Sea-Tac Part 150 Nearing Conclusion, Leaving Citizens Upset

CAC Sends Message to Port

    The final Citizen's Advisory Committee (CAC) meeting on September 13th left many members unhappy with the lengthy process.  The majority of CAC members are disappointed and have gone so far as to develop their own resolutions.
   Since the Part 150 study started in 1998, dozens of meetings have been held analyzing Sea-Tac's noise impact on our neighborhoods.  CAC members contributed thousands of hours of volunteer time in the hope they could help reduce Sea-Tac's substantial noise burden on the Puget Sound area as a whole. 
   The CAC members recommended, and approved with a clear majority of votes, many changes which would have provided substantial noise relief for local communities.  Unfortu nately, members of the CAC contend, the Port staff failed to support or even accurately represent all but a few of the more important recommendations. "It appears the Port had their own agenda from

the start" said SCAA Vice President and CAC member Mike Ranta.  "We were led to believe there could be meaningful changes in flight tracks only to have the Port refuse to further consider most of the very options they studied", he said.
   The only flight track issue of significance to be blessed by the Port was a request the FAA study increased use of the existing Duwamish/Elliott Bay flight corridor in combination with FMS technology--keeping the planes tightly controlled over commercial or water areas.  The FAA has acknowledged the request and should respond by December.
   Upset with investing a huge amount of time and largely being ignored, the CAC proposed six of their own resolutions at the final September 13th meeting.  They include the following:

  • The Port hold open the Part 150 process until the FAA responds regarding increased use of the Duwamish/Elliot Bay flight track. 
  • The Port's resolution 3401, as

adopted by the Commissioners, fails to accurately represent the results of the study.

  • The Port never conducted a valid process or established consistent criteria by which the CAC members could operate.
  • The CAC shall directly request the FAA reject the Port's Part 150 conclusions regarding flight track dispersion and request they conduct further analysis.
  • The Port staff demonstrated bias throughout the Part 150 process and inaccurately characterized the results of the study to the Commission.
  • The Port shall undertake a Part 161 study to consider all the additional methods of relief which were not available under the constraints of the Part 150.
   Each of the six resolutions was voted on and approved by a majority of CAC members.  The final package next goes to the Port Commissioners for approval.

   CANE Files Part 150 Lawsuit!

   Dismissing the recommendations of its Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC), the five-member Port Commission action prompted one group of concerned neighbors to sue the Port of Seattle.  CANE, a Seattle organization seeking to reduce neighborhood jet noise, charged that the Port Commission failed to study all the options to reduce jet noise and directed the CAC to consider only the controversial split east turn, which would have divided northbound takeoffs into two paths over Seattle-area neighborhoods.  The lawsuit argues that because the Port offered only one option to the  CAC for consideration, the process was doomed from the start.
  The Port of Seattle also ignored many other common sense solutions that are implemented everyday at other airports.  Other airports rotate flight paths. Steeper landings

reduce arrival noise and larger airplanes replace several smaller jets reducing the number of noisy flights.
   During the summer's heated discussions over the split east turn both sides agreed there is a serious problem with jet noise from Sea-Tac operations and that it's the Port's responsibility to find solutions that improve the quality of life for all area residents burdened by jet noise.
   This summer has been a busy time for CANE board members.  The Board voted to form its own non-profit organization and change its operating structure from that as a subcommittee of the SCAA.
   Hoping to hold the Port accountable for jet noise, CANE has retained the law firm of Smith and Lowney to handle the lawsuit and hired Kimiora Ward to research noise mitigation solutions that have proved effective at other airports. CANE can be reached (206) 726-1600.

Part 150 Recommendations

  The Port intends to seek FAA funding assistance towards spending approximately $100 million over the next five to seven years to buy out and/or sound insulate homes near the Sea-Tac.
   A new "fly quiet" program is being implemented to better monitor and encourage voluntary quieter operation by the airlines.  Unfortunately, stuck with existing flight tracks, glide slopes and procedures, there's not much airlines can do.
   There are some recommended improvements to reduce ground operation noise at the airport.  These changes, subject to further study, would ease the noise burden for nearby communities.
   Finally, there is a loose concept of having some sort of follow up community organization to act as a continuing liaison between Sea-Tac and the va rious communities