Determining Whether the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Has a Scientifically Adequate Basis to Issue a Permit Under the Clean Water Act Section 404 for the Port Of Seattle’s Proposed Third Runway Project

Notes

A letter from Columbia Biological Assessments to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Washington State Department of Ecology, written on behalf of the Airport Communities Coalition, evaluating whether the Port of Seattle has provided sufficient scientific information to support issuance of a Clean Water Act Section 404 permit for its third runway project. The letter concludes that the Port has not adequately addressed impacts on wetlands, streams, and fisheries resources including federally threatened Chinook salmon in Miller Creek, Walker Creek, and Des Moines Creek. Key concerns include water quality violations from stormwater runoff, contaminated fill materials, inadequate Miller Creek relocation planning, and unaddressed cumulative impacts.