TagThird Runway(1067)

This 1999 document by C. Gower describes the Miller Creek Basin, a historic Puget Sound salmon stream located in the cities of SeaTac, Burien, and Normandy Park in King County, Washington (Water Resource Inventory Area No. 9). The basin includes several lakes — Arbor, Tub, Reba, Lora, and Burien — and drains into Puget Sound via Miller Creek and Walker Creek. The map highlights the proposed Third Runway site at Sea-Tac Airport within the watershed, raising concerns about potential environmental impacts to this salmon-bearing stream system.

A April 30, 1999 memo documents a meeting between Corps of Engineers staff and Port of Seattle officials to discuss using land near Sea-Tac Airport's proposed 3rd runway as a disposal site for approximately 60,000 cubic yards of material from the Corps' Turn Basin #3 project. Key logistics covered included hauling up to 1,000 cubic yards per day starting in late July 1999 using no more than six trucks, with no fees charged for dumping on Port property. Outstanding questions included whether the Corps' Regulatory Branch — which was simultaneously reviewing a permit for the 3rd runway — might have conflicts of interest in using that same site, and what formal agreement would be needed between the two agencies.

A 1999 internal U.S. Army Corps of Engineers email discusses plans to dispose of approximately 60,000 cubic yards of excavated material from a Duwamish River habitat restoration project (Turn Basin #3) at a Port of Seattle site designated for the proposed Third Runway. The email raises concerns about whether this collaboration with the Port could compromise the Corps' ability to issue an impartial permit decision for the Third Runway project, while noting the arrangement could save the restoration project around $200,000 in disposal costs.

Email forwarded by Erik Stockdale to Tom Luster, originating from Gail Terzi, regarding SR509 proposal conflicts with Sea-Tac Airport third runway (SASA). Key issues include wetland fills in overlapping areas, moving Des Moines Creek for SR509 while Port Of Seattle spends millions bridging the creek at Tyee, and FAA telling WSDOT they CAN mitigate habitat

A April 17, 1999 outgoing telephone call was made to Kevin Fitzpatrick at the DOE regarding Project No. 55-2912-01(6), the POS Third Runway. The caller asked whether Ecology could proceed with reviewing the outline for the WER workplan and their approach to the mixing zones at the same time as evaluating BMPs at existing outfalls. Fitzpatrick responded that this was not acceptable to Ecology, stating that BMPs for existing outfalls must be addressed or confirmed as met before other project activities could proceed.

A April 14, 1999 email from Mike O'Neil of Metro King County discusses plans to use a Port of Seattle runway at Sea-Tac Airport as a disposal site for dredged material from Turning Basin #3 on the Duwamish/Hamm Creek project. The Port's contact, John Rothnie, found the material geotechnically and environmentally acceptable, but noted that sending more than 6 trucks per hour could trigger a special permit requirement from the City of SeaTac. Hauling was estimated to begin in June 1999 and conclude in August, with contingency plans for dewatering especially wet material at an alternative commercial site.

In April 1999, a proposal to build a temporary two-mile conveyor belt to transport fill material for Sea-Tac Airport's planned third runway met strong resistance from Des Moines residents. The belt was intended to reduce heavy dump truck traffic on South King County roads, but neighbors opposed both the conveyor plan and the runway project itself, packing City Council meetings in protest. The third runway, requiring over 17 million cubic yards of fill, was scheduled for completion by 2005.

A March 30, 1999 follow-up phone call was made to Kevin Fitzpatrick of Ecology regarding a WER (Waste Equivalency Ratio) work plan renewal and a mixing zone study approach for a project near Sea-Tac Airport. Fitzpatrick indicated that Gary Bailey would assist with the WER work plan alongside Randy Marshall, and Norm Glen would review the mixing zone approach, but Kevin wanted to wait until after an April 1, 1999 meeting before proceeding. Key outstanding questions included whether existing outfalls already meet treatment standards and whether the Puget Sound Stormwater Manual technology standards would apply to existing outfalls at the site.

This document consists of a fax transmission from Parametrix, Inc. to Scott Tobiason at the Port of Seattle, dated March 29, 1999, transmitting water quality data logs and flow weighting calculation worksheets for WGR (water quality) samples collected from receiving streams on February 22, 1999. The attached field data logs record measurements such as pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, and water levels at a site designated 'WC,' along with observations of rain, sheen, and water color during sampling. A flow weighting calculation worksheet for the 'Walker' site summarizes subsample volumes and calculates a total storm flow of 33,030 units for a 30-inch pipe.

A 1999 internal Port of Seattle memorandum reviews soil quality data for the Hamm Creek Restoration Project site near Boeing Field, evaluating whether the material is safe to use as fill for a proposed third runway. The review found that detected contaminants — including PCBs, DDTs, mercury, and PAHs — fell below MTCA cleanup levels, leading to the conclusion that the material is suitable for upland fill use. While the soil did not meet PSDDA standards for open-water disposal, the memo notes that this distinction is not technically relevant given its intended use as runway fill.