Forterra

2017-06-01
Airport Community Ecology Fund

The Airport Community Ecology Fund, authorized by the Port of Seattle Commission in November 2016, provides grants and partnership programs to improve the natural environment in communities affected by Seattle-Tacoma International Airport operations, specifically in SeaTac, Burien, and Des Moines. The fund supports environmental projects such as tree planting and green space development to help offset airport impacts through benefits like cleaner air, reduced runoff, and improved neighborhood character. Local non-profit organizations and community groups in the three eligible cities can apply for grants, provided their projects demonstrate measurable outcomes and a local match of three times the grant value.

TagsAirport Community Ecology Fund, Burien, Des Moines, Forterra, Port Of Seattle

As the source for federal transportation grants, the Puget Sound Regional Council was charged with developing a system to meet the growing need for commercial aviation. When the search for a second airport failed, they authorized the Port of Seattle to build the Third Runway, with a mandate to develop a noise abatement and mitigation program. In their effort to stop the Third Runway, the ACC argued over every detail of the Port's efforts--including property buyouts and sound insulation. The dispute was meant to be settled by a three member Expert Arbitration Panel. This is their final report. It finds 2-1, that the Port's program was insufficient in several respects. Despite that, funding for the Third Runway was approved by the PSRC, and the 'Port Package' program, proceeded largely unchanged. Expert Arbitration Panel's final decision finding that the Port of Seattle had not shown sufficient reduction in real on-the-ground noise impacts to satisfy noise reduction conditions required for approval of a third runway at Sea-Tac International Airport. The majority decision concluded the Port's noise abatement programs were insufficient despite being impressive in scope.

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