TagNEPA(149)

FAA Order JO 7400.2R, effective February 20, 2025, sets out procedures for managing U.S. airspace, covering topics such as objects affecting navigable airspace, airport airspace analysis, terminal and en route airspace, special use airspace, and laser and rocket operations. The order updates policies related to surveillance facilities and airport proposals to reflect modern, contractor-supported National Airspace System technologies. Note that this document addresses broad national airspace management procedures and does not specifically cover Sea-Tac Airport noise policy.

Four cities near Sea-Tac Airport — Burien, Des Moines, Normandy Park, and SeaTac — have joined together under a formal interlocal agreement to coordinate their review of the Port of Seattle's Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP), which could bring significant noise and environmental impacts to surrounding communities over the next 20 years. The agreement establishes a shared process for hiring consultants, submitting joint public comments, and responding to environmental documents produced under federal (NEPA) and state (SEPA) law. The collaboration is set to run through December 31, 2027, with the City of Des Moines managing consultant contracts and the City of Burien overseeing fiscal matters.

The FAA released a draft Environmental Assessment in October 2024 for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport's Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP), which outlines 31 near-term projects to expand airport capacity for growing passenger demand. Key projects include a new passenger terminal and gates, taxiway extensions, cargo facility changes, and employee parking updates. The cities of SeaTac, Burien, Des Moines, and Normandy Park are collaborating to submit technical comments on the plan before the December 13, 2024 deadline.

A group of organizations and a resident challenged a plan by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Park Service (NPS) regulating tourist flights over four national parks near San Francisco. The agencies determined that no environmental analysis was needed under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) because the plan would cause minimal additional

This document is a review by ABCx2 of a Port of Seattle presentation to the city of Burien regarding the Sea-Tac Airport Master Plan (SAMP) Environmental Impact Statement. It raises concerns about the Port's decision to limit its environmental review of airport impacts to 2018 rather than 2012, questions whether significant construction growth and flight increases during that period were properly analyzed under federal (NEPA) and state (SEPA) environmental law, and challenges the Port's characterization of the FAR Part 150 noise abatement process as purely voluntary. The document also examines potential consequences if the Port fails to meet noise mitigation commitments tied to federal funding.