TagEnvironmental Impact Statement(400)

In 1992, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the FAA's decision to change flight patterns for turbine-powered aircraft at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport without preparing a full Environmental Impact Statement. The FAA had issued a Finding of No Significant Impact based on a computer noise model using the 65 decibel day-night sound level as the threshold for significant noise impact, which the court found to be a reasonable approach. The Seattle Community Council Federation had challenged the decision, arguing that the FAA failed to adequately assess the noise effects on surrounding communities.

AR037747. Draft Final Report of the Puget Sound Air Transportation Committee’s Flight Plan Project, January 1992, sponsored by the Puget Sound Regional Council and Port Of Seattle with FAA grants. Study findings and draft recommendations for long-term air carrier system needs of the Puget Sound Region, including a Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement. Committee chaired

This 1987 Draft Environmental Impact Statement from the Puget Sound Council of Governments evaluates alternatives for expanding and managing the regional airport system through the year 2020, assessing their potential environmental and economic impacts. The study found that all alternatives would generate significant impacts to both natural and human environments, with the key difference being whether those impacts would be concentrated at existing airports or spread across new locations. Extensive mitigation measures were identified as necessary for any chosen alternative, and no single option was found to be clearly superior to the others.

Federal Aviation Administration final rule implementing DOT/FAA policy to guide the future operation and development of Washington National and Dulles International Airports. The rules address aircraft operations, scheduling, passenger limits, noise restrictions, and the perimeter for nonstop service at National Airport.

This August 1980 Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement from King County's Division of Planning outlines proposed zoning changes for the Highline Community Plan, covering areas surrounding Seattle-Tacoma International Airport including White Center, Burien, and nearby neighborhoods. The document maps land proposed for rezoning across multiple subareas, with changes including downzones to single-family residential, conversions to multi-family or mixed use, and designations of land for potential future rezones. It serves as a planning tool to guide land use decisions in communities directly affected by airport noise and related impacts.

A March 1980 memo from King County's Planning Division manager Karen Rahm notifies recipients about the Proposed Highline Communities Plan Area Zoning, a zoning framework designed to implement the land use guidelines of the 1977 Highline Communities Plan. The memo states that a supplemental draft Environmental Impact Statement was being prepared and would be published in Spring 1980, after which the zoning proposal would be sent to the County Council for adoption. Handwritten notes on the reverse reference page 56, suggesting a potential rezoning from SR to ML (Medium Light industrial) with consideration of buffer zones around ML areas.