Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Airport Expansion topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Port’s SEA master plan prompts questions on noise, particulates and runway changes affecting Federal Way
Summary
City staff briefed the committee on the Port of Seattle’s Sustainable Airport Master Plan and SEPA/NEPA review, including proposed runway adjustments and 31 projects estimated at about $15 billion; councilmembers asked about noise, ultrafine particulates, flight paths and next steps for local comment.
City staff provided a detailed update on the Port of Seattle’s Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP) and its parallel environmental review on June 1, telling the Land Use & Transportation Committee that the SAMP includes 31 projects (staff estimate cited was about $15 billion) and would add gates and terminal, cargo facilities and traffic mitigation measures.
Staff said a prominent proposal would alter runway approach geometry — raising one approach angle to three degrees — and that the state SEPA comment period on the latest environmental analysis is open and ends July 20. Staff asked residents to participate in public forums and said the city will analyze the draft SEPA documents and return comments to the port; staff said a Federal Way public meeting and a port public forum are scheduled and that staff will present findings to the committee on July 6.
Councilmembers raised multiple concerns: Council Member Melissa Hamilton, who lives under a runway, asked whether particulate testing has examined Steel Lake and whether University of Washington or other state studies parse airport‑related ultrafine particles from highway and other sources. Staff said UW has ongoing studies showing particulates in runway footprints but that attributing source strongly to airport operations remains challenging; staff agreed to confirm whether lake sampling exists. Members also pressed on noise metrics (the FAA’s DNL day‑night average), retrofit assistance for windows and property‑value impacts, and the potential to influence outcomes at the Port Commission stage.
City staff emphasized that local comments will be collected and that the port will respond to every SEPA comment; staff said Federal Way will continue technical review and pursue leverage at the port commission and through state and federal channels. The committee took no formal action at the June 1 meeting but scheduled further review for the July LUTC meeting.
