Notes

Revised direct testimony of Dave Garland, hydrogeologist and Watershed Unit supervisor at Washington State Department of Ecology Northwest Regional Office, submitted on behalf of Ecology in PCHB No. 01-160. Proceeding involves Airport Communities Coalition (ACC) and Citizens Against Sea-Tac Expansion (CASE) as appellants against Ecology and Port Of Seattle as respondents. Garland describes his 24-year hydrogeology background, work on water right applications, EFSEC hearings, groundwater quality investigations at dairies and gravel mines, and his role managing the legislature-mandated SeaTac Runway Fill and Maury Island gravel mining studies in 2000. Consultant Pacific Groundwater Group (PGG) of Seattle and Charles Ellingson are mentioned. Document references Water Quality Program, TMDLs, Forests and Fish Agreement, King County.

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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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