The next Port of Seattle Commission meeting, scheduled for 1pm on Tuesday, March 23rd at the Cove in Normandy Park, will also include a staff update on the Part 150 Airport Noise Study.

The Commission will be taking public comment, so gather your thoughts about SeaTac Airport noise and show up, ready to talk.

In addition, on Wednesday, March 24, the members of the Highline Forum will also discuss the Part 150 Noise Study at SeaTac City Hall’s Council Chambers (4800 South 188th Street.) The meeting begins at 2:30pm and the public is invited to observe.

The Highline Forum includes the southwest King County communities of Des Moines, Burien, Normandy Park, SeaTac, Tukwila and Federal Way, and the Highline School District and Port of Seattle.

Here are the details:

WHAT: Port of Seattle Commission Meeting

WHEN: Tuesday, March 23 beginning at 1pm

WHERE: The Cove in Normandy Park – 1500 SW Shorebrook Drive

INFO: From a press release:

March 23 Port Commission Meeting in Normandy Park to include Part 150 Noise Study Update

Part 150 Study also a Discussion Item at March 24 Highline Forum

The Port of Seattle Commission will be holding their March 23 regular meeting at the Cove in Normandy Park – 1500 SW Shorebrook Drive. The agenda includes a staff update on the Part 150 Study and the Commission will be taking public comment. Meeting starts at 1 p.m.

On March 24, the members of the Highline Forum will also discuss the Part 150 Noise Study at SeaTac City Hall’s Council Chambers – 4800 South 188th Street. The meeting begins at 2:30 and the public is invited to observe. The Highline Forum includes the southwest King County communities of Des Moines, Burien, Normandy Park, SeaTac, Tukwila and Federal Way, and the Highline School District and Port of Seattle.

For your convenience, please visit the dedicated Part 150 Web site (http://www.airportsites.net/SEA-Part150/) that has been established as the single location for all documentation connected to the study.

From the Regional Commission on Airport Affairs, we received this letter (posted also on their blog) regarding Wednesday night’s (Feb. 24th) “Part 150″ airport noise workshop put on by the Port of Seattle:

Congratulations to those who attended last night’s kick-off workshop for Sea-Tac Airport’s Part 150 study!

Despite a restrictive format, the public delivered a loud & clear message spelling out major issues that concern us all.

After an initial presentation, the attendees (estimated at about 200) crowded around the whiteboards in 15 break-out groups.

We heard over & over that the attendees do not believe that the FAA’s 65 DNL noise assessment has anything to do with noise as it is actually experienced.

We heard over & over that single-event noise –not averages — is what intrudes on people’s lives.

Sharp questions were raised about the five-year planning horizon:  the study needs to look long-term.

And what will the Airport look like, what will it sound like, at its maximum?

At the concluding, wrap-up session, there was widespread spontaneous applause for comments that the region needs two more airports, & for the suggestion that if the present noise cannot be fixed, the airport should be moved.

Less-controversial comments included pleas for more noise insulation, more buy-outs, more sellers’ assistance programs.

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Have something you'd like to say? Then email us your "Letter to the Editor" by clicking here. Be sure to include your real name and a way to contact you, and, pending our review, we'll most likely post it. Otherwise, feel free to leave a Comment below...]

REMINDER: The first in a series of public workshops for Sea-Tac Airport’s “Part 150 Noise Study” is scheduled for this Wednesday night (Feb. 24th) at Mount Rainier High School (located at 22450 19th Ave. South in Des Moines) beginning at 5:15pm.

So if you have something to say about airport noise, this would be the place to air your thoughts and hope that the Port of Seattle hears you.

Doors open at 5pm, with the program beginning at 5:15pm.

Here are the details:

WHAT: Public workshop for Sea-Tac Airport’s “Part 150 Noise Study” program

WHEN: Wednesday, Feb. 24th beginning at 5:15pm

WHERE: Mt. Rainier High School, located at 22450 19th Ave South in Des Moines

INFO: From a press release:

Are you bothered by airport noise?

Do you have specific questions you’d like answered related to airport noise?

If the answer to either of these questions is yes, please consider attending the Part 150 workshop at Mount Rainier High School (22450 19th Avenue South Des Moines, WA) on Wednesday Feb 24 from 5 to 7 pm.

“Part 150″ is an FAA regulation that provides for airport operators, such as the Port of Seattle which owns and operates Seatac airport, to study ways of reducing airport noise. Part 150 studies are a two year process, with five or six workshops . The Feb 24 meeting is the kickoff for a new Part 150 study, the last Part 150 study wrapped up in 2001.

The “hope” of a Part 150 study is that the airport operator will then actually implement some of these ways of reducing noise. So how do we turn hope into reality? The answer is: citizen involvement and action.

At the first workshop on Feb 24, the Port and its consultant, Landrum and Brown, are committed to listening to citizen requests for what they would like to have included in the study.

So:

1. Please attend the workshop, and bring a neighbor too. (but if you can’t make this time, which is definitely inconvenient for many people, there’s an alternative below).

2. Please bring your questions in written form.

• We anticipate the workshop will include small group breakouts of 15 to 25 minutes. The “facilitators” are not likely to have time for all questions.

So, it is really important to bring written questions. With your written questions:

• Please include your name and mailing address
• Please ask for a written response within 30 days
• Please feel free to send a copy via email or mail to RCAA, the Regional Commission on Airport Affairs.

RCAA is funded by local governments as a resource for airport – related issues. RCAA is tracking the questions citizens are asking as a part of a project monitoring the Part 150 process. There have been times when questions asked of the Port did not get a satisfactory answer. If you put your questions in writing, cc them to RCAA, and send the responses to RCAA as well, there is a much higher chance no one’s questions will fall through the cracks.

RCAA can be reached by email at rcaanews@earthlink.net or by mail at:

19900 4th Ave SW
Normandy Park, WA 98166

=======

For more information about Part 150 and the workshops:

–The RCAA blog will have periodic updates. The web address is:

http://latestnewsonairportaffairs.blogspot.com/

It is linked to from the main RCAA web site, at www.rcaanews.org

Note RCAA will be posting some topic areas on the blog you may want to consider for your questions.

The Port of Seattle has a Part 150 web page. The address is:

http://www.airportsites.net/SEA-Part150/

Also remember the Port has a noise incident report form online, available here:

http://www.portseattle.org/about/contact/noisecomment.shtml

Read our previous coverage of this issue here.

The first in a series of public workshops for Sea-Tac Airport’s “Part 150 Noise Study” is scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 24th at Mount Rainier High School (locatrd at 22450 19th Ave. South in Des Moines) beginning at 5:15pm.

So if you have something to say about airport noise, this would be the place to air your thoughts and hope that the Port of Seattle hears you.

Doors open at 5pm, with the program beginning at 5:15pm.

Here are the details:

WHAT: Public workshop for Sea-Tac Airport’s “Part 150 Noise Study” program

WHEN: Wednesday, Feb. 24th beginning at 5:15pm

WHERE: Mt. Rainier High School, located at 22450 19th Ave South in Des Moines

INFO: From a press release:

The Part 150 Study will look at ways to reduce aircraft noise impacts on communities. Throughout the study, the public is invited to participate in the solution and recommendation process through active engagement in a series of topical workshops.

The February 24th workshop will include a brief presentation followed by facilitator-led, small-group working sessions designed to gather the public’s input on refining the scope for the Part 150 Study. So, please review the meeting agenda and come prepared with ideas.

Visit the dedicated Part 150 Study Website – the single location for all documentation connected to the study.

The Citizens Against Sea-Tac Expansion (C.A.S.E.) is holding their monthly “Sea-Tac Expansion” Meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 4th from 7pm to 9pm at the ERAC offices, located at 15675 Ambaum Blvd. SW.

Here are the details:

WHAT: CASE Monthly Meeting

WHEN: Wednesday, Nov. 4th, from 7pm to 9pm

WHERE: ERAC (Highline District Adm. Office), located at 15675 Ambaum Blvd. S.W., Burien.

INFO: CASE President Brett Fish will conduct the meeting and will recognize elected leaders attending and introduce speakers.

There will be two subjects to discuss at the meeting:

1. The several environmental issues resulting from SeaTac airport polluted waste discharges.
2. Noise pollution resulting from the 3rd runway operations.

RCAA/CASE Consultant Greg Wingard will brief attendees on the results of the Port’s improvements of the storm water system which had an early trend of reducing pollution into area streams but currently the pollution is getting worse rather than better since June, 2008. Greg will also give an update on the status of Ecology’s Toxic Cleanup Program of the Lora Lake Apartments dioxin contaminated site.

Stuart Jenner, RCAA Board Member, will discuess his measurements of aircraft noise at various locations within the 3rd runway area.  He will also share some observations of the Sept. 29th forum on the increased noise held at the Criminal Justice Training Center.

Questions or Comments will be welcomed.

If you have questions or need directions, call 206-824-6589.

The Citizens Against Sea-Tac Expansion (C.A.S.E.) is holding their monthly “Sea-Tac Expansion” Meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 7th from 7pm to 9pm at the ERAC offices, located at 15675 Ambaum Blvd. SW.

Here are the details:

WHAT: CASE Monthly Meeting

WHEN: Wednesday, Oct. 7th, from 7pm to 9pm

WHERE: ERAC (Highline District Adm. Office), located at 15675 Ambaum Blvd. S.W., Burien.

