TagACC(1534)

NMFS (National Marine Fisheries Service) Office of Counsel comments dated 12/17/99 on the Biological Assessment (BA) for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport Master Plan Update Improvements. AR 043243. Comments identify deficiencies in action area definition (50 CFR 402.02), matrix/checklist completeness, direct and indirect effects analysis, and cumulative effects regarding Puget Sound Chinook salmon critical habitat, Coho salmon,

A December 1999 letter from Port of Seattle Senior Environmental Program Manager Paul W. Agid to the Washington Department of Ecology transmits a 'potential sites' table and map identifying locations at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport where historical operations may have caused soil or groundwater contamination. The document, compiled in compliance with an Agreed Order under Washington's Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA), lists twelve potential sites including former gas stations, fuel tanks, hydrant lines, and maintenance areas. The sites were identified based on past operational activities that had since been discontinued or modified prior to current environmental regulations.

A December 1999 environmental assessment prepared for Citizens Against Seatac Expansion (CASE) concludes that the Port of Seattle failed to provide sufficient scientific evidence to assure compliance with Clean Water Act water quality standards for its Seattle-Tacoma International Airport expansion project. The report found that stormwater runoff from the airport was causing ongoing violations of toxic substances criteria — particularly for copper and zinc — in nearby Miller and Des Moines Creeks, with pollutant levels sometimes exceeding EPA limits by more than tenfold. The author argues that Ecology therefore lacked a scientifically defensible basis to issue a Section 401 water quality certification for the proposed wetland-filling and stormwater management improvements.

Ground Water Flow Map for the C1 Aquifer prepared by Associated Earth Sciences, Inc. (project no. 8V07019, figure 7) as part of a Ground Water Study at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, dated 12/02/99. The map covers the Sea-Tac Airport area including Normandy Park, City of SeaTac, Tukwila, Des Moines, and surrounding Puget Sound shorelines. Shows ground

This 1999 manual, prepared jointly by the Federal Aviation Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, provides airport personnel with guidance on managing the safety risks posed by wildlife at airports. It covers topics including the FAA National Wildlife Strike Database, the roles of various federal agencies, and strategies for reducing bird and animal strikes on aircraft. The manual draws on strike records from 1990–1998 to illustrate the frequency, types, and impacts of wildlife encounters with aircraft.

A November 30, 1999 letter from Port of Seattle's Aviation Project Management Group to Seattle Public Utilities reports the fourth and final quarterly stormwater monitoring results for the Sea-Tac Airport North Employees' Parking Lot (NEPL). Testing of water samples collected throughout 1999 found pollutant levels—including metals, hydrocarbons, and suspended solids—well below Washington State residential water supply standards. Based on these results, the Port proposed ending the monitoring program and invited the City of Seattle to confer on whether further monitoring was warranted under their Interlocal Agreement.

In a November 1999 letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the law firm Smith & Lowney submitted comments on behalf of Citizens Against Seatac Expansion (CASE) opposing a permit for the Port of Seattle's proposed Third Runway expansion at Sea-Tac Airport. The letter argues that the permit should be denied because the project would violate federal and state water quality standards, including toxic effluent limits for copper and zinc, and cause significant degradation to U.S. waters. It urges the Corps to consider not only the direct environmental impacts of the proposed fill, but also the cumulative and secondary effects of all current and future airport operations when making its permitting decision.

In November 1999, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) wrote to the Port of Seattle offering approximately 120,000 cubic yards of excess fill material from the First Avenue South Bridge construction site for use in the Sea-Tac Airport third runway project. While most of the material was found to be environmentally sound, the top few feet of soil showed slightly elevated levels of petroleum hydrocarbons, which WSDOT offered to retest using a different procedure before any transfer. The Port was asked to confirm environmental acceptability and provide a haul route before an agreement could be finalized.

A November 1999 technical letter from Northwest Hydraulic Consultants, submitted on behalf of the Airport Communities Coalition, identifies major deficiencies in the proposed stormwater management plan for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport's 3rd runway development. The review finds that the plan fails to comply with the 1998 King County Surface Water Design Manual and Washington State Department of Ecology guidelines, including requirements for large-site drainage reviews, offsite analysis, and flow control. The consultants warn that if the plan is approved as written, it could cause significant adverse impacts to downstream creek systems, including Miller Creek and Des Moines Creek.