Notes

Internal email chain dated September 27, 2000, among Washington State Department of Ecology staff Tom Luster, Raymond Hellwig, Joan Marchioro (ATG), Kevin Fitzpatrick, and Erik Stockdale, forwarded to Gordon White, marked ‘Attorney Client Privileged’ and ‘Deliberative Document.’ Concerns the Dinsmore project draft 401 certification denial letter and withdrawal letter (AR017924–017926). Luster raises concerns that the draft inappropriately limits the scope of the 401 review under the Clean Water Act, argues against an artificial sixty-day review period, and proposes conditions for any timed review including public comment period sequencing, clock-start/stop rules, and a ‘blackout’ period. Hellwig’s original message initiated the draft incorporating messages from ‘Tom F.’ regarding conditions and stormwater submittal requirements.

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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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