A 1997 study examined the unequal distribution of costs and benefits generated by Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, finding that while the airport's economic benefits (jobs, income, and travel services) spread across the broader Puget Sound region, its harms—including noise, traffic, and reduced property values—fell disproportionately on a small number of nearby cities: Burien, Des Moines, Federal Way, Normandy Park, and Tukwila. Data from a 1991 passenger survey showed that these five heavily impacted communities accounted for only 5.9% of home-originating enplanements, while King County as a whole contributed 57.2%. The study concluded that mitigation measures were needed to redirect some of the airport's regional benefits back to the communities bearing the greatest burden of its operations.Open full document
Notes
Appendix A of the Sea-Tac International Airport Impact Mitigation Study examines equity issues related to the geographic distribution of airport benefits and costs, focusing on five impacted communities (Burien, Des Moines, Federal Way, Normandy Park, and Tukwila). The document analyzes the geographic area adversely affected by airport operations and compares it to the origins of passengers using Sea-Tac. It finds that while airport benefits are distributed broadly across western Washington and the Puget Sound region, the costs are concentrated in communities immediately surrounding the airport.