INFO: CASE President Brett Fish will conduct the meeting and briefly update us on a number of actions/issues with the Port of Seattle and with the 3rd runway operations. The primary goal of the meeting is to meet and hear from our political candidates running for office.

All Local November 3th election candidates for King County Executive Offices, Port of Seattle Commissioner position, local City Council and other positions (Burien, Normandy Park, Des Moines, SeaTac, Tukwila and Federal Way) have been invited to attend. This meeting will give them additional time to inform us voters of their qualifications and allow us to hear how they respond to the voter concerns.

Questions or Comments will be heard as time allows.

If you have questions or need directions, call 206-824-6589.

by Ralph Nichols

If it wasn’t already obvious before Tuesday (Sept. 29) night’s community meeting about additional noise generated by commercial jets using Sea-Tac International Airport’s third runway, people living not only under but near the new flight paths are mad as hell.

But while they don’t want to take it anymore, it appears they have no option but to endure it. No governmental organization is stepping forward with solutions – not studies, but solutions – then putting them into effect.

As a result, these citizens are even more frustrated than mad. And Port of Seattle and Federal Aviation Administration representatives heard this frustration – laced with anger – during the two-hour meeting at the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Center in Burien.

The strongest complaints from the audience of approximately 400 included charges that the Port of Seattle “lied” to the public about the use of the third runway when it was being planned and designed and studied for its environmental impacts on the surrounding area.

“We need answers,” said Debi Wagner, a long-time activist against airport expansion. “You guys lied to us.”

Another woman said her home was soundproofed against noise from the second runway in 1992, yet “now it’s worthless. Are you people above the law?” She added that President Obama should become involved because “he closed Guantanamo (Bay detention of terror suspects) … He can close the Port of Seattle.”

One man in the audience suggested that to save the millions of dollars future lawsuits over noise and noise mitigation could cost, the Port of Seattle should just shut down the third runway.

When asked if the Port would consider doing that, Stan Shepard, manager of Sea-Tac noise programs, replied, “Absolutely not.”

Joining Shepard to hear complaints and field questions from the public were David Suomi, deputy regional administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Northwest Mountain Region, and Linda Pelligrini with FAA’s air traffic control.

Also attending were District 33 legislators – Sen. Karen Keiser and Reps. Dave Upthegrove and Tina Orwall – and 34th District Rep. Sharon Nelson, King County Councilwoman Julia Patterson, and representatives of CASE (Citizens Against Sea-Tac Expansion) and the RCAA (Regional Commission on Airport Affairs).

“We’re here to listen,” Keiser (D-Des Moines) told the assembly. “These issues are not new to us. But they have been sharpened” since the third runway opened 10 months ago and has been operating “24/7.”

Paramount concerns, Keiser continued, include sleep – “it’s hard to get a decent night’s sleep when planes are always flying” – and public safety with planes flying only 100 to 200 feet overhead on final approach.

She said the 33rd District’s delegation would develop legislation in Olympia to help alleviate these problems.

Two separate realities really frustrate, confound and even anger many living near the airport and along the third runway flight paths:

1. First, the third runway was planned and built by the Port of Seattle, which operates the airport including its facilities and infrastructure.
2. Second, it is the FAA, and not the airport, that directs air traffic including which runways will be used for each landing and take-off.

Several in the audience reminded Shepard and the FAA representatives that the third runway had been sold to the public as a backup runway primarily for landings in bad weather to reduce flight delays and departures. But since it opened, it also has been used routinely for what Shepard described as “high-demand” periods – those times when eight or more planes arrive within 15 minutes.

This is a primary reason why a number of those speaking accused the Port of lying to them before the third runway was built.

Another man asked what happened to the concept of limited use, noting it was “an enormous leap” from that earlier assurance “to high demand. We would like that concept changed.” He was roundly applauded when he added, “We were hoodwinked.”

Wagner also declared that with emissions from jet engines, including small black dust-like particles, the Port is “killing us with their aircraft. They’re causing cancer and they don’t care about you at all.” New airports have a five-mile buffer for emissions as well as noise because of the high cancer risk from jet emissions, she added. Some airports even have nighttime curfews.

“The Port is fully committed to make this a public process,” Shepard said about future noise studies and noise mitigation. He later was jeered when he noted, “Sea-Tac is a leader in airport noise mitigation,” and the third runway doesn’t alter that fact. “I’m damn proud” of what the Port has done, he said.

Shepard also reminded the audience that while the third runway has been operated as a regular runway since April, this is about to change and that will result in less noise from flight operations on the runway.

The third runway has handled a lot of Sea-Tac departures as well as arrivals during the complete rebuilding of the longest runway (closest to the terminal). That job has been completed and, when the FAA certifies that runway as operational, use of the third runway will be reduced.

None of what they heard, however, appeared to satisfy the audience because, many seemed to feel, their concerns appear to have no impact on the FAA’s use of the third runway.

A second community meeting on Sea-Tac Airport noise has been scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 29th from 7pm to 9pm at the State Criminal Justice Training Commission Auditorium in Burien (located at 19010 First Ave South), according to an announcement from Rep. Dave Upthegrove (D-33).

Here’s the full text of Upthegrove’s announcement:

Dear Neighbors,

As you know, our August 19th Community Meeting on Airport Noise was attended by more people than the venue could accommodate.  I know that many of you took time away from your families and other duties to attend this meeting and I apologize to everyone who was turned away.  Please know that simply by showing up, you helped to demonstrate just how deeply this issue affects our community.

We have scheduled a follow-up meeting to accommodate those who were turned away last month. Please join me, along with Senator Karen Keiser, Representative Tina Orwall, Des Moines City Councilwoman Susan White, and King County Councilmember Julia Patterson, to discuss airport flight operations and noise mitigation programs.

While the state legislature and county and city governments have no direct authority over SeaTac Airport flight operations (where and when planes fly), we have heard from many of you with questions and concerns about increased noise since the third runway has gone into use.  This meeting will be an opportunity to hear directly from the Noise Programs Manager at SeaTac Airport and to ask questions and share information and concerns.

Rep. Dave Upthegrove

Follow-up Community Meeting on Airport Noise

• Tuesday Evening, September 29th
• 7:00m to 9:00pm
• WA State Criminal Justice Training Commission Auditorium: 19010—1st Ave S, Burien

Some of the questions to be addressed:

• Who decides who gets money for noise insulation?
• Who is responsible for determining runway usage and flight patterns?
• How does current use of the Third Runway compare with previous projections?
• How has airplane noise changed in the last decade?
• How can community members monitor and track runway usage and flight operations?

Noise from airport operations significantly impacts our quality of life.  The more informed we are about how flight decisions are made and how noise mitigation funding decisions are made, then the more effective we all can be advocating for the interests of our community.

Sincerely,
Dave Upthegrove
State Representative
33rd District
Chairman, House Ecology & Parks Committee

Webpage: http://hdc.leg.wa.gov/members/upthegrove/index.asp
Sign up for my E-memo: http://hdc.leg.wa.gov/members/upthegrove/ememo.asp
Legislative Hotline: 1-800-562-6000

The Regional Commission on Airport Affairs (RCAA) has also launched their own blog, which includes the latest updates – you can read it here.

The Citizens Against Sea-Tac Expansion (C.A.S.E.) is holding their monthly “Sea-Tac Expansion” Meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 2nd from 7pm to 9pm at the ERAC offices, located at 15675 Ambaum Blvd. SW.

Here are the details:

WHAT: CASE Monthly Meeting

WHEN: Wednesday, September 2nd, from 7pm to 9pm.

WHERE: ERAC (Highline District Adm. Office), located at 15675 Ambaum Blvd. S.W., Burien.

INFO: CASE President Brett Fish will conduct the meeting and briefly update us on a number of actions/issues we have with the Port of Seattle and with the 3rd runway operations. These will include:

• The significant noise Increase resulting from the operations using the 3rd runway is much greater than predicted prior to the construction because of the 24-hour use was not planned. Our State Representative Dave Upthegrove and Des Moines Mayor Bob Sheckler, former Director of the ACC (Airport Cities Coalition), will be available to speak on this subject.
• The multiyear study by the WA State Aviation Planning Council, started in 2005, has been completed and reported to the governor. The results do not identify the next regional airport in Washington as was expected. RCAA Operations Manager Chas Talbot will update us on this subject.
• Construction is still continuing on the re-construction of the #1 runway.
• Questions or Comments will be heard as time allows.

If you have questions or need directions, call 206-824-6589.

On Tuesday, Aug. 18th, the Port of Seattle hosted members of the press at a tour of the reconstruction project that is in the final stages of completion on the first (as well as oldest and longest) runway, also known as “16L/34R.”

Approximately 80% of the concrete has already been poured for the new runway, and finishing touches will be completed over the next month. The original concrete runway, built in 1944, is being crushed and recycled as the gravel sub-base for the new runway. This sub base is 12 inches, topped by a 4-inch asphalt layer and then the 20-inch concrete runway.

In comparison, Sea-Tac’s third runway is only 17-inches thick.

This re-construction is the main reason why the airport’s third runway has been in use so much recently.

Photographer Michael Brunk was there to capture these photos:

Click to View Michael Brunk’s Photo Slideshow

Residents of the Highline area are invited to a community meeting about airport noise on Wednesday, Aug. 19th from 7pm to 8:30pm at the Des Moines City Hall. The meeting will be hosted by local legislators, including Senator Karen Keiser, and State Representatives Dave Upthegrove and Tina Orwall, along with Des Moines City Councilwoman Susan White.

