As Port of Seattle Oversees Expansion of Sea-Tac Airport, Activists Voice Health and Environmental Concerns

Community activists with the No Added Harm Campaign are continuing their opposition to the expansion of the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, citing significant concerns over its environmental, health, and social impacts. With the Port of Seattle moving forward with the Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP) Near-Term Projects (NTPs), activists argue the expansion will exacerbate existing environmental and public health issues, disproportionately affecting marginalized communities near the airport.

Activists are particularly critical of the expansion's potential to violate the principles outlined in the HEAL Act and the Climate Commitment Act, which mandate a healthy environment, especially for vulnerable and overburdened communities.

"If there's any funding that's going to go to [the expansion], the requirements of the Climate Commitments Act should be on there, because the HEAL Act calls for, you know, a healthy environment for all," said Maria Batayola with the No Added Harm Campaign.

The Port of Seattle, which owns and operates Sea-Tac, maintains that it is following a comprehensive process to address concerns.

The conflict highlights a fundamental challenge: how to balance the economic benefits of a growing airport with the urgent need to protect the health, environment, and communities that have long borne the brunt of its impacts.

Sea-Tac is already one of the busiest airports in the United States, serving over 50 million passengers annually. It covers approximately 2,500 acres.

To accommodate future growth and increased demand, the airport is undergoing a significant expansion as part of SAMP. The plan aims to add new facilities, including additional gates, modernized terminals, and improved ground transportation options while enhancing sustainability and operational efficiency. Construction work is currently underway, with various projects in progress to support the airport's long-term goals. The expansion is expected to continue through the late 2030s, with an estimated cost of several billion dollars, though specific figures may vary as plans evolve.

Reducing Environmental Harm

Activists say that for residents of communities like Beacon Hill, already dealing with high levels of asthma, heart disease, and other health risks, the expansion could significantly worsen public health outcomes. While airlines are responsible for emissions, activists point out that airports like Sea-Tac enable the flights that contribute to pollution. Expanding Sea-Tac's infrastructure will allow for more flights, further damaging the environment.

"We're targeting the airports because they're the enabler of the flights," Batayola explained.

As part of the federal National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process, the Port is conducting an environmental assessment for the proposed NTPs and preparing an Environmental Impact Statement under the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA). The Port also states that it has been actively engaging with communities, particularly BIPOC and underrepresented groups, through outreach initiatives, including multilingual materials and partnerships with local organizations.

"Community-based organizations and community members we work with have informed us on the best way to reach their communities," the Port stated in a response, citing a range of outreach efforts, including public meetings, briefings, and translated communications.

Despite these efforts, activists believe the Port's outreach has not been sufficient to inform and empower all affected residents, particularly in areas like Beacon Hill, where language barriers and mistrust of government institutions remain significant hurdles.

With the airport already operating at full capacity and projecting continued demand for air service, activists question whether expanding Sea-Tac's infrastructure is truly about efficiency or just increasing capacity for profit. "It's hard for me to believe it's just to make baggage handling efficient, because they're making it efficient to the max," Batayola argued.

No Added Harm activists from Beacon Hill, a neighborhood with a high percentage of immigrants, refugees, and People of Color, are concerned that the expansion will accelerate displacement and erode the cultural fabric of their community.

Outreach Efforts

The Port has hosted three roundtables, bringing together stakeholders from various jurisdictions — including the city, county, U.S. Congress, and the public — to address critical issues and explore potential solutions. One of the most significant challenges is SAMP, a long-term initiative launched in 2018 to address the exponential growth in population and air travel demand. Originally proposed in 2016, SAMP underwent an environmental review process but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which brought air travel to a near halt. Since then, travel demand has not only rebounded but exceeded pre-pandemic levels.

Toshiko Grace Hasegawa, Port Commission president and a fourth-generation resident of Beacon Hill, spoke with the Emerald about her attempts to make sure residents there felt they were a part of the process, particularly because they live near Sea-Tac and King County airports. "So I've really spent a lot of my time thinking about who has historically been excluded for access to opportunities, who has historically not had a voice represented at the table and decision-making processes, and how do we shine a light on that, to acknowledge those gaps and then fill them?

"My job is to create as much access to information and transparency into the process as humanly possible," Hasegawa added, noting that the Port operates as a special-purpose government with its own rules and objectives.

The Port has outlined several mitigation strategies, including efforts to reduce emissions and noise. Its goal is to achieve net-zero emissions by 2040 for Port-controlled or indirect emissions. As for Scope 3 emissions, which the Port has no direct control over but does have influence over, the Port wants to be carbon neutral or better by 2050. Additionally, it has a comprehensive aircraft noise reduction program, which includes sound insulation for homes and schools near the airport.

"We've conducted a separate public process … known as the Part 150 Noise Study," the Port explained, emphasizing its commitment to addressing noise pollution in the region.

One of the key questions raised by the Port Commission is why the Federal Aviation Administration's NEPA process doesn't incorporate the Port's Equity Index, a tool designed to assess environmental justice and inequities in local communities.

Once the national environmental policy process is completed, the project will proceed through the state environmental policy. After clearing that stage, the Port will follow the standard process for all capital projects, which includes scoping, obtaining commission approval for funding, and advancing to construction.

'In This Together'

Despite the efforts of airports to increase their footprints, there has been some success in stopping airport expansion projects. For example, London's Heathrow Airport expansion was recently denied after Mayor of London Sadiq Khan opposed it, citing concerns over worsening air quality. Similarly, federal funding for large-scale projects like Sea-Tac's expansion may face additional challenges with recent executive orders.

The fight against Sea-Tac's expansion is part of a broader movement by activists to prioritize environmental justice and public health. As activists continue their efforts, the outcome will serve as a critical test of whether communities can successfully challenge powerful institutions to create a more sustainable and equitable future.

"We're all in this together for healthy aviation, healthy communities, and healthy workers," Batayola said.

For more information on the campaign and its efforts, visit FixTheHarm.org.