TagCity Of SeaTac(241)

In November 2025, the law firm Ogden Murphy Wallace (OMW) agreed to jointly represent the cities of Burien, Des Moines, and SeaTac as special environmental counsel in matters related to the Port of Seattle's Sustainable Airport Master Plan. The firm's scope of work covers environmental review processes under federal (NEPA) and state (SEPA) law, as well as any potential litigation against the Port of Seattle or the Federal Aviation Administration. Attorneys are billed at hourly rates ranging from $300 to $535 depending on role and experience, with no advance fee deposit required.

The cities of Burien, Des Moines, and SeaTac have jointly hired the law firm Leech Tishman Fuscaldo & Lampl to challenge the Federal Aviation Administration's approval of the Port of Seattle's Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP). The firm will file a Petition for Review in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, naming the FAA as the respondent. Under the agreement, SeaTac will receive and pay all legal invoices on behalf of the three cities, with legal fees starting with a $10,000 retainer and billed at $540 per hour for the lead attorney.

The cities of SeaTac, Burien, Des Moines, and Normandy Park are jointly challenging the FAA's environmental review of the Port of Seattle's Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP), arguing that a September 2025 Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) failed to adequately address their concerns about airport expansion impacts. The SeaTac City Council is being asked to approve a budget amendment of up to $350,000, authorize an Interlocal Agreement among the four cities, and hire two law firms to advocate for airport-affected communities. The action reflects ongoing efforts by neighboring cities to ensure environmental impacts of SEA airport growth are properly evaluated under both federal (NEPA) and state (SEPA) law.

The SeaTac City Council is considering an ordinance to hire outside legal counsel and update a cost-sharing agreement with the cities of Burien, Normandy Park, and Des Moines to challenge or engage with the FAA's environmental review of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport expansion plans. The four cities would jointly retain two law firms—Leech Tishman for federal NEPA matters and Ogden Murphy Wallace for state SEPA matters—at an estimated cost of $350,000, with SeaTac covering roughly 26% and recovering the rest from its partner cities. The effort is driven by the FAA's September 2025 issuance of a Final Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact, which must be challenged by November 25, 2025.

The City of SeaTac is authorizing its City Manager to join an updated cost-sharing agreement with Burien and Des Moines to hire outside legal counsel in response to the FAA's September 2025 environmental review of the Port of Seattle's Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP). The cities are concerned that their comments about the airport's potential negative impacts were not adequately addressed in the FAA's Final Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact. To fund the legal effort, SeaTac is amending its 2025–2026 budget by adding $350,000 in expenditures and $253,000 in shared revenues to its Port ILA Fund.

The City of SeaTac, Washington has 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 connection with the forthcoming Final Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI). The firm will advise the City, prepare legal memoranda, and file a Petition for Review with a federal appeals court challenging the FAA's Record of Decision once it is published in late 2025. The engagement is capped at $300,000, with an initial retainer of $10,000, and hourly rates ranging from $300–$540 per hour.