TagEnvironmental Impact Statement(400)

The cities of Burien, Des Moines, and SeaTac held a Community Open House to demand equity for communities impacted by Sea-Tac Airport, presenting concerns about a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). The cities argue the DEIS fails to adequately address hazardous materials risks—including incomplete PFAS contamination mapping and insufficient evaluation of off-site pollution migration—and does not properly demonstrate how airport expansion affects nearby neighborhoods, parks, and land use. Key deficiencies identified include reliance on future regulatory compliance rather than current evidence, and a lack of clear analysis linking land use conclusions to technical findings.

The City of Burien, Des Moines, and SeaTac co-hosted a Community Open House on July 14, 2026, to present the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport's Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP). The meeting covered proposed airfield, terminal, cargo, and landside expansion projects, along with their potential environmental impacts on surrounding communities. Residents were invited to learn about next steps and submit public comments on the plan.

The Port of Seattle Commission held a special public meeting on July 9, 2026, at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to receive official comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP) Near-Term Projects. Community members could participate in person, virtually, or by submitting written comments to SAMP@portseattle.org. The meeting was part of the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) review process, giving the public an opportunity to weigh in on planned airport development and its potential environmental impacts.

The mayors of Burien, Des Moines, and SeaTac jointly wrote to Port of Seattle Commissioners in 2026 to challenge the claim that airport expansion projects outlined in the Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP) would have no significant impact on neighboring communities. The letter highlights concerns about aircraft noise, air pollution, traffic, and disproportionate burdens on historically disadvantaged residents living closest to the airport. The cities also demand that the public comment period for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement be extended from 60 to at least 120 days to allow for meaningful community review.

A Des Moines, WA resident and airport advisory committee member submitted this public comment to challenge the noise analysis in the Sea-Tac Airport (SEA) expansion environmental review, arguing that the standard Day-Night Average Sound Level (DNL) metric fails to capture how frequently aircraft noise actually occurs in nearby neighborhoods. Using direct measurements from five Port of Seattle noise monitors, the analysis found that some community locations currently experience roughly 529 aircraft noise events per day with a median quiet gap of only 1.5 minutes between them—conditions the commenter projects will worsen by 2032. The submission calls on the Port of Seattle to supplement its environmental review with event-based noise metrics that reflect real community exposure, including nighttime event counts and inter-event recovery time, as required under Washington State's environmental review law (SEPA).