TagThird Runway(1067)

The Airport Communities Coalition (ACC) filed an emergency motion seeking to stop the Port of Seattle from moving forward with its Third Runway Project without complying with conditions set by the Pollution Control Hearings Board. This supplemental brief, submitted to the Washington Supreme Court, addresses whether the Administrative Procedure Act's stay provisions apply to ACC's request to enjoin the Port from violating the Board's order. ACC argues that the relevant APA provisions do not directly govern its motion, but that an injunction is especially warranted because the Port failed to obtain a stay of the Board's order.

The Airport Communities Coalition (ACC) appealed a federal court decision regarding the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' approval of a third runway at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. At issue was whether the Corps was required to incorporate all water quality conditions set by Washington State's Pollution Control Hearings Board (PCHB) into its Clean Water Act Section 404 permit, including protections against polluted fill and wetland impact mitigation measures. The case, heard by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, centered on whether the Corps acted unlawfully by selectively excluding key state-mandated environmental safeguards from the construction permit.

The Airport Communities Coalition (ACC) filed a motion with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals requesting permission to submit a legal brief that exceeds the standard 14,000-word limit, seeking to file one of 15,195 words instead. The case challenges the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' approval of the Sea-Tac Airport Third Runway Project, one of the largest public works projects in Washington state history, involving the importation of over 23 million cubic yards of fill material. ACC argued the extra length was necessary due to the extreme complexity of the case, which spans a 100,000-page administrative record and raises multiple legal issues under the Clean Water Act and NEPA.

This map document illustrates the planned Third Runway expansion at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, showing the proposed runway location, construction staging area, and fill 'borrow' areas in the Sea-Tac region. The map covers surrounding communities including Burien, Normandy Park, and Des Moines, and highlights nearby waterways such as Des Moines Creek, Miller Creek, and Walker Creek that could be affected by construction. Based on the 1996 Port of Seattle EIS Sea-Tac Airport Master Plan and 1997–1998 King County Wetlands Maps, the document provides geographic context for environmental and land-use planning related to the runway project.

A Sierra Club special report critiques Washington Governor Gary Locke's environmental record, with particular focus on the SeaTac Third Runway project, where Ecology Director Tom Fitzsimmons allegedly removed staff who sought to enforce environmental laws and signed the 'Toxic Fill Bill' allowing contaminated materials to be used in runway construction. The report details how the Port of Seattle's $1 billion-plus runway expansion required building one of the world's largest retaining walls over fish-bearing streams and wetlands in an earthquake-prone area. The Pollution Control Hearings Board ultimately found state permits insufficient and imposed 16 additional environmental conditions on the project.

The Puget Sound Regional Council adopted resolutions in 1993 and 1996 establishing the region's long-term commercial air transportation policy, concluding that a third runway at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac) should be pursued alongside additional noise reduction measures. The council determined that small supplemental airports, including Paine Field, would not serve as alternatives for meeting regional commercial air capacity needs. These decisions were incorporated into the 1995 Metropolitan Transportation Plan and are maintained in the Destination 2030 regional transportation framework.

This FAQ document from the Port of Seattle addresses common questions about noise management at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, including how and when the third runway is used, why the Port cannot impose noise-based restrictions on runway operations, and what types of noise mitigation projects qualify for FAA funding. It outlines the history of the Port's noise reduction efforts, such as home acquisitions, insulation programs, and the Fly Quiet Incentive Program, and explains the goals of the Part 150 Noise Study process. The document also highlights the economic importance of Sea-Tac to the Puget Sound region while acknowledging the challenges of reducing noise in a densely populated area around a major international airport.

A community advocacy flyer from RCAA (Residential Communities Against Airport expansion) urges King County taxpayers to oppose the planned Third Runway at Sea-Tac Airport, warning that the Port of Seattle's $3.3 billion expansion lacks firm financing and could result in significant tax increases for King County residents. The flyer highlights that the Port can raise property levies by over 60% without voter approval, and that elected officials from neighboring counties — whose residents face no such tax burden — will have a vote in approving the project through the Puget Sound Regional Council. Residents are urged to contact local officials including King County Executive Gary Locke, Seattle Mayor Norm Rice, and their respective councils to oppose the expansion.