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Declaration of Katie Walter, principal wetland scientist at Shannon & Wilson Inc., filed in PCHB No. 01-133, Airport Communities Coalition v. State of Washington Department of Ecology and Port Of Seattle. Walter details her qualifications (botany degree UW 1990, certified Professional Wetland Scientist) and her role reviewing the Port’s Natural Resources Mitigation Plan (NRMP) for the proposed STIA Third Runway and related Master Plan projects. Shannon & Wilson contracted with Ecology in January 2001 to assist in developing conditions for the Section 401 Water Quality Certification issued August 10, 2001. Document covers proposed impacts including excavation of 1.10 acres of jurisdictional wetlands at onsite borrow sources and filling 0.14 acres for Runway Safety Areas. AR 007702.

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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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