Comments on the FAA EA: SAMP Environmental Assessment

This document presents formal public comments opposing an FAA Environmental Assessment for expansion projects at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, arguing that the stated justification for growth is misleading because FAA safety regulations would naturally cap operations without new gates. The comments raise concerns about disproportionate air pollution health impacts on nearby residents, flawed emissions modeling dating back to the 1990s, and inadequate environmental justice and cumulative impact analyses. The author contends that adding gates and terminals is the true driver of increased flight operations, not an unavoidable surge in demand that would occur regardless of expansion.

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Public comments opposing the FAA Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Sea-Tac Airport Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP), arguing the project should not be approved on seven grounds: false premise/purpose and need, disproportionate mortality and morbidity in affected communities, untrustworthy NAAQS air pollution calculations, inadequate cumulative impact analysis, missing environmental justice analysis, missing children’s health analysis, and climate concerns. Document challenges the EPA Scoping Comments dated 9/28/2018 and FAA 2020 statements on airport capacity constraints, citing Sea-Tac Airport Capacity Profile 2018 and the 1996 Third Runway EIS. Argues gate capacity (not runway capacity) is the true constraint, and that adding 19 gates would dramatically increase throughput. References FAA-EPA agreement (Exhibit A) on Clean Air Act conformity and NAAQS compliance, North Unit Terminal, and Port of Seattle emissions modeling failures from the 1990s.

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