TagSAMP Draft EA(31)

This document presents formal public comments opposing an FAA Environmental Assessment for expansion projects at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The author argues that the stated justification for expansion is misleading, contending that airport growth would not automatically occur without new gates and terminals since FAA safety rules already cap the number of aircraft operations. Additional concerns raised include disproportionate health burdens on nearby communities, unreliable air pollution modeling, inadequate environmental justice analysis, and failure to properly assess cumulative public health and climate impacts.

Four cities near Seattle-Tacoma International Airport — Burien, Normandy Park, SeaTac, and Des Moines — submitted formal comments in December 2024 objecting to the airport's Sustainable Airport Master Plan Environmental Assessment. The cities warn that planned growth will increase annual flight operations by nearly 20% by 2032, expanding the noise impact zone and exposing an estimated 22,000 residents to significant aircraft noise, up from about 14,000 in 2022. They call on the Port of Seattle to extend public review periods, improve its sound insulation program, and take proactive steps to protect the low-income and minority communities most burdened by airport noise.

The City of Des Moines submitted formal comments to the Port of Seattle in December 2024, expressing serious concerns about the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport's Sustainable Airport Master Plan and its projected growth in flight operations. The letter warns that by 2032, a nearly 20% increase in annual flights will significantly expand noise exposure for Des Moines residents, with the population affected by harmful noise levels rising by roughly 37% even without the proposed expansion. The city calls on the Port and FAA to extend public review periods, develop meaningful noise mitigation measures such as sound insulation programs, and collaborate more genuinely with neighboring communities rather than treating public input as a regulatory checkbox.

Sea-Tac Noise.Info published this guide in December 2024 to help community members participate in the public comment period for Sea-Tac Airport's Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP). It walks residents through what the SAMP is, what problems to raise in their comments, and how to ensure their comments are complete and properly submitted. The guide emphasizes that residents should write their own personal comments rather than copying pre-made text.