Template revised April 12, 2018.
COMMISSION
AGENDA MEMORANDUM
Item No.
6d
ACTION ITEM
Date of Meeting
November 12, 2019
DATE: October 16, 2019
TO: Stephen P. Metruck, Executive Director
FROM: Brendalynn Taulelei, Senior Maintenance Manager, Asset Management and Logistics
Rob Lane, Maintenance Manager, Logistics
SUBJECT: Purchase of Liquid and Solid Pavement Deicers for the Airport and Seaport (Short
Form)
Amount of this request:
$1,020,000
Total estimated project cost:
$3,220,000
ACTION REQUESTED
Request Commission authorization for the Executive Director to execute a contract revision for
the purchase of liquid and solid pavement deicing agents for use at Seattle-Tacoma International
Airport. The revision will be to add $1,020,000 to the current contract of $2,200,000 for a total
estimated value of this contract of $3,220,000. There will be no change to the term of the
contract. We are one year into the contract which was bid as a one-year agreement with options
for four additional one-year terms.
SUMMARY
Aviation Maintenance uses a combination of snow removal equipment and deicing agents during
snow and ice conditions to maintain surfaces for arriving and departing aircraft and vehicle traffic
that uses the airport roadways. In a typical snow season at the airport, it is necessary to execute
multiple short-notice, high dollar-value purchases of liquid or solid deicer to prevent impacts to
Airport operations on the runways and roadways. Executing procurement for liquid and solid
deicer will allow the Aviation Division to be well prepared for winter weather operations.
During the 2013-14 through 2017-18 winter seasons, the Port of Seattle spent less than
$2,000,000 on liquid and solid surface deicing chemicals. On September 11, 2018, the
Commission authorized for the Executive Director to execute a five-year contract for the
purchase of liquid and solid pavement deicing agents for use at Seattle-Tacoma International
Airport for an estimated total amount of $2,200,000. The Port of Seattle spent $1,020,000 in
liquid and solid deicing chemicals during the 2018-2019 season. The current contract has capacity
remaining that, under normal weather conditions, could last for 2 to 4 more years, but capacity
could be exceeded if this season is equal or exceeds the deicing needs of the 2018-2019 season.
COMMISSION AGENDA – Action Item No. __6d__ Page 2 of 2
Meeting Date: November 12, 2019
Template revised September 22, 2016; format updates October 19, 2016.
Deicing chemicals have the potential to impact water quality as they degrade and wash off with
stormwater runoff. To address this concern, the Port uses acetate-based deicing products which
have a lower biochemical oxygen demand as it degrades in the environment than glycol-based
fluids. In addition, over the past twenty years, Port Environmental has completed many studies
demonstrating that Cryotech potassium acetate and sodium acetate products do not impact
water quality. The study results have been reviewed and approved by the Department of Ecology.
There are no attachments to this memo.
