Times/News

The Port of Seattle recently signed an agreement on an airport environmental permit with two groups that have been among its sharpest critics.

Port officials, along with the heads of Citizens Against Sea-Tac Expansion (CASE) and the Regional Commission on Airport Affairs (RCAA), agreed not to appeal a state Department of Ecology permit governing stormwater runoff from the airport.

CASE President Brett Fish hailed it as "a historic occasion."

"I have to agree with that," Deputy Airport Director Michael Feldman said.

The Port operates the airport; CASE is a citizens group that opposed construction of the third runway. The RCAA is a private group that also opposed the third runway and favors finding a site for a second regional airport.

It is the first Sea-Tac airport environmental permit not appealed since 1994, according to Greg Wingard, a CASE and RCAA consultant.

The three parties negotiated over 100 items in the draft permit and agreed on all but a few, Wingard noted at a Sept. 7 CASE meeting.

On the disputed items, "We told the Ecology Department to do what you're going to do," Wingard said.

Ecology has issued a draft permit that regulates water discharge from the airport. It included changes ordered by the state Pollution Control Hearings Board following earlier appeals.

After receiving the common set of comments from the three groups as well as other feedback, the state agency will issue the final permit.

"I wasn't wildly optimistic going into the meetings," Wingard noted. "But it was clear none of the parties wanted an appeal."

Feldman emphasized that the agreement is not a blanket assurance that the parties will not appeal, but they had reached consensus on most issues.

The former adversaries agreed on two particularly contentious points.

The Port agreed not to appeal the Ecology's finding that Lake Reba is a "waters of the state."

That means the Port must monitor water going into the lake and make sure the water adheres to permit standards.

Lake Reba is located near state Route 518 and Des Memorial Drive South, just east of Lora Lake.

Port Commissioner Pat Davis said at the Sept. 7 CASE meeting that the issue of whether Lora Lake is a waters of the state has not been brought before the commission.

Lora Lake is visible from Des Moines Drive, south of SR-518.

Davis added that the Lora Lake Apartments, on property owned by the Port, will remain as housing units as long as possible.

The other contentious issue concerned the level and quality of water allowed to run off from the runways during winter de-icing operations.

Wingard reported the two groups agreed to allow the Port "operational flexibility" during five winter months.

Standards would be eased during that time in exchange for tighter standards the remaining seven months of the year, according to Wingard.

The parties also agreed that the Port would begin sending de-icing runoff and other contaminated wastewater to the Renton wastewater plant six months earlier than required in the draft permit, he added.

According to Ed Abbasi, who wrote the draft permit for the Ecology Department, sending the wastewater to Renton will reduce water pollution into Puget Sound by 98 percent.

The agreement brought kind words from officials of groups that have bitterly fought in the past.

"The bottom line is that excellent work was done by all parties involved and we hammered out a reasonable solution," Feldman declared. "It will build a more trusting relationship with the surrounding communities.

"I also have to give credit to the (Port) commission. They have made it very clear that we should be environmental stewards."

RCAA President Larry Corvari commented, "The RCAA is absolutely pleased and wants to commend the Port."

He added that $100,000 had been donated by private citizens for possible appeals.

Wingard said, "I would like to commend the Port of Seattle and the Department of Ecology for effectively working with us."

Eric Mathison can be reached at hteditor@robinsonnews.com, or at 206-444-4873.