TagKing County(412)

The Puget Sound Regional Emissions Analysis is a King County-led project launched in 2021 to comprehensively measure greenhouse gas emissions across King, Kitsap, Snohomish, and Pierce counties. The project covers multiple types of emissions inventories—including community activities, consumption of goods and services, and government operations—while also modeling pathways to reduce emissions and achieve carbon neutrality. It incorporates social equity principles to address disproportionate environmental impacts on communities of color.

A December 2020 presentation by Public Health Seattle and King County researcher Kris Johnson, PhD, examines the link between airplane emissions and premature births. The slides outline serious health risks associated with preterm birth, including cognitive delays, hearing and vision problems, SIDS, ADHD, and greater likelihood of chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes in adulthood. Mothers who deliver preterm also face elevated risks of hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and repeated preterm deliveries.

A University of Washington study found that King County neighborhoods with the highest air pollution levels, concentrated in South King County, also experienced the highest COVID-19 infection rates. These areas are predominantly lower-income communities of color with below-average COVID-19 testing access. Researchers note that environmental health disparities, not air pollution as a direct cause, mirror the patterns of COVID-19 spread, and call for more testing resources and culturally appropriate outreach in affected communities.

This 2020 public health study examines the effects of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport operations on nearby communities, analyzing health indicators such as cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimer's disease death rates between 2012 and 2016. Study area cities like Burien, Des Moines, Federal Way, SeaTac, and Tukwila generally showed higher cancer and heart disease death rates than King County as a whole, though rates declined somewhat over the period. The report aims to identify whether airport operations contributed to adverse health outcomes and recommends strategies for ongoing investigation and mitigation.

This 2020 study examines how Seattle-Tacoma International Airport affects regional air quality, reviewing data from 1997 to 2018 collected across 13 monitoring stations within a 15-mile radius of the airport. It finds that King County consistently meets federal, state, and regional air quality standards for pollutants such as ozone, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and particulate matter. In fact, pollution levels have generally decreased over time, leading authorities to shut down some monitoring stations near SeaTac due to consistently low readings.

A 2020 Washington State study, funded by the legislature and six nearby cities with a combined $600,000 budget, examines how Seattle-Tacoma International Airport's operations have historically affected surrounding communities including Burien, Des Moines, Federal Way, Normandy Park, SeaTac, and Tukwila. Unlike a similar 1997 study that projected future impacts from a proposed third runway, this study reviews historical data from 1997 to 2019 to establish a baseline of airport-related impacts across a range of metrics. The study area covers about 61 square miles and is home to over 237,000 residents, a population density roughly 3.3 times greater than the King County average.

This presentation by Kim Serry, a University of Washington public health graduate student, reviews research on the community health impacts of airports, covering pollutants, health effects, and which populations are most affected. The session, produced in partnership with Public Health Seattle King County and the UW Center for Health Innovation and Policy Science, also examines local conditions relevant to the Sea-Tac area. The 30-35 minute recorded presentation concludes with an open question-and-answer period.

A King County task force report examines aircraft emissions from airports including Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) and King County International Airport (KCIA), finding that aviation accounts for 15 percent of King County's total emissions and disproportionately harms nearby frontline communities. The report identifies key challenges to reducing aviation pollution at the local level, including limited regulatory authority and immature clean-energy technologies. Near-term recommendations focus on improving air quality around airports and phasing out leaded aviation fuel, while acknowledging that significant emissions reductions are unlikely in the short to medium term.

The Port of Seattle is requesting $965,000 to fund its 2020 Economic Development Partnership Program, which provides grants to King County cities (excluding Seattle) to support local economic development projects such as business recruitment, tourism, and planning studies. Now in its fourth year, the program provides cities $1 per capita in funding and requires a 50% match from participating cities. In 2019, 23 of 38 eligible King County cities participated, with approximately $778,000 awarded for projects ranging from business assistance to regional marketing collaborations.