TagPort Of Seattle(2609)

This document compares a 1996 Expert Arbitration Panel's findings on aircraft noise at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport with the FAA's 2013-2018 Part 150 Noise Compatibility Program approval, revealing that many of the same unresolved noise abatement and mitigation issues identified decades ago remain unaddressed today. Communities surrounding Sea-Tac — including Burien, Normandy Park, and Des Moines — continue to experience increasing noise and air pollution as flight operations have grown from 387,000 in 1995 to over 438,000 in 2018. The document calls out regulators and the Port of Seattle for failing to make meaningful progress on commitments such as nighttime flight restrictions, engine run-up controls, and departure corridor compliance.

In 1996 congressional testimony, Dr. Stephen Hockaday argued against building a costly third runway at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, contending that the Port of Seattle greatly overstated the frequency of poor weather conditions that would require it. He presented evidence that true instrument flight conditions occur less than 8% of the year—not the 44% the Port claimed—and that existing navigation technologies like Localizer Directional Aid approaches could address capacity needs at far lower cost. Hockaday warned that spending half a billion dollars on a runway used only 15% of the time would divert resources from better long-term regional aviation solutions.

In this 1996 testimony to the Aviation Subcommittee, economist Dr. Lynn O. Michaelis argues that the proposed third runway at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is economically unjustified, citing flawed pricing schemes that fail to account for peak-hour demand and encourage inefficient small-plane operations. He contends that federal funding is being used to bypass local accountability, masking the project's poor return on investment — estimated at less than 1% on a $500 million expenditure. Michaelis also criticizes the airline industry's exemption from pollution-related cost corrections that apply to other industries, arguing that nearby residents bear a disproportionate share of the environmental costs.

This 1996 Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), prepared by the FAA and Port of Seattle, evaluates the environmental effects of proposed expansion plans at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, including construction of a third parallel runway, terminal upgrades, and parking improvements planned through 2020. The document addresses key community concerns such as aircraft noise, air quality, surface traffic, and impacts on wetlands and floodplains. It includes transcripts and written comments from two public hearings held in June 1995, attended by community members and agencies who raised significant concerns about noise, health, and environmental impacts.

Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) prepared jointly by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Northwest Mountain Region and the Port of Seattle for the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac) Master Plan Update, dated February 1996, AR038744. Covers proposed development actions 1996-2020 including a new third parallel runway (Runway 16X/34X) up to 8,500 feet long separated 2,500 feet

This archival record (Box 1317, CID 10992) from the Port of Seattle's Administration office covers documents related to airport litigation, noise reduction, and policy from 1992 to 1996. Contents include correspondence with executive board members, legal memos on noise panel decisions, Port of Seattle resolutions, noise monitoring data, and materials sent to arbitration panel members regarding noise reduction measures at Sea-Tac Airport. The collection also contains environmental impact statements, runway litigation records, and studies on the effects of aircraft noise on nearby communities.

Resolution No. 3202, adopted by the Port of Seattle Commission on October 10, 1995, declares a residential property at 2249 S. 216th Street—acquired through the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport's Transaction Assistance Program for homeowners near airport noise areas—as surplus and no longer needed for Port purposes. The estimated market value of the property was $106,000, and the Director of Aviation Facilities and Maintenance was authorized to arrange its sale on the open market in accordance with state law.

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (STIA) Capacity Enhancement Plan Update, July 1995, AR 038694. Prepared jointly by the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Port Of Seattle, and airlines and general aviation community serving Sea-Tac Airport. Document covers airport capacity planning and enhancement initiatives.