determine whether aircraft fly in a north or south flow pattern, with south flow occurring about 65% of the year. The document also notes that even aircraft following identical routes will not fly the exact same path, due to variations in pilot technique, weather, air traffic control, and aircraft performance.