TagEcology(797)

A March 28, 2001 letter from the Washington State Department of Ecology clarifies that lands classified as 'prior converted croplands' by the US Army Corps of Engineers are still subject to state wetland regulations if they meet the criteria outlined in the 1996 Washington State Wetland Delineation and Identification Manual. While the federal Food Security Act may exempt such lands from Clean Water Act Section 404 requirements, this exemption does not extend to state law. As a result, some wetlands may be free from federal oversight but remain fully regulated under Washington State rules.

These draft meeting notes from March 28, 2001 document a technical meeting regarding the 401 Permit Decision-Making process for Sea-Tac International Airport's Third Runway project. The meeting covered feedback on stormwater management deliverables, including corrections to hydrological modeling tables and figures, as well as scoping discussions for upcoming deliverables related to vault structural feasibility and maintenance documentation. Representatives from the Department of Ecology, King County, Port of Seattle, and several consulting firms attended, with follow-up meetings scheduled for early April 2001.

A 2001 internal memo from Parametrix, Inc. summarizes a conversation with the Washington State Department of Ecology (WADOE) about water toxicity testing procedures. The memo reports that WADOE opposes adjusting lab water hardness to match site water, recommending instead that storm water tests target the hardness of the receiving water body, typically 40–60 mg/L as CaCO₃. It also notes that low water hardness (around 10 mg/L) may cause chronic reproductive effects in certain test organisms but not acute toxicity.

Draft meeting notes prepared by Rachel McCrea of Floyd & Snider Inc. for a 401 Permit Decision-Making Technical Meeting held March 26, 2001, regarding the Sea-Tac International Airport Third Runway. Attendees included John Drabek and Ann Kenny (Dept. of Ecology), Keith Smith (Port Of Seattle), Kelly Whiting (King County), Paul Fendt and Tom Atkins (Parametrix),

Washington State Department of Ecology mid-point status letter dated March 26, 2001, addressed to Tom Mueller (Army Corps of Engineers, Seattle District) and Elizabeth Leavitt (Port Of Seattle Aviation Environmental Programs), regarding Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA) Consistency review for the Port Of Seattle’s Master Plan Update for SeaTac International Airport, project number 1996-4-02325. Ecology

Email from Ann Kenny to Raymond Hellwig, Erik Stockdale, and Katie Walter (cc: Jeannie Summerhays, Kelly Whiting), dated March 21, 2001, transmitting Floyd & Snider Inc. Meeting Notes Summary (AR 034794, ECY00012495, Exhibit 2208) covering Sea-Tac Airport Third Runway 401 Permit negotiations on wetland issues only, October 2 through December 8, 2000. The summary documents

In September 1999, the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency issued an order limiting facility-wide air emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and carbon monoxide at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to less than 99 tons each per any 12-month period. The Port of Seattle is required to monitor fuel usage, calculate monthly emissions using specified factors, and maintain rolling records for at least five years. A March 2001 letter from the Port's Environmental Program Manager confirms emissions were well within limits, with nitrogen oxides typically running 15–17 tons and both carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide at 10 tons or less over the previous 12-month period.

Letter dated March 21, 2001 from Maggie Corbin, Sr. Environmental Program Manager, Port Of Seattle Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, to Ann Kenny at the Washington Department of Ecology Northwest Regional Office, transmitting a synthetic minor permit. Background: Puget Sound Clean Air Agency (PSCAA) issued Order dated September 21, 1999 (Construction No. 7777, Registration No. 21408) limiting

In this March 20, 2001 email, Ann E. Kenny, a Senior Permitting Specialist at the Washington Department of Ecology, contacts Elizabeth Leavitt while working on a three-month Coastal Zone Management (CZM) status letter. Kenny requests copies of two key documents: a shoreline exemption letter issued by the City of Auburn on 8/9/00, and air quality compliance documentation including a Governor's Certification from 6/30/97 and a PSCAA permit from 9/21/99.

Draft meeting notes from March 16, 2001 Technical Meeting on 401 Permit Decision-Making for Sea-Tac Airport Third Runway, prepared by Rachel McCrea of Floyd & Snider Inc. Attendees included John Drabek and Ann Kenny (Dept. of Ecology), Keith Smith (Port Of Seattle), Kelly Whiting (King County), Paul Fendt and Tom Atkins (Parametrix), and Felix Kristanovich