Template revised April 12, 2018.

COMMISSION

AGENDA MEMORANDUM

Item No. 11a

BRIEFING ITEM Date of Meeting October 22, 2024

DATE: September 23, 2024

TO: Stephen P. Metruck, Executive Director

FROM: Sarah Cox, Director, Aviation Environment and Sustainability

Steve Rybolt, Senior Environmental Program Manager, Aviation Environment and

Sustainability

SUBJECT: Sustainable Airport Master Plan Near-Term Projects Environmental Review - Draft

NEPA Environmental Assessment Findings and Public Comment Period

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This briefing will provide an overview of the Draft NEPA Environmental Assessment findings for

the SAMP NTPs that will be published on October 21, 2024. This will include a summary of the

rigorous and thorough analysis that was completed for the fifteen NEPA environmental resource

categories that are required to be evaluated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA; FAA

Order 1050.1F). It will also provide an overview of the outreach and engagement plan for the 45-

day public comment period that will occur between October 21, 2024, to December 5, 2024. It is

anticipated that NEPA will be completed in mid-2025 and the State Environmental Policy Act

(SEPA) will commence thereafter.

DETAILS

The Port of Seattle, on behalf of the FAA (lead Federal Agency; FAA Order 1050.1F), has

completed the Draft NEPA Environmental Assessment of the SAMP NTPs. The purpose of NEPA

and this EA is to assess if the NTPs has the potential to result in impacts to fifteen different NEPA

resource categories. When impacts were identified, the analysis evaluates the extent of those

impacts, and if required, identified ways to reduce, avoid, or mitigated them. The following NEPA

environmental resource categories were evaluated:

 Air Quality

 Biological Resources

 Climate

 Coastal Resources

 Department of Transportation Act,

Section 4(f)

 Farmlands

 Noise and Noise-Compatible Land Use

 Socioeconomics, Environmental

Justice, and Children’s Health and

Safety

 Surface Transportation

 Visual Effects (including Light

Emissions)

 Water Resources

COMMISSION AGENDA – Briefing Item No. 11a Page 2 of 3

Meeting Date: October 22, 2024

Template revised September 22, 2016.

 Hazardous Materials, Solid Waste,

and Pollution Prevention

 Historical Architectural, Archeological,

and Cultural Resources

 Land Use

 Natural Resources and Energy Supply

 Wetlands

 Floodplains

 Surface Waters

 Groundwater

 Wild and Scenic Rivers

The Draft EA identified that surface transportation had significant impacts, but these impacts can

be mitigated. There were other impacts identified, however these impacts did not exceed

regulatory or human health standards and do not require any defined action by FAA to reduce,

avoid, or mitigate them. For many of these categories, the Port has incorporated minimization

measures to further reduce impacts. For example, there will be increases in air emissions that do

not exceed the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (i.e., standards that meet human health

requirements). The Port has many programs to minimize air emissions at SEA such as providing

pre-conditioned to aircrafts or efficiencies to the central mechanical plant, both of which

minimize fossil fuel use.

There will be three public meetings in the cities of SeaTac, Burien, and Des Moines on November

13, 14, and 16. These meetings will allow agencies and the public to speak with subject matter

experts and submit comments. Agencies and the public will also have the option to provide

comments during the 45-day public comment period by email, the project website

(www.sampNTPenvironmentalreview.org), and by mail.

The Port will provide a thorough and broad outreach that will include, and is not limited to, local,

BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color), and underrepresented communities. This

includes using variety of media outlets, information on the project website, community meetings,

and translating materials into six additional languages.

Once the public comment period closes, the Port and FAA will review and respond to comments

received and these comments will be considered within final NEPA EA. It is expected that the

final NEPA EA will be published in mid-2025.

SCHEDULE

NEPA

October 21, 2024 Draft NEPA EA released for public comment (45-day public

comment period; 30 days is standard)

December 5, 2024 Draft NEPA EA public comment period ends

Quarter 2 2025 NEPA EA Final Document & Issuance of Record of Decision (FAA

issues decision document) + 60-day appeal period

SEPA

Quarter 3 2025 Draft SEPA EIS released for public comment (30-day comment

period [standard]) + comment period ends

COMMISSION AGENDA – Briefing Item No. 11a Page 3 of 3

Meeting Date: October 22, 2024

Template revised September 22, 2016.

Quarter 4 2025 SEPA EIS Final Document & Determination (Port issues decision

document) + 14-day appeal period

ATTACHMENTS TO THIS BRIEFING

(1) Presentation slides

PREVIOUS COMMISSION ACTIONS OR BRIEFINGS

June 27, 2023 – Commission Action: “Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP) Near-Term

Projects Environmental Review – Update and Budget Increase”

February 25, 2020 – Commission Action: “Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP) Near-Term

Projects (NTP) Environmental Review Briefing and Request for Additional Funds”

January 28, 2020 – Commission Briefing: “Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP) Near-Term

Projects (NTP) Environmental Review Briefing – Forecast and Schedule Update”

February 26, 2019 – Commission Briefing: “Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP) Near-

Term Projects (NTP) Environmental Review Briefing – Scoping Report”

May 8, 2018 – Commission Briefing: “Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP) Planning and

Environmental Update”

February 13, 2018 - Commission Briefing: "Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP) Planning

Update"