Notes

Declaration submitted by Michael Feldman, Director of Aviation Facilities at the Port of Seattle, in the case of Airport Communities Coalition v. Department of Ecology and the Port of Seattle (No. PCHB 01-133). Feldman describes his professional background overseeing Sea-Tac Airport facilities and his role in directing the planning and development of the Third Runway and Airport Master Plan. The declaration outlines the Master Plan adopted in 1996, which includes a third runway and other improvements to address growing air travel demand in the Puget Sound region.

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As the source for federal transportation grants, the Puget Sound Regional Council was charged with developing a system to meet the growing need for commercial aviation. When the search for a second airport failed, they authorized the Port of Seattle to build the Third Runway, with a mandate to develop a noise abatement and mitigation program. In their effort to stop the Third Runway, the ACC argued over every detail of the Port's efforts--including property buyouts and sound insulation. The dispute was meant to be settled by a three member Expert Arbitration Panel. This is their final report. It finds 2-1, that the Port's program was insufficient in several respects. Despite that, funding for the Third Runway was approved by the PSRC, and the 'Port Package' program, proceeded largely unchanged. Expert Arbitration Panel's final decision finding that the Port of Seattle had not shown sufficient reduction in real on-the-ground noise impacts to satisfy noise reduction conditions required for approval of a third runway at Sea-Tac International Airport. The majority decision concluded the Port's noise abatement programs were insufficient despite being impressive in scope.

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