TagACC(1534)

In February 2001, a Washington State Department of Ecology site manager requested an audit of a Port of Seattle grant (Grant No. G0000052) tied to Agreed Order #97T-N122, citing concerns about potential duplicate funding where costs could be covered by both the grant and cost recovery from other parties. The grant, worth up to $861,000 (split 50/50 between state and local funds), was issued to support a Phase 1 groundwater study at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac), investigating contamination from jet fuel and petroleum products released from underground storage tanks and fuel distribution systems. The study aimed to model groundwater flow and assess risks to nearby public drinking water wells and surface water bodies.

Exhibit 2059 (AR 031711–031713, ECY00010776–10778). Email from Gus Ordonez to Ann Kenny dated February 7, 2001, transmitting a memorandum from Jerald LaVassar, M.S., P.E. to Tom Luster reviewing the report ‘Evaluation of Retaining Wall/Slope Alternatives to Reduce Impacts to Miller Creek, Embankment Station 174+00 to 186+00’ for the Third Runway project at Sea-Tac International Airport.

This Washington State Department of Ecology publication, authored by Stewart M. Lombard and Cliff J. Kirchmer and released in February 2001, provides guidelines for preparing Quality Assurance Project Plans (QAPPs) for environmental studies. It outlines standards and procedures to ensure that data collected during environmental investigations meets defined quality and reliability requirements.

Field notes dated 1/28/01 document an inspection of Ace Airport View, recording observations at a stormwater detention station (DM1 - Monitoring Station) near Des Moines Creek. The inspector noted a turbid outfall at SDS-1 in the southwest, associated wetlands, steep sides, and the presence of an oil boom, with water samples collected at 11:45 AM by Dr. Strand. Additional notes reference a southwest pond draining adjacent to the creek, clogging of material at outfall infrastructure, and embankment flows requiring attention to discharge locations.

Handwritten field notebook entries dated 1/28/01 documenting a site visit to Ace Airport View (DM1 – Monitoring Station) near Des Moines, referencing Des Moines Creek, SDS 1 outfall into SW associated wetlands, steep side terrain, oil boom present in unit 2, turbid water, black stones, water from outfall significantly turbid, Dr. Strand took samples at

Memorandum dated January 25, 2001 from Douglas Lindquist (EIT) and Michael Bailey (P.E.) of Hart Crowser, Inc. to the Embankment Technical Review Board (Attn: Pete Douglass), project J-4978-30, CC to Jim Thomson (P.E., HNTB). Provides additional information on seismic analyses for the Third Runway at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (STIA) in SeaTac, Washington. Covers probabilistic seismic

Letter dated January 25, 2001 from Peter M. Douglass, P.E. (Technical Review Board Facilitator) to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Jonathan Freedman, Project Manager) and Washington State Department of Ecology (Ann Kenny, Environmental Specialist) summarizing findings of an independent expert panel convened by Port Of Seattle to review embankment fill and mechanically stabilized earth (MSE)

These are prepared talking points for Washington State Department of Ecology officials attending public meetings on January 26-27, 2001, regarding the proposed Third Runway (3RW) at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The notes address 17 anticipated public questions covering topics such as Ecology's 401 Water Quality Certification review process, the use of Port-funded consultants, SEPA compliance, wetlands impacts, and whether the project was receiving special political consideration. Officials emphasized that no approval would be granted until the project demonstrated full compliance with all applicable environmental laws and regulations.

The Port of Seattle requested regulatory approval to temporarily take Lagoon #3, part of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport's industrial wastewater treatment system, out of service from April through December 2002 for remediation and expansion work. The project aimed to increase the lagoon's storage capacity from 26 million gallons to 76 million gallons, add a protective liner, and rebuild berms to prevent untreated wastewater from seeping into the ground. During the construction period, some untreated industrial wastewater flows could potentially be released into Des Moines Creek as unavoidable bypasses.

A January 2001 letter and accompanying meeting notes document communications between the Port of Seattle and the Washington Department of Ecology regarding a groundwater contamination study at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, conducted under the Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA) Agreed Order 97TC-N112. The records outline the scope of the study, which focuses on hydrogeologic investigation and a review of the Fuel Operations Area, and clarify that any necessary cleanup would be handled separately after the study's completion. Both parties discussed concerns about scope expansion and the process for addressing contaminated sites identified through the study.