Good Work !

Congratulations to those who attended last night's kick-off workshop for Sea-Tac Airport's Part 150 study!  Despite a restrictive format, the public delivered a loud & clear message spelling out major issues that concern us all.  

After an initial presentation, the attendees (estimated at about 200) crowded around the whiteboards in 15 break-out groups.   We heard over & over that the attendees do not believe that the FAA's 65 DNL noise assessment has anything to do with noise as it is actually experienced.  We heard over & over that single-event noise --not averages -- is what intrudes on people's lives.   Sharp questions were raised about the five-year planning horizon:  the study needs to look long-term.  And what will the Airport look like, what will it sound like, at its maximum?  At the concluding, wrap-up session, there was widespread spontaneous applause for comments that the region needs two more airports, & for the suggestion that if the present noise cannot be fixed, the airport should be moved.  Less-controversial comments included pleas for more noise insulation, more buy-outs, more sellers' assistance programs.

Part 150 workshop on 24 February

The Sea-Tac Part 150 (noise) study will kick off on Wednesday, 24 February, with its first public workshop, at the Mt Rainier High School, 22450 19th Avenue South, Des Moines, 98198.  The session is scheduled to run from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. 

In consultation with other community members, RCAA has prepared a list of 16 key issues for the study, & an accompanying group of questions – 25 at last count.  If you would like to see one or both of these documents, e-mail us.  We hope that they will be helpful to people who want to participate on the 24th.

Unfortunately, the Airport has set up this study so that it will not address most of the issues that are important to the broader community.  The meeting on the 24th is very early in the two-year process, & we do not expect the consultants or Airport staff to be offering any actionable proposals on how to cut noise significantly.  However, the folks running this study will probably say that the community is in full agreement with their limited approach – unless there is a reasonable turn-out of folks to point out that the study needs a much broader focus.  Thus, early comments & questions may turn out to have real importance.

You can see the agenda for the meeting, the Powerpoint presentation prepared by the consultants, & other relevant paperwork at the consultants’ new website for the study,

http://www.airportsites.net/SEA-Part150/meetings.htm