Category : Litigation(35)

In September 2025, the City of SeaTac, Washington engaged the law firm Leech Tishman Nelson Hardiman to provide legal counsel regarding the Port of Seattle's Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP), specifically in response to an anticipated Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) and Record of Decision (ROD). The firm's work includes preparing legal analysis, submitting comments, and filing a Petition for Review in either the Ninth Circuit or D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals challenging the FAA's environmental findings once published in late 2025. The engagement is capped at $300,000 with an initial $10,000 retainer, and billing rates range from $300–$400 per hour for associates to $540 per hour for lead attorney Steven M. Taber.

Legal counsel James L. Brewer analyzes King County’s jurisdictional authority regarding a proposed fill material conveyor belt operation at Des Moines Beach Park. The memo examines property interests, covenants requiring park use only, and concludes the proposed 30-month project would be inconsistent with park purposes due to significant disruption.

Legal memorandum analyzing King County’s role in proposed Des Moines Beach Park conveyor belt operation, including property rights and park use restrictions. Includes Department of Ecology letter clarifying fill material certification requirements for Port of Seattle’s third runway construction.

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 March 1996, an Expert Arbitration Panel reviewed whether the Port of Seattle had met noise reduction requirements set by the Puget Sound Regional Council as a condition for approving a third runway at Sea-Tac International Airport. A majority of the Panel concluded that, despite the Port's extensive noise abatement programs, it had not demonstrated a sufficient reduction in real, on-the-ground noise impacts to satisfy Resolution A-93-03. This decision left the noise condition as the sole remaining hurdle for authorizing the third runway's construction.