In 2003, Washington State's Department of Ecology issued a water pollution permit (NPDES No. 002465-1) for Sea-Tac International Airport, which was then challenged by multiple parties including the Port of Seattle and several community groups. The appeals, heard in July 2004, centered largely on concerns about aircraft deicing and anti-icing chemicals being discharged into Puget Sound and nearby waterways, where they can deplete dissolved oxygen levels critical to aquatic life. The Pollution Control Hearings Board reviewed the permit's terms and conditions to determine whether adequate environmental protections were in place.Open full document
Notes
The Pollution Control Hearings Board issued findings of fact, conclusions of law, and order in consolidated cases arising from appeals of an NPDES permit issued by the Washington Department of Ecology for discharges associated with Sea-Tac International Airport. The Port of Seattle appealed certain permit conditions, while the Airport Communities Coalition, Citizens Against SeaTac Expansion, and Puget Soundkeeper Alliance filed separate appeals challenging the permit’s adequacy. Key issues involved aircraft deicing and anti-icing fluids and their discharge into Puget Sound and other surface waters.