TagACC(1534)

In September 2000, Northwest Hydraulic Consultants submitted preliminary technical comments on behalf of the Airport Communities Coalition, raising serious concerns about the adequacy of the Stormwater Management Plan for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport's proposed third runway expansion. The letter highlights findings from King County's independent review, which identified numerous cases where proposed stormwater control facilities were unverified, infeasible, or unlikely to meet required flow control performance standards. The consultants warned that the compressed public review timeline was insufficient for thorough evaluation of the plan before Ecology's 401 Certification decision.

A water resources consultant hired by the Airport Communities Coalition reviewed Sea-Tac Airport's August 2000 Stormwater Master Plan and found it seriously deficient in protecting local water quality. The review concludes that existing pollution controls at the airport are not working, that stormwater discharges regularly violate Washington State Water Quality Standards, and that the Plan's proposed measures fail to provide reasonable assurance that those standards will be met in the future. Key concerns include the diversion of polluted runoff away from local creeks, inadequate handling of metal roof runoff, and the lack of meaningful mass-balance accounting for long-lived pollutants.

A water resources consultant wrote to the Washington State Department of Ecology in September 2000, arguing that Seattle Public Utilities' Lake Youngs water supply is too warm to effectively cool Des Moines Creek during summer months. Temperature data showed that Lake Youngs outlet water exceeds 16°C from mid-June through mid-October — the exact period when cooler stream temperatures are needed — reaching as high as 20°C in summer 2000. The letter concludes that the Port of Seattle's proposed flow augmentation facility for Des Moines Creek cannot rely on this water source for temperature improvement, undermining the Port's claims about its water supply plan.

In September 2000, King County's Department of Natural Resources provided a technical review of the Port of Seattle's Comprehensive Stormwater Management Plan (SMP) for proposed Master Plan Update improvements at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The review found no fatal flaws in the plan's approach to meeting King County's stormwater standards, but identified inconsistencies in flow control calculations and water quality measures that needed to be resolved before final permitting. King County also emphasized the importance of rigorous erosion and sediment control during construction and recommended that Ecology and the Port establish a joint compliance team to oversee implementation of the complex, multi-year project.

A September 2000 letter from environmental consulting firm Azous Environmental Sciences alerts Washington State Department of Ecology officials to an unidentified tributary of Miller Creek that was overlooked in the Port of Seattle's environmental planning documents for Sea-Tac Airport's proposed third runway. The tributary, listed in King County Sensitive Areas records and confirmed to have active water flow, feeds into a Class 2 salmon-bearing stream but was never assessed for potential impacts in the Port's Natural Resource Mitigation Plan. The letter argues this omission—despite four years of environmental analysis—leaves the creek unprotected from planned construction and future aviation operations in the area.

Hart Crowser report prepared for Port of Seattle, dated September 12, 2000 (J-4978-13), evaluating perched groundwater zone interception at Borrow Area 3 for the Sea-Tac Third Runway project. Analyzes shallow perched groundwater flow from northwest to southeast beneath Borrow Areas 3 and 4, its role in sustaining Wetland 29, and the impact of borrow area

Email from Peter Kmet to Kevin Fitzpatrick, Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology), dated September 11, 2000, providing comments on proposed Clean Fill Criteria language for the Section 401 Water Quality Certification for the Sea-Tac Airport Third Runway project. Kmet comments on sections E6, E7, E7a, E7b, E7c regarding Port Of Seattle borrow sites, fill

Email chain dated September 11, 2000 among Washington State Department of Ecology staff (Chung K. Yee, Kevin Fitzpatrick, Peter Kmet) and ATG’s Joan Marchioro regarding clean fill criteria language for the 401 Water Quality Certification on the Sea-Tac Third Runway. Peter Kmet raises concerns about arsenic limits (proposed 20 vs. background 7-8 in Western Washington),

Email chain dated September 11, 2000 among Kevin Fitzpatrick, Peter Kmet, Chung K. Yee, Joan Marchioro, and Tom Luster of Washington State Department of Ecology (Water Quality Program, NWRO) regarding clean fill criteria language for the 401 Water Quality Certification on the Sea-Tac Third Runway project. Document marked ‘Deliberative Document Currently Exempt From Public Disclosure.’

Email chain dated September 11, 2000 among Chung K. Yee, Kevin Fitzpatrick, Peter Kmet, Joan Marchioro (ATG), and Tom Luster regarding clean fill criteria language for the 401 Water Quality Certification on the Sea-Tac Third Runway. Key issues include arsenic limits (Pete Kmet argues 20 ppm is too high and should be set at Western