Although the state Legislature does not oversee and has no jurisdiction over Sea-Tac Airport flight operations, the district’s elected officials are hosting this discussion to help inform residents of the decision-making process and provide an opportunity to ask questions and voice their concerns on issues from flight times to eligibility for noise mitigation projects.

Joining the legislators will be the Noise Programs Manager at Sea-Tac Airport, who will be on hand to present information and answer questions. The Noise Programs Office works closely with the Federal Aviation Administration, the airlines, and local communities to monitor existing noise programs and develop new ways of reducing airport and aircraft noise.

“As someone born and raised in the Highline area, I’ve experienced airplane noise first-hand,” said State Representative Dave Upthegrove (D – Des Moines), the meeting’s organizer. “Since operations have begun on the third runway, I have heard from many neighbors and Highline residents with questions and concerns about noise. This meeting will not only be an opportunity to learn more about flight operations and noise mitigation programs, but also get questions answered and share concerns.”

WHAT: Community meeting on airplane noise with state and local officials

WHEN: Wednesday, Aug. 19th, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

WHERE: Des Moines City Hall Council Chambers, located at 21630 11th Avenue South, Suite B

by Ralph Nichols

As demolition crews prepared this week to tear down the Lora Lake Apartments – long the center of heated controversy over affordable housing in Burien – near Sea-Tac International Airport’s third runway, attention was focused on possible uses for this prime commercial location.

The Port of Seattle, which owns the Lora Lake complex, wants to develop facilities for airport-compatible activities there, such as air cargo, food service and warehouses, and on other property it owns within Burien’s Northeast Planning Area north of the airport.

But the vacant apartment complex is just inside the Burien city limits and several council members hope this location will anchor economic development in the Northeast Planning Area that will generate additional sales tax and other revenue for the city. Possible land uses include an auto mall and a business park.

City Manager Mike Martin said recently that results of a state Department of Transportation study for a new interchange at State Route 518 and Des Moines Memorial Drive now underway might be available by summer’s end. An interchange at that location would increase the value of the Lora Lake site for business development.

Preparation for demolition includes mitigation of toxic contaminants in the ground at Lora Lake, which were discovered in a 2008 environmental study prior to a planned transfer of the property from the Port to the King County Housing Authority.

When the assay found hazardous chemicals in soil samples taken at depths of 7 and 14 feet, the apartment complex was determined to be unsafe for occupancy and the housing authority abandoned plans to reopen its 162 units. The site was used for commercial and industrial purposes from the 1920s to the mid-1980s. In the 1950s, it was an auto wrecking yard.

Despite the fact that Lora Lake is coming down soon, “Burien still has a major hurdle to overcome” before it can develop that location – and other sites in the Northwest Planning Area – for uses compatible with the city’s vision for economic growth, noted Councilman Gordon Shaw.

“Even after Lora Lake is done and gone, the Port of Seattle owns a large amount of the Northeast Planning Area,” Shaw said. “The Port has bought a lot of commercial and residential land under and near airport flight paths.”

That leaves Burien in the position of having to negotiate with the Port for purchase of Lora Lake and several other properties, or for other accommodations for development that conforms to the city’s comprehensive plan.

“I don’t think the Port will need all the land they’ve got, but why should they give it up?” he observed. “It’s going to be a very delicate thing for the city to work through … I don’t know what the path forward is on resolution, but I’ll be upset if all we get is a food service company and a freight handling company, and then they work with Des Moines on a 90-acre business park.”

Should Burien eventually develop an auto mall in the Lora Lake area, this would vacate the city’s existing auto row along First Avenue. Should that happen, said Deputy Mayor Rose Clark, possibilities for redevelopment of those properties might include a hotel or a convention center, or both, catering to air travelers.

Built in the late 1980s, the Lora Lake Apartments – once a 234-unit affordable housing complex – were bought by the Port of Seattle in 1998. The city, the Port and the King County Housing Authority, which managed the apartments, agreed they would remain open until 2005, at which time they would be removed. The apartments are less than 1,000 feet from the third runway.

When construction of the runway was delayed, all parties agreed the apartments would remain open until June 2007. In late March that year, representatives of the city, the Port and the housing authority discussed the scheduled June closure of the apartments. Although housing authority representatives indicated a desire to keep Lora Lake open, they recognized a “contractual obligation” and were ready to begin phasing them out.

But housing authority Executive Director Stephen Norman then sent a letter to federal and state as well as city officials, citing the need for affordable housing in King County and demanding that the apartments remain in use. Both the city and Port challenged the housing authority’s move to renege on the joint contract, and moved forward with plans to demolish Lora Lake. The housing authority countered with a suit to block demolition on the grounds that it had a legal claim to the property.

Before a hearing could be held in early 2008, the Port agreed to sell Lora Lake to the housing authority. But the sale was delayed pending the outcome of environmental testing at the housing complex.

So…what do YOU think of the future of this once-affordable housing complex? Please take our poll, or Comment below…

Bothered by Airport Noise?

Wonder just how loud airport noise is in your neighborhood and/or other areas around Sea-Tac Airport?

Want to support efforts to monitor airport noise levels and obtain independent measurements?

For the past several months, the Regional Commission on Airport Affairs (RCAA, www.rcaanews.org) has been monitoring and recording noise in the areas adjacent to Sea-Tac Airport. This data, gathered independently of the Port of Seattle’s noise monitoring, may be useful to citizens concerned about airport noise levels, particularly noise increases resulting from the third runway.

On Friday July 17th, RCAA will be holding a community meeting; here are the details:

WHAT: RCAA Community Meeting on Sea-Tac Airport Noise

WHEN: Friday, July 17th, from 7pm to 9pm (drop by at any time, presentation will be at 7:30)

WHERE: North SEA-TAC Park Picnic Shelter, located at 129th and Des Moines Memorial Drive

INFO: Light dessert and beverages will be served.

TOPICS:

• See the noise meter in action
• Learn about noise readings taken in your area in the winter (all three runways in use) and summer (two runways)
• Discuss Port of Seattle noise complaint line caller locations (obtained via Freedom of Information Act)

PRESENTERS:

• Stuart Jenner
• Mike Jacob
• Chas Talbot

RCAA is partly funded by local cities. Donations of $5 – $10 per person would be greatly appreciated to help support specific costs of the noise monitoring, including calibration.

According to the RCAA website:

We pledge our best efforts to compel the Airport to obey the environmental rules that are supposed to govern the operation of SeaTac Airport including the new third-runway. Ordinary operations at the Airport continue to contaminate the streams that flow from its campus through neighboring communities & into Puget Sound, in violation of the permits that supposedly protect us. Safe, clean water is a vital concern to the communities near the Airport.

For more information about the noise monitoring email stuartjenner@comcast.net or call 206-241-0101 (9am to 9pm), or visit their website at www.rcaanews.org.

First it was SeaTac Airport’s new third runway, and now KOMO News is reporting that Sound Transit’s new Light Link rail system is too loud.

According to the story, some local residents are complaining that the new Light Link rail system is just too noisy.

One resident even bought a decibel meter and measured the noise level near his house, with measurements reaching as high as 88 decibels. An average vacuum cleaner runs between 75 to 80 decibels and airplanes on an airport tarmac around 120 decibels.

Sound Transit has apparently insulated a number of homes in the Rainier Valley, and has also installed air conditioning units in others where it was determined that noise might disrupt residents during summer’s open-window months.

We’re not sure if a class action lawsuit lies in Sound Transit’s future, so keep your ears open.

Read the full story here, and please take our poll:

Monday afternoon (June 15th) a class-action lawsuit was filed on behalf of area residents who are upset with Sea-Tac Airport’s third runway against the Port of Seattle, claiming that noise and vibrations from aircraft are over and above what the Port has promised.

The class action lawsuit claims that as the runway was being developed and built, planning documents stated that it was to “only be used as an alternate runway to reduce delays in bad weather.”

Lawyers from the firm Pfau Cochrain Vertetis Kosnoff, PLLC contend that the port mislead residents to believe that the statement in the documents would be followed. However, since the runway’s opening, the plaintiffs claim that the port is now using the third runway for both departures and arrivals, bad weather or not, and at all hours of the day.

The third runway is currently being used more due to the re-construction of the first runway, which is supposed to last through the summer. Lawyers say that a statement on the Port of Seattle’s website claims that the FAA, which maintains control over all runways, will not restrict the use of the third runway.

The lawsuit is seeking damages for lowered property values and also to prohibit airplanes from using the third runway on weekends and between 10pm and 9am on weeknights.

The suit also intends to restrict planes from flying lower than 1,500 feet above the plaintiffs’ homes and only allow no more than one plane to fly over their neighborhoods per hour.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE:

• Residents Plan To Sue Port Of Seattle Over 3rd Runway
• Third Runway Litigators Will Meet Sunday April 19th
• Angry Residents Voice 3rd Runway Concerns To Port
• Residents Accuse Port of Seattle Of Lying About 3rd Runway
• Highline Forum 3rd Runway Public Meeting w/Port Is Jan. 8th
• Next Third Runway Noise Complainers’ Meeting Is Jan. 10th
• Has The Third Runway Increased Noise In Burien? (Nov. 24th)
• Third Runway Noise Problem Not Fading Away (Dec. 5th)
• Third Runway Noise Complainers Holding Meeting Dec. 19th (Dec. 10th)

Over 150 area residents turned out Sunday to hear lawyers discuss an upcoming class action lawsuit against the Port of Seattle over the third runway.

by Jack Mayne

Big 757s taking off and landing right over your house can jar nerves and rattle lifestyles, yet a lot of people have to live that way every day – and many are ready to fight on in court.

