PORT OF SEATTLE
MEMORANDUM
COMMISSION AGENDA
Item No.
6a
Date of Meeting
June 23, 2009
DATE: June 5, 2009
TO: Tay Yoshitani, Chief Executive Officer
FROM: Stan Shepherd, Manager, Airport Noise Programs
SUBJECT: Authorization to contract for Part 150 Noise Consulting Services
ACTION REQUESTED:
Request for authorization for the Chief Executive Officer to procure and execute a contract for
consultant services to implement an update to Sea-Tac Airport’s Part 150 Noise Compatibility
Plan.
SYNOPSIS
A Part 150 Noise and Land Use Compatibility Study is required by the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) to update airport noise compatibility programs and provide eligibility for
grant funds. Sea-Tac’s last Part 150 update was completed and approved by the FAA in 2002.
Since that time, there have been significant changes in the airport’s noise environment. These
changes include building and commissioning the new third runway, the greater use of quieter
aircraft, and fewer operations than initially projected. In addition, the Port committed in both the
third runway Record of Decision (ROD) and the last Part 150 to doing an update to the Part 150
approximately one year after the third runway became operational.
This request is to procure a consultant to help design, implement and guide the next Part 150
update. The consulting team typically consists of professionals in land use planning, public
relations, noise, and environmental issues. In order to lower consulting costs during the process,
we intend to maximize the utilization of current Port employees in the areas of land use planning,
GIS applications, community outreach, environmental evaluations, and noise.
BACKGROUND
In 1985 the Port completed the first Sea-Tac Airport Part 150 Study. Since that time there have
been two other updates to the Study in 1993 and 2002. Through our Part 150 programs and the
1990 Noise Mediation Project, the Port has been a national leader in both noise abatement and
sound mitigation. To date we have spent over $500 million on total mitigation programs
COMMISSION AGENDA
T. Yoshitani, Chief Executive Officer
June 5, 2009
Page 2 of 4
including home and school insulation, property acquisition and relocation. Noise Abatement
programs have aggressively phased out older stage II aircraft prior to the federal ban in the year
2000, maintained noise abatement flight corridors, and deployed a comprehensive flight tracking
and noise monitoring system.
During the past few years, major changes have taken place in the airport’s noise environment.
These changes included Horizon Airlines replacing their F-28 noisy aircraft with quieter CRJ’s,
and Alaska Airlines replacing their MD80 aircraft with newer and quieter Boeing 737-800 jets.
As operating costs increased, many other airlines also began eliminating older noisier aircraft
making the nation’s overall fleet much quieter. The biggest change in the airport’s noise
environment came with the commissioning of the new third runway. In the Environmental
Impact Statement (EIS) for the new 3
rd
runway and in the last Part 150 update, the Port prepared
forecasted noise contours for the year 2010 based on the best information available at the time
about fleet mix and operations numbers. Based on those contours, the Port identified areas of
increased noise caused by the new 3
rd
runway and insulated an additional 74 homes northwest of
the airport that had a forecasted increase of 1.5 DNL outside of the previous noise boundary.
The Port also purchased 62 homes in the north Approach Transition Zone based on low flying
aircraft and anticipated noise associated with the third runway. Now that the third runway has
been operational, we can evaluate the actual noise impacts based on real flight track and noise
data that the Port has been collecting for many years and will use for this study.
PROJECT SCOPE OF WORK
The Major focus of the Part 150 Noise and Land Use Compatibility Study update will be to
analyze changes in the noise environment with the recent inclusion of the new third runway, as
required by the EIS for the third runway’s master plan update. Other areas of focus will include
analysis of sideline noise, hush house feasibility, and noise abatement flight procedures for
operations on the third runway.
Other elements of the Part 150 process will include:
Developing a Public Involvement Plan
Developing an inventory of existing conditions
Preparing Aviation Demand Forecasts
Evaluating the need for additional noise measurements
Preparing an existing conditions noise contour
Preparing a future 5 year conditions noise contour
Evaluating land use and community noise impacts based on prepared contours
Evaluating noise abatement procedure alternatives
Evaluating noise monitoring and flight tracking system and equipment
Preparing a Noise and Land Use Compatibility Plan
COMMISSION AGENDA
T. Yoshitani, Chief Executive Officer
June 5, 2009
Page 3 of 4
The existing noise contours for 2009 will have to be re-evaluated at the end of 2010 to confirm
runway use assumptions used due to the re-construction and subsequent closure of the eastern
runway (16L/34R) during the summer of 2009.
PROJECT SCHEDULE
Description/Task Date
Advertise for consulting services June 24, 2009
Proposals due to CPO July 17, 2009
Consultant selection August 17, 2009
Negotiations and execute contract September, 2009
Begin study mobilization November 2009
Public Involvement Plan November 2009
Establish Technical Advisory Committee December 2009
Begin evaluation of all Part 150 elements January 2010
Finalize Part 150 recommendations October 2010
Submit recommendations to FAA November 2010
FAA 180 day review ends April 2011
Re-evaluate 2009 contours October 2011
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
Source of Funds
This project will be included in the Noise Programs Office expense budget for the years 2009,
2010, and 2011. The funding plan for this project will be 80% Airport Improvement Program
(AIP) grant funds from the FAA with the remaining 20% being funded by Airport Development
Funds (ADF). The estimated cost is between $500,000 and $1 million.
Financial Analysis Summary
CIP Category
Project Type
Risk adjusted Discount rate
Key risk factors
Project cost for analysis
Business Unit (BU)
Effect on business performance
IRR/NPV
CPE Impact
COMMISSION AGENDA
T. Yoshitani, Chief Executive Officer
June 5, 2009
Page 4 of 4
PREVIOUS COMMISSION ACTION
Resolution No. 2943, as adopted on January 8, 1985 – Created the first Seattle-Tacoma
International Airport Part 150 program, established the Port’s Noise Acquisition and Insulation
programs.
Resolution No. 3062 adopted May 8, 1990 – Adopted the Noise Mediation Agreement, a series
of noise reduction measures negotiated through an environmental mediation process.
Resolution No 3144 adopted July 13, 1993 – Amended the Part 150 program to include
additional operational and land use elements to the Airports Noise Compatibility Plan
Resolution No. 3212 as adopted on August 1, 1996 – Adopted a Master Plan Update for Seattle-
Tacoma International Airport, approved development of a new dependent air carrier runway, and
committing to fulfill additional noise reduction measures in accordance with the Puget Sound
Regional Council resolution A-96-02
Resolution No 3443 as adopted December 12, 2000 – Updated the Part 150 program by adding
operational and land use elements to the Airports Noise Compatibility Plan, which was formally
approved by the FAA in 2002.