Port Takes Strong Stand on Runway-Related Releases

--Thorough review of environmental and contracting practices -

The Port of Seattle Commissioners announced today they have set in motion a thorough examination of environmental-management practices associated with construction of the third runway at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

President Patricia Davis said the third runway project has the most stringent environmental standards of any project in the state. The most difficult issue to deal with is storm water runoff and waste water releases, she noted. A special set of management practices has been developed specifically for the purpose of erosion control.

"It is very disappointing to have a strong track record of environmental management marred by the incidents that occurred last fall,'' said Davis. "We are asking our staff to intensify prevention, oversight, training and compliance."

The state Department of Ecology this week announced fines and violations stemming from storm water and waste water releases at the airport construction project last fall. The Port noted that the contractor is responsible for the violations and the fines from the Ecology Department. The Port will provide Ecology with a detailed description of the storm water control and treatment system, as well as an evaluation of its operations and training program, within 60 days.

Among the steps to be taken immediately:

On-site training with contractors and vendors that will stress the environmental sensitivity of the area, as well as each worker's individual responsibility to meet the stringent environmental regulations.

Closer oversight of contractors to ensure they understand the seriousness of each incident, as well as development of a plan to prevent further instances.

A legal review of possible contract changes that would allow contractors to be billed for the cost of the Port's response to an incident. While existing agreements require the contractor to pay any fines levied against the Port, the cost of actually responding to an incident could be even greater.

More intense oversight by Port staff. For example, the storm water staff will be automatically notified, 24 hours a day, every time an additional half-inch of rain falls on the runway project.

Because there is no one single cause of the incidents, Davis noted, the project requires a total commitment from the Port staff, contractors and contractors' employees.

Davis said that as a public agency, the Port is held to extremely high standards of conduct. "Stewardship of our precious environment is the highest priority for the Port of Seattle," she said. "We are working diligently to avoid any future incidents. I appreciate the community's vigilance in watching to make sure we do our job."