Arguing that construction of a third runway would severely impact residents, Highline cities and community groups waged a lengthy, costly legal battle against the Port of Seattle.

But according to the key findings of a recently released telephone survey, "Third runway construction and its impacts are not top of mind for residents of the area."

The survey concludes that only 37 per cent of residents are even aware of the runway activity at Sea-Tac International Airport. The Port operates the airport.

Evans/McDonough Company Inc. (EMC) undertook the telephone survey of 500 residents living near the airport for the Puget Sound Regional Council.

Council board members in 1996 added construction of a third runway to a regional transportation plan.

The council is a group of governmental bodies in the four-county central Puget Sound area that develops policies on regional growth and transportation.

Council members agreed to conduct a survey of impacts to surrounding communities during the runway construction.

Telephone interviews of residents within the airport's "noise contour" were conducted during the evening and weekend hours from April 23 to April 26.

The area generally spanned from First Avenue South to Military Road South and South Cloverdale Street to South 288th Street.

"The selection of survey areas was a surprise, one would think it would be from a bigger area, particularly the most affected west side," Brett Fish, chairman of Citizens Against Sea-Tac Expansion (CASE), declared.

CASE is a citizens group that opposed the runway construction and is monitoring environmental mitigation at the site.

Airport critic Stuart Jenner of Normandy Park also casts doubt on the survey.

"First, Evans McDonough knows who butters the bread in the Puget Sound community," Jenner said. "It is in their interest to come up with survey results that will please the party paying for the survey, so they get more business in the future."

However, EMC officials defended the survey, saying its margin of error is within plus or minus 4.4 percentage points. They maintain that subsequent surveys would produce similar results 95 percent of the time.

EMC has also done polling for Highline Citizens for Schools on school bond and levy elections.

Since the study was not conducted for the Port, airport officials deferred questions about its methodology to the regional council.

Diane Summerhays, director of community development at Sea-Tac, noted airport officials are pleased by the survey results.

She added that although most residents do not seem bothered by the airport construction, the positive survey results "won't affect our efforts to keep airport noise down."

According to EMC, while 64 percent of surveyed residents are aware of airport construction, only 58 percent of those know the activity is for a third runway.

And despite environmental mitigation that Port and runway opponents agree is among the most stringent for airport construction around the country, 75 percent of the surveyed residents replied that they have not heard of or do not know if anything is being done to minimize the impacts.

"We have to do a better job of education," Summerhays noted.

Countered Fish, "No questions were asked of respondents whether they knew the Port had done all the mitigation voluntarily, or because of extensive legal pressure or who paid for most of it."

Other highlights of the study include:

Almost half of those contacted (43 percent) think the new runway will have a positive impact on the local area. Another third (31 percent) say it will have no impact.

Two-thirds of residents say third runway construction has no impact on them.

Forty percent say the runway construction makes things "a little worse" on local roads while another 40 percent reply it has no impact on traffic.

A little more than half (56 percent) "notice airplane noise occasionally, but it doesn't bother me." Another 31 percent "notice airplane noise, and it bothers me."

While a majority of residents believe noise will get worse, 40 percent think it will only get "a little worse."

Other survey results may generate interest beyond the issue of airport construction.

Asked whether the area is moving in the right direction or is on the wrong track, 61 percent said right direction, 26 percent said wrong track, and 13 percent said they didn't know.

Requested to identify the most important problem facing the local area, 19 percent selected crime/drugs, 17 percent didn't identify a problem, and 16 percent named traffic/ traffic congestion/transportation.

Providing a quality education for school children was rated as the top local priority for residents followed closely by reducing crime, providing and improving the environment and water quality, and reducing traffic congestion on major roads like State Route 518 and State Route 509.