TagSAMP(650)
Articles tagged with the Sustainable Airport Master Plan.
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2025-11-18
Jennifer Sanscrainte: Attorney Profile, Ogden Murphy Wallace
Jennifer Sanscrainte is an environmental and tribal law attorney at Ogden Murphy Wallace in Seattle, representing public and private clients on matters involving federal and state environmental laws such as CERCLA, the Clean Water Act, and the Clean Air Act. She specializes in site remediation, cleanup cost recovery, and permitting, and also works with Native American tribes on environmental program development. This document is a professional biography and does not contain information related to Sea-Tac Airport noise policy. -
2025-11-16
Interlocal agreement for coordinated SAMP review and legal services
The City of Des Moines and neighboring cities have entered into an Interlocal Agreement (ILA) to coordinate their review of and response to the SeaTac Airport Master Plan (SAMP) environmental review process, covering both federal (NEPA) and state (SEPA) requirements. Originally signed in 2018 and updated in 2024, the agreement establishes how participating cities share costs, manage contracts, and jointly hire environmental and legal consultants—including attorneys who can support a legal challenge to the SAMP's environmental conclusions. The latest version, managed by the City of SeaTac and expected to run through December 31, 2028, excludes Normandy Park but otherwise continues the multi-city partnership focused on protecting community interests during the airport planning process. -
2025-11-16
SAMP legal challenge 1/2: Three cities move forward, Normandy Park out
Piecemeal rollout suggests lack of shared commitment Between November 3rd and November 13th, Burien, SeaTac, and Des Moines each voted unanimously to enter into an Interlocal Agreement (ILA) to retain outside legal counsel to challenge the Federal Aviation Administration’s Record of Decision (ROD) Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the Sustainable Airport Master Plan -
2025-11-16
Highline Forum Topic for the coming year: Tree Canopy Reforestation (the Miyawaki method)
Email from Sandy Hunt of Defenders of Highline Forest to Dave Kaplan proposing the Miyawaki method for tree canopy reforestation as a Highline Forum topic. Includes links to local Miyawaki forest projects and criticism of airport mitigation policies. -
2025-11-14
Legal Services Agreement Regarding Issues Regarding Port Of Seattle’s Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP)
The cities of Burien, Des Moines, and SeaTac have jointly hired the law firm Leech Tishman Fuscaldo & Lampl to challenge the Federal Aviation Administration's approval of the Port of Seattle's Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP). The firm will file a Petition for Review in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, naming the FAA as the respondent. Under the agreement, SeaTac will receive and pay all legal invoices on behalf of the three cities, with legal fees starting with a $10,000 retainer and billed at $540 per hour for the lead attorney. -
2025-11-14
Legal Services Agreement Regarding Issues Regarding Port Of Seattle’s Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP)
The cities of Burien, Des Moines, and SeaTac have jointly hired the law firm Leech Tishman Fuscaldo & Lampl to challenge the Federal Aviation Administration's approval of the Port of Seattle's Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP). The firm will file a Petition for Review in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, naming the FAA as the respondent. Under the agreement, SeaTac will receive and pay all legal invoices on behalf of the three cities, with legal fees starting with a $10,000 retainer and billed at $540 per hour for the lead attorney. -
2025-11-14
Legal Services Agreement Regarding Issues Regarding Port Of Seattle’s Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP)
The cities of Burien, Des Moines, and SeaTac have hired the law firm Leech Tishman Fuscaldo & Lampl to challenge the Federal Aviation Administration's approval of the Port of Seattle's Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP). The firm will file a Petition for Review in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, with the FAA named as the respondent. Under the agreement, SeaTac will receive and pay all invoices, the firm's principal attorney bills at $540 per hour, and a $10,000 retainer is required to begin work. -
2025-11-14
Legal Services Agreement Regarding Issues Regarding Port Of Seattle’s Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP)
The cities of Burien, Des Moines, and SeaTac have hired the law firm Leech Tishman Fuscaldo & Lampl to challenge the Federal Aviation Administration's approval of the Port of Seattle's Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP). The firm will file a Petition for Review in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, with the FAA named as the respondent. Under the agreement, SeaTac will receive and pay all invoices, the firm's principal attorney bills at $540 per hour, and a $10,000 retainer is required to begin work. -
2025-11-13
Interlocal agreement between the cities of Burien, Des Moines, and SeaTac for legal and environmental review in connection with the NEPA and SEPA evaluations of the Sea-Tac Airport Sustainable Airport Master Plan
The cities of Burien, Des Moines, and SeaTac are joining forces under a formal Interlocal Agreement to coordinate their review of and legal response to the Port of Seattle's Sea-Tac Airport Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP), which could bring significant noise and environmental impacts to surrounding communities. The agreement, considered by Des Moines City Council on November 13, 2025, allows the three cities to jointly hire environmental consultants and legal counsel to analyze and formally challenge the airport expansion's environmental review under both federal (NEPA) and state (SEPA) law. A Draft Environmental Impact Statement from the Port is expected in early 2026, with the overall process estimated to conclude by December 31, 2028. -
2025-11-12
Sea-Tac City Council Request for Council Action: Agenda Bill 6794 — Authorization for Legal Services Letters of Engagement, Four-City Interlocal Agreement Amendment, and 2025-2026 Budget Amendment for SAMP NEPA/SEPA Review
The SeaTac City Council is considering an ordinance to hire outside legal counsel and update a cost-sharing agreement with the cities of Burien, Normandy Park, and Des Moines to challenge or engage with the FAA's environmental review of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport expansion plans. The four cities would jointly retain two law firms—Leech Tishman for federal NEPA matters and Ogden Murphy Wallace for state SEPA matters—at an estimated cost of $350,000, with SeaTac covering roughly 26% and recovering the rest from its partner cities. The effort is driven by the FAA's September 2025 issuance of a Final Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact, which must be challenged by November 25, 2025.