TagSAMP(642)

A Des Moines resident's formal comment argues that the Seattle-Area Metroplex Environmental Impact Statement's noise analysis is legally inadequate because it relies solely on a federal FAA noise threshold rather than Washington State's own multi-factor significance standard. The comment contends that the standard noise metric used (DNL) masks the real impact of roughly 96 additional daily flights projected by 2037, since it averages out individual disturbance events rather than counting them. The commenter calls for supplemental analysis using alternative metrics—such as single-event sound levels and nighttime averages—supported by peer-reviewed health studies linking aircraft noise to sleep disruption and cardiovascular harm.

Des Moines resident Jeffrey Bogen submitted a formal comment arguing that the Seattle-Area Metroplex Environmental Impact Statement's noise analysis is legally inadequate because it relies solely on a federal average-noise metric (DNL) rather than Washington State's broader, multi-factor significance standard. Bogen contends that with roughly 96 additional flights per day projected by 2037, residents will experience more frequent individual noise disruptions — including sleep disturbance and cardiovascular stress — that the DNL metric is mathematically incapable of detecting. He calls on the Port of Seattle to supplement its Final EIS with event-level and nighttime noise metrics supported by peer-reviewed health research, including the FAA's own National Sleep Study.

This technical appendix, prepared by Jeffery Bogen of DAAC in May 2026, analyzes runway and airspace capacity at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) to support the Port of Seattle's Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP) environmental review process. It compares FAA 2016 baseline hourly flow rates against observed 2024–2026 performance data, documents current capacity improvements, and projects annual flight operations through 2037 under both constrained and unconstrained growth scenarios. The document is intended as supporting reference material for public comments on seating capacity impacts under SEPA/EIS review.

Des Moines resident Jeffrey Bogen submitted a formal comment arguing that the Sea-Tac Airport Master Plan (SAMP) Environmental Impact Statement fails to adequately analyze cumulative health effects on nearby communities. He contends that the EIS must go beyond examining individual pollution sources and instead assess the combined burden of aircraft ultrafine particles, roadway traffic emissions, chronic noise, and other stressors together, since scientific research shows these exposures interact and compound one another. Bogen calls for a comprehensive cumulative-risk framework, backed by ten peer-reviewed studies, to be incorporated into the EIS before any accurate public health or policy conclusions can be drawn.