A 2001 community newsletter details strong opposition to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport's proposed third runway, highlighting concerns about destruction of local wetlands, earthquake safety risks from massive earthen retaining walls built on unstable soil, and damage to nearby streams and salmon habitat. Nearly 100 of 117 speakers at January 2001 Army Corps of Engineers and Department of Ecology hearings spoke against the project, including 22 elected officials from surrounding communities. Critics also questioned the Port of Seattle's trustworthiness in fulfilling environmental mitigation promises, citing a history of incomplete studies and unfulfilled commitments.Open full document
Notes
The Spring 2001 newsletter of the Regional Commission on Airport Affairs covers the third wetlands permit hearings for Sea-Tac Airport’s third runway construction project, detailing opposition from residents, elected officials, and experts regarding environmental damage, seismic safety risks, and the unprecedented mechanically stabilized earth walls. The newsletter also reports on earthquake damage to Boeing Field and Sea-Tac following the February 28 earthquake, raising questions about the safety of building a massive fill embankment in a seismically active region.