TagNEPA(463)

Amended Certified Index to the Administrative Record filed in Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals cases No. 25-7373 (Vashon Island Fair Skies v. FAA) and No. 25-7439 (City of Burien et al. v. FAA). Respondents — represented by DOJ Environment and Natural Resources Division attorneys Rebecca Jaffe and Christopher Hair, and FAA Senior Attorney Patricia Deem

The FCC and FAA have taken steps to regulate drone operations near critical infrastructure, with the FAA proposing a new petition-based system allowing facility owners to apply for drone flight restrictions over their sites. The proposed rule would create two levels of restricted airspace and applies to facilities across 16 critical infrastructure sectors, such as energy, transportation, and healthcare. State laws, such as Florida's Unmanned Aircraft Systems Act, may impose additional independent restrictions on drone operations beyond the federal framework.

The Port of Seattle released a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) under the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) for the Sustainable Airport Master Plan Near-Term Projects at Sea-Tac Airport, finding that surface transportation is the only category with significant impacts requiring mitigation. The review examined sixteen environmental categories including noise, air quality, and community impacts, with a 60-day public comment period running from May 22 to July 21, 2026, including in-person meetings in SeaTac, Burien, Des Moines, and Federal Way. A final SEPA determination is expected by the end of 2026.

This May 2026 ESA policy briefing provides an update on federal permitting policy, noting that all three branches of government — legislative, executive, and judicial — are actively shaping permitting decisions. A key highlight is that Trump's second term has seen a dramatically higher number of first-year executive orders than any previous administration in recent history, signaling an aggressive pace of executive action on regulatory and permitting matters. While the document focuses broadly on federal permitting trends, its content is relevant to infrastructure and environmental review processes that can affect airport-related noise and land-use decisions.

This appendix lists the individuals and organizations responsible for preparing the environmental review documents for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport's Sustainable Airport Master Plan Near-Term Projects. It includes two tables: one covering contributors to the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) Environmental Impact Statement, and one listing those who prepared the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Environmental Assessment. Key contributors include staff from the Port of Seattle, consulting firms such as Parametrix, Landrum & Brown, CDM Smith, Concord Engineering, and RS&H, covering areas such as air quality, noise, climate change, safety, and biological resources.