TagEnvironmental Review(60)

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  • Sustainable Airport Master Plan 2019 Scoping Documents

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    1The same documents can be found here. [get_filebird_folder folder_id=170] 1We often provide replicas of important documents, news stories, etc. We refer to this as ‘belt and suspenders’. Although we always recommend that researchers source from the original sites, computers often fail. It’s good to have backup.
  • 2020-02-01

    Cumulative impacts: 1050.1F desk reference (v2)

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    This FAA guidance document explains how to analyze cumulative environmental impacts for aviation projects, meaning the combined effect of an airport action together with other past, present, and foreseeable future actions by any agency or party. It outlines how to define the study area, determine significance, and consider mitigation, noting that even individually minor impacts can together become significant. While focused on FAA projects broadly, it is relevant to noise and environmental planning at airports like Sea-Tac, where surrounding development and multiple simultaneous projects can compound environmental effects.
  • 2005-06-24

    Guidance on the consideration of past actions in cumulative effects analysis

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    This 2005 memo from the White House Council on Environmental Quality instructs federal agencies on how to handle past actions when analyzing cumulative environmental impacts under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Agencies are not required to exhaustively catalog every past action, but must describe their current combined effects when those effects are relevant to a proposed action's foreseeable environmental impacts. The guidance emphasizes using the scoping process to focus analysis on truly significant cumulative effects rather than accumulating unnecessary background data.
  • NEPA flow to SEPA under review
    2026-08-20

    NEPA Flow to SEPA: Process Status Diagram

    Diagram illustrating the sequential relationship between the federal-level NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) process and the state-level SEPA (State Environmental Policy Act) process. The NEPA phase is marked “COMPLETE” while the SEPA phase is marked “Under Review.” Includes a U.S. map icon for NEPA and a Washington State map icon for SEPA.
  • 2026-05-01

    Key takeaways from what’s heating up for spring: federal permitting policy update

    Environmental Science Associates hosted a webinar examining rapid changes in federal environmental permitting, covering topics such as streamlined categorical exclusions under NEPA, cultural resources consultation under Section 106, and the growing use of AI tools in environmental review workflows. Experts noted that agencies face increasing pressure to accelerate infrastructure permitting timelines while maintaining legally defensible documentation, particularly as recent court decisions and regulatory rescissions create greater agency discretion and less standardized guidance. Organizations are advised to invest in adaptable workflows and early interagency coordination to manage permitting risk in this shifting landscape.
  • Esa webinar may 2026 heating up for spring summary pdf
    2026-05-01

    Key takeaways from what’s heating up for spring: federal permitting policy update

    Environmental Science Associates hosted a webinar examining rapid changes in federal environmental permitting, covering topics such as streamlined categorical exclusions under NEPA, cultural resources consultation under Section 106, and the growing use of AI tools in environmental review workflows. Experts noted that agencies face increasing pressure to accelerate infrastructure permitting timelines while maintaining legally defensible documentation, particularly as recent court decisions and regulatory rescissions create greater agency discretion and less standardized guidance. Organizations are advised to invest in adaptable workflows and early interagency coordination to manage permitting risk in this shifting landscape.
  • 2025-10-13

    Port Commission briefing SAMP: SEPA Includes Additional Analyses

    A presentation slide titled 'SEPA Includes Additional Analyses' lists environmental review topics covered under the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA), including Earth, Air, Water, Plants and Animals, Energy and Natural Resources, Environmental Health, Land and Shoreline Use, Transportation, Public Services and Utilities, Climate, Environmental Justice, and Cumulative Impacts. A footnote notes that Climate, Environmental Justice, and Cumulative Impacts were removed from the NEPA Final EA, highlighting differences between state and federal environmental review processes relevant to Sea-Tac Airport proceedings.
  • 2025-01-28

    SEPA Environmental Checklist — Sea-Tac Airport Water System Plan Limited Update 2025–2028

    This is POS SEPA No. 2025-01, dated January 28, 2025, an Environmental Checklist prepared by the Port of Seattle for the approval and adoption of the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) Water System Plan (Limited Update), covering the plan implementation period 2025–2028. The contact listed is Steve Rybolt, Senior Environmental Program Manager, and the checklist requires Washington State Department of Health (WDOH) approval.
  • 2025-01-15

    Interlocal agreement between the cities of Burien, Des Moines, Normandy Park and SeaTac for environmental review of the Sea-Tac Airport Sustainable Airport Master Plan

    Four cities near Sea-Tac Airport — Burien, Des Moines, Normandy Park, and SeaTac — have joined together under a formal interlocal agreement to coordinate their review of the Port of Seattle's Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP), which could bring significant noise and environmental impacts to surrounding communities over the next 20 years. The agreement establishes a shared process for hiring consultants, submitting joint public comments, and responding to environmental documents produced under federal (NEPA) and state (SEPA) law. The collaboration is set to run through December 31, 2027, with the City of Des Moines managing consultant contracts and the City of Burien overseeing fiscal matters.
  • 2024-12-12

    Interlocal agreement for coordinated SAMP review

    The cities of Burien, Des Moines, Normandy Park, and SeaTac are renewing a cooperative agreement to jointly review and respond to the Port of Seattle's Sea-Tac Airport Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP), which outlines future airport growth that could significantly impact neighboring communities. The new Interlocal Agreement (ILA), approved by Des Moines City Council in December 2024, extends collaboration through December 31, 2027, allowing the cities to share consultants and coordinate formal comments on the airport's environmental review process under NEPA and SEPA. Des Moines has committed up to $74,170 toward consultant services, with each city's share determined by relative population.