TagAirport(197)

Port of Seattle Commission agenda memorandum requesting $30 million for 2026 environmental remediation and approval of a $259 million five-year spending plan for cleanup of historical contamination at maritime and aviation properties. The program addresses contamination from past industrial operations including Lower Duwamish Waterway Superfund Site and various terminal locations.

The Port of Seattle held a Regular Commission Meeting on October 28, 2025, covering routine business such as approval of meeting minutes, claims totaling over $156 million, and several construction and lease authorizations related to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport facilities. Agenda items included contracts for snow storage expansion, a building renovation at Sea-Tac, and a cruise terminal lease agreement. The commission also considered a resolution reaffirming the Port's Welcoming Port Policy in support of immigrants, refugees, and international visitors.

Environmental checklist for SEA’s Flight Corridor Management Program, which identifies and removes tree obstructions from airport flight corridors every five years to comply with FAA regulations. The document outlines the program’s background, implementation cycles, and environmental review process.

In September 2025, the City of SeaTac, Washington engaged the law firm Leech Tishman Nelson Hardiman to provide legal counsel regarding the Port of Seattle's Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP), specifically in response to an anticipated Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) and Record of Decision (ROD). The firm's work includes preparing legal analysis, submitting comments, and filing a Petition for Review in either the Ninth Circuit or D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals challenging the FAA's environmental findings once published in late 2025. The engagement is capped at $300,000 with an initial $10,000 retainer, and billing rates range from $300–$400 per hour for associates to $540 per hour for lead attorney Steven M. Taber.

Selection summary for the Flight Corridor Safety Program at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, evaluating four firms (AECOM, HNTB, Jacobs Engineering, RS&H) for a $2M contract to manage obstructions consisting of trees and vegetation around the airport. HNTB was awarded the contract after receiving outstanding ratings across all criteria.

The FAA proposed updating its definition of 'aeronautical activity' to include unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), advanced air mobility (AAM), and commercial space launch operations, meaning federally obligated airports must provide non-discriminatory access to these emerging technologies. The policy clarifies that while these new operations qualify for airport access, the FAA retains authority to assess safety risks and set conditions for accommodating them. Recreational UAS, model aircraft, and model rockets are explicitly excluded from the updated definition.

This Port policy (AC-13) establishes standards for disposing of Port-owned property, covering items ranging from capital assets to small equipment, with the goals of saving costs, maximizing returns, and maintaining a proper audit trail. It defines when property should be disposed of — such as when it is excess, obsolete, damaged, or destroyed — and outlines the authorization requirements, including Commission approval for surplus property exceeding a set dollar threshold. Note that this policy does not address land, abandoned third-party property, or consumable supplies.

This October 2021 progress update presents findings from a Ground Noise Study conducted at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA). The presentation covers key acoustic concepts—including Maximum Sound Level (Lmax), Sound Exposure Level (SEL), and Equivalent Sound Level (Leq)—alongside topics such as sound propagation, the study's scope of work, noise monitoring activities, and planned next steps. The study aims to better understand and document ground-level noise impacts in and around the airport.