TagWater Quality(475)

This document outlines Washington State Department of Ecology conditions for accepting imported fill material used in construction of Sea-Tac Airport's Third Runway and associated Master Plan improvements. It requires the Port of Seattle to submit environmental assessments of fill sources — including records reviews, site reconnaissance, and soil sampling for hazardous substances such as arsenic, lead, and mercury — at least ten business days before placing any fill. Specific contamination limits (e.g., arsenic at 20 mg/kg, lead at 220/250 mg/kg) and minimum sampling schedules based on fill volume are established to prevent toxic materials from entering state waters and wetlands.

Dr. Peter Willing, a water resources expert, submitted this declaration opposing the Department of Ecology's water quality certification for Sea-Tac Airport's proposed third runway construction. He argues that the certification relies on vague future performance expectations and unresolved contingency plans that fail to provide reasonable assurance that water quality standards will be met. His key concerns include the Port of Seattle's flawed low streamflow analysis and inadequate stormwater management plans that could perpetuate ongoing water quality violations in nearby Class AA streams.

Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) Water Quality Certification letter dated August 10, 2001, addressed to Port Of Seattle, Attn: Elizabeth Leavitt, for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Public Notice 1996-4-02325. Certifies that construction of a Third Runway and related projects at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (STIA) in the Miller, Walker, and Des Moines Creek watersheds

Washington State Department of Ecology Water Quality Certification (Order #1996-4-02325) issued August 10, 2001, to Port Of Seattle for construction of a 8,500-foot third parallel runway and related projects at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (STIA) in the Miller, Walker, and Des Moines Creek watersheds and wetlands in SeaTac and Auburn, King County. Certifies compliance with Clean

Memorandum dated August 7, 2001 from Dave Garland, NWRO Water Quality Watershed Unit Supervisor, Washington State Department of Ecology, to Ann Kenny, Kevin Fitzpatrick, and Ray Hellwig, reviewing Parametrix Inc.’s July 2001 “Low Flow Analysis, Flow Impact Offset Facility Proposal” prepared for the Port Of Seattle regarding the proposed third runway at Sea-Tac Airport. Reviews

Memorandum dated August 7, 2001 from Dave Garland, NWRO Water Quality Watershed Unit Supervisor, to Ann Kenny, Kevin Fitzpatrick, and Ray Hellwig of the Washington State Department of Ecology Northwest Regional Office. Reviews the Parametrix Inc. July 2001 report ‘Low Flow Analysis, Flow Impact Offset Facility Proposal’ prepared for Port Of Seattle regarding predicted impacts

Memorandum dated August 7, 2001, from Katie Walter (Shannon & Wilson, Inc.) to Ann Kenny (Washington State Department of Ecology) regarding draft 401 conditions for the Port Of Seattle Natural Resource Mitigation Plan (NRMP), marked Deliberative — Do Not Disclose. Covers Auburn mitigation site culvert placement issues from the June 28, 2001 revised grading plan,

Memorandum dated August 7, 2001, from Katie Walter (Shannon & Wilson, Inc.) to Ann Kenny (Washington State Department of Ecology), marked ‘Deliberative – Do Not Disclose,’ regarding draft 401 conditions for the Port Of Seattle Natural Resources Mitigation Plan (NRMP), Auburn Mitigation Site. Document addresses culvert placement issues in the revised grading plan (June 28,

A water resources consultant, writing on behalf of the Airport Communities Coalition, argues that the Port of Seattle's July 2001 Low Flow Analysis for Sea-Tac Airport expansion fails to provide reasonable assurance that the project will meet water quality standards in Miller, Walker, and Des Moines Creeks. The letter criticizes the submission as incomplete and rushed, noting missing figures, unfinished sections, and an unresolved plan to store the required 46 acre-feet of stormwater across the three watersheds. The consultant contends that the Port's proposed water quality protections—including filtration, aeration, and biofiltration swales—are unproven, inadequately designed, and fall short of the regulatory standard required for Section 401/404 permit approval.

A August 6, 2001 letter from Water Resources Consulting L.L.C. on behalf of the Airport Communities Coalition critiques the Port of Seattle's 'Low Flow Analysis - Flow Impact Offset Facility Proposal' submitted in support of its Section 404/401 permit application for SeaTac Airport expansion. The letter argues that the Port's plan fails to provide reasonable assurance that the airport's stormwater management will meet water quality standards in Miller Creek, Walker Creek, and Des Moines Creek. Key concerns include an incomplete and unfinished proposal, insufficient stormwater storage capacity, unproven water quality treatment methods, and reliance on vague future 'adaptive management' rather than concrete, enforceable designs.