TagBurien Airport Committee(138)

The League of Quiet Skies Voters hosted a Town Hall on April 25, 2019, at the Highline Performing Arts Center in Burien, WA, to address concerns about aircraft noise and emissions from Sea-Tac Airport's ongoing expansion. The event featured Congressman Adam Smith and inventor Chris McCann, a former U.S. Air Force pilot and software engineer who created Airnoise.io, a device that automates the filing of aircraft noise complaints directly to airports. The Town Hall aimed to educate voters on health and environmental risks of airport expansion, highlight complaint data collected at 39 airports nationwide, and discuss strategies for engaging policymakers on noise policy reform.

This FAA presentation, delivered to the Santa Clara/Santa Cruz Counties Airport/Community Roundtable in March 2019, explains that addressing aircraft noise impacts requires a collective effort involving airport sponsors, airlines, elected officials, community members, manufacturers, and the FAA. It highlights the Airport/Community Noise Roundtable as an effective mechanism for coordinating that effort. The Western Service Area hosts several such roundtables, including the SEA Stakeholder Advisory Roundtable serving the Seattle area.

The Burien Airport Committee met on March 19, 2019 to discuss concerns about Sea-Tac Airport's impact on the surrounding community, including noise pollution, safety, and health effects. The agenda included updates on federal and regional aviation policy efforts, and a review of three resolutions adopted by the Burien City Council on January 28, 2019, addressing airport growth, noise pollution, and requests for health impact monitoring. The committee also discussed priorities for 2019 and how to advance action on these resolutions at the local, state, and federal levels.

The City of Burien, Washington adopted Resolution No. 405 on January 28, 2019, amending an earlier resolution to update the structure of the Burien Airport Committee, an advisory body focused on issues related to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Key changes included consolidating community membership into up to six resident and business representatives appointed by the City Council, adding the City Manager as an Ex-Officio member, and expanding the committee's purposes to include coordinating information sharing among city representatives on airport-related bodies and staying informed on regional airport studies. The committee advises the City Council on matters such as noise and traffic impacts, land use, mitigation measures, and ways to protect residents and businesses from negative airport effects.

The Burien Airport Committee met on January 15, 2019 to review and update three proposed city resolutions addressing growth and safety, noise pollution, and health impacts related to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The committee also discussed a proposed resolution to restructure its own membership by removing the distinction between business and resident members and adding ex-officio seats for representatives from other airport-related groups. Additional agenda items included an update on open applications to fill vacant committee seats.

In January 2019, the City of Burien, Washington considered Resolution No. 407, a measure drafted by the Burien Airport Committee to address noise pollution from nearby Sea-Tac Airport. The resolution highlighted that the airport's rapid growth had caused serious health, environmental, and economic harm to Burien residents, with current FAA noise level standards far exceeding the safer thresholds recommended by the World Health Organization. The Burien Airport Committee recommended adoption of the resolution, which called for updated noise impact assessments and greater consideration of off-site noise effects.

In January 2019, the City of Burien, Washington considered Resolution No. 408, which called for air quality monitoring and health impact assessments of Sea-Tac Airport operations. The resolution highlighted that air traffic had exceeded the airport's projected levels by over 30% and that no air quality monitors existed near the six closest cities to the airport. The Burien Airport Committee recommended adopting the resolution, citing concerns about residents' exposure to pollutants linked to cancer, cardiovascular disease, and other serious health conditions.

In January 2019, the City of Burien, Washington considered Resolution No. 406, calling for action on growth and safety concerns at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The resolution highlights the negative health, environmental, and economic impacts on Burien residents due to the city's proximity to the airport, and notes that even with a planned $10 billion expansion under the Sustainable Airport Master Plan, the airport would still lack sufficient capacity within a decade. The city supported ongoing state and federal studies into regional aviation capacity and the impacts of airport operations on surrounding communities.

The Burien Airport Committee met on December 18, 2018 to review three draft resolutions addressing airport growth, noise, and health impacts related to Sea-Tac Airport, and to discuss the committee's composition and purpose. Prior meeting minutes from October and November 2018 were also up for approval, with earlier discussions having covered recommendations from Federal Way's Quiet and Healthy Skies Task Force and scoping comments on Sea-Tac's Sustainable Airport Master Plan Environmental Impact Statement. The committee, made up of city council members, business representatives, and residents, was working to shape Burien's policy response to ongoing airport expansion and its effects on the surrounding community.