SeaTac Airport is busier than ever, which is good for the economy and bad for our health.
The Port of Seattle operates the nation’s ninth-busiest airport, which shows no signs of slowing down.
The total number of annual passengers has gradually increased over the years, but in 2015, the airport saw a 12.9 percent increase in passengers over the previous year.
In fact, the airport saw a 22 percent increase in passengers between 2014-16 and an overall jump of 52 percent over the past decade, according to the Port of Seattle’s latest data.
Data also shows that total air cargo has returned to pre-recession levels after declining between 2007-09. Last year’s total of 366,429 metric tons was the highest since 2002, when the airport moved 374,413 metric tons.
On top of that, thousands of new residents are flocking to the beautiful Puget Sound region and fueling a red-hot real estate market.
Federal Way joins other South King County cities in suffering from some unfortunate side effects of this economic growth. The spike in airport traffic means even more noise and air pollution — and a higher risk for respiratory illness — the closer you live to the runway or the flight paths.
In response, some residents are fighting to protect the local environment and our quality of life for today’s generation — and the next. For example, nearly 800 people have joined Quiet Skies for Puget Sound’s Facebook page to give the people an organized voice in matters related to the Port of Seattle and Federal Aviation Administration.
Federal Way’s Quiet and Healthy Skies Task Force is expected to deliver a report to the City Council Dec. 15 that focuses on short-term and long-term solutions to aircraft noise and related pollution.
What would a solution look like? Does the region need another regional airport to control the traffic at SeaTac? What kind of bureaucratic red tape do the residents need to wade through to reduce the number of flight paths over South King County — or at least spread them out over less-densely populated areas?
The more people who get involved in answering these questions, the more likely area residents will see any real change.
The key is to get ahead of the problem instead of chasing it. Kudos to the people taking a stand for the long-term health of our community.
