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An internal email from Paul Cooke of the Army Corps of Engineers (NWS) discussing a Section 1135 habitat restoration project called Duwamish River Turning Basin #3, which involves building a new creek channel for Hamm Creek. The email explores the possibility of disposing approximately 60,000 cubic yards of excavated material at the Port of Seattle’s 3rd Runway project site, potentially saving $200,000 in disposal costs. Two key questions are raised: whether collaborating with the Port on disposal would compromise the Corps’ ability to issue an unbiased permit decision for the 3rd Runway, and what type of agreement would be needed to formalize the arrangement.

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As the source for federal transportation grants, the Puget Sound Regional Council was charged with developing a system to meet the growing need for commercial aviation. When the search for a second airport failed, they authorized the Port of Seattle to build the Third Runway, with a mandate to develop a noise abatement and mitigation program. In their effort to stop the Third Runway, the ACC argued over every detail of the Port's efforts--including property buyouts and sound insulation. The dispute was meant to be settled by a three member Expert Arbitration Panel. This is their final report. It finds 2-1, that the Port's program was insufficient in several respects. Despite that, funding for the Third Runway was approved by the PSRC, and the 'Port Package' program, proceeded largely unchanged. Expert Arbitration Panel's final decision finding that the Port of Seattle had not shown sufficient reduction in real on-the-ground noise impacts to satisfy noise reduction conditions required for approval of a third runway at Sea-Tac International Airport. The majority decision concluded the Port's noise abatement programs were insufficient despite being impressive in scope.

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