SAMP Draft EA: How to provide a great public comment

¹How to provide effective public comment by December 13, 2024

Because new ways for you to participate will likely become available, this article may be subject to updates.

Introduction

This is the second of a two-part article concerning the Sustainable Airport Master Plan Draft Environmental Assessment (SAMP Draft EA). If you’re looking for the short version? This is the short version.

Part 1 provided background on what the SAMP is, how we got here, what the environmental review looks like, and expected outcomes for this comment period. But in one paragraph:

The SAMP is the next major expansion plan for Sea-Tac Airport. We call it The Fourth Runway because it will increase flights by at least a third–as much as building a runway– but without building a runway. Instead, it is 31 projects on current airport property, so you’re probably unaware that it’s already been going on for six years. The Draft EA is a document which describes those projects and their expected impacts to the community. The FAA is conducting a ²NEPA environmental review of that document, which they must approve, before the SAMP can continue forward. As part of their decision, they are holding a public comment period on the Draft EA from October 21st through December 5, 2024.

This article provides specific instructions on how to comment on the Draft EA and what happens afterwards.

Draft EA Documents

The SAMP Draft Environmental Assessment (Draft EA) documents are here. These describe the 31 projects, and the thirteen categories being considered for approval or mitigation (eg. noise, air quality, water quality, cumulative impacts, etc.) There are five main Chapters, about 275 pages, which provide an overview. There are also fifteen Appendices (over 4,000 pages). But most of that is Scoping Comments made by people just like you during an earlier comment period. Don’t be intimidated. No one expects you to read all it. Think of it like a dictionary where you’ll want to look up a few things. We’ll show you how below.

Here are some overview slides, courtesy of the Port of Seattle, which you should look at.

Open Houses

In the coming days, watch for a postcard in the mail telling you about four Port-sponsored open-houses with Port staff to answer your questions. If you attend the open houses there will be a reporter to take your comments in-person. Or, you can provide comments on-line (see below.)

Port of Seattle Town Halls:

• November 12 (Tuesday) — 6 to 8 p.m. — Wildwood Elementary School (Federal Way)
• November 13 (Wednesday) — 6 to 8 p.m. — Mount Rainier High School (Des Moines)
• November 14 (Thursday) — 6 to 8 p.m. — Highline High School (Burien)
• November 16 (Saturday) — 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. — McMicken Heights Elementary School (SeaTac)

The FAA will also conduct a webinar on the airspace around Sea-Tac Airport. This information is not specific to the SAMP, but understanding how air traffic is managed will be useful in commenting on the SAMP

• November 20 (Wednesday) FAA Airspace Webinar register

Comment

In addition to the open houses, you have three other ways to provide official comments:

• On-line comment form: Send an official comment
• Email: SAMP@portseattle.org
• US Mail:
  Mr. Steve Ryboldt
  Port of Seattle
  Aviation Environment and Sustainability
  PO Box 68727
  Seattle, WA 98168

A quick note: Comments to Port of Seattle Commissioners or staff or any other electeds or to the FAA in general will not be considered in this process.

What makes a good comment?

The quality of your comment really matters. We mentioned that there are thirteen ‘official’ categories in the SAMP Draft EA. Each one has its own Appendix. Realistically, some don’t really apply to us, some could be broken out into multiple categories, while others are pretty technical. What we think matters most is this: the only proposed mitigation is for surface transportation (in green). Read again: the only aspect of the plan the Port thinks will need addressing are some traffic intersections.

Appendix A: Forecast and Airport Operational Assumptions
Appendix B: Purpose & Need and Alternatives Supporting Information
Appendix C: Air Quality and Climate
Appendix D: Biological Resources
Appendix E: Coastal Resources
Appendix F: Hazardous Materials and Solid Waste
Appendix G: Historic Resources
Appendix H: Land Use
Appendix I: Natural Resources & Energy Supply
Appendix J: Noise and Noise-Compatible Land Use
Appendix K: Socioeconomics, Environmental Justice, and Children’s Health
Appendix L: Surface Transportation
Appendix M: Water Resources

The SAMP Draft EA proposes no mitigation for any of the categories in red. That is why all our comments must be as effective as possible.

Suggestion: Pick one area that is most meaningful to you, read that section, which will only be 15 pages or so, and write a comment on that.

Still don’t know what to say? As we said in Part I, there was also the 2018 Scoping Process where many people, including professionals, already provided very good comments that are as important today as they were then.

Suggestion: Open the 2018 Comments and skim through them to find comments on your area of interest.

You can also comment on the process itself, which has been so unfair to the community that it calls the entire plan into question. For example, one of the best 2018 comments was (oddly enough) from Alaska Airlines where they asked the Port to stop and conduct a complete EIS. Why? Because even then they recognized that without that deeper study, the communities would undoubtedly appeal any ruling–thus causing even more delay.

Suggestion: Look here for some quick comment ideas on the entire SAMP process.

What happens after the comment period?

(NEPA Decision 2025)

On December 5, an FAA official will take everyone’s comments and then evaluate them according to the NEPA process. That decision is expected by September 2025. At that time, their official will decide

• FONSI Finding of No Significance. The entire plan, as proposed by the Port of Seattle, can proceed, so long as the ¹mitigations in the plan are done.
• ROD Record of Decision, indicating that all the projects can proceed, but with an additional set of defined mitigations.
• EIS Environmental Impact Statement. All projects will be put on hold until a much more thorough study of those projects can be done.

From our point of view, a successful comment period would be for the FAA  to call for a full Environmental Impact Statement.

(SEPA Decision 2026)

After that decision, the state review will begin. There are three similar outcomes, but SEPA has its own rules. Who decides on that? The Port of Seattle. Their decision is expected in Q2 of 2026.

Coda

We don’t want to get ahead of ourselves. Although the SEPA review is separate, that outcome will be influenced by the FAA/NEPA decision process. We only mention it to emphasize how important this current comment period is. Your comments now will influence both the Federal and State decisions to come!

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¹The only mitigation indicated in the SAMP are traffic improvements at eight intersections around the airport. Not. Kidding. Nothing concerning air quality, noise, water, or cumulative community impacts.

²National Environmental Policy Act

³State of Washington Environmental Policy Act

⁴The original deadline was extended from December 5 to December 13, 2024