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Washington State Department of Ecology news release (AR027998, dated August 10, 2001) approving the Port Of Seattle’s water-quality certification permit under the federal Clean Water Act for construction of a third runway at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The permit covers stormwater management for Des Moines, Miller, and Walker creeks; filling of nearly 20 acres of wetlands; creation of 201 acres of wetland and aquatic habitat including a 60-acre wetland near the Green River in Auburn; and 17 million cubic yards of fill for the 8,500-foot runway. Ecology Director Tom Fitzsimmons and regional director Ray Hellwig quoted. The port must still obtain a federal permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Prior permit applications were rescinded in 1998 and withdrawn in September 2000.

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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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