TagLeech Tishman(8)

Legal analysis from Steve Taber @ Leech Tishman examining how Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) addresses climate goals through federal tax incentives and production targets, while highlighting the gap between SAF’s global climate benefits and local community impacts like noise and air quality that remain unaddressed.

The SeaTac City Council is considering an ordinance to hire outside legal counsel and update a cost-sharing agreement with the cities of Burien, Normandy Park, and Des Moines to challenge or engage with the FAA's environmental review of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport expansion plans. The four cities would jointly retain two law firms—Leech Tishman for federal NEPA matters and Ogden Murphy Wallace for state SEPA matters—at an estimated cost of $350,000, with SeaTac covering roughly 26% and recovering the rest from its partner cities. The effort is driven by the FAA's September 2025 issuance of a Final Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact, which must be challenged by November 25, 2025.

The City of SeaTac, Washington has engaged the law firm Leech Tishman Nelson Hardiman to provide legal counsel regarding the Port of Seattle's Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP), specifically in connection with the forthcoming Final Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI). The firm will advise the City, prepare legal memoranda, and file a Petition for Review with a federal appeals court challenging the FAA's Record of Decision once it is published in late 2025. The engagement is capped at $300,000, with an initial retainer of $10,000, and hourly rates ranging from $300–$540 per hour.

Steven M. Taber is a Partner at Leech Tishman law firm specializing in environmental law, aviation and airport development, and related regulatory matters, with experience advising airports, municipalities, and community groups on noise and capacity issues under statutes such as the Airport Noise and Capacity Act and the Aviation Safety and Noise Abatement Act. He previously served as an attorney for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), where he was involved in drafting FAA Environmental Orders 1050.1E and 5050.4B, and has counseled clients navigating FAA enforcement actions and airport modernization programs. While his profile does not reference Sea-Tac Airport specifically, his broad expertise in aviation noise policy, environmental review processes, and federal aviation regulations makes him a relevant figure in airport noise policy research.