Tagpollution(85)

This 2005 report from the City of Seattle's Office of Sustainability and Environment measures greenhouse gas emissions across the Seattle community and city government operations. It uses two approaches: a geographic inventory tracking emissions within Seattle's boundaries, and a corporate inventory covering the city government's facilities and operations. The report was compiled by consultant Roel Hammerschlag and audited by Envirometrics, Inc., serving as a baseline reference for Seattle's climate planning efforts.

A 2001 EPA air quality study measured toxic airborne pollutants across six Seattle-area neighborhoods, including a site near Seattle-Tacoma International Airport that was notably impacted by emissions from nearby freeways and congested streets. Researchers collected air samples over the course of a year to track levels of harmful compounds including volatile organic chemicals (VOCs), carbonyls, and metals. The findings were intended to help assess community health risks and guide the development of a long-term national air toxics monitoring network.

This 2003 report by the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency evaluates air toxic chemicals in the Puget Sound region, assessing potential cancer and non-cancer health risks based on air monitoring data and EPA modeling. It identifies priority chemicals of concern, estimates human exposure levels, and draws conclusions about the health impacts of pollutants such as diesel exhaust and woodsmoke on local residents.

This 2002 draft document presents 1996 modeled air exposure concentration estimates for toxic pollutants including lead, manganese, and arsenic across all U.S. states. It compares statewide source contributions from major industrial areas, onroad vehicles, nonroad sources, and background levels. Supplementary 2001 monitoring data from Sea-Tac Airport and nearby Seattle sites shows measured concentrations of these pollutants, with some local readings—such as a single manganese measurement exceeding 36 ng/m³ and an arsenic reading surpassing 12 ng/m³—notably higher than regional averages.

This 1998/1999 study by the Washington State Department of Ecology monitored levels of oxides of nitrogen and particulate matter in the SeaTac area, likely in relation to emissions from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and surrounding traffic. Prepared by Jim Frost and Doug Knowlton of Ecology's Air Program, the report assessed local air quality conditions during that period. It serves as a technical reference for understanding pollution levels near the airport in the late 1990s.

A 1999 University of Washington study measured nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels around Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to determine whether aircraft operations were harming local air quality. Researchers found that NO2 levels at all monitoring sites remained well below federal safety standards, and that regional conditions and nearby freeways — not aircraft — were the primary drivers of local pollution. The study concluded that airport operations had only a small, difficult-to-isolate effect on community NO2 levels, estimated at less than 7 parts per billion above background levels.

A 1996 Natural Resources Defense Council report estimates that approximately 64,000 premature deaths from cardiopulmonary causes occur each year due to particulate air pollution (PM-10) across 239 American cities. The report ranks metropolitan areas by PM-10 concentration, attributable mortality, and mortality rate, with California cities like Visalia, Bakersfield, and Fresno topping the pollution charts. Note: this document addresses urban air quality and public health broadly and does not contain content specifically related to Sea-Tac Airport noise policy.