TagRCAA(203)

The Regional Commission on Airport Affairs submitted formal scoping comments in February 2010 criticizing the planned Part 150 noise study at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport as too narrow in scope and insufficient in public participation opportunities. The comments call for improvements in study documentation standards, including proper indexing, clear citations, author transparency, and plain-English presentation of data. The commission also urges that public comment periods be at least 60 days and not scheduled around major holidays.

Between October and December 2005, Port of Seattle contractors committed eight water-quality violations at Sea-Tac Airport's third-runway construction site, discharging muddy and contaminated water into local waterways including Lake Reba, Miller Creek, and Walker Creek. The violations resulted in $101,000 in fines levied by the Washington Department of Ecology, which also questioned whether fines alone were sufficient to prevent future incidents. The Regional Commission on Airport Affairs (RCAA) called for cooperative action between Sea-Tac Airport and the Department of Ecology to prevent further environmental damage to local streams and wetlands.

In 2005, Washington State passed ESSB 5121, directing the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) to conduct a multi-phase statewide air transportation capacity study covering both commercial and general aviation airports. The study required an assessment of existing airport facilities and capacity (Phase 1, due July 2006), followed by a 25-year demand and market forecast analysis with focused attention on the Puget Sound region (Phase 2, due July 2007). A 10-member Governor-appointed aviation planning council would then review the findings and make recommendations on how to meet the state's long-term aviation capacity needs, including identifying sites for future airport facilities.

This 2005 map from the Washington State Department of Transportation's Aviation Division shows the locations and ownership types of airports across Washington State. Airports are categorized by ownership as City/County, City, County, Port, Private, or State. While centered on statewide aviation infrastructure, the map provides context for understanding the public and private entities responsible for airport operations in the region, including major facilities near the Seattle-Tacoma area.

In August 2005, the Port of Seattle and Citizens Against SeaTac Expansion (CASE) jointly wrote to the Washington Department of Ecology presenting a unified position on proposed changes to the NPDES wastewater permit for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The two parties collaborated to resolve disputed permit conditions — covering issues such as BOD discharge limits and pipeline compliance schedules — and categorized each comment as requiring a permit change, a response only, withdrawal, or unresolved. Both parties agreed not to appeal any permit modifications that fell within the mutually agreed categories, aiming to avoid litigation while achieving a workable final permit.

This draft project schedule outlines the planned timeline for Phase I of Washington State's airport facility, air cargo, passenger, and airspace capacity assessment under ESSB 5121, running from May 2005 through August 2006. Key milestones include advertising for a consultant, developing a detailed scope of work, securing an FAA grant, and completing a final Phase I report by July 1, 2006. WSDOT Aviation was responsible for submitting the findings to legislative committees, the governor, transportation commission, and regional planning organizations.