TagMiller Creek(254)

Handwritten meeting notes dated 3-22-01 (AR 018495–018497, Exhibit 192) from a meeting involving Kelly Whiting, Katie Walters, and others (SKW MIG at WLRD). Notes cover Pond D (discharge not modelled, meets flow standards, indirect impacts to wetlands, SDW1B, seasonal groundwater at 336 ft, infiltration facility 0.2 cfs), Pond F (discharges to Walker Creek via riprap

Transmittal form dated March 19, 2001 from Parametrix, Inc. (James C. Kelley) to Gail Terzi and Muffy Walker, US Army Corps of Engineers Regulatory Branch, for Port Of Seattle project number 556-2912-01(03A), POS-Master Plan Update. Transmits responses to comments by Amanda Azous and Dyanne Sheldon, map and aerial photographs of a stream relocation project on

Memorandum dated March 9, 2001 from Dave Garland, Washington Department of Ecology NWRO Water Quality Nonpoint Unit, to Kevin Fitzpatrick and Ann Kenny, reviewing Earth Tech’s December 2000 ‘Sea-Tac Airport Master Plan Update Low Streamflow Analysis’ (Exhibit 2099, AR 033695–033697). The memo evaluates HSPF streamflow modeling for Miller Creek, Walker Creek, and Des Moines Creek

Memorandum dated March 9, 2001, from Dave Garland, Ecology NWRO Water Quality Nonpoint Unit, to Kevin Fitzpatrick and Ann Kenny, reviewing the Earth Tech December 2000 report ‘Sea-Tac Airport Master Plan Update Low Streamflow Analysis.’ The memo evaluates HSPF streamflow modeling and supplemental analyses for Miller Creek, Walker Creek, and Des Moines Creek in connection

Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) Assessment prepared by Parametrix, Inc. for the Federal Aviation Administration and Port Of Seattle for Master Plan Update Improvements at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (STIA), March 2001. Document AR049873 (project 556-2912-001) evaluates Pacific Coast salmon EFH — Chinook, Coho, and Puget Sound Pink salmon — in Miller Creek Basin, Des Moines Creek

A February 2001 letter from Azous Environmental Sciences, submitted on behalf of the Airport Communities Coalition, critiques the Port of Seattle's environmental mitigation plan for the proposed third runway at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The letter argues that key analyses of wetland functions, permanent and temporary wetland area losses, and cumulative environmental impacts are missing or scientifically unsupported in the Port's December 2000 documents. The author concludes that federal and state agencies lack sufficient information to determine whether the project complies with the Clean Water Act or whether the proposed mitigation adequately offsets the project's adverse impacts on wetlands, streams, and fisheries.

A fisheries biologist writing on behalf of the Airport Communities Coalition argues that the Port of Seattle has not provided sufficient scientific evidence to justify a Clean Water Act Section 404 permit for its proposed third runway expansion at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The letter contends that the project would harm local streams (Miller Creek, Walker Creek, and Des Moines Creek) and their fish populations — including federally threatened Chinook salmon — through stream relocation, contaminated fill materials, and toxic stormwater runoff containing copper, zinc, and de-icing chemicals. The author concludes that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lacks an adequate scientific basis to approve the permit without additional environmental study and mitigation measures.

A fisheries biologist hired by the Airport Communities Coalition argues that the Port of Seattle has not provided sufficient scientific evidence to justify a Clean Water Act Section 404 permit for its proposed third runway project at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The report concludes that the Port's plans would harm wetlands, streams, and fish populations—including federally threatened Chinook salmon—in the Miller Creek, Walker Creek, and Des Moines Creek watersheds through contaminated fill, toxic stormwater runoff, and the rerouting of Miller Creek. The biologist urges the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to require additional environmental studies and water quality modeling before any permit decision is made.

A water resources expert hired by the Airport Communities Coalition reviewed the Port of Seattle's stormwater management plan for Sea-Tac Airport expansion and found serious water quality concerns. The review concluded that the plan would harm surrounding streams and aquifers, that existing pollution controls were already failing to meet Washington State water quality standards, and that the proposed measures offered no reasonable assurance of future compliance. The expert recommended denial of both the Clean Water Act Section 401 certification and the Section 404 permit approval.

A February 2001 technical review letter from Northwest Hydraulic Consultants, submitted on behalf of the Airport Communities Coalition, raises concerns about the stormwater management plan for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport's proposed third runway expansion. The letter identifies deficiencies in hydrology and hydraulics analyses, inconsistencies in stormwater detention standards, and the lack of a clear independent review process for the complex project. Reviewers warn that without stricter oversight and well-defined engineering requirements, the development risks significant adverse impacts to local streams and wetlands, particularly Miller Creek and Des Moines Creek.