March 7, 2002August 2, 2026

PCHB Doc 002942: Direct Testimony of Ed O’Brien on Behalf of Ecology — ACC and CASE v. Ecology and Port Of Seattle

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Direct testimony of Ed O’Brien, Environmental Engineer 4 at Washington State Department of Ecology Water Quality Program, submitted before the Pollution Control Hearings Board (PCHB) in case No. 01-160, Airport Communities Coalition (ACC) and Citizens Against Sea-Tac Expansion (CASE) v. State of Washington Department of Ecology and Port Of Seattle. O’Brien addresses stormwater management requirements for the Sea-Tac Third Runway project, comparing the 1998 King County Surface Water Design Manual (used by the Third Runway project) to Ecology’s 2001 Stormwater Management Manual for Western Washington. Testimony covers NPDES stormwater permits, minimum technical requirements, runoff treatment BMPs, technology-based and water quality-based treatment standards, treatment facility sizing, dilution zones, and the presumptive approach of the 2001 Ecology manual. AR 002942–002944.

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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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