No runway construction this year

After four years of hauling fill to the site of the proposed third runway, the Port of Seattle has been forced to stop importation of fill for the runway embankment.

The Port put two major projects up for bid early in the year, but was forced to withdraw both, because it did not have a wetlands-filling permit from the Army Corps of Engineers and because its water-quality certificate from the State was on appeal.

The first project to be cancelled was moving about 960 linear feet of Miller Creek, and filling of near-by wetlands.

Next, lack of permits forced the Port to cancel its bid announcement for moving an estimated $50 million worth of fill to the embankment site, the main construction work planned for the Year 2002 construction season.

The bid announcements for both projects were published with a caveat that everything was contingent on the sec. 401 and 404 processes coming to a conclusion with results favorable to the Port. Of course, the sec. 401 certificate from the State was stayed by the Pollution Control Hearings Board, and the Army Engineers are still waiting for the outcome of the State process.

So, no fill material is being hauled into the Airport for the runway during the present construction season.

Some trucks are arriving empty and then leaving the Airport with "materials unsuitable for fill", according to the Port. Apparently this does not mean removal of fill previously received, and known to be contaminated. It does include some earth that has been delivered to outside projects

And some trucks, it is reported, are bringing something in—but the purpose is unknown for sure. We believe that some materials are being moved from one part of the Airport to another. It is important to remember that one can see a lot of trucks out on the highways, hauling fill, but the great majority of those trucks are not connected with the Airport in any way.