Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP)
Environmental Review for Near-Term Projects
Photo courtesy of the Port of Seattle
Update as of December 14, 2024
The comment period for the SAMP NTP Draft NEPA Environmental Assessment is now closed. The FAA and the Port of Seattle are now reviewing the comments received and will provide an update in early 2025.
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SAMP Near-Term Projects Environmental Review Schedule Update
SAMP was completed in 2018. From the SAMP, the Port identified 31 Near-Term Projects (NTPs) and completed the scoping process for the FAA-required environmental review (2018). Currently, the FAA’s National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) environmental review is underway and the draft Environmental Assessment (EA) has been released for a comment period which ends on December 13, 2024.
To learn more about the NEPA environmental review process and the draft NEPA documents, watch the video below in English or captioned in Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese (Simplified), Somali, Amharic, and Korean. In addition to the video, you can also view our factsheet in, English, and in Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese (Simplified), Somali, Amharic, and Korean that gives an overview of the environmental review process and airport master plans.
SAMP Overview Video
To learn more and for a more detailed presentation on findings, view this presentation video.
For the presentation provided to the Port of Seattle Commission on October 22, 2024, view this full commission presentation video.
Background
What is the Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP)?
What is the Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP)?
The Puget Sound region is expected to grow by another one million people by 2035. The Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP) is the blueprint for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) development, guiding the strategic design and development to meet future forecasted demand.
The SAMP includes Near-Term Projects (NTPs) for SEA that are planned for construction upon completion of the environmental review and Commission approval. The SAMP also includes a Long-Term Vision for SEA which includes projects that are not ripe for environmental review at this time, as they require further study and are not reasonably foreseeable.
Before any of the Long-Term Vision projects are implemented, additional planning studies and the appropriate environmental review process will be conducted.
The Port and FAA are conducting an extensive study about potential environmental impacts of SAMP NTPs, in compliance with the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA), which requires public involvement. The FAA is the lead agency, and we follow their guidance under FAA Order 1050.1F.
Once the NEPA process is complete, the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) environmental review will follow.
A complete list of the categories can be found by clicking here for SEPA and here for NEPA.
Purpose and Need – The What and the Why
Purpose and Need statements are an essential part of the environmental review process. The need defines the issue to be solved. The purpose is the solution to the problem. The purpose and need will be used to guide the development of alternatives to be studied during the NEPA and SEPA processes.
PURPOSE
SEA Airport is an essential transportation resource serving as the primary air transportation facility for the region. The purpose of Near-Term Projects is to improve operational efficiency, accommodate future growth, and to provide more capacity for fuel, including sustainable aviation fuel.
NEED
Five primary needs for the Near-Term Projects have been identified:
- Insufficient passenger terminal capacity to accommodate projected passenger levels efficiently
- Insufficient facilities to accommodate projected cargo levels efficiently
- Non-compliance with Federal Aviation Administration airport design guidelines
- Excessive aircraft delays on the airfield
- Lack of fuel storage to meet projected demand and to meet the Port’s Sustainable Aviation Fuel initiative
Proposed Action
SAMP Near-Term Projects
The Proposed Action is to implement 31 Near-Term Projects (NTPs) that will improve efficiency, safety, access to the airport, and support facilities for airlines and the airport. Highlights include a new terminal with 19 gates, and an automated people mover with three stations to connect the rental car facility, new terminal, and main terminal.
NTPs will accommodate 56 million passengers and meet the forecasted demand to 2032. NTPs will be complete, or under construction, by 2032.
Near-term project highlights
- A second terminal with 19 additional gates
- An elevated busway with stations linking the rental car facility, new terminal, and main terminal
- Cargo facilities to accommodate the growth of air freight
- Realigning airport roadways
- Airfield updates to improve safety and efficiency
- New parking infrastructure to serve the second terminal
- Additional facilities for sustainable aviation fuel
Environmental Review Process
An environmental review is a process to assess how projects at Port of Seattle facilities may impact the environment in a variety of categories that include air quality and climate, water resources, biological resources, and noise, among others. If impacts are identified, the analysis evaluates the extent of those impacts, and if required, identifies ways to reduce or avoid them. A project may require both federal and state environmental reviews, but not always both are required for every project
The purpose of an environmental review is to assess the potential environmental impacts of a proposed project before it is undertaken. Key objectives include:
- Informed decision-making
- Full transparency and public engagement in the decision-making process
- Compliance with laws and regulations
- Identification of ways to avoid, minimize, or mitigate impacts
The SAMP NTP environmental review includes 31 proposed projects, which is being conducted to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA). The FAA is the lead agency for NEPA, and we follow their guidance under FAA Order 1050.1F.
Steps in the NEPA Environmental Review Process
The typical environmental assessment process includes:
- Developing the purpose and need for the project and determining potential alternatives that provide a solution.
- Undertaking scoping to understand agency and public concerns that are then addressed in National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documentation.
- Analyzing and documenting the environmental consequences for all alternatives detailed in the NEPA document.
- Conducting public meetings through the analysis process to advise and continue to collect input from agencies, the community and general public, including a public meeting or hearing at the issuance of the draft EA document.
- Addressing comments on the draft NEPA document, which will aid in the preparation of a final NEPA document.
- Ending with either the lead federal agency – in this case, the FAA – issuing a Finding of No Significant Impact/Record of Decision or the lead agency determining that an EIS is required.
Public comment during the environmental review process is provided during formal comment periods. The purpose of public input during this process is to fully understand the potential impacts related to the proposed projects and consider community concerns before a federal agency makes a final decision.