TagPort Of Seattle(2343)

This document is an Environmental Justice Protocol prepared by Landrum & Brown, Incorporated for the Federal Aviation Administration and the Port of Seattle in June 2024. It addresses socioeconomics, environmental justice, and children's health considerations related to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The protocol provides a framework for evaluating how airport-related impacts may affect minority, low-income, and other vulnerable populations in surrounding communities.

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport launched a Sound Insulation Repair and Replacement Pilot Program following Commission Order 2024-04, approved on February 27, 2024, with a total budget of $6.5 million — including $5 million reserved for design and construction. The program, funded by tax levy, aims to assess and repair aging sound insulation in nearby homes, incorporating equity guidelines for participation. The 2024 assessment timeline includes resident surveys, acoustic testing, and a final report, with design and construction work planned for 2025.

The SEA Stakeholder Advisory Round Table (StART) 2023 Annual Report, presented by Port of Seattle staff Marco Milanese and Nate Caminos, summarizes the group's work addressing aviation noise and federal policy issues around Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The report highlights efforts from two key working groups: the Aviation Noise Working Group and the Federal Policy Working Group, which engage community stakeholders in shaping airport noise mitigation strategies. The presentation also includes a Q&A section to allow stakeholder input and discussion.

The Port of Seattle presented an update on the Part 150 Noise and Land Use Compatibility Study to the Highline Forum in May 2024. This federally required study, governed by FAA guidelines, maps aircraft noise contours around Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and identifies areas where noise levels exceed 65 decibels, helping determine which properties qualify for sound insulation and other mitigation measures. Airports that complete an FAA-approved Part 150 Study become eligible to receive federal Airport Improvement Program grants covering 80% of qualifying noise reduction projects.

The Port of Seattle presented an environmental review of near-term construction projects at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport as part of its Sustainable Airport Master Plan. The projects include expanding passenger terminals and gates to handle a projected 56 million annual passengers, adding cargo and fuel storage facilities, and upgrading airfield infrastructure to meet current FAA safety standards. The review was presented to the Highline Forum in May 2024 by Senior Environmental Program Manager Steve Rybolt.

The Port of Seattle mailed this notice to residents near Sea-Tac Airport informing them about the Sound Insulation Repair and Replace Pilot Program, which aims to address aircraft noise in affected homes. Recipients were advised that a formal survey about the program would be mailed to them in early June. Program information and resources are available in multiple languages at www.portseattle.org/sound-insulation.

The 'Greener Skies' program, approved by the FAA in late 2012 and promoted by the FAA and Port of Seattle, promised to dramatically reduce aircraft noise near Sea-Tac Airport by routing more than half of all arrivals over Elliott Bay, far from residential areas. Critics argue the program was fundamentally flawed and never delivered on its promises, as air traffic controllers rarely use the Elliott Bay routes due to the need to merge east- and west-side arrival streams. FAA and industry's own data are cited as evidence that the program amounted to an environmental fraud, with concentrated flight paths continuing to impact west-side communities while east-side routes were never given equivalent precision procedures.

Local communities surrounding Seattle-Tacoma International Airport are demanding accountability from the Port of Seattle (POS) regarding its compliance with FAA Part 150 noise mitigation measures, some dating back to 1985. The document raises detailed questions about ten specific program elements — including voluntary flight rescheduling, engine run-up restrictions, noise abatement corridors, the Fly Quiet Program, and home sound insulation — asking for data on how consistently and effectively each measure has actually been implemented. Critics argue that despite decades of commitments, key noise reduction tools such as a Ground Run-Up Enclosure have been quietly dropped, while growing air traffic continues to harm residential neighborhoods and environmentally vulnerable populations.