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Declaration of Erik Stockdale, Senior Wetlands Specialist at Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology), Shorelands and Environmental Assistance Program, filed in PCHB No. 01-133 before the Pollution Control Hearings Board, Airport Communities Coalition (ACC) v. State of Washington Department of Ecology and Port Of Seattle. Stockdale describes his qualifications (Professional Wetlands Scientist, SWS, MMA University of Washington 1986), his role in wetland mitigation review, and Ecology’s evaluation of the Natural Resources Management Plan (NRMP) for Sea-Tac Airport third runway impacts. Document addresses wetland mitigation ratios, ‘no net loss’ of wetland functions, FAA habitat mitigation restrictions near airports, compensatory mitigation under Clean Water Act, and the Washington State Wetland Mitigation Evaluation Study (Ecology publication 00-06-016). AR 018426.

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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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