Joint Scoping Comments on Sustainable Airport Master Plan Near-Term Projects NEPA EA and SEPA EIS from Cities of Burien, Des Moines, Normandy Park, and Sea-Tac

In September 2018, the cities of SeaTac, Burien, Normandy Park, and Des Moines jointly wrote to the Port of Seattle urging a broader environmental review of the Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP) for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The cities expressed concern that limiting the review to only near-term construction projects would ignore the cumulative noise, air quality, and traffic impacts already burdening their communities. They called on the Port to assess impacts from 2012 onward, include the full long-term SAMP in the environmental analysis, and consider alternative airport sites as part of the review.

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Joint letter dated September 28, 2018, from the cities of Burien, Des Moines, Normandy Park, and SeaTac to Steve Rybolt, Aviation Environment and Sustainability, Port Of Seattle, providing scoping comments on the Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP) Near-Term Projects NEPA EA and SEPA EIS for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The letter raises concerns about aircraft noise, air quality, traffic congestion, cumulative impacts, baseline year (2012–2018), phased environmental review under WAC 197-11-60, WAC 197-11-400, the need to include the full SAMP rather than only near-term projects, the third runway, Air Traffic Control (ATC) procedure changes, Part 150 noise analysis, and the use of other airports as an alternative. Comments assert that a 60% increase in aircraft operations and 75% increase in passengers through 2034 will disproportionately impact the four closest communities to Sea-Tac Airport.

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