TagThird Runway(1092)

A 1997 study examined the unequal distribution of costs and benefits generated by Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, finding that while the airport's economic benefits (jobs, income, and travel services) spread across the broader Puget Sound region, its harms—including noise, traffic, and reduced property values—fell disproportionately on a small number of nearby cities: Burien, Des Moines, Federal Way, Normandy Park, and Tukwila. Data from a 1991 passenger survey showed that these five heavily impacted communities accounted for only 5.9% of home-originating enplanements, while King County as a whole contributed 57.2%. The study concluded that mitigation measures were needed to redirect some of the airport's regional benefits back to the communities bearing the greatest burden of its operations.

A 1997 study commissioned by cities and institutions near Seattle-Tacoma International Airport found that airport operations depress nearby property values compared to similar homes elsewhere in King County, and that properties directly under flight paths suffer additional losses from noise, visual pollution, and reduced quality of life. Researchers compared single-family homes around Sea-Tac with comparable homes in Northwest King County (Shoreline area), using strict criteria to ensure fair comparisons. The study notes that while overall regional growth means nearby home values may still rise over time, they appreciate more slowly than they would without the airport's presence.

This 1997 draft study assessed the potential environmental, transportation, and socioeconomic impacts of a proposed third runway at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on five neighboring communities—Burien, Des Moines, Federal Way, Normandy Park, and Tukwila—as well as the Highline School District and Highline Community Hospital District. Funded by a Washington State grant administered through the City of Burien, the study was conducted by a team of consultants and aimed to develop mitigation strategies and funding mechanisms to address impacts on affected jurisdictions. The report reviewed the Port of Seattle's Environmental Impact Statement and proposed independent mitigation measures, while expressly prohibited from being used to oppose the runway's construction.

Letter dated December 18, 1996 from Barbara Hinkle, Senior Environmental Specialist, Port Of Seattle, to Jack Kennedy, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Seattle District Office, submitting a Section 404 Application to place fill material into waters of the United States at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport associated with the Master Plan Update. Covers background on the Puget

In December 1996, the Port of Seattle submitted a Section 404 permit application to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to place fill material in waters of the United States as part of Sea-Tac Airport's Master Plan Update, which included construction of a third parallel runway. The application explains that the new runway, located 2,500 feet west of the existing 16R/34L runway, was needed to reduce severe arrival delays during poor weather conditions, which were costing airlines approximately $42 million annually. The project was the outcome of nearly a decade of regional planning, including the PSRC's Flight Plan Study, which evaluated numerous alternatives before recommending the runway expansion as the best solution for the region's long-term air travel needs.

In December 1996, the Port of Seattle submitted a Section 404 permit application to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to place fill material into wetlands at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport as part of its Master Plan Update, which included construction of a third parallel runway. The proposed runway, located 2,500 feet west of the existing runways, was intended to address severe arrival delays during poor weather conditions, which reduced airport capacity from 60 to as few as 24 arrivals per hour roughly 44% of the year. The application was the result of nearly a decade of regional planning, environmental review, and public involvement, including studies confirming that no feasible supplemental airport sites existed in the four-county region.

This document outlines a Neighborhood Impact Matrices framework used to assess environmental, transportation, and socio-economic effects of a proposed airport-related project on communities surrounding Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, including cities such as Burien, Des Moines, Federal Way, Normandy Park, and Tukwila. Each matrix evaluates impacts across four columns — Measure, Impact, Mitigation, and Cost — covering issues such as aircraft noise (DNL and SEL contours), air quality, surface and groundwater quality, wetlands, and floodplains. Proposed mitigations range from neighborhood buyouts at $760,000 per acre for areas within the 65 DNL contour to easement and insulation programs, stormwater management plans, and flight track modifications.

This 1996 document outlines the Port of Seattle's wetland impact and mitigation plan associated with the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport Master Plan Update. It includes vicinity maps showing the airport's location in King County, Washington, and identifies numerous wetland sites affected by planned airport improvements. Detailed tables classify each impacted wetland by type—forested, shrub-scrub, or emergent—and quantify the acreage disturbed across sections of Townships 22N and 23N, Range 4E.