SAMP SEPA Comment – Aircraft Noise Cumulative Exposure Analysis

A Des Moines, WA resident and airport advisory committee member submitted this public comment challenging the noise analysis in the Sea-Tac Airport (SEA) expansion environmental review, arguing that the standard Day-Night Average Sound Level (DNL) metric used by the Port of Seattle fails to capture the true burden of aircraft noise on nearby communities. Using direct measurements from Port noise monitors, the analysis found that some locations currently experience around 529 noise events per day with a median gap of only 1.5 minutes between events, conditions projected to worsen significantly under the airport's own growth forecasts. The comment calls on the Port to supplement its environmental review with event-based noise metrics—such as event frequency, quiet-period gaps, and nighttime disturbances—that research links more directly to health impacts like sleep disruption and cardiovascular disease.

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SEPA public comment submitted by Jeff Bogen, Des Moines resident and member of the Des Moines Airport Advisory Committee, on the SAMP SEPA Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA). Analyzes aircraft noise cumulative exposure using Port Of Seattle noise monitor SEL event records from five community monitors (SEA12, SEA13, SEA17, SEA18, SEA19) spanning March 12–April 9, 2026, documenting event frequency, inter-event respite intervals, and nighttime exposure (22:00–07:00). Finds SEA18 records approximately 529 noise events per day with median inter-event gap of 1.5 minutes; 91.2% of intervals under 5 minutes; 89 nighttime events per night under current conditions, projected to increase to 111 under DEIS constrained 2032 scenario (+25.3% operations growth). Argues DNL metric fails to capture temporal noise structure and that DEIS violates WAC 197-11-330 and WAC 197-11-794 by omitting event-based cumulative impact analysis. Cites WHO Lnight guidelines (40 dB threshold), Basner et al. (2023), Neimann et al. (2013), and Baczalska et al. (2022) on cardiovascular and sleep health effects of repeated noise events.

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