February 16, 2001August 2, 2026

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 Third Runway Project

Notes

A fisheries biologist writing on behalf of the Airport Communities Coalition reviews the Port of Seattle’s Section 404 Clean Water Act permit application for the Sea-Tac third runway project. The letter evaluates impacts on fish and fish habitat in Miller Creek, Walker Creek, and Des Moines Creek, including concerns about water quality violations from stormwater runoff, chemically contaminated fill, and effects on federally threatened Chinook salmon. The author concludes the Port has not provided sufficient scientific basis for the USACOE to approve the permit.

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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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