November 30, 2000August 2, 2026

Exhibit 189: Draft Letter to the Consulting Engineers Council of Washington Regarding RCW 39.80 and Professional Wetland Scientist Selection for Sea-Tac Third Runway

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Email from Ann Kenny (Ecology, Shorelands and Environmental Assistance Program) dated November 30, 2000, to Leslie Seffern (ATG) and Erik Stockdale, circulating a draft response letter to Bill Garrity, Executive Director of CECW (Consulting Engineers Council of Washington), regarding his November 22, 2000 letter challenging Ecology’s Request for Bid process for selecting a wetland consultant. The draft letter, AR 018491, argues that RCW 39.80 does not apply because Ecology is seeking a Professional Wetland Scientist — not an architect, engineer, land surveyor, or landscape architect — to evaluate wetland impacts and biological functions related to the Port of Seattle’s SeaTac Third Runway Natural Resource Mitigation Plan. CC to Erik Stockdale and Leslie Seffern, Assistant Attorney General.

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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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