TagNPDES(128)

Washington State Department of Ecology Northwest Regional Office letter dated May 29, 2001, to Michael D. Feldman, Director of Aviation Facilities, Port Of Seattle, modifying NPDES Permit No. WA-002465-I for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (expiration July 30, 2002). Modification authorizes discharge of construction stormwater to Walker Creek including tributaries and Gilliam Creek including tributaries; adds monitoring

In this April 2001 letter, Northwest Hydraulic Consultants raised technical concerns on behalf of the Airport Communities Coalition regarding a proposed NPDES permit modification for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The firm identified two key issues: a lack of clear, enforceable design criteria for stormwater overflows from the airport's integrated wastewater system (IWS), and an inconsistency between the permit's stormwater detention standards and the stricter standards sought under Section 401 Certification for the Third Runway and Master Plan Update projects. The consultants recommended that the permit be revised and republished for public comment to address these gaps and ensure consistent, enforceable stormwater management requirements.

A March 2001 letter from Water Resources Consulting LLC to the Washington State Department of Ecology raises concerns about a proposed NPDES permit modification for SeaTac Airport, arguing that the draft permit gives the Port of Seattle a 'blank check' to discharge pollutants at unspecified locations into unnamed water bodies without adequate public oversight. The letter also criticizes the airport's stormwater monitoring reports for obscuring potential water quality violations by mishandling hardness data used to evaluate dissolved metals concentrations. The author urges the Department of Ecology to require specific discharge locations and proper concurrent hardness reporting before issuing the modified permit.

These are prepared talking points for Washington State Department of Ecology officials attending public meetings on January 26-27, 2001, regarding the proposed Third Runway (3RW) at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The notes address 17 anticipated public questions covering topics such as Ecology's 401 Water Quality Certification review process, the use of Port-funded consultants, SEPA compliance, wetlands impacts, and whether the project was receiving special political consideration. Officials emphasized that no approval would be granted until the project demonstrated full compliance with all applicable environmental laws and regulations.

The Port of Seattle requested regulatory approval to temporarily take Lagoon #3, part of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport's industrial wastewater treatment system, out of service from April through December 2002 for remediation and expansion work. The project aimed to increase the lagoon's storage capacity from 26 million gallons to 76 million gallons, add a protective liner, and rebuild berms to prevent untreated wastewater from seeping into the ground. During the construction period, some untreated industrial wastewater flows could potentially be released into Des Moines Creek as unavoidable bypasses.

Washington State Department of Ecology Water Quality Program Permit Writer’s Manual, Publication Number 92-109, revised January 2001, prepared by Gary Bailey. Covers NPDES permit writing procedures and water quality standards for Washington State. AR 032664, Exhibit-2077.

Section 4.5.2 of the Comprehensive Stormwater Management Plan for STIA Master Plan Update Improvements, December 2000, Port of Seattle. Documents stormwater quality monitoring data from SDS outfalls (1994–2000) under NPDES Permit requirements. Table 4-8 compares STIA runoff quality against regional and national urban stormwater benchmarks including Bellevue Sturtevant Creek, Bellevue Urban Runoff Program (BURP), King

The Industrial Wastewater System (IWS) at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport was built in 1963 to collect and treat runoff from airport aprons, taxiways, hangars, and maintenance areas that may be contaminated by fuel spills, de-icing chemicals, and aircraft wash water. The system channels wastewater through two main drainage areas to an on-site treatment plant, with treated water ultimately discharged into Puget Sound under an NPDES permit. Ongoing upgrades aim to expand the system's capacity to handle a 25-year design storm event.

Final draft meeting notes from November 29, 2000 (9:30am–2:00pm) prepared by Kate Snider of Floyd & Snider Inc. for Sea-Tac Airport Third Runway 401 permit negotiations between Port Of Seattle (Elizabeth Leavitt, Michael Cheyne, Keith Smith) and Washington State Department of Ecology (Kevin Fitzpatrick, Ann Kenny, Dave Garland), with King County (David Masters, Kelly Whiting)

Final draft meeting notes prepared by Kate Snider of Floyd & Snider Inc. for Sea-Tac Airport Third Runway 401 Permit Negotiations meeting held November 13, 2000, 1:00–3:30 PM. Attendees include representatives from Washington State Department of Ecology (Ray Hellwig, Kevin Fitzpatrick, Ann Kenny, Dave Garland), Port Of Seattle (Elizabeth Leavitt, Michael Cheyne, Keith Smith), King