HB1328

2023-09-28
Report to Speaker’s Office: HB 1328 – Providing means for port districts to undertake abatement of airport noise

House Bill 1328 authorized the Port of Seattle to establish jet aircraft noise abatement programs for surrounding communities, allowing the port to purchase affected properties, fund soundproofing, and provide mortgage insurance for residents unable to obtain it due to noise impacts. The bill was amended by the Committee on Local Government to expand the defined impact area, remove eminent domain powers, and extend time limits for property payments. Funding for the program could come from general obligation bonds, capped at 1/8 of one percent of the total taxable property value within the port district.

TagsHB1328, Port Of Seattle, Sound Insulation, Washington State Legislature
1975-01-01
Sea-Tac International Airport Map with Handwritten Notes

Vicinity Map of Sea-Tac International Airport and surrounding areas including runways, terminals, and nearby communities from the Sea-Tac Communities Plan committee. The map contains extensive handwritten annotations and notes from Virginia Dana concerning relocation, warehouses and HB1328.

TagsHandwritten Notes, HB1328, Land Use, Map, Port Of Seattle, Sea-Tac Communities Plan, Virginia Dana

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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