Notes

Airport Communities Coalition (ACC) reply brief filed January 18, 2002, in PCHB No. 01-160 before the Washington Pollution Control Hearings Board, opposing Port of Seattle’s resistance to extending the February 1, 2002 discovery deadline. ACC argues Port of Seattle refused site visit access until January 16, 2002, withheld expert data and reports, and failed to respond to informal deposition requests including December 27, 2001 e-mail. Document references Declaration of Michael P. Witek, ACC Interrogatory responses, Exhibit U, Request for Production No. 2, subpoenas duces tecum, and depositions of Port witnesses. Attorneys Rachael Paschal Osborn and Helsell Fetterman LLP represent ACC.

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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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