TagEnvironmental Justice(99)

In November 2018, the Port of Seattle Commission set aside $10 million over five years (2019–2023) to benefit near-airport communities in South King County, with funds intended to address airport noise and support environmental health and sustainability projects. In June 2019, the Commission adopted eight guiding principles to govern the fund, emphasizing community input, equity, innovation, and matching funds where possible. This May 2020 presentation to the Highline Forum provided an update on the fund's progress and priorities.

A peer-reviewed study by researchers from Tufts, UCLA, USC, and the University of Washington found that mothers living near airports and exposed to ultrafine particles from jet exhaust face elevated rates of preterm birth. The research, published in Environmental Health Perspectives in 2020, is particularly relevant to communities near large airports like Sea-Tac, where millions of residents live within the impact zone of aircraft emissions. The findings carry significant environmental justice implications, as near-airport communities with high pollution exposure are often among the most vulnerable populations.

Washington House Bill 2688, introduced in the 2020 legislative session, proposes updating the state's transportation policy goals to prioritize accessibility, environmental justice, public health, and climate by replacing older goals focused primarily on economic vitality and mobility. The bill would require transportation projects to undergo a multi-agency evaluation—including input from vulnerable and impacted communities—before receiving budget authorization. Projects that do not meet a minimum score based on the new policy goals would generally be excluded from funding.

These two letters from 2019 address community concerns about noise and environmental impacts from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac). The EPA's Region 10 Regional Administrator responds to a Burien resident, explaining the agency's limited role in the NEPA review process and directing her to engage with the FAA regarding the Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP) Environmental Assessment. Separately, the Port of Seattle's Executive Director responds to Burien's mayor, acknowledging community concerns about aircraft noise and emphasizing the Port's commitment to collaboration through forums such as the Sea-Tac Stakeholder Advisory Round Table (StART).

Washington State's Environmental Justice Task Force, convened by the Governor's Interagency Council on Health Disparities, was established to recommend strategies for reducing environmental health disparities across the state, with a final report due to the legislature and Governor by October 31, 2020. The Task Force focuses on improving health outcomes for communities most severely impacted by environmental hazards, including low-income populations and communities of color. Its work includes developing guidance on community engagement, measurable health disparity goals, and model policies prioritizing vulnerable populations.

A community analysis of the SR 509 highway extension near Sea-Tac Airport warns that the project will significantly increase truck and vehicle traffic through Burien, worsening air quality and noise for nearby residents. Critics argue that neither WSDOT nor the FAA has conducted adequate site-specific or cumulative impact studies, despite actual emissions being nearly three times higher than 1996 projections and the area already being identified as an environmental justice community. The document calls for a comprehensive cumulative analysis of combined highway traffic and airport operations to properly assess public health risks.

In May 2019, Federal Way Mayor Jim Ferrell and the unanimous City Council wrote to University of Washington researchers requesting an expansion of the MOV-UP study measuring ultrafine particle pollution around Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The letter calls for three key additions: a baseline measurement site unaffected by air traffic, drone-based vertical air sampling before and after aircraft landings at parks, schools, and social justice impact areas, and the design of a permanent 24/7 ultrafine particle monitoring network. The city also offered to support a Port of Seattle grant application to fund the expanded research and pledged to encourage other affected communities to join the effort.

A Beacon Hill resident submitted scoping comments in September 2018 regarding the Sea-Tac Airport expansion, raising concerns about air quality, airplane emissions, noise impacts on children's health, traffic congestion, and environmental justice for communities of color. The commenter requested studies on health effects for nearby residents, better public outreach to non-English-speaking communities, and neighborhood noise monitoring equipment. She also expressed frustration about cost overruns on existing airport projects and the limited accessibility of the public open house held at New Holly.