TagThird Runway(1092)

This document outlines flight procedures for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac) designed to reduce noise impacts on surrounding communities, covering both North Flow and South Flow operations. Key rules include restrictions on eastbound turns during nighttime hours (10 p.m.–6 a.m.), minimum altitude and distance requirements before turning, and designated corridors for arrivals and departures over Puget Sound and Elliott Bay. Compliance data from March 2012 shows that 89 out of 2,431 daytime South Flow eastbound arrivals turned south of the 520 Bridge early, violating the preferred procedure, with Alaska Airlines (ASA) and Southwest Airlines (SWA) accounting for the largest shares of non-compliant flights.

The Highline Forum, a community advisory group connecting the Port of Seattle with nearby cities including Burien, SeaTac, and Des Moines, held meetings in early 2012 to discuss Sea-Tac Airport-related issues including noise abatement procedures, the Port's Century Agenda economic development goals, and a cleanup update for the Lora Lake contamination site. The May 23, 2012 agenda featured a dedicated session on noise abatement procedures presented by Port of Seattle Noise Programs representative Stan Shepherd, alongside discussions on refining the Forum's structure and Highline Public Schools' Capital Facilities Plan. Draft minutes from the March 28, 2012 meeting document community leaders raising concerns about job quality, regional transportation infrastructure, and tourism development in the Southwest King County area surrounding the airport.

A 2012 presentation to the Highline Forum provides an update on the Lora Lake Apartments cleanup site near Sea-Tac Airport, where dioxin contamination is being addressed through a combination of excavation and capping. The Port of Seattle submitted a draft Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study to the Washington State Department of Ecology, which was reviewing the document and planning to issue it for public comment before selecting a final cleanup action. The site was not found to be contributing significant amounts of dioxin to the nearby Miller Creek.

The Highline Forum held a public meeting on January 25, 2012, at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport Conference Center, running from 2:30 to 4:00 pm. The agenda included a presentation on Noise Abatement Procedures by Stan Shepherd of the Port of Seattle, along with updates on community and port issues, election of a new Community Co-chair, and public comments. This draft agenda reflects the forum's ongoing role in addressing airport noise policy and community concerns related to Sea-Tac Airport operations.

A 2011 legal notice from law firm Pfau Cochran Vertetis Amala PLLC informing Normandy Park and surrounding Seattle-area residents about a class action lawsuit against the Port of Seattle over damages caused by the airport's Third Runway operations. The notice warns that while the class action covers real property value losses, Washington law requires separate lawsuits to be filed within three years for other damages such as personal injury or annoyance. Residents were urged to contact the firm no later than November 10, 2011, to protect their legal rights.

This engineering study describes the design and construction of a 46-meter (150-foot) tall mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) retaining wall built along the western edge of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport's third runway embankment, believed to be the tallest such wall in the western hemisphere at the time. The wall was necessary to raise the ground level by up to 50 meters while avoiding encroachment into nearby wetlands and creeks. Monitoring of the wall during and after construction confirmed it performed safely and largely as predicted.

The Winter 2010 edition of Air Mail, published by the Port of Seattle, announces the first community workshop for a new FAA Part 150 Noise and Land-Use Compatibility Study at Sea-Tac Airport, scheduled for February 24, 2010, at Mount Rainier High School in Des Moines. The study aims to assess existing and future noise levels, evaluate mitigation options—with a major focus on the third runway's community impacts—and recommend noise reduction programs funded by federal money. The newsletter also covers the opening of Sound Transit's Link light rail to the airport, completed wetlands restoration projects, and a student internship program.

In January 2010, the Port of Seattle sought approval to advertise construction bids for environmental cleanup work tied to the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport Third Runway project, including removing the 160th Street box culvert, restoring Miller Creek, and converting temporary stormwater ponds into permanent detention facilities. The estimated $6.6 million project was already funded within the previously approved Third Runway budget through Passenger Facility Charges and bond proceeds, requiring no new funding authorization. The work was required to fulfill federal and state permit conditions before the overall Third Runway project could be formally closed out.