TagSea-Tac Airport(1835)

This January 1993 document from the Regional Commission on Airport Affairs (RCAA) presents materials to the Puget Sound Regional Council's Transportation Policy and Executive Board covering demand management, airport planning, and regional air capacity alternatives. The packet includes analysis of flight delays, airspace and runway capacity issues, and landside capacity concerns prepared by consultants J. Richard Aramburu and Gerald Bogan, along with alternative airport development ideas from locations such as Grays Harbor County, Toledo-Winlock, and Moses Lake. The RCAA, backed by dozens of community groups and several cities in the Sea-Tac area, sought to offer expert-driven solutions to address long-term aviation capacity needs while addressing aircraft noise concerns affecting surrounding neighborhoods.

This is Book #1 of materials compiled by the Regional Commission on Airport Affairs (RCAA), a coalition of community organizations and cities in the Puget Sound region, submitted to the Transportation Policy Board in January 1993. The packet presents expert reports on air traffic forecasting, economic impacts, noise, effects on children's education, public health, and air pollution—all focused on the proposed expansion of Seattle-Tacoma (Sea-Tac) International Airport. The RCAA argues against airport expansion on the grounds of quality of life, environmental harm, and equity for surrounding communities.

This 1993 document presents Adjusted Noise Exposure (ANE) values for each 1/16 section within the Sea-Tac Airport study area, displayed as a grid referenced by row numbers (1–50) and column letters (A–X). The values represent measured noise levels across the surrounding region, with higher readings concentrated near the airport boundary and lower values toward the outer edges of the study area. Handwritten annotations indicate noise zone classifications at 30, 33, 40, and 45 ANE thresholds, which were used to define noise impact zones for land use planning purposes.

This December 1992 catalog from R.C.A.A. (Residents for Conscious Airport Activity) lists research papers, critiques, and white papers organized by topic—including airport planning, demand and capacity, economics, health, environmental impacts, and noise—all relating to Sea-Tac International Airport expansion. Key concerns addressed include aircraft noise measurement and the adequacy of the 65 Ldn noise metric, air and water pollution from airport expansion, and the evaluation of alternative airport sites. The catalog reflects community and expert opposition to Sea-Tac's third runway proposal and broader regional airport policy decisions in the Puget Sound area.

In a November 1992 letter to the FAA's Northwest Mountain Region manager, the President of the Regional Commission on Airport Affairs urges the federal government to defer funding and detailed planning for a proposed third runway at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac). The letter argues that the Puget Sound Regional Council's ongoing regional airport system planning process must be allowed to fully evaluate all alternatives before any single project receives federal financial commitment. The author warns that proceeding prematurely with site-specific plans and an Environmental Impact Statement risks wasting federal money if the regional plan ultimately selects an alternative other than a third runway at Sea-Tac.

A 1992 pamphlet published by the Regional Commission on Airport Affairs (RCAA) warns that the Port of Seattle's expansion plan for Sea-Tac Airport — including the addition of a third runway — poses serious health risks to surrounding communities. Citing studies reviewed by physicians at Highline Community Hospital, the brochure links increased airport activity to higher rates of birth defects, cardiovascular disease, mental illness, and dangerous levels of air pollutants such as carbon monoxide, benzene, and lead. The document concludes that when health and community costs are fully considered, Sea-Tac expansion may be neither financially feasible nor ethically justifiable.

These documents relate to the Airport Alternative Committee's October 1992 meeting, which brought together cities, community organizations, and citizen groups concerned about aircraft noise around Seattle-Tacoma (Sea-Tac) Airport. The committee evaluated criteria and requirements for addressing airport expansion, including minimizing noise impact on the largest number of people, maximizing aircraft and ground safety, and providing 750 operations capacity by the year 2020. Alternative airport sites such as Vancouver, Black Lake, Fort Lewis, Portland, McCord, Arlington, and SeaTac were also discussed.

A 1992 report by physicians from the Regional Coalition on Airport Affairs details the serious health risks posed by Sea-Tac International Airport's noise and air pollution on surrounding communities. It documents links between airport noise and increased use of tranquilizers, psychiatric hospitalizations, sleep disruption, lower birth weights, and declining school test scores, while also noting that Sea-Tac generates up to 5% of all air pollution in King County. The report argues that airport expansion would significantly worsen these already measurable public health impacts on South King County residents.

The Flight Plan Project, a joint effort by the Puget Sound Regional Council and the Port of Seattle, produced this 1992 Final Environmental Impact Statement to evaluate long-term commercial air transportation options for the central Puget Sound region. It examines system-level alternatives ranging from expanding Sea-Tac Airport to building new airport facilities, assessing trade-offs related to noise, air quality, land use, and regional quality of life. The document serves as a programmatic planning tool, with no single preferred alternative identified, intended to guide future site-specific environmental reviews and regional airport policy decisions.