“I can’t sleep at night,” said one person at a meeting Sunday afternoon at the SeaTac Community Center. “It got better for a while, but then they opened the new runway and now I can’t hear people in the room,” said another person, “or what is on TV.” Still another said people had moved from his rental properties and others said the value of their property, already hammered by the faltering economy, have gone lower because of the November opening of the runway.

Still another resident of the area told of flashing laser lights that “even after you get used to them, they startle you.” A spokesman said the Port would like to know more about this because there have been illegal usages of lasers focused at planes recently and it is working with police to find and stop this activity.

Anger and resentment is building in the area because people think the Port of Seattle is not keeping their promise not to use the new 8,500-foot runway except in bad weather or as a backup to the other two runways. The Sunday meeting was held so the downtown Seattle law firm of Pfau Cochran Vertetis Kosnoff could explain the class action lawsuit they are drafting that seeks to make the port stop using the runway for daily takeoffs and landings (see sidebar).

“The Port says they are operating within the law, but that is not true if it (negatively) impacts you,” said law firm partner Darrell Cochran to an estimated 150 to 200 people at the Sea-Tac Community Center Sunday afternoon. “We will be filing a lawsuit – June 15th is the estimate (when the suit will be filed).”

Area residents, some who have fought the Port and the runway for two decades or more, have complained of a variety of impacts, but what most infuriates people is that the third runway now is a main runway.

“What we hear is that the port has not told the truth on the third runway’s use as a backup,” said Cochran. “Every landing since it has opened has landed on it. We have seen documents that it will be in fulltime use – that the Port will continue to use it as a fulltime runway, even though the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was told it would be a backup runway.”

A Port of Seattle spokesman said there has been a temporary six-month closure of the airport’s longest and oldest runway because it needs to be rebuilt. The third and newest runway is now being used only in the interim fulltime. Airport spokesman Perry Cooper said Monday the project is costing $52 million in federal funds. The work is being carried out during the spring and summer months so that it is completed as quickly as possible.

A brand new control light system is being installed on the first (eastern most) runway because all planes using the other two runways need to cross it.

“It’s going to be noisier for a six-month period,” said Cooper.

Statistics by the Port on their Sea-Tac website show that prior to April 13, the number of landings and takeoffs on the new runway were close to the number of uses the Port had estimated in its Environmental Impact Statement.

“You’ll see that the runway use is virtually equal to the Environmental Impact Statement projection,” Cooper said, adding that the traffic on the third runway is up during the winter months when more separation between active runways is required.

“In the summer, those days drop off dramatically and would expect to lower the yearly average as compared to the winter numbers.” Cooper said.

When asked by nearby residents on Sunday if the suit should be against the FAA instead of the Port, lawyer Cochran said the Federal Aviation Administration “has immunity” because the decision to build the third runway where it is was a decision by the Port and not the government agency.

The Federal Aviation Administration controls the runways planes use for landing and takeoffs.

“The Port does not operate the runways,” Cooper said. “We built it and maintain it, but the actual operation of the runway, takeoffs and landings, etc. is controlled by the Federal Aviation Administration.”

He says the Port “has been a proponent of the area community as soon as complaints were made and we went to the FAA and worked with them to make sure the operation of the runway has been consistent with the projections from the Environmental Impact Statement. That step also brought us to create the website with the usage statistics.

Members of the Federal Aviation Administration came to a recent Highline meeting to hear the community’s concerns, Cooper said.

The lawsuit lawyer, Cochran, said Sunday that people who felt they had personal injury cases against the Port should be gathering evidence to support their claim. For example, Cochran said people should take photos of soot on cars and surfaces from planes taking off or landing on the runway. They should document evidence of increase illnesses or other negative effects.

People should do this even if they have not yet decided on making a claim or filing a suit.

So, what do YOU think of this class action lawsuit against the Port of Seattle? Please answer our poll:

PREVIOUS COVERAGE:

• Third Runway Litigators Will Meet Sunday April 19th
• Angry Residents Voice 3rd Runway Concerns To Port
• Residents Accuse Port of Seattle Of Lying About 3rd Runway
• Highline Forum 3rd Runway Public Meeting w/Port Is Jan. 8th
• Next Third Runway Noise Complainers’ Meeting Is Jan. 10th
• Third Runway Noise Complainers Holding Meeting Dec. 19th
• Third Runway Noise Problem Not Fading Away

Jack Mayne is a freelance writer and editor and may be reached at jgmayne@gmail.com

Residents in the path of Sea-Tac Airport’s third runway, negatively affected by increased noise and toxic fumes, are meeting with attorneys on Sunday, April 19th to prepare a lawsuit against the Port of Seattle.

The meeting will be held at 2:30pm, Sunday at the SeaTac Community Center, located at 13735 24th Ave. South in SeaTac. Area homeowners are invited. Trial attorneys Michael Pfau and Darrell Cochran, known for a string of successful, high-profile verdicts and settlements, are partnering with Seattle personal-injury attorney Will Dixon.

Sunday’s meeting is a discussion of homeowners’ rights, and potential remedies available under the law. Concerned residents living near the third runway’s flight path first contacted and met with attorneys on Jan. 10th.

Sea-Tac Airport’s third runway went into use Nov. 20th, 2008. Originally, Port of Seattle officials stated in planning documents, such as the environmental impact statement, that the new $1 billion runway was needed to reduce delays during poor weather. But in recent public statements, port officials have said the third runway was always intended to be used at high-traffic times and 365 days a year.

Local homeowners believe the situation will only worsen as departing planes – not just incoming flights – use the new runway. Also, the port plans to shift more traffic to the third runway as it rebuilds the eastern runway.

There are at least two potential lawsuits that are likely to be filed by homeowners. The first, a class-action lawsuit, would focus on the legal principle of inverse condemnation. Basically, plaintiffs believe the fair-market value of their property has been diminished by government “takings” or damages – in this case, by the dramatic increase of planes flying the area for third runway take-offs and landings. Plaintiffs would seek to recover just compensation for damages based on measurably diminished property values.

The second case would be a nuisance or damages lawsuit representing individuals seeking compensation for personal injuries. Local homeowners say throughout the day, big commercial jets are flying over their homes, coating their lawns with jet fuel particles and leaving a wake of toxic fumes.

Michael Pfau and Darrell Cochran are partners at the law firm of Pfau, Cochran, Vertetis, Kosnoff. Pfau and Cochran have years experience in personal injury and class-action lawsuits. In February, Pfau and Cochran secured a $14.2 million settlement from the Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle and a New York-based Catholic order on behalf of two dozen men, who were sexually abused at a Kent orphanage, the Briscoe Memorial School, during the 1950s and 1960s. In 2007, Cochran secured a $13.5 million settlement on behalf of thousands of Washington state students affected by the abrupt closing of the now-defunct Business Computer Training Institute (BCTI).

Earlier this year, Cochran and Pfau left their longtime law office of Gordon Thomas Honeywell to open their own firm, with offices in Seattle and Tacoma.

Will Dixon is a seasoned lawyer with more than a decade of legal experience representing clients in numerous multi-million dollar cases in Washington state and federal courts. Dixon focuses on personal injury, wrongful death, and commercial litigation. Dixon also worked in Gordon Thomas Honeywell’s trial group with Pfau and Cochran before opening his open firm. (Dixon Law Firm, http://www.dixon-law.com)

The meeting will be held in the Banquet Room of the SeaTac Community Center, which is located at 13735 24th Ave South:

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BREAKING NEWS: Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels was slightly injured Wednesday morning around 10:15am during a courtesy visit to Burien.

Mayor Nickels was observing improvements to the 1st Ave. South corridor when an Alaska Airlines jet mistook the top of his gigantic head for Sea-Tac airport’s new third runway.

While there were no injuries to passengers on Flight 401, the Boeing 757-500 was declared a total loss.

Burien mayor Joan McGilton, who witnessed the mishap, said the city of Burien will pick up Nickels’ medical bills.

When asked where the funds will come from to pay for the medical treatment, McGilton said

“Oh hell…we’ll just shorten the duration of our amber lights and start shooting more pictures!”

Meanwhile, numerous eyewitnesses to the incident have filed a class action lawsuit against both Nickels and his giant skull.

“It’s too ding dang noisy,” shouted resident Harriet Cooper over the ding dang noise, “and the Port is refusing to insulate my house against Mayor Gigantor’s hy-uge cranium! WTF?”

The Citizens Against Sea-Tac Expansion (C.A.S.E.) is holding their monthly “Sea-Tac Expansion” Meeting on Wednesday, April 1st from 7pm to 9pm at the ERAC offices, located at 15675 Ambaum Blvd. SW (see map below).

Here are the details:

WHAT: CASE Monthly “Sea-Tac Expansion” Meeting

WHERE: ERAC (Highline District Adminstration Office), located at 15675 Ambaum Blvd. S.W., Burien.

WHEN: Wednesday April 1st, from 7pm to 9pm

INFO: “You, your friends and neighbors are invited to attend our April monthly CASE meeting.

CASE President Brett Fish will conduct the meeting and will recognize our elected leaders attending and introduce the speakers.

