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Maury Island Barging and Pier Comments Relevant to Sea-Tac Third Runway 404 Permit Application 1996-4-02325

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A December 2002 letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers raises environmental and public health concerns about the Sea-Tac Airport Third Runway project, arguing that construction pollution, ASARCO-contaminated fill material, and increased de-icing fluid use may be harming Puget Sound marine life, including orca populations. The author also warns of collision risks between barges transporting runway fill material and large tankers crossing the same waters. The letter calls for denial of the third runway permit, citing the absence of any cumulative air pollution or health hazard analysis and questioning the project's necessity given declining air and marine cargo traffic.

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Letter dated 5 December 2002 submitted to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Regulatory Branch (Colonel Ralph H. Graves, Muffy Walker, Gail Terzi) regarding 404 Permit Application 1996-4-02325 for Maury Island barging and pier construction. Raises environmental concerns about ASARCO-contaminated fill dirt from Maury Island proposed for the Sea-Tac Third Runway, barge collision risk with Tacoma-bound tankers carrying 13.5 million gallons of crude oil (8 crossings per day), declining Puget Sound orca and fish populations correlated with increased propylene glycol de-icer use at Sea-Tac Airport, Des Moines Creek sewer outfall pollution, Tub Lake frogs, Clean Air Act assessment failures, and terrorist vulnerability of the proposed 155-foot fill wall. Includes charts of Sea-Tac annual deicing/anti-icing fluid usage (gallons, 4/94–3/97) and Puget Sound Southern Orca births and deaths 1994–1996. References Seattle Post-Intelligencer ‘Our Troubled Sound’ series (November 2002) and International Maritime Organization Bay of Fundy whale shipping lane change (July 2002).

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