TagStormwater(64)

A 1993 Port of Seattle letter to Des Moines resident Barbara Stuhring explains that airplane deicing at Sea-Tac uses only FAA-approved ethylene or propylene glycol, and that wastewater from deicing drains to the airport's treatment system before being discharged to Puget Sound — not to Miller or Des Moines Creeks. A 1996 Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) later addressed public concerns about deicing fluid effects on local waterways, concluding that glycol quantities in stormwater runoff were too small and too diluted to cause lethal impacts on aquatic life in those creeks. Stuhring subsequently wrote to the Port challenging what she saw as a contradictory response in the Final EIS compared to the original 1993 letter.

This Washington State Department of Ecology report outlines stormwater erosion and sediment control requirements for large construction projects involving one or more acres of disturbed land in the Puget Sound Basin. It describes best management practices (BMPs) such as covering exposed soil, trapping sediment onsite, and protecting adjacent properties from runoff and sediment. Developers are required to create an erosion and sediment control plan and are financially responsible for its implementation.

A 1992 water quality study of Des Moines Creek, prepared by Parametrix, Inc. for the FAA and Port of Seattle, assessed the health of the creek during storm runoff events. The creek, which originates near Sea-Tac International Airport and flows to Puget Sound, had its aquatic ecosystem severely damaged by jet fuel spills in 1985 and 1986. The study sampled seven locations along the creek and three tributaries to identify water quality problems and determine whether stormwater pollution from airport operations was causing toxic conditions.

This 1989 annotated bibliography from the Puget Sound Water Quality Authority catalogs agency publications related to Puget Sound water quality, covering topics such as nonpoint source pollution, shellfish safety, oil spills, and stormwater management. It lists reports, newsletters, and pamphlets from federal, state, and local agencies—including the EPA, Washington Department of Ecology, and various county departments—along with contact information for obtaining each document. The bibliography serves as a resource guide for researchers, planners, and community members concerned with environmental water quality issues in the Puget Sound region.