We have two main subjects to discuss at the meeting:

• John Shambaugh, Senior WSDOT Aviation Planner and the Aviation Planning Council will give us a presentation on the state-wide aviation studies (“LATS”).  This Long Term Air Transportation Study was authorized by the state legislature in 2005, LATS is in the final phase of the study to determine what the State of Washington has, what they need and how to meet the needs regarding statewide aviation capacity.   Final recommendation on LATS is due to the governor and legislature on July 1st.   Public comments on the study will be accepted during the meeting.
• The Port of Seattle and the Department of Ecology (DOE) will present the current action plans for the above-ground demolition of the contaminated buildings at the Lora Lake Apartment property.

The RCAA noise meter is currently being calibrated for use in measuring noise levels resulting from the 3rd runway operations.  This subject is being scheduled to be covered in greater detail at the May 6th CASE meeting with a report of the testing to date.

Questions and Comments from the floor will be welcome.

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The Citizens Against Sea-Tac Expansion (C.A.S.E.) is holding their monthly “Sea-Tac Expansion” Meeting on Wednesday, March 4th from 7pm to 9pm at the ERAC offices, located at 15675 Ambaum Blvd. SW (see map below).

Here are the details:

WHAT: CASE Monthly “Sea-Tac Expansion” Meeting

WHERE: ERAC (Highline District Adminstration Office), located at 15675 Ambaum Blvd. S.W., Burien.

WHEN: Wednesday March 4th, from 7pm to 9pm

INFO: “You, your friends and neighbors are invited to attend our March monthly CASE meeting.

CASE President Brett Fish will conduct the meeting and will recognize our elected leaders attending and introduce the speakers. We have two (and possibly three, time permitting) subjects to discuss at the meeting: the SeaTac airport industrial polluted waste discharge 402 Permit (NPDES) renewal and noise pollution resulting from the 3rd runway.”

Speakers identified to date include:

• Ed Abassi, DOE permit writer and RCAA/CASE Consultant Greg Wingard will brief us on the changes that have been incorporated into the renewal of the existing permit. This permit must be renewed every 5-years in order to keep improving the clean water quality.
• Arun Jhaveri, Former Mayor of Burien during the 3rd Runway planning, will give us his comments on the current operational use of the 3rd runway. RCAA Director Stuart Jenner will give us the status us on recent noise measurements.
• Time permitting, Normandy Park City Council Woman Marion Yoshino will discuss her position on completion of Highway 509 to connect with I-5.

Questions and Comments from the floor will be welcome.

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The Citizens Against Sea-Tac Expansion (C.A.S.E.) is holding their monthly “Sea-Tac Expansion” Meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 4th from 7pm to 9pm at the ERAC offices, located at 15675 Ambaum Blvd. SW (see map below).

Here’s more info:

WHAT: CASE Monthly “Sea-Tac Expansion” Meeting

WHERE: ERAC (Highline District Administration Office), located at 15675 Ambaum Blvd. SW

WHEN: Wednesday February 4th, 2009 from 7pm to 9pm

INFO:

Hello Friends and Neighbors against the environmental damages from expansion and operations of the SEA-TAC Airport:

You, your friends and neighbors are invited to attend our February monthly CASE meeting.

CASE President Brett Fish will conduct the meeting and briefly update us on the DOE draft release of the NPDES Permit that requires the Port to obey (treatment) when releasing polluted airport storm water into waters of the state.  A future Public Hearing will be held later.  Brett will recognize our elected leaders attending and introduce the speakers.

The main purpose of this meeting will be to give any additional impacted people a platform to vent their disappointment and anger caused by their loss of quality of life, including financial loss of property value, resulting from use of the 3rd runway to increase normal airport operations rather than to reduce bad weather operations as planned.

At the January 8th meeting of the Highline Forum to discuss the issue of 3rd runway operations and increased airport noise, the limited hour of public comments proved that many Highline residents are very much impacted and should receive immediate mitigation.  With the current plan, mitigation will be many years away, if ever.  We need to keep the pressure on the Port and FAA to mitigate all those impacted and restore our lifestyle and the quality of life to that prior to operations with the 3rd runway.

Members of the Port staff and Port Commissioners have been invited.

Questions and Comments from the floor will be welcome.

If you have questions or need directions, call me on 206-824-6589.

Thanks.

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by Nicholas Wolfe

About 100 Highline residents and local public officials, angry and frustrated with flight operations involving the third runway at Sea-Tac International Airport, voiced their complaints to Port of Seattle representatives at a special meeting of the Highline Forum on Thursday.

While noise and pollution from low-flying commercial jets using the new runway – and the negative impact these have on property values – are significant concerns, their primary grievance is that the port either reneged on assurances to the community that it would have limited use as a backup landing strip in inclement weather or misrepresented the actual intent for its operation.

The disagreement between the airport’s residential neighbors and the port over use of the third runway was highlighted in an exchange between State Sen. Karen Keiser, D-Des Moines, and Sea-Tac Managing Director Mark Reis.

A pre-construction supplemental Environmental Impact Statement said the third runway would be operated “in bad and good weather conditions” along with the other two runways to maintain air traffic flow, Reis noted.

“During poor and good weather, this is increasing the efficient operating capability of the airport during peak hours,” he added. “We never said it would be used in bad weather only.

But, countered Keiser, “The community was led (by the port) to believe that the third runway would be used in cases of bad weather when safe landings created a need (for its operation). That was the premise that the Environmental Impact Statement. Now here we are with the third runway in operation.

“The premise seems to have changed from being used as a foul-weather type of facility. It’s been shifted, and I am very concerned about what that does to the process on the EIS,” she said.”

Des Moines Mayor Bob Sheckler, co-chairman of the Highline Forum, told Reis, “The senator and I are on the same page here.” During the decade-long debate over the third runway, he recalled, port representatives “brought to the ACC (Airport Communities Coalition) over and over that it would be used for arrivals only in bad weather…. That’s what the port has been saying.”

The Highline Forum, comprised of the cities of Des Moines, Normandy Park, Burien, Tukwila, SeaTac and Federal Way, the Highline School District, and the port, was organized after construction of the third runway got underway to promote cooperative relationships between Sea-Tac and neighboring cities. It replaced the Airport Communities Coalition that for a decade tried to block the third runway and secured environmental regulations for airport operations.

Earlier, Sheckler asked Reis, “Is it fair to say that the third runway is going to be used as a fully functioning runway?” “Yes,” Reis replied. Since it became operational on Nov. 20, Sea-Tac has used two runways in bad conditions and all three in good weather.

But Federal Aviation Administration, not the airport, directs air traffic – including the use of runways, Reis and Stan Shepherd, manager of airport noise programs, both said. The port manages general operations at Sea-Tac, including noise control and mitigation in impacted neighborhoods.

Three FAA representatives were in attendance as observers.

Sheckler also quizzed Reis about how long it will take for the impacts of third runway operations to be fully mitigated by the port. Although it could take between three and five years, Reis said, “The public process does not need to be drawn out too long.”

The supplemental Environmental Impact Statement, which was prepared in 1997, estimated that by 2010 almost 28 percent of all flights arriving at Sea-Tac would use the third runway. But according to data from the port, 44 percent of inbound planes landed on it through Dec. 17. This, port officials said, reflects the low visibility that generally occurs in November and December, and that this figure is expected to go down in the spring and summer months.

Reis said the port “did the best we could to project what was going to be the noise associated with operation of the runway,” and that the FAA now is looking for ways to reduce its impact, including not using the runway between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. and not landing older, noisier jets on it.

Dr. Dagmar Cronn, president of the South Park Neighborhood Association, said residents in her community “are unhappy or shocked about the increase in noise. Suddenly they noticed more planes and more noise overhead.” She asked that mitigation be provided by the port to offset the decline in home values and the disruption of sleep patterns and the quality of life.

“The noise is unacceptable,” said Benjamin Stark of Des Moines. Asking where the money for mitigation will come from with mounting deficits in both the federal and state governments, he suggested, “It seems to me that the thing to do is just shut it down.”

Several residents described how third runway flight operations have destroyed their ability to live normal lives in their homes and deflated the value of their property.

Reis said the port will continue to study its impacts on the surrounding area. In the meantime, he cautioned residents, the third runway will be in full operation from April through late October while Sea-Tac’s first runway is completely rebuilt.

by Nicholas Wolfe

The Port of Seattle committed “fraud” by misrepresenting its actual plan for use of the third runway at Sea-Tac International Airport until after the controversial addition went into operation on Nov. 20, CASE (Citizens Against Sea-Tac Expansion) president Brett Fish of Burien charged at a meeting of the watchdog group Wednesday evening.

“I know that’s a strong term, but I don’t know what else to say….”

“A lot of heads should roll down the third runway,” Fish declared as he criticized port officials for using it 24/7 as a primary runway, even in good weather conditions, despite repeated pre-construction assurances that it would be used only in bad weather – and then primarily for landings to prevent flight delays. “They lied about not using it as a main runway…. Do we want to become a jet ghetto? I don’t think so. It’s our job to turn this thing around.”

And the first step in turning things around, both Des Moines Mayor Bob Sheckler and Fish emphasized, is for Highline residents who are experiencing negative impacts from third runway flight operations to speak out at a public meeting of the Highline Forum with port officials at 2 p.m. Thursday, January 8, at the port office on the mezzanine level of the main terminal at Sea-Tac. Parking will be validated upon request.

