TagThird Runway(1098)

Final meeting notes prepared by Kate Snider of Floyd & Snider Inc. for the 401 Permit Decision-Making process for the Sea-Tac International Airport Third Runway project, dated July 16, 2001. Attendees included representatives from Washington State Department of Ecology (Ann Kenny), King County (Kelly Whiting), Port of Seattle (Keith Smith), Parametrix, EarthTech, and Aquaterra. Document

In a July 13, 2001 email, Ann Kenny of Washington State Department of Ecology urged the Port of Seattle to continue researching the water quantities contributed to base stream flows by septic tank systems slated for removal in the airport acquisition area. She noted that while eliminating septic tanks helps reduce fecal coliform contamination, it also removes water that recharges base flows — a water quality concern regulated under RCW 90.48. Kenny suggested the Port work to verify the accuracy of a 66,000-gallons-per-day estimate from its December 2000 Low Stream Flow Analysis by cross-referencing sewer authority and water supplier records.

This document is an email chain from June-July 2001 between Washington State Department of Ecology staff discussing acceptable fill material criteria for the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport Third Runway project. Officials debated whether to restrict fill to naturally occurring uncontaminated soils or to allow other materials subject to contamination testing standards, with recommendations including requiring the top six feet of fill to be clean natural soil and using Table 749-3 screening values to protect plants and animals. The discussion also addressed whether the state's Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA) standards should apply, including requirements for contaminant testing, groundwater monitoring, and terrestrial ecological evaluation.

These draft meeting notes from July 9, 2001 document a technical working session between the Port of Seattle, Washington Department of Ecology, and King County regarding low stream flow analysis for the Sea-Tac International Airport Third Runway project. The group discussed methods for determining low flow impacts on fish habitat, reviewed a mitigation proposal for the Des Moines Watershed involving a 0.1 cfs compensatory flow release from July 24 through October 24, and received a status briefing on the Miller and Walker watershed analyses. Key topics included the use of 2-year 7-day low flow rates to calculate mitigation requirements, reserve vault sizing, and how to handle non-hydrologic effects such as water rights removal and septic system impacts in the property acquisition area.

Final meeting notes prepared by Kate Snider of Floyd & Snider Inc. for the 401 Permit Decision-Making process for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport Third Runway, covering a Low Flow Analysis meeting held July 9, 2001. Attendees included representatives from Washington Department of Ecology (Ann Kenny, John Drabeck), King County (Kelly Whiting), Port Of Seattle (Keith Smith),

These draft meeting notes from a July 9, 2001 technical meeting cover low flow analysis related to the 401 Permit decision-making process for Sea-Tac International Airport's Third Runway project. Attendees from the Department of Ecology, King County, Port of Seattle, and several consulting firms discussed methods for determining low stream flow impacts and mitigation requirements across affected watersheds. Key topics included biological effects on fish habitat, a proposed 0.1 cfs mitigation flow for the Des Moines Watershed, and the use of 2-year 7-day low flow rates to guide mitigation planning.

A July 2001 letter from Azous Environmental Sciences to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Washington State argues that the Port of Seattle's proposed Third Runway expansion at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport fails to meet Clean Water Act requirements by inadequately compensating for the destruction of wetlands and streams in the Miller and Des Moines Creek watersheds. The letter contends that the Port's mitigation plan does not provide the required one-for-one functional replacement of lost wetlands, lacks quantitative analysis, and ignores cumulative environmental impacts. The authors warn that approving insufficient mitigation would set a damaging precedent for wetlands protection across the region.

In a July 6, 2001 internal email, Ann Kenny outlines the technical information that the Washington State Department of Ecology required before approving any mitigation approach for low-flow water impacts related to a Port project. The requested materials included hydrological modeling files, 7-day low-flow analysis data comparing pre- and post-project conditions, a formal mitigation volume proposal, and documentation on the feasibility of vault filling as a mitigation method. Ecology also indicated that written documentation of outcomes would be required following a scheduled July 9 meeting with the Port.

Notes from a July 6, 2001 telephone conference involving Kate Snider, Keith Smith, and others discuss coordination with the Department of Energy (DOE) and review of Des Moines-related graphics and vault feasibility information. Topics include biologist availability, the biological defensibility of using 2-year and 7-day low flow data, and the status of Walker Creek non-contiguous areas. Ann reminds participants that Ecology is seeking all backup information in the format agreed upon at the June 25th meeting.

A July 2001 letter from environmental consultant John Strand raises concerns that the Port of Seattle accepted chemically contaminated soil fill for the proposed third runway at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Testing revealed petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) in soil from Black River Quarry that exceeded cleanup standards, yet the Port transferred the soil to the airport anyway and delayed reporting the results. The letter argues that the Port's Soil Fill Acceptance Criteria are seriously flawed and that approving the project under the Clean Water Act would be ill-advised.