PORT OF SEATTLE
MEMORANDUM
COMMISSION AGENDA
Item No.
6d
Date of Meeting
November 23, 2009
DATE: November 16, 2009
TO: Tay Yoshitani, Chief Executive Officer
FROM: Stan Shepherd, Manager, Airport Noise Programs
SUBJECT: Authorization to contract for Part 150 Noise Consulting Services
Amount of This Request: $2.5 Million Source of Funds: FAA Grants (80%)
and Airport Development Fund
ACTION REQUESTED
Request for authorization for the Chief Executive Officer to procure and execute contracts for
consultant services to implement an update to Sea-Tac Airport’s Part 150 Noise Compatibility
Plan at an overall approximate cost of up to $2.5 million. This represents an increase of $1.5
million over the previously authorized amount.
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 aircraft operations than initially projected. In addition, the Port committed in
both the third runway Record of Decision (ROD) and the last Part 150 to implementing an
update to the Part 150 approximately one year after the third runway became operational.
This request is to procure consultants to help verify levels of effort, develop scopes of work,
perform design, and implement and guide the next Part 150 update. The consulting teams
typically consist of professionals in land use planning, public relations, noise, and environmental
issues. In addition to consultants, Port employees will participate in the update in the areas of
land use planning, GIS applications, community outreach, environmental evaluations, and noise.
In June of this year, the Commission approved procurement of a single contract for an amount
between $500,000 and $1 million. Since that time, preliminary scoping of the extent of the work
and necessary public involvement has been identified. Due to FAA requirements, an additional
contract is necessary to verify effort and scope before active work can be contracted and get
underway. Other contracts may potentially be required by the FAA as work evolves. Port Noise
staff is working closely with the Central Procurement Office on procurement of each contract
that will be necessary.
COMMISSION AGENDA
T. Yoshitani, Chief Executive Officer
November 16, 2009
Page 2 of 6
While the scope has been unfolding, the FAA has provided $2 million in grant funding toward
the Part 150 Update. Although the total scope cannot yet be accurately cost estimated, staff
believes the current range of cost has risen to $1.4 million to $2.5 million ($2 million from grant
and $500,000 from ADF) if the entire federal grant is necessary to accomplish the work. A
tighter range of total costs will be available in two months. The work is highly technical and
must accommodate federal regulations and a wide array of community interests. Staff currently
estimates that the $1million that has been set aside for this work in the aviation annual budget
will cover the estimated expenditures for the coming year. As a result, adequate funding is
available for this Part 150 Update to move forward as soon as allowable by the FAA, CPO, and
Port Commission. Staff also estimates that although there is ample grant monies, that they may
not all be necessary for this project. After scoping is complete with the FAA, staff will return to
the Commission multiple times during 2010 to brief the Commission on the progress of the
study, associated costs, and community involvement.
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
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 more recently, Dash 8-400s; 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, the project team 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.
COMMISSION AGENDA
T. Yoshitani, Chief Executive Officer
November 16, 2009
Page 3 of 6
PROJECT DESCRIPTION/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
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.
ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED/RECOMMENDED ACTION
Alternative 1: Perform the update using both consultant and Port staff. – The FAA requires
utilization of independent technical consultants for this work. The combination of both
consultants and in-house staff allow the technical work, coordination with the FAA and the
public outreach to occur in the most effective way. This is the recommended alternative.
Alternative 2: Perform the update using only Port staff. – This update requires significant
amounts of public involvement and noise expertise. The Airport has neither an adequate amount
of in-house staff to complete a project of this large magnitude nor the in-house technical noise
expertise required to perform the work. This is not the recommended alternative.
Alternative 3: Do not perform the Part 150 update. – The Port and FAA had earlier agreed to
perform the update. The update is necessary to evaluate noise impacts of the additional runway
and to continue the airport’s eligibility for federal grants. This is not the recommended
alternative.
COMMISSION AGENDA
T. Yoshitani, Chief Executive Officer
November 16, 2009
Page 4 of 6
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 2010 preliminary budget includes $1 million for this study.
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
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY/COMMUNITY BENEFITS
This update will enable the Airport to evaluate operational changes, and associated noise effects,
as a result of the additional runway. This update will also allow the community to definitively
understand any resultant noise impacts associated with the additional runway. Prior estimated
noise contours will be compared with current actual contours to determine if greater or lesser
noise impacts exist. If greater impacts exist, that information will be useful to planning future
Port and FAA noise mitigation efforts for the community.
PROJECT SCHEDULE
As a result of working with FAA staff and allowing adequate time for both consultant
contracting and public outreach efforts, the schedule has been adjusted to the estimated
timeframe indicated below.
Description/Task Date
Public Involvement Plan November 2009
Establish Technical Advisory Committee December 2009
Begin public involvement workshops February 2010
Begin evaluation of all Part 150 elements March 2010
Finalize Part 150 recommendations October 2011
COMMISSION AGENDA
T. Yoshitani, Chief Executive Officer
November 16, 2009
Page 5 of 6
Submit recommendations to FAA November 2011
FAA 180 day review ends April 2012
ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED/RECOMMENDED ACTION
Alternative 1: Perform the update using both consultant and Port staff. – The FAA requires
utilization of independent technical consultants for this work. The combination of both
consultants and in-house staff allow the technical work, coordination with the FAA and the
public outreach to occur in the most effective way. This is the recommended alternative.
Alternative 2: Perform the update using only Port staff. – This update requires significant
amounts of public involvement and noise expertise. The Airport has neither an adequate amount
of in-house staff to complete a project of this large magnitude nor the in-house technical noise
expertise required to perform the work. This is not the recommended alternative.
Alternative 3: Do not perform the Part 150 update. – The Port and FAA had earlier agreed to
perform the update. The update is necessary to evaluate noise impacts of the additional runway
and to continue the airport’s eligibility for federal grants. This is not the recommended
alternative.
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.
COMMISSION AGENDA
T. Yoshitani, Chief Executive Officer
November 16, 2009
Page 6 of 6
Request to execute a noise contract on June 23, 2009 – Authorized the CEO to procure and
execute a contract for consultant services to implement an update to Sea-Tac’s Part 150 Noise
Compatibility Plan in the amount of $500,000 to $1 million.
ATTACHMENTS
None