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Declaration of Ann Kenny, Environmental Specialist 4 at Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) Northwest Regional Office, filed in PCHB No. 01-133, Airport Communities Coalition v. State of Washington Department of Ecology and Port Of Seattle. Kenny details her qualifications, role as Federal Permit Coordinator, and Ecology’s 401 Certification review process under Clean Water Act §401 for the Port Of Seattle Sea-Tac Airport Master Plan Update Improvements (STIA). Describes history of Joint Aquatic Permit Applications (JARPA) filed December 1997, 401 Certification issued July 20 1998, withdrawal after additional wetlands discovered, second JARPA September 1999, and withdrawal September 2000. References wetland mitigation, stormwater management, state water quality standards, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and interdisciplinary review coordination at NWRO.

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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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