TagRCW(57)

In April 2020, the Port of Seattle Commission voted to expand the allowable uses of the South King County Fund — originally created to address Sea-Tac Airport noise and environmental concerns — to include economic development activities in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The fund, capped at $10 million, can now support efforts such as workforce training, small business assistance, and job retention for communities near the airport. The original environmental and noise-mitigation projects previously funded remain eligible, and equity principles continue to guide how the money is distributed.

This 2019 Washington State draft legislation proposes amending RCW 53.54.030 to allow port districts to repair, replace, or upgrade previously installed noise abatement soundproofing structures in areas impacted by aircraft noise. Under existing law, individual properties generally cannot receive benefits from the same remedial program more than once, but this bill creates an exception for properties where soundproofing installations have deteriorated and need maintenance or improvement. The bill also preserves existing port commission tools such as property acquisition, transaction assistance, mortgage insurance, and land management programs for noise-impacted communities near airports like Sea-Tac.

RCW 36.70A.200 requires counties and cities planning under Washington's Growth Management Act to include a process in their comprehensive plans for identifying and siting 'essential public facilities' — those typically difficult to site, such as airports, state education facilities, regional transportation facilities, correctional facilities, solid waste handling facilities, and inpatient care facilities. No local comprehensive plan or development regulation may outright prohibit the siting of these essential public facilities. The Office of Financial Management maintains a list of essential state public facilities likely to be built within the next six years.

Washington State law (RCW 47.80.020) authorizes the creation of Regional Transportation Planning Organizations (RTPOs), formed through voluntary associations of local governments within contiguous counties. Each RTPO must meet minimum population and geographic requirements, include all counties in the region, and have at least 60% of cities and towns representing 75% of the regional city/town population as members. In urbanized areas, the RTPO is the same body as the federally designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), also known as a COG.

In a March 2019 letter to Washington State Representative Tina Orwall, activist JC Harris outlines widespread problems with Port of Seattle noise-insulation packages installed in homes near Sea-Tac Airport, including failing windows, mold growth, and costly repairs affecting over 160 documented households. Harris urges Orwall to support changes to state law (RCW 53.54.030) that would allow homeowners to receive ongoing maintenance funding rather than a single one-time payment, arguing the current system unfairly benefits the Port and airlines at residents' expense. The letter also notes that affected cities such as Des Moines, SeaTac, and Burien have declined to engage on the issue, leaving residents frustrated and skeptical that any meaningful relief is possible.