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A letter from Tom Fitzsimmons, Director of the Washington Department of Ecology, to Mic Dinsmore, Executive Director of the Port of Seattle, regarding the status of the § 401 Water Quality Certification review for the Third Runway project. The letter explains that there is insufficient time to complete the review within the current certification timeframe and outlines conditions under which Ecology would issue a certification, including the Port withdrawing its current application and reapplying. Key issues identified include stormwater management plan deficiencies and natural resource mitigation requirements for Des Moines Creek and surrounding areas.

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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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