Notes

A letter from Azous Environmental Sciences to multiple Washington State Department of Ecology officials alerting them to an unidentified tributary to Miller Creek (stream 0371G) that was omitted from the Port of Seattle’s natural resource documents related to the third runway project. The letter notes the tributary is shown in the 1990 King County Sensitive Areas map and was observed flowing in September 2000, but was not identified in the Port’s Natural Resource Mitigation Plan or Implementation Addendum. The author argues this omission means there is no assurance the creek and its associated wetlands will be protected from planned construction activities.

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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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