Sheckler also is co-chairman of the Highline Forum, which is comprised of the cities of Des Moines, Normandy Park, Burien, Tukwila, SeaTac and Federal Way, the Highline School District, and the port. The forum – which replaced the Airport Communities Coalition that for a decade tried to block the third runway – was organized after construction got underway to promote cooperative relationships between the Sea-Tac and neighboring cities.

“I never expected to be before you again on third runway issues. At least I hoped I wouldn’t be,” Sheckler told CASE members. But now it’s “very, very clear how it’s operating,” he observed. “It’s like a main runway … it’s obvious to me that the third runway will continue to be used as a main runway. So the focus needs to be on mitigation.”

In the past, Sheckler continued, “the port has been fairly good on addressing issues of mitigation. But this is really a big one…. When the third runway was built, they never looked at it in terms of impact by its use as a main runway…. We need to ask them, ‘What are you going to do about it?’”

Noting that “we were caught off guard” by the immediate use of third runway as a main rather than a backup runway – which Highline communities had been assured it would be – he added, “We weren’t prepared for this. The first thing we have to do now is see what the port’s response is. We hope to find that out” at Thursday’s meeting. “I want everyone to remember to ask, ‘Why did you tell us that?’”

Asked by one community resident about the possibility of suing the Port – and even the Federal Aviation Administration – for damages, Sheckler replied, “That’s what I’m hoping to avoid. I hope the port does not have a short-term memory loss…. But if the third runway becomes a major issue … there’s going to be hell to pay for it.”

While CASE membership is comprised of veterans of the anti-third-runway fight, an outspoken newcomer is Miriam Bearse of Burien, who moved to the city late last year. “We weren’t aware of the third runway when we bought our home,” she said. But the impact on their lives has “been astounding…. That roar (of jets flying low overhead). The whistling. It sounds like it’s getting so close…. No matter how hard I try, it strikes fear in me.

“That the port should be able to go back on their word is incredible,” Bearse declared. “I don’t think that we should stand for it.”

She said a meeting for affected homeowners and renters only, at which the possibility of legal action against the port will be discussed, will be held at 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 10, at the SeaTac Community Center (full details here).

Burien Deputy Mayor Rose Clark, who lives close to the third runway, said noise from flight operations “is an increasing problem” that rattles her windows to the point that she is concerned they will break eventually. “We need to do something soon.”

Beyond the possibility of such damage, Clark is concerned about the negative impact on the value of neighboring homes. Her house “was devalued by $20,000 by King County” due to the second runway at Sea-Tac. “Now I expect its devaluation to be even greater.”

The impact of devaluation doesn’t stop with individual homeowners. “Property devaluation also impacts local cities and the Highline School District,” she noted, “because lower valuation results in less property tax revenue.”

One member of the audience noted that a port representative had told a long-time resident, who complained about the noise, “It’s your fault for living there.”

Another exclaimed, “Since the state is out of money and the feds are out of money, why don’t we just shut the goddamn runway down?”

But, observed a third, there is little community residents can do because the “jet airplane mobsters” operate under laws passed by Congress.

Both the port and the FAA are expected to study the impacts of the third runway – a process that could take months if not years. “In the meantime,” Fish suggested, “have them back off on the use of the third runway and do what they said they would.”

[EDITOR'S NOTE: The B-Town Blog would like to welcome its newest Writer, Nicholas Wolfe, to its team. Wolfe is an investigative journalist who will be covering community issues. Look for more of his coverage of the third runway noise issue soon!]

They say that great things come in threes (unless of course you live under the new flightpath and you’re talking about airport runways…), and this coming week is no exception, as there will now be THREE meetings scheduled to discuss the third runway and the Port of Seattle!

The latest will be put on by CASE, aka Citizens Against Sea-Tac Expansion, which has a long history of battling the Port of Seattle over the airport expansion.

Well, they haven’t given up yet folks, and their next meeting is this coming Wed., Jan, 7th, from 7pm to 9pm. Here are the details:

WHAT: CASE Monthly “Sea-Tac Expansion” Meeting

WHERE: ERAC  (Highline District Adminstration Office), located at 15675 Ambaum Blvd. SW,  Burien (near Azteca & Hi-Line Lanes)

WHEN: Wednesday, Jan. 7th, from 7pm to 9pm

INFO: From the invitation sent out by Brett Fish:

You and your friends and neighbors are invited to attend our January monthly CASE meeting. CASE President Brett Fish will conduct the meeting and briefly update us on the DOE draft release of the NPDES Permit.  The main subject of this meeting will be to hear additional comments on the airport noise caused by the new flight patterns currently being used with operations with the 3rd runway.

Speakers at this meeting will include new voices from North, West and East of the airport.   Many of these neighbors do not have noise insulation provided by the Port because of the different predictions of flight operations and/or calculations by averaging noise over time by the Port.  These neighbors have measured the noise levels to be “equivalent to that of a motorcycle level” in their back yards.

One neighborhood mother complained that “her baby used to sleep through the night but now wakes up every half-hour”; another “It feels like we’re in a war zone,” said Miriam Bearse, who lives north of the third runway in Burien. “It feels like bombers going overhead every five minutes at low altitude.”

We are inviting representatives from the Port of Seattle and the FAA to attend the meeting and to respond to the complaints and the plans to fix them and who will be responsible.

Bob Sheckler and the Port have announced that the postponed Special Session of the Highline Forum on aircraft noise has been rescheduled for Thursday, January 8th.  Members of the Highline Forum will meet at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport’s Conference Center from 2:00 to 3:00 PM to discuss aircraft noise connected to the new third runway.  Mark Reis, the Airport’s Managing Director, along with Port staff will provide information and answer questions from the members of the Highline Forum. The public is invited to observe.   At 3 PM, we will adjourn the meeting of the Highline Forum and dedicate the next hour as a Port of Seattle public comment period.  Members of the public will be invited to provide remarks. The public comment period will end at 4 PM.

Questions and Comments from the floor will be welcome.

If you have questions or need directions, call me at 206-824-6589. 

Thanks.

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Not to cause confusion or anything, but there’s a second, very important meeting coming up Thursday, Jan. 8th regarding Sea-Tac Airport’s third runway (another residents meeting is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 10th):

The Highline Forum will discuss the use of Sea-Tac Airport’s new third runway since its opening, with emphasis on public complaints that the runway is not being used as promised on Thursday, Jan. 8th, from 2pm to 4pm.

This public meeting will take place at the Sea-Tac Airport Conference Center, Mezzanine Level.

Everyone is invited to attend, especially residents who’d have comments or complaints on the third runway.

Here are the details:

WHAT: Final Highline Forum and Port of Seattle Public Comment Period

WHEN: Thursday, Jan. 8th;  2-3pm: Highline Forum; 3-4pm: Port of Seattle Public Comment Period

WHERE: Seattle-Tacoma International Airport Conference Center, Mezzanine Level

AGENDA: 2pm Welcome & Introduction of Topic Co-chairs

Meeting Topic: The Highline Forum will discuss the use of the third runway since its opening. In particular, the Highline Forum will address public complaints that the runway is not being used as promised.

• Data depicting how the runway has operated to date Mark Reis, POS
• EIS assumptions for predicting use and impacts Mark Reis, POS
• Current usage of runway Mark Reis, POS
• 2:30 pm Questions & Answers Highline Forum
• 3:00 pm Forum Adjourns & Opening of Port Public Comment Period
• 4:00 pm Port Public Comment Period Ends

DIRECTIONS: Directions to the Airport Conference Center:

• Park in daily parking (floors 5-8) at the south end of the Airport Garage near the yellow or green elevators (rows N-U).
• Take the elevator to the fourth floor and walk across the skybridge #1, between the yellow elevator bank and the green elevator bank, to the Main Terminal.
• Take the escalator or elevator up to the ticketing level.
• The stairs and elevator to the Mezzanine Level are directly behind the international and Hawaiian Airlines ticket counters.
• Enter the reception area though the double glass doors for the Aviation Division Offices.
• The receptionist will direct you to the right conference room. Ask for parking validation (you never know).

Despite the fading away of the recent snowstorm and hectic holiday season, one thing is not fading away from the psyche of thousands of Burien residents in 2009:

THIRD RUNWAY NOISE

According to neighborhood activist Miriam Bearse, the next “Third Runway Complainers” (our moniker, not hers) meeting will be:

WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 10th, from 3:30pm to 6:30pm

WHERE: SeaTac Community Center Banquet Room, located at 13735 24th Ave. South in SeaTac (see map below)

WHAT: For residents in the area affected by the increased noise caused by the newly-opened third runway. Goals of the meeting include discussing legal options against the Port of Seattle with lawyers, who will be present.

The last residents’ meeting was Friday, Dec. 19th, and here’s what’s went down that night:

• Despite the snow, 35-40 neighbors attended, which was held at a resident’s house just under the flightpath of the new runway.
• Resident activist Miriam Bearse led the meeting, encouraging everyone to introduce themselves and talk about their issues with both the increased noise and dealing with the Port of Seattle.
• Three lawyers were present to discuss the issue. These three have extensive experience in several major class action lawsuits, and all think that residents have a strong legal case. These lawyers will be present at this meeting as well.
• Everyone left knowing that this was only the first meeting and that many more would ensue.

