RCAA On-Line Library--Community Impacts: Equity and Cost Shifting

RCAA ON-LINE LIBRARY

Equity and Cost Shifting

Issues in Brief: A basic Port of Seattle strategy is to shift its costs for the Airport onto others (with less ability to pay, & little ability to protest). The Port does nothing about the health problems arising from air pollution or noise. The Port provides no relief to home-owners or businesses whose property values are harmed by noise. The Port does not make compensating payments to local governments for lost revenues. The Port is dilatory in following sound environmental practices in dealing with water pollution, leaving the people and cities downstream to feel the impacts & to try to undo the harm at their own expense. The Port's plan for financing runway construction & other expansion projects appears to be to continue selling bonds backed by future real-estate taxes to be collected by the Port. The Port's share of the cost of the noise-mitigation program in local schools is being paid out of real-estate taxes levied county-wide (including residents in the school district most heavily impacted by noise – who are also paying equal amounts into the program through a local bond issue!).

All of these costs, & others, should be part of the cost of doing business as an airport, & they should be met from the operating revenues of the Airport. Most of these costs fall on the people who live closest to the Airport. But they are not the people who are the primary users of the Airport, nor do they derive unusual benefits from the Airport. When the Port shifts costs, it mostly shifts them on to people who are already suffering from Airport activities.

Documents:

Helmuth, Obata + Kassabaum, Inc. Dallas, Texas, Raytheon Infrastructure Services, Inc., Denver & Philadelphia, in association with Thomas/Lane & Associates, Inc., SeaTac International Airport Impact Mitigation Study: Initial Assessment and Recommendations, February, 1997. Appendix A: Equity Issues and Socio-Economic Impacts. This section of the HOK Report examines the economic benefits and costs to the locally impacted communities. It generally concludes that the communities shoulder heavy costs for the impacts but receive relatively small amount of the benefits from the airport. [Acrobat version - 81 KB, 12 pages]

RCAA Home Library Portal Background Introduction History, Chronology Charts and Graphs Photo Archive Maps, Flight Tracks Shelf List Purpose, Need, Alternatives Purpose and Need Alternatives Impacts Environ. Impact Statements Community Overview Air Pollution Equity and Cost Shifting Health Impacts on Local Govt's Noise Residential Impacts Social Changes Schools Water Pollution Wetlands and Streams Construction, Engineering Issues The Embankment Fill Other Elements Earthquake Risks Economics Rising Costs Costs Omitted Indirect Costs Comparable Projects Dumb Idea at Any Price Port Spin RCAA Newsletters Latest Edition Newsletter Archive Other Regional Airports		RCAA ON-LINE LIBRARY Equity and Cost Shifting Issues in Brief: A basic Port of Seattle strategy is to shift its costs for the Airport onto others (with less ability to pay, & little ability to protest). The Port does nothing about the health problems arising from air pollution or noise. The Port provides no relief to home-owners or businesses whose property values are harmed by noise. The Port does not make compensating payments to local governments for lost revenues. The Port is dilatory in following sound environmental practices in dealing with water pollution, leaving the people and cities downstream to feel the impacts & to try to undo the harm at their own expense. The Port's plan for financing runway construction & other expansion projects appears to be to continue selling bonds backed by future real-estate taxes to be collected by the Port. The Port's share of the cost of the noise-mitigation program in local schools is being paid out of real-estate taxes levied county-wide (including residents in the school district most heavily impacted by noise – who are also paying equal amounts into the