TagRCAA(206)

In September 2002, the Port of Seattle notified nearby residents that it would be removing trees located west and south of Tyee Golf Course, near South 196th Street, at the direction of the Federal Aviation Administration. The trees were identified as hazards to aircraft taking off and landing at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Work was scheduled to begin September 16, 2002, and was expected to last up to four weeks.

The Port of Seattle filed a petition in August 2002 asking the Pollution Control Hearings Board to reconsider Condition 8 of its Final Order, which prohibited the use of a soil-testing method called SPLP (Synthetic Precipitation Leaching Procedure) to approve fill material for the Third Runway expansion project at Sea-Tac Airport. The Port argued that banning SPLP made it nearly impossible to find acceptable fill soil, since up to 78% of naturally occurring, uncontaminated soils would fail the Board's strict numeric criteria when tested across multiple constituents. The Port maintained that proper use of SPLP poses no environmental threat to water quality and requested the Board allow its use under specific conditions so the runway project could proceed.

This document chronicles the Port of Seattle's second Section 401 Clean Water Act permit application, submitted in September 1999, which was on the verge of being denied by the Washington State Department of Ecology due to multiple shortcomings related to wetlands and water quality. On September 28, 2000, a private, unannounced meeting was held between Port, Ecology, and Governor's office officials, after which the Port strategically withdrew its application to avoid a formal denial. A series of closed-door negotiating sessions followed in October 2000, none of which were publicly announced, raising concerns about political influence and lack of transparency in the permitting process for Sea-Tac Airport expansion.

This August 2002 permit application by the Port of Seattle outlines proposed Master Plan Update improvements at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, including the construction of a third runway, expanded taxiways, cargo facilities, and terminal upgrades. The documents map both on-site and off-site wetland mitigation areas required to offset environmental impacts, with retaining walls and creek relocations used to minimize effects on wetlands and Miller Creek. The project spans multiple sections of King County, Washington, and includes detailed plans for stormwater detention, runway safety areas, and property acquisition boundaries.

This August 2002 document outlines proposed Master Plan Update improvements at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac), submitted by the Port of Seattle. It details construction projects including a third runway, runway safety areas, terminal expansions, and air cargo facilities, along with wetland impact mitigation measures in the Miller Creek Basin. The plans include on-site and off-site wetland mitigation areas, MSE retaining walls to minimize environmental impacts, and creek relocations across multiple sections of King County, Washington.

A 2002 presentation to the Washington State Senate Transportation Committee argues that regional airports play a vital role in relieving pressure on major hubs like Sea-Tac by distributing aviation demand across multiple facilities. The presentation highlights that many large metro areas already operate successful multi-airport systems—such as the New York and Los Angeles regions—and that low-cost carriers actively seek out regional airports for their cost and service advantages. It also notes that a post-9/11 drop in air travel demand created an opportunity to study and plan for expanded regional airport capacity in Washington State.

In May 2002, the Seattle Council on Airport Affairs (SCAA) urged King County Executive Ron Sims to advance the King County International Airport (Boeing Field) Part 150 Noise Study to the FAA for review, approval, and federal funding. The letter highlights years of unresolved noise complaints from nearby residents and outlines a draft review covering fiscal impacts, detailed comments, and prior noise reduction plans. The SCAA emphasized that implementing the study's recommendations would likely carry no negative fiscal implications for the county, but that progress depended on the county promptly forwarding its proposals to the FAA.

This legal document covers a 2002 Washington State Pollution Control Hearings Board case in which the Airport Communities Coalition and Citizens Against Airport Expansion challenged the water quality certification issued by the Department of Ecology for the construction of a Third Runway at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The hearing examined 20 issues related to stormwater management, water quality standards, and whether adequate assurances existed that the runway project would comply with Section 401 of the Clean Water Act. The case involved the Port of Seattle as a respondent and centered on whether proper environmental safeguards were in place before construction could proceed.

This catalog lists documents published in 1994 related to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac), covering topics such as aircraft noise, environmental impact statements, airport master plan updates, and regional transportation planning. Sources include the Port of Seattle, the FAA, PSRC, and various aviation consultants, with materials ranging from budget reports and feasibility studies to public briefings and technical reports. The catalog serves as an archival index for researchers and policymakers studying airport expansion, noise management, and aviation growth in the Puget Sound region during the mid-1990s.

This circa-2002 community advocacy document from the Regional Commission on Airport Affairs opposes construction of a third runway at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, arguing that the Port of Seattle lacked required environmental permits, had already spent over $300 million, and that the project posed serious risks to local wetlands, fish habitat, and watersheds affecting 150,000 south county residents. The document also highlights a controversial proposal to transport arsenic-laden fill material via a conveyor belt through Des Moines Beach Park and Des Moines Creek to the airport construction site. Residents are urged to contact Port commissioners and local city council members to halt the project.