May 19, 2000August 2, 2026

Exhibit 167: Email from Raymond Hellwig to Thomas Fitzsimmons Re: Sea-Tac 3rd Runway Permitting Timeline

Notes

Email dated May 19, 2000 from Raymond Hellwig (City of Des Moines) to Thomas Fitzsimmons regarding the SeaTac 3rd Runway permitting process. Discusses tight July 2000 decision-making timeframe, King County review of Port Of Seattle stormwater management plan requiring up to 10 more weeks, development of a definitive issues list for the proposed runway, drafting 401 language, internal staff meetings, weekly progress reports, and managing workload from ‘background buzz’ including public records requests from opponent groups. Handwritten annotation reads ‘not used but permit made’ with reference ‘167 1-18-2002 Fitzsimmons’. AR 018380.

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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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