Bearse recently moved into her new home, directly under the third runway flight path, and here’s a quote from a recent email she sent us:

We finally moved all our belongings in on Sunday, and have been enjoying the full experience of living under the third runway flight path, including diminished sleep, increased stress and inability to carry on a conversation of any length in the home.

I’ve been waking up every 45 minutes to an hour during the night…makes everything much more difficult.

You can read our previous coverage here and here, and here’s the scoop on the next meeting directly from Bearse:

If you are receiving this message, you either attended the meeting on the 19th to talk with neighbors about the impact of the third runway on our community, or you emailed me or others on this list to express your concern or interest in this issue.

At the meeting on the 19th, three lawyers attended who discussed possible legal options to address the impact of the flight path. They have scheduled a follow-up meeting on Saturday January 10th at the Seatac community center – located at 13735 24th Ave. S, SeaTac Washington 98168, in the banquet room, from 3:30 to 6:30pm.

This meeting is for all homeowners/renters who live in any community (including but not limited to S. Seattle, Burien, Tukwila, SeaTac and Des Moines), who are concerned about the current and future potential impact of the third runway flight path on their families and communities.

This meeting is not for officials, the press, or other interested parties.

Please RSVP via email to miriambearse@yahoo.com

Also, as an FYI – if you’re affected by noise from the third runway, the best thing you can do is to call the Port of Seattle’s “Noise Hotline” whenever you feel that noise is too high.

The Port monitors the complaints it gets on these hotlines, so it is a vital tool to getting their attention:

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A special Highline Forum public meeting on the newly-opened third runway with Port of Seattle officials will be held this Thursday, Dec. 18th, from 9am to 10am at the conference room on the mezzanine level near the south terminal at Sea-Tac Airport.

The intent of this meeting will be for city officials to discuss whether the newly-opened and controversial third runway is being used as the Port promised it would be – on “severe weather” days only, as well as how many planes are landing on it and subsequent noise complaints from area residents.

According to our source:

This meeting is “public,” so all can attend but NOT participate or speak.

It is imperative we understand this or the meeting will end immediately with nothing accomplished.

We must speak through our local cities’ electeds at this Forum which is fine by me.

Our previous coverage of area residents’ complaints about the third runway include these stories:

• Has The Third Runway Increased Noise In Burien? (Nov. 24th)
• Third Runway Noise Problem Not Fading Away (Dec. 5th)
• Third Runway Noise Complainers Holding Meeting Dec. 19th (Dec. 10th)

The Seattle Times has an article which quotes Bob Sheckler, co-chairman of the Highline Forum, as saying:

“If we don’t like the answers, then we are going to aggressively go after the Port for additional mitigation.”

That full story can be read here.

If you’re an area resident who thinks the noise from the third runway is too loud, our best advice is for you to call the Port of Seattle’s “Noise Hotline,” which operates 24/7, day or night:

206-433-5393

or

1-800-826-1147

Looks like our mainstream media friends are finally catching onto an issue we’ve been covering for weeks now:

Third runway noise complaints from angry residents.

Read today’s story from The Seattle Times here, which includes an interview with neighborhood activist Miriam Bearse.

Here are links to our previous coverage:

• Has The Third Runway Increased Noise In Burien? (Nov. 24th)
• Third Runway Noise Problem Not Fading Away (Dec. 5th)
• Third Runway Noise Complainers Holding Meeting Dec. 19th (Dec. 10th)

If you have thoughts or complaints on the third runway noise, please email us ASAP – we’re working on a major feature on this, including video, and we’re looking for more input.

The B-Town Blog has been covering area residents’ complaints about the newly-opened third runway (previous coverage here and here), and now we have this little tidbit of info to share:

Several residents in the flight path are considering taking legal action, and are holding a “neighbor’s meeting” on Friday, Dec. 19th at 6pm to discuss options.

Here’s copy from a flier we received today from Miriam Bearse, a neighborhood activist:

To all homeowners/renters living under or near the third runway flight path:

If you have concerns about the flight path, come to a neighbor’s meeting in Burien on December 19th at 6pm to share your experiences with others and discuss potential legal avenues to address the impact of the third runway on our homes and families.

For location and more information, contact Miriam at miriambearse@yahoo.com (206.753.8895)

So, if you live in/near the flight path and are experiencing an unacceptable amount of noise, this is your opportunity to bond and meet with neighbors who feel the same.

We certainly plan on attending, and will provide full coverage as this story develops.

12/11/08 UPDATE: We just received word that Reporters will NOT be allowed at this meeting, due to the presence of lawyers.

Coming soon on this topic (stay tuned by subscribing to our RSS Feed):

• Video interviews with upset residents
• Video interviews with Port of Seattle officials
• Video tour of a noise monitoring station

by Scott Schaefer

Since we first posted this story (on Monday, Nov. 24th) regarding area residents complaints about increased noise from Sea-Tac Airports newly-opened third runway, we’ve received numerous emails, comments and even phone calls about it.

We can safely say that the third runway noise problem is not fading away.

In fact, it only seems to be getting LOUDER, which means that we’ll be covering this story for as long as it’s a story.

We will be meeting with a representative of the Port of Seattle next week, so stay tuned for their viewpoint.

We’ll also be interviewing other residents and experts, which will include videotaping, photographing and doing our own decibel level checks as well, then continuing to post new updates as they come in.

And as always, if you have an opinion, complaint, anecdote, factoid or hot tip, please email us directly, call us during business hours at (206) 248-2565, or post a Comment below this story.

In the meantime, here are some letters we received from some of the people being affected first-hand:

We live in South Park and are definitely experiencing increased noise from planes which now pass much closer to our home since the 3rd runway opened. The noise is problematic now in terms of waking us up at times, and in making it difficult to talk on the phone or listen to the radio–and it’s not even windows-open season yet.

What are the implications of particulate and other emissions for those of us now experiencing low-altitude flights directly overhead?

Thanks,
Alan Puckett

I used to live off of 128th and des moines memorial blvd, right under the flight path.  If you were in the yard, you could hear the planes flying over.  If you were watching TV late at night with the volume low so everyone else in the house could sleep, you could hear the planes (and often times, not the TV).  But it was under the flight path.  So we got used to it.

Now, I live just south of Five Corners.  Planes were NEVER audible.  Yesterday we were watching TV at like, six o clock at night, and the planes were loud enough to drown out the sound of regular volume TV, not 2 am volume.  It is ridiculous.  I am not the home owner.  But the home owner is UPSET.  Like, pissed off, upset.

But, I remember a friend of mine saying that back in the day, the Port installed sound proof windows for everyone who lived near the airport (well, flight path, but whatever).  The house off 128th had them.  Are they gonna do that again now?  They need to.  I am sure home values dropped significantly because of the new noise.  That is not good news in an already failing economy.

So, in conclusion, I be like, F the new third runway.

peace
dean p.

Hello,

Thank you for bringing this subject to attention. I live on the 800 block of 143rd St SW and last week I started hearing a heavy amount of airplane noise. In the past it was quiet and I only occasionally heard a plane or two. Now it’s noisy all the time and I don’t like it one bit. The least the airport could have done is notify the community of the flight path changes ahead of time. This will hurt our growing city; in recent Seattle magazine articles Burien has been praised for being conveniently located near the airport but not affected by the noise of flight traffic as it was out of the flight path area. I suppose I will get used to the noise but I am afraid others will decide Burien is too noisy and choose other places to live and conduct business instead.

Thank you,
Jessica Dobson

I live between 128 and 136th on 10th Ave S- The noise is awful.  In fact planes were landing every 5 mins on that 3rd runway last night (Sun. Nov. 30th) until after 12 am. I have no soundproofing as live in a mobile and the Port deems that not worth doing the soundproofing.  ( I have attached the e-mail I received from them) as you can see they have no plans on addressing the problem until the end of 2009.  I had gotten use to the minor noise from runway 1 and 2, but now the planes are less then a mile above my place, and the 3rd runway is almost being used exclusively now, so there is no relief, cannot imagine what it will be like in the summer time.

My question is the approaches on the other 2 runways for the most part go over either property the port purchased and tore down houses or in businesses areas, so why did they not come to us and offer the same or at least tell us how it was going to be so we could make an informed decision in whether to remain living there or sell.  Now you can bet there isn’t going to be anyone wanting to by my piece of property.  Even the neighbors with all their sound proofing and in regular homes are complaining.

The port and/or FAA could care less.  They got what they wanted.

Kathy E Anderson

YES!!!  In early November we found a cute house in north Burien (near 128th and 12th)- we were slightly bothered by the nearby airport noise, but the reason we bought the house was because it was NOT under a flight path.  The house also has a “port package” and we were assured that we could not hear the planes inside the house.  We had heard about the third runway, but had assurances that it would not be over our home, and used rarely.

NOW we closed on the house and are set to move in- and went to the house to do some repairs and found that the airplanes are frequently and daily flying DIRECTLY over our home, and the noise is deafening both outside and INSIDE the home.  We are heartbroken, we can’t back out of the house now, and we anticipate losing money on the house since property values will surely go down due to this.

This situation is untenable, and something needs to be done about  this, fast.

Thanks,
Miriam L. Bearse

Courtesy Reader/Letter Writer Miriam Bearse comes this info:

Airplane noise isn’t just a nuisance!

What do we know about the effects of consistent airplane noise on health?

