TagPart 150(263)

The Burien Quiet Skies coalition compiled this 2019 document comparing FAA and Port of Seattle noise abatement commitments against actual progress, revealing decades of unmet promises dating back to 1985. Key concerns include hundreds of homes left uninsulated or poorly insulated, a 12-year gap in required noise modeling data, and noise levels in some Burien neighborhoods now exceeding the 65 dB threshold that triggers mitigation eligibility. The document calls on the FAA to hold the Port of Seattle accountable for failing to implement long-recommended noise reduction measures and for significantly underestimating flight operations and their impact on surrounding communities.

The Burien Airport Committee met on June 18, 2019 to discuss airport noise and planning issues related to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, including debriefing on recent stakeholder meetings with consultants Stantec and Lockridge Grindal Nauen, and a Port of Seattle presentation to Burien City Council. The committee considered potential letters to the Port of Seattle, Senator Karen Keiser, and the FAA regarding concerns about the Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP) and Part 150 noise study noncompliance. Members also reviewed research on airport governance structures and complaint processes at large airports across the country.

A consulting team addresses two community concerns about Seattle-Tacoma International Airport: the lack of a direct NEPA environmental review covering noise impact growth between 2012 and 2018, and questions about how the airport's third runway is being used. The document explains that while current NEPA and Part 150 processes will capture existing noise conditions, they will not specifically compare 2012 versus 2018 impacts, and that federally funded runways like the third runway must be made available whenever air traffic control deems it necessary. The consultants propose reviewing historical Part 150 studies, past NEPA documents, and third-runway records to assess noise impacts on surrounding communities, while also supporting clients in engaging the Port, FAA, and airlines through the StART committee and other channels.

In a May 2019 email, community advocate Sheila Brush shares meeting notes with colleagues outlining key arguments for why Sea-Tac Airport's Part 150 noise compatibility study may be out of compliance, including concerns about lack of transparency in the public scoping process and the unstudied noise impacts of a third runway. The notes also raise questions about whether the Port's plan to fold portions of the Part 150 study into the SAMP and SEPA/EIS processes is appropriate, and whether the EPA's lack of sign-off on the previous study is relevant. Brush expresses gratitude to Sharyn Parker for taking on the effort to formally request a compliance assessment from the FAA.

In January 2019, the City of Burien, Washington considered Resolution No. 407, a measure drafted by the Burien Airport Committee to address noise pollution from nearby Sea-Tac Airport. The resolution highlighted that the airport's rapid growth had caused serious health, environmental, and economic harm to Burien residents, with current FAA noise level standards far exceeding the safer thresholds recommended by the World Health Organization. The Burien Airport Committee recommended adoption of the resolution, which called for updated noise impact assessments and greater consideration of off-site noise effects.

This white paper analyzes the noise-related provisions of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 (H.R. 302), which reauthorized the FAA through fiscal year 2023 and included 14 provisions directly or indirectly addressing aircraft noise. Key measures require the FAA to study alternative noise metrics to replace the Day-Night Average Sound Level (DNL) standard, update Noise Exposure Maps when operations change significantly, and consider dispersal headings for new flight procedures to reduce community noise impacts. Seattle is among the cities specifically identified for a health impacts study related to aviation noise, making these provisions particularly relevant to Sea-Tac Airport stakeholders.

This document presents a community challenge to the FAA's environmental review (CATEX) of new flight routes near Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, arguing that the FAA's own noise analyses show significant noise increases in the surrounding General Study Area that exceed the agency's own significance thresholds. The authors contend that the FAA could not rely on the outdated 2013-2018 Port of Seattle Part 150 noise study, and that the FAA's independent analyses revealed noise level jumps ranging from 5.2% to nearly 60% across various decibel contours. The document concludes that the FAA's declaration of 'no noise impacts' is implausible given data showing that portions of previously quiet neighborhoods now experience non-compatible land use noise levels above 65 dB DNL.

This FAA information sheet explains two main ways airports and communities can work together to address aircraft noise: the formal Part 150 Noise Compatibility Program, which follows federal regulations and can unlock federal funding for solutions like sound insulation, and Community Roundtables, which are voluntary ongoing forums where neighbors, airlines, and airport representatives discuss a broad range of noise and airport concerns. While Part 150 studies are structured, time-limited processes that result in an approved Noise Compatibility Plan, roundtables operate continuously under their own bylaws without a defined end date. The FAA recommends that airports consider using both approaches together for the most effective community engagement.