TagSAMP Four City ILA(18)

Joint comment letter filed August 20, 2026 by the Cities of SeaTac, Burien, and Des Moines to Port Of Seattle Senior Environmental Program Manager Steve Rybolt on the Draft SEPA Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Sustainable Airport Master Plan Near-Term Projects (SAMP NTPs) at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA). The letter documents cross-cutting deficiencies in

The cities of SeaTac, Burien, and Des Moines jointly wrote to the Port of Seattle on May 18, 2026, requesting a 90-day public comment period for the Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP) Draft Environmental Impact Statement. The cities cited the document's technical complexity, overlapping regional demands including 2026 FIFA World Cup preparations, summer scheduling constraints, and unresolved concerns from the prior federal environmental review as reasons more time is needed. The letter was signed by the SEPA Responsible Officials from all three cities and emphasizes that airport-related impacts on noise, air quality, transportation, and public health directly affect their communities.

The Federal Aviation Administration filed an amended certified index to the administrative record in two Ninth Circuit cases challenging the FAA's September 24, 2025, Finding of No Significant Impact/Record of Decision for near-term construction projects at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The cases were brought by Vashon Island Fair Skies and the City of Burien, among others, who are contesting the agency's environmental review of the airport expansion plans. The full administrative record was made available to petitioners electronically on May 8, 2026.

This document outlines the federal (NEPA) and state (SEPA) environmental review processes related to Sea-Tac Airport, tracing key milestones from initial scoping in 2018 through the issuance of a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) in September 2025 and a subsequent court appeal filed in November 2025. The NEPA process involved public comment periods, city council presentations, and a 4-city interlocal agreement, while the SEPA process determined the project required a full Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), with a Draft EIS expected in Q1 2026. Together, these timelines reflect years of coordinated efforts by multiple cities to formally challenge and scrutinize the environmental impacts of airport operations and expansion.