Airplane noise in a community can lead to:

• Increased stress, including higher levels of cortisol (stress hormone)
• Cardiovascular (heart) problems and hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Sleep disturbances
• A higher rate of premature birth of babies
• Cognitive impairment in children; including lower reading levels, impaired reading comprehension, and impaired recognition memory
• Mental health disorders and negative psychosomatic effects
• Higher levels of psychiatric hospital admissions due to severe mental health disorders
• Asthma and related health problems due to increased levels of airborne pollutants

Partial list of reports and studies on these issues:

• Davies, P. et al (2008) “Project 19: Health Effects of Aircraft Noise,” Massachusetts Institute of Technology, ongoing study: http://www.web.mit.edu/aeroastro/partner/projects/project19.html
• BBC News “Aircraft Noise Affects Learning,” 6/2/05, based on a British and Spanish study of 2,500 children living near airports: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/health/4603189.stm” http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/health/4603189.stm
• Health Canada “Healthy Living: Aircraft Noise in the Vicinity of Airports,” 11/5/07, Health Canada Publications, Ottawa ON
• Black et al “Aircraft noise exposure and resident’s stress and hypertension: A public health perspective for airport environmental management,” 11/07, Journal of Air Transport Management, volume 13, issue 5
• Morrell, S. et al “A review of health effects of aircraft noise,” Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 1997: 21(2): 221-36
• Hiramatsu et al “Population-Based Questionnaire Survey on Health Effects of Aircraft Noise on Residents Living Around US Airfields…” 2/7/02, Journal of Sound and Vibration, Volume 250, issue 1
• Hiramatsu et al “A Survey on Health Effects due to Aircraft Noise on Residents Living Aroudn Kadena Air Base in the Ryukyus” 8/28/97, Journal of Sound and Vibration, Volume 205 issue 4
• Stansfeld et al “Aircraft and road traffic noise and children’s cognition and health: a cross-national study,” 6/4/05, The Lancet, Volume 365, Issue 9475
• Franssen et al “Assessing Health Consequences in an Environmental Impact Assessment: The case of Amsterdam Airport Schiphol” 11/02, Environmental Impact Assessment Review, volume 22, issue 6
• Rehm et al “Aircraft Noise and Premature Birth,” 7/8/78, Journal of Sound and Vibration, volume 59, issue 1
• Wickrama et al “Mental Health Admissions and Aircraft Noise,” 12/13/69, The Lancet, volume 294, issue 7

So…what are your thoughts on the third runway?

• Too noisy?
• No difference?
• Buncha whining?

Please let us know via email, phone (206-248-2565) or if you’re feeling kinda shy, just vote in our unscientific poll on the right sidebar.

From our E-Mailbox comes this query from a Shorewood-area resident named Tony:

Photo of first airplane taking off from third runway courtesy Port of Seattle.

I was just wondering if you or any other readers were noticing an increase in plane noise today.

It seems pretty dramatic to me.

I live near the Shorewood Market and I’ve never really noticed plane traffic before but this morning my windows have already been rattled over a dozen times.

I’m more than a little afraid this might be what life with the third runway is like, but i never heard anything about a change to the flight paths as part of the new runway.

Heard anything?

We forwarded this email on to Perry Cooper, Media Officer for Sea-Tac Airport, who replied:

Yes, the new third runway did open this last weekend, so it’s expected some people will hear more noise than they’ve heard before.

The FAA is using it now.

We have had some people call in about the new runway and that’s expected when something new opens up.

If they have any questions on the runway, I’d direct them to our webpage at
http://www.portseattle.org/community/environment/noise.shtml

Not fully satisfied with his answer, we went out and did our own unscientific testing today, and here are our personal observations:

• The flight paths have definitely changed because of the third runway. If you disagree (or don’t believe us), go out and watch the approaches yourself and you’ll see that every single aircraft using it is now flying further west than ever before so they can line up to land (they have to in order to land!).
• Aircraft flying further west are most certainly closer to areas previously unaffected by airplane noise. These areas were never flown over prior to this because aircraft never had to.
• We watched and listened from numerous vantage points today and noticed a definite increase in sound due to aircraft using the third runway.
• At one point, we even heard loud aircraft sounds in our office in Olde Burien, something we’ve never noticed before.

Sea-Tac Airport also has a website called “WebTrack” that shows, in real time, airplanes approaching to land, and if you watch this live map in action (it’s a pretty cool use of web technology) you can see how every single (animated, red) airplane using the third (western-most) runway are now flying over neighborhoods they didn’t before:

The Port of Seattle has a page devoted to Noise Abatement, but it’s pretty irrelevant because all studies were done before the third runway opened on Thursday, Nov. 20th.

Our thoughts on this are:

• To truly test the third runway’s affect on local residents, a series of test fly-bys should have been conducted prior to its opening.
• These fly-over tests should have been measured using standardized noise monitoring stations, and the average decibel levels should have been part of any environmental impact statement.
• Were these noise tests actually done prior to the third runway’s opening? We don’t know for sure, but we lean towards being very skeptical that any noise studies were done prior to Nov. 20th.

So…have you noticed more noise since the third runway opened? If so, how big a difference? And what can (or should) be done about this?

Please Comment below, vote in our Poll on the right sidebar, or email us.

We promise to forward relevant emails and comments directly to the folks at Sea-Tac Airport, and we have a feeling we’ll be covering this issue for quite a while.

Residents can also contact the Port of Seattle’s Noise Abatement office directly by calling 206-433-5393 or toll-free 1-800-826-1147, day or night.

You can also request information or report aircraft noise through the Port’s online Noise Information Request form.

Right now (around 4pm 11/20/08) there is a plethora of media helicopters hovering over Burien.

Don’t worry, it’s not the end of the world as we know it, it’s just proof that the third runway at Sea-Tac Airport is about to be officially opened with a PR-stunt bigshot landing.

Here’s a snippet from the Port of Seattle of what was set to go down this afternoon:

The Port of Seattle will formally open Seattle-Tacoma International Airport’s third runway with an invitation-only celebration Thursday, November 20 between 3 and 5 p.m. at the Gina Marie Lindsey Arrivals Hall.

The event will include a live video look at the first commercial operation of the third runway plus dignataries scheduled to include U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters, Acting FAA Administrator Robert A. “Bobby” Sturgell, Governor Chris Gregoire, Port of Seattle Commissioners, POS CEO Tay Yoshitani, Alaska Airlines CEO Bill Ayer and other local political and community leaders.

Sea-Tac’s third runway will be one of three new runways scheduled to open that day across the country. The Transportation Secretary and FAA Administrator are scheduled to travel to each new runway beginning at Dulles (Washington, D.C.), then to O’Hare (Chicago) and finally to Sea-Tac.  Potential program delays could occur based on their travel time.

Speaking of third runways, if you didn’t hear this excellent piece on KUOW today, we highly recommend you listen to it, as it includes an eye-opening interview with longtime local resident Brett Fish, who says that all the PR we hear lately from the Port about the renewing of MIller (and Walker) Creeks may not be so true after all – according to Brett, salmon are not returning like they used to. In fact, during the taping of the KUOW piece, not one salmon was found where the Port folks said they would be:

KUOW story here (includes transcript and audio recording).

The Port of Seattle posted a pretty cool video of salmon migrating up Miller Creek on its website devoted to the third runway, because it relates to the restoration of Miller Creek:

“…part of the mitigation program for the construction of the soon-to-open third runway is the restoration of Miller Creek to a natural environment.

A major sign of success was videotaped for the first time since restoration was completed – spawning salmon returning to the creek:”

You may recall that on Thurs., Sept. 25th, a buncha mysterious helicopters were seen hovering over Burien like hungry hornets at a carnivore’s convention.

People freaked and started calling/emailing us, wondering why and how our world was about to end.

The reality of course was that it was just local News Choppers wasting expensive fuel covering the test-landing of the expensive third runway at SeaTac Airport.

Well, it’s going to happen again Wed. morning Oct. 8th (pending the weather), anytime between around 9am and, um…whenever they darn well feel like it, as the Port of Seattle will be conducting another test-landing, this time with the first-ever wide-body commercial aircraft.

So consider yourself warned!

From their press release:

First Commercial Wide-Body Test Landing on Sea-Tac’s Third Runway Set for Wednesday, October 8th

The Port of Seattle will welcome the first-ever wide-body commercial aircraft to land on Seattle-Tacoma International Airport’s new third runway as part of the final scheduled test landing for Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification.

A Northwest Airlines A330 will perform several touch and go landings as part of the certification process for the new runway scheduled to open November 20th.

An Alaska Airlines 737-800 was the first commercial-type aircraft to land on the third runway September 25th. That test certified narrow-body aircraft.

FAA administrators will monitor the landing to test and verify the runway’s instrument landing systems (or ILS). The aircraft will approach under auto-land conditions to test the ILS in what would be the worst visual landing conditions an aircraft would encounter.

NOTE: This event will be weather dependent. The exact time of the landings is also fluid and will be dependent on coordination with Air Traffic Control.

No need to panic just ‘cuz there are helicopters hovering over Burien – no, it’s not the end of the world, it’s simply a major waste of precious fossil fuels being used up to fuel the local news cycle.

They’re all jockeying to get the best shot of the “touch and go” airplane tests at SeaTac Airport’s new third runway.

According to our friends at the KOMO Newsdesk, the copters must hover over B-Town for safety purposes, and since there are three of ‘em (at least that’s how many we counted) they have to spread out.

So stop worrying and get back to work, knowing that all is well (ahem, yeah right…) in your world.