TagStART(508)

This presentation, prepared for the SEA Stakeholder Advisory Round Table (StART) meeting on October 25, 2023, outlines housing needs in South King County and the role of the King County Affordable Housing Committee in coordinating and tracking progress on regional affordable housing goals. It explains how local comprehensive plans — which must be updated by December 31, 2024 — are required to align with the Countywide Planning Policies, Multicounty Planning Policies, and the state Growth Management Act. The document provides context on the layered planning framework governing housing, land use, and related decisions across King County cities and unincorporated areas.

The Port of Seattle and six neighboring cities (SeaTac, Burien, Des Moines, Normandy Park, Tukwila, and Federal Way) submitted comments to the FAA in September 2023, urging updates to federal aviation noise policy in response to growing community concerns around Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The letter highlights collaborative efforts already underway, including a Fly Quiet Program and Late-Night Noise Limitation Program, which have significantly reduced overnight flight activity on the runway closest to residential areas. The signatories call on the FAA to modernize its noise metrics, lower noise thresholds, and take a broader approach to reducing aircraft noise and emissions rather than simply measuring and disclosing them.

The StART Federal Policy Working Group met on September 11, 2023, to discuss federal legislative updates and review a joint comment letter on the FAA's Noise Policy Review. Key topics included the stalled FAA reauthorization bill in the Senate, concerns over a potential government shutdown due to a $130 billion budget gap between the House and Senate, and edits to an 11-page comment letter addressing FAA noise contour metrics near Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The group agreed to circulate the letter for signatures from city managers or mayors of the six neighboring cities, with a one-week deadline.

The StART (SEA Stakeholder Advisory Round Table) meeting held on August 23, 2023 via Zoom covered Boeing Commercial Aviation's safety and sustainability technologies, presented by ecoDemonstrator Program Manager Rae Lutters, and a Washington State legislative update from Representative Tina Orwall. The agenda also included updates from Port of Seattle staff on Federal Policy and Aviation Noise Working Group activities. The meeting was chaired by SEA Managing Director Lance Lyttle, with the next session scheduled for October 25, 2023.

This August 2023 meeting summary from the StART Aviation Noise Working Group covers efforts to reduce aircraft noise around Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, focusing on the Greener Skies program and its Optimized Profile Descents (OPD) approach, which allows planes to descend more quietly and efficiently using satellite-based navigation. Alaska Airlines presented on the successes and ongoing barriers to wider use of this approach, including expired FAA waivers, increased air traffic, and the cancellation of key sequencing tools. The meeting also reviewed the Port of Seattle's Late Night Noise Limitation Program, noting a decline in noise exceedances partly due to FedEx retiring its louder MD11 aircraft.

A August 2023 Boeing presentation delivered to the Port of Seattle outlines the company's sustainability goals across six areas: employee safety and well-being, global aerospace safety, equity and inclusion, sustainable operations, innovation and clean technology, and community engagement. The presentation notes that aviation accounts for 2.6% of total global emissions and 12% of transportation emissions, framing Boeing's clean technology efforts within the broader challenge of reducing aviation's environmental impact.

The StART Federal Policy Working Group met on July 17, 2023, to discuss federal funding developments and review a draft comment letter on the FAA's Noise Policy Review. Key topics included the status of FAA Reauthorization legislation, with four of seven StART priorities currently included in congressional bills, and efforts to add secondary noise insulation provisions. The group also reviewed noise measurement metrics and agreed on a July 31 deadline for member comments, with a final letter due to the FAA by September 29, 2023.

The Sea-Tac Stakeholder Advisory Round Table (StART) is a community forum created by the Port of Seattle to encourage cooperative input and identify solutions to airport-related concerns. Following prioritization discussions in early 2018, the group agreed to focus specifically on aviation noise. A dedicated working group was established to research and recommend near-term actions to prevent and reduce noise impacts on surrounding communities.

This Port of Seattle document outlines key federal aviation noise and air quality legislation relevant to the StART (Sea-Tac Airport Roundtable) Federal Working Group, including provisions from the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 and proposed 2019 legislation. It highlights priority items such as evaluating alternatives to the DNL 65 noise standard, studying health impacts of aircraft noise in major metro areas including Seattle, and creating environmental mitigation grant programs for airports. Additional considerations include secondary noise insulation, increased funding for federal noise programs, and greater flexibility for local communities to address aviation impacts.