The Airport Communities Podcast
We’re in the midst of producing episodes on the Sea-Tac Communities Plan, and our comments on the SAMP and updates on the totally confusing state of Port Package updates and…
But whenever you have a public Q&A with Congressman Adam Smith, State Senator Tina Orwall, and Port of Seattle Commission President Ryan Calkins, it’s worth talking about. So we turned JC loose to fact check!
The wrong pollutants! The question of leaded fuel was raised–which always (understandably) scares people. There has been no leaded fuel in use at Sea-Tac Airport for decades because over 97% of traffic at Sea-Tac is commercial and commercial jets do not use leaded fuel. It is, has been, and will be a non-issue in the SAMP. What is a huge issue? Ultrafine Particulates–the main and unregulated and under-researched component of Jet-A exhaust–thousands of times more significant for us. The urgent need for immediate research and regulation got almost no attention!
Port Package misstatements. Several federal initiatives were discussed to help fund Port Package Updates. They are much appreciated, but we’re still at least two years from relief. What was not discussed? The Port of Seattle could always fund sound insulation programs using its own money. Unfortunately, Calkins said exactly the opposite.
Ongoing problems with landings? Residents will always have reasons to be upset about over-flights–especially arrivals. Apart from the frequency, almos none are problematic. What is problematic? Despite having a Community Ombudsman located in Des Moines, the public has not heard from the FAA in years.
These kinds of Q&A sessions highlight what is broken in our relationship with the airport. Everyone in the room is well-meaning. But everyone is, to one degree or another, talking past one another because the overall information level has sunk so low. It is important to get leaders talking. But apart from having clear goals, without a venue where everyone walks into the room, armed with the same set of facts, real progress is impossible.
Topics
- July 18, 2026 Aviation Q&A at Highline College (video and transcript)
- Where’s My Clair Patterson?
- Radiolab: Heavy Metals
- Sustainable Aviation Fuel Use at a Washington State International Airport
- The Sound Insulation Treatment Repair and Replacement Program Act
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