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Declaration of Michael Cheyne, Port Of Seattle project manager for the Sea-Tac third runway construction, filed in PCHB case No. 01-133 (Airport Communities Coalition v. Department of Ecology and Port Of Seattle). Cheyne describes his role overseeing administration, planning, design, and construction of the Sea-Tac third runway as part of the Master Plan Update (MPU). States that a stay would halt fill material discharge into waters of the United States, limiting activity to property acquisition, fill stockpiling, airfield improvements, and wetland mitigation site development. Identifies impacts to Phase 5 embankment project and relocation of South 154th Street, with a projected one-year delay and financial consequences of up to $49,000 per day or $17,000,000 per year on the $493 million project (inflated at 3.5% annually). Filed by Foster Pepper & Shefelman PLLC.

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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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