FAA response to CASE President regarding air and water quality certification for Sea-Tac Airport Master Plan Update

These 1996-1997 federal documents address environmental certification and air quality compliance issues related to the Sea-Tac International Airport Master Plan expansion, including the proposed third runway. The FAA confirmed that Washington State's Governor legally delegated air and water quality certification authority to the Department of Ecology, and later provided direct certification himself following public controversy. The EPA also weighed in on how Clean Air Act conformity rules applied to the FAA's phased approval approach for various airport development projects.

Notes

A letter from FAA Attorney Karl B. Lewis to CASE President Debi L. DesMarais responding to a January 1997 inquiry about the legality of the Governor delegating air and water quality certification requirements to another state agency. The letter explains that the FAA’s Record of Decision for the Sea-Tac International Airport Master Plan Update found the delegation to the Washington State Department of Ecology to be lawful, and that the Governor of Washington subsequently provided direct certification on June 30, 1997. Also included is a 1996 EPA Region 10 letter to the FAA regarding conformity analysis for the Sea-Tac Master Plan Update improvements.

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