Portspin

The Port has been wringing its hands over the granting of its section 401 certificate by the the Pollution Controls Hearings Board, as if the Board was imposing sixteen (oh, golly, SIXTEEN!) amazing, new requirements they never heard of before.

The truth: The Federal Clean Water Act was adopted in 1972. The Port has known about it since Day One of this project. The only ruling that was the least bit unusual was the Board's rejection of the idea that someone could bring in contaminated fill and call it "clean".

The Port piously proclaimed in its press release on their appeal that "the Port of Seattle remains committed to building the third runway and all airport construction projects to the highest environmental standards in the State of Washington."

Fact: In its appeal of the order of the Pollution Control Hearings Board, the Port seeks to wipe out half of the environmental safeguards set up by the board for the runway project.

Fact: Lora Lake is a very conspicuous wetland close to Port construction projects. Look what's happened to it in the last year. (photos)