Issuance of Draft Permit Delayed Again

Issuance of a draft updated water-pollution permit for Sea-Tac Airport has been delayed again, according to the Department of Ecology. The draft is now expected to be made public in February, according to Ed Abbasi, of the Department’s Bellevue office. A public hearing will be held in the Highline area. RCAA plans to release its expert analysis of the draft before the hearing.

Under sec. 402 of the federal Clean Water Act, industrial polluters such as the Airport are required to hold permits to regulate their discharges of polluted water, and such permits are supposed to be renewed and updated every five years. Sea-Tac’s permit ran out in June 2002, but it remains in force while Ecology, the Airport, and the public discuss what should be in the new permit.

Sources say that the updated draft permit will include all the stringent conditions on discharges from the Airport that the Pollution Control Hearings Board spelled out in its order of 12 August 2002.