Earthquake  - cont. from p.1

port gave its approval to construction of a new tower, to be completed in the year 2003. Doubtless, that will be none too soon for the air-traffic controllers.
King County Airport (Boeing Field) suffered severe damage to its two runways, both built on old fill (in the flood plain of the Duwamish). Large cracks opened in the concrete, and fountains of watery sand spouted through them. Freight operations were halted, and the Boeing Company had several new aircraft stranded on the ground. Small-plane operations were restored on the Feb. 28th, and on March 13 temporary repairs to the main runway were completed, so that the airport was again open to all traffic.
The next two busiest airports, McChord Air Force Base and Paine Field, sustained no reported damage.

KCIA Fuel Spill Update

In our last issue we reported that we were investigating into the action taken when two fuel trucks collided in December 1999, causing 7000 gallons of jet fuel to spill onto the tarmac at Boeing Field, and into the storm water drainage system.  The Department of Ecology (DOE) requires immediate notification of such an event to its offices and to the Coast Guard.  Outflows of KCIA's stormwater drainage system discharge into the Duwamish River.
According to our information obtained through the State Public Disclosure Law, KCIA waited two days before reporting the incident, and then only orally.  DOE monitored the spill over a period of 11 days and was satisfied that the spill was properly responded to.  The Coast Guard could not provide any tracking report.
Subsequent DOE investigations determined that the major portion of the spill either evaporated from the tarmac, went into the soil, or into the storm water drainage system.  Some problems in pumping the spill out of

the storm drains were experienced and a minimal amount of jet fuel migrated into the Duwamish River.
KCIA engaged a consultant to examine how to better control a similar event.  It appears the consultant's action was confined to recommending improvements in the location and capacity of the drainage system.  No other information was provided by the airport.
SCAA's investigations will continue.

still have not been solved for Sea-Tac Airport's proposed third runway. In mid-February the Airport Communities Coalition (ACC) filed 15 expert reports with the agencies, providing detailed criticisms of most aspects of the project, ranging from impact on bird life to the need for the project.
To build the runway, the Port of Seattle needs to create an enormous embankment containing 19.8 million cubic yards of fill, as a base for 8500 linear feet of runway concrete. This fill would destroy more than 18 acres of wetlands, require relocation of a salmon-bearing stream, and result in harm to several watersheds. Ecology and the Engineers must determine whether the Port's plans for mitigating this harm are adequate under State and federal law.
Twice before, the Port has been forced to withdraw its applications and to re-write them to provide

Environmental Issues Unresolved For Proposed 3rd Runway -- Citizens and Experts Tell Agencies

On January 26th and 27th, a large crowd of citizens, speaking at hearings held jointly by the Army Corps of Engineers and the Department of Ecology, told those agencies that environmental problems

Cont. on p. 5  -  Hearings