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Declaration by Stephen L. M. Hockaday, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and expert in airport/airspace planning, filed in support of Airport Communities Coalition (ACC) Motion for Stay in PCHB Case Nos. 01-133 and 01-160. Opposes Port Of Seattle construction of Third Runway at Sea-Tac Airport pending resolution of Section 401 Certification No. 1996-4-02325 and CZMA concurrency statement appeal. Hockaday argues post-September 11 impacts — reduced passenger demand, airline financial deterioration, reduced airport revenues — invalidate prior demand forecasts and require reassessment before Third Runway construction proceeds. Declarant has 25+ years airport planning experience including work for FAA, Eurocontrol, and NASA air traffic management research.

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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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