PORT OF SEATTLE

MEMORANDUM

COMMISSION AGENDA – STAFF BRIEFING

Item No.

Date of Meeting

June 28, 2011

DATE: June 22, 2011

TO: Tay Yoshitani, Chief Executive Officer

FROM: Stan Shepherd, Manager Airport Noise Programs

SUBJECT: Part 150 Study Aircraft Noise and Land Use Compatibility Study Update

SYNOPSIS:

Today’s Commission update will provide information about the Part 150 Study’s

progress and the study’s ongoing public involvement. The Part 150 Study process is

designed to identify noise incompatibilities surrounding Sea-Tac Airport, and to

recommend measures to address existing incompatibilities and to prevent future

incompatibilities. There will be a public hearing and public comment period before the

final study is submitted to the Port Commissionfor review. It is expected that the

Commission will consider a resolution in late 2011 or early 2012 approving the Part 150

Study recommendations before they are forwarded to the Federal Aviation

Administration (FAA) for approval.

PART 150 STUDY UPDATE:

Community Outreach

The Part 150 Study began in late 2009. The Commission has been briefed four times on

the study in public session, providing the public with opportunities to testify. To date,

there have been four large-scale public outreach events: February 24, 2010, in Des

Moines; June 9, 2010, in Burien; October 27, 2010, in Des Moines; and April 9, 2011, at

Sea-Tac Airport. All outreach events were well attended and designed for maximum

public involvement, with a focus on obtaining input on ways for reducing the noise

caused by aircraft operations at Sea-Tac Airport.

The latest public outreach event was an open house on Saturday, April 9, 2011. The open

house was comprised of a series of stations staffed by Port employees and consultants.

Some of the topics at the stations included:

 The new, still in draft form, noise remedy boundary;

COMMISSION AGENDA

Tay Yoshitani, Chief Executive Officer

June 22, 2011

Page 2 of 5

 A discussion of noise abatement programs;

 Potential new sound insulation programs; and

 An update on the hush house, designed to suppress aircraft engine testing noise.

During the open house, which began at 10 a.m. and ended at 4 p.m., more than 75

citizens came to the open house to share their thoughts, have their questions answered,

and take part in the airfield tours narrated by Port staff.

Staff has offered, on several occasions, to provide Part 150 information discussions to

city councils and other interested groups. To date, a number of entities have taken

advantage of the offer including: the Federal Way City Council on November 16, 2010;

the SeaTac City Council on March 8, 2011; the Des Moines City Council on March 24,

2011; City of SeaTac Hotel/Motel Committee on April 13, 2011; the Highline School

District on April 13, 2011; the Burien City Council on May 9, 2011 and the Normandy

Park City Council on May 10, 2011. Members of the study team also met with Citizen’s

Against Sea-Tac Expansion (CASE), the City of Medina, the Vashon-Maury Island

Community Council, and a number of elected stakeholders including King County

Councilmembers Larry Phillips and Julia Patterson, former King County Councilmember

Jan Drago, State Senator Karen Keiser and State Representatives Dave Upthegrove and

Tina Orwall.

Other community involvement efforts:

 Provided on-going briefings to the Highline Forum to ensure that elected leaders

in communities surrounding the airport are kept informed and have the ability to

offer input throughout the process. To date, there have been seven discussions at

the Highline Forum with another discussion scheduled for June 29.

 Hosted five Technical Review Committee meetings where the study team

solicited feedback on issues such as data review and land use analysis. The

Technical Review Committee is comprised of technical experts including land-

use planners from local airport communities, the Federal Aviation Administration

(FAA), Puget Sound Regional Council, Boeing Field, Washington State

Department of Transportation, and Alaska and Horizon Airlines.

 On July 12, 2010, provided a special data review session for the public to ask

questions about noise metrics and other Part 150 process questions.

Port staff also continues outreach to the communities around the airport with limited

English-speaking capabilities. Informational flyers describing the public meetings in

several languages were developed and distributed. There also is a dedicated language

telephone line where callers can leave a message in their own language and receive a

return call by someone who speaks their language. Interpreters are available for anyone

who requests interpretive services at the public meetings.

COMMISSION AGENDA

Tay Yoshitani, Chief Executive Officer

June 22, 2011

Page 3 of 5

Noise Remedy Boundary Maps

As a requirement of the Part 150 study, the FAA specifies updating the Noise Exposure

Maps to reflect the most current conditions. These updated Noise Exposure Maps are

used by the FAA to determine eligibility for federal funding for programs like the Sea-

Tac Airport sound insulation program. Using the FAA required noise metric of Day

Night Level (DNL), the year 2016 65 DNL contour forecast was developed and used by

Port staff and the consulting team to prepare an updated Noise Remedy Boundary Map

(PowerPoint Slide #6). The updated boundary map shows that the 65 DNL area is

smaller than the previous 65 DNL boundary map. The previous noise remedy boundary

was drawn during the original 1985 Part 150 noise study using the forecasted year 2000

DNL contour and was scheduled to be updated after the third runway became operational.

The new noise program boundary map, after approval by the FAA, will define the area in

which noise mitigation programs may become eligible for FAA grant funding. As noted

previously, the new boundary map will be substantially smaller than the current existing

boundary map, which has been in place since 1985. For anyone inside the 1985 noise

remedy boundary but outside of the updated noise remedy boundary who is eligible, and

not yet had their home insulated, the Port will provide one last opportunity to apply for

sound insulation before the new boundary map becomes final.

Sound Mitigation Elements

Port staff and the consulting team reviewed all the stakeholder input on how to reduce

noise in the communities. There were many suggestions – some were feasible and others

weren’t feasible. Suggestions that have a potential noise reduction benefit for the

impacted communities are being carried forward for further evaluation.

In the next phase of the study, these suggested ideas for noise reduction will be further

evaluated based on several criteria including noise reduction significance, funding

eligibility, availability of both airport revenues and FAA grants, and whether significant

progress on completing them can be accomplished within a five-year timeframe.

Following are the items that will be carried forward for further evaluation in this process.

 Single Family Sound Insulation – Continue offering sound insulation to eligible

homes within the updated noise remedy boundary;

 Multi Family Owner-Occupied Sound Insulation – Offer sound insulation

programs to eligible multi-family, owner-occupied residences inside the updated

noise remedy boundary;

 Multi-Family Tenant-Occupied Sound Insulation – Offer sound insulation

programs to eligible apartment buildings inside the updated noise remedy

boundary;

COMMISSION AGENDA

Tay Yoshitani, Chief Executive Officer

June 22, 2011

Page 4 of 5

 Mobile and Manufactured Homes Avigation Easements – Offer to purchase

avigation easements for mobile and manufactured homes on private land within

the updated noise remedy boundary;

 South Approach Transition Zone (ATZ) Voluntary Buyouts – Offer to

purchase residential properties experiencing noise levels of 65 DNL or greater in

the South ATZ of the third runway and offer relocation benefits (PowerPoint

Slide #8). This is anticipated to be a voluntary program. If acquired, the parcels

must become noise compatible as commercial/industrial land; and

 Air Conditioning – Include air conditioning with the standard insulation package

for single family homes within the updated noise remedy boundary that have not

been previously insulated.

Hush House Feasibility Study

The consulting team is engaged in the process of evaluating potential locations for a hush

house on the airfield. A hush house, or Ground Run-up Enclosure (GRE), is a large

three-sided structure in which aircraft perform required engine testing. The walls of the

hush house are made of special sound absorbing material that can have a quantifiable

noise reduction (15 to 20 decibels) impact on the surrounding community. Depending on

how far you are away from the noise source, the 15-20 decibel reduction could be

perceived by the community as a significant reduction. As a general acoustic guideline, a

10 decibel reduction is perceived as half as loud by the listener. The initial hush house

evaluation began with six general locations on the airfield (PowerPoint Slide #11). Due

to the limited amount of available land at Sea-Tac, each location presents some difficult

tradeoffs. A few sites will be carried forward for further evaluation by the study team.

The size of the facility is determined by the predominant aircraft at Sea-Tac, which is the

Boeing 737-800. Approximately 96 percent of the engine run-ups that typically occur at

Sea-Tac are performed by 737-800 or smaller aircraft, and there are usually at least one to

two run-ups every day.

Next Steps

 Prepare draft recommendations by fall of 2011;

 Evaluate the flight tracking and noise monitoring system for potential technology

improvements;

 Evaluate noise abatement programs for potential improvements, including ways to

improve the Fly Quiet program;

 Host one more Technical Review Committee meeting in the summer of 2011;

COMMISSION AGENDA

Tay Yoshitani, Chief Executive Officer

June 22, 2011

Page 5 of 5

 Commission Policy Roundtable Discussion with Mayors or their representatives

from Burien, Des Moines, Federal Way, Normandy Park, SeaTac and Tukwila,

scheduled for August 23, 2011.

 Prepare draft Noise Compatibility Plan (NCP), which includes draft

recommendations for public review;

 Brief Port Commission on draft NCP;

 Host final public open house including a formal public hearing and comment

process in the fall of 2011;

 Prepare any state environmental documentation needed based on proposed NCP;

 Brief Port Commission on public open house and final NCP;

 Prepare final NCP to be submitted to the FAA by the end of the year;

 Commission briefing and resolution adopting NCP; and

 FAA starts 180-day review period beginning in 2012.

OTHER DOCUMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS BRIEFING:

PowerPoint Presentation

PREVIOUS COMMISSION ACTIONS OR BRIEFINGS:

 October 26, 2010 – Part 150 Noise and Land Use Compatibility Update Briefing.

 June 22, 2010 – Part 150 Noise and Land Use Compatibility Update Briefing.

 March 23, 2010 – Part 150 Noise and Land Compatibility Study Update held in

Normandy Park.

 February 23, 2010 – Briefing and Policy Roundtable with Mayors (or their

representatives) from Burien, Des Moines, Federal Way, Normandy Park, SeaTac

and Tukwila.

 November 23, 2009 – Authorization for the Chief Executive Officer to update the

Part 150 Noise Compatibility Plan for an overall approximate cost of $2.5 million,

representing an increase of $1.5 million over the previously authorized amount.

 June 23, 2009 – Authorization for the Chief Executive Officer to procure and

execute a contract for consultant services to implement an update to the Part 150

Noise Compatibility Plan for an estimated cost of $500,000 to $1.0 million.