TagThird Runway(206)

This document traces the history of commercial airport capacity and noise policy decisions in the Central Puget Sound region from 1973 to 2006, focusing on Sea-Tac Airport. It covers key milestones such as the Port of Seattle's various noise mitigation programs, agreements with the Highline School District, and debates over building a third runway and expanding Boeing Field. The chronology highlights the ongoing tension between meeting growing air travel demand and addressing the noise impacts on surrounding communities and schools.

In December 2004, the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) Executive Board adopted Resolution EB-04-01, calling on the State of Washington to take the lead in planning for the region's long-term commercial air transportation capacity, including exploring high-speed rail alternatives. The resolution acknowledged that a third runway at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport was under construction and would be operational by 2008, but that no additional runway was planned beyond that. PSRC committed to cooperating with state agencies, the FAA, and the Port of Seattle to assess future airport capacity needs and coordinate planning with existing regional and statewide transportation plans.

In June 2004, the Washington State Department of Ecology granted a Water Quality Certification to the Port of Seattle for the construction of a third parallel runway at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac), along with related projects such as taxiways, navigational aids, and runway safety areas. The certification, designated Order #1996-4-02325 (Amended-2), was updated to reflect a Washington Supreme Court ruling and confirms that the project complies with applicable provisions of the Clean Water Act and state environmental laws. The approval is subject to conditions including compliance with hydraulic project approvals and stormwater permits issued by state agencies.

The Airport Communities Coalition (ACC) — representing the cities of Burien, Des Moines, Federal Way, Normandy Park, Tukwila, and the Highline School District — filed a formal appeal challenging Washington State's 2004 Clean Water Act certification for the Port of Seattle's proposed third runway at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The coalition argued that the certification violated Supreme Court mandates and water quality laws by allowing contaminated fill material to be used in construction, threatening nearby streams and wetlands. The appeal was submitted to the Pollution Control Hearings Board for the State of Washington.

A May 2004 legal letter from Helsell Fetterman attorneys demands that the Port of Seattle and Washington State Ecology Department comply with a Washington Supreme Court ruling before proceeding with third runway construction at Sea-Tac Airport. The court imposed environmental conditions requiring that fill materials used in construction come only from uncontaminated sites, meet strict groundwater quality standards, and pass SPLP leachate testing against both surface and groundwater criteria. The letter argues that the Port's existing work plans and bid documents violate these court-mandated conditions, citing discrepancies such as the Port's allowable arsenic limit of 14.75 ug/L being several hundred times higher than the court-required 0.05 ug/L standard.

In a May 26, 2004 letter, Port of Seattle Senior Counsel Traci M. Goodwin notified attorney Peter Eglick that the Port planned to begin construction of a third runway at Sea-Tac Airport on or before June 7, 2004, following a Washington State Supreme Court ruling affirming Ecology's Clean Water Act certification. The letter references the case ACC v. Graves (9th Cir. No. 04-35011) and warns opposing counsel of the Port's construction timeline under Ninth Circuit Rule 27-3, which requires advance notice when a party may seek emergency relief within 21 days.