From: Tyrell Hedlund
To: Commission-Public-Records
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Comments on Agenda Items 10(b), (c), and (d).
Date: Sunday, November 15, 2020 8:12:58 AM
WARNING: External email. Links or attachments may be unsafe.
Dear Port Commissioners,
For Agenda Items 10(b) and 10(c), the Port should not be increasing taxpayer burden while cutting costs for airline
corporations. I urge you to reject the proposed tax levy increase and cuts to airline costs. I also urge you to take an
equitable approach and redirect any cost savings and federal stimulus funds to helping low-wage airport workers,
including those who have lost their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Also, the proposed budget will do nothing to reduce overall GHG emissions from Sea-Tac operations.
This won't do. Instead of putting more money into aviation biofuels -- which do not reduce emissions from
fuel burned -- I urge you to determine how you will realistically achieve a reduction in overall emissions.
Meaningful reduction in emissions will only come from actual reduction in flights, and the entire budget is
aimed at increasing, not reducing flights. Before approving any budget, I urge you to:
Pause any spending on non-safety projects.
Redirect any Sea-Tac expansion project money to mitigation projects that immediately reduce
harms to airport impacted communities such as sound insulation and air purifiers for homes, day
cares, and schools.
Halt the "Sustainable Airport Master Plan" (SAMP) and redirect funds earmarked for the SAMP
review and projects to research and development of modes of passenger and cargo transportation
in our region that are actually sustainable (i.e., not airplanes burning biofuels), such as rail.
The budget must also acknowledge and address the massive inequities caused by Sea-Tac operations --
it currently does not. Marginalized communities and communities of color bear the brunt of air and noise
pollution from Sea-Tac operations. This pollution leads to: higher rates of pre-term births, lower learning
outcomes in children, decreased mental health and increased chances of developing dementia, and
decreased property values and tax bases. I strongly urge you to fund the required research to determine
how best to reduce air and noise pollution on airport-impacted communities, our communities.
On Agenda Item 10(d), I urge you to reject the proposal to spend $22 million on upgrades to the Sea-Tac
parking garage and instead focus on reducing CO2 emissions through the only effective means --
degrowth. We should not be pouring community money into parking infrastructure at Sea-Tac as we
make our way further into the last decade during which we can take action to avoid a severe climate
catastrophe. We should be using that money to build sustainable and healthy communities instead.
Tyrell Hedlund
South Seattle
