July 18, 2001August 2, 2026

EXH AR017928: Memo to Governor Gary Locke — Port Of Seattle Proposed Third Runway and Associated Projects, Status of Decision Making Process

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Memo dated July 18, 2001 from Tom Fitzsimmons, Director, Washington State Department of Ecology, to Governor Gary Locke regarding the status of the 401 Water Quality Certification decision for the Port Of Seattle proposed Third Runway and associated projects. Ecology is awaiting final technical information from Port consultants on stream low-flow mitigation requirements, expected by July 23, 2001, with a runway decision planned for the week of August 6. The memo also references a modified NPDES Industrial Stormwater Permit allowing highway interchange construction, the Stormwater Management Plan, Natural Resource Mitigation Plan, and technical workgroup meetings facilitated by Floyd & Snider. Forwarded internally by Raymond Hellwig to Curt Hart and others including ATG staff Joan Marchioro and Tom Young. AR 017928, AR 017929.

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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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