A map of Washington State identifying 16 communities with elevated cumulative criteria air pollution levels, including locations such as Spokane, Tacoma, Seattle, Yakima Valley, and Vancouver. The map uses a shading gradient to indicate highest to lowest pollution levels, with numbered red markers pinpointing each named community.

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Map of Washington State showing cumulative levels of criteria air pollution with numbered markers indicating 16 airport-impacted communities. The map uses green shading to represent pollution levels from highest to lowest, with communities like Ellensburg, Everett, South King County, and others marked with red numbered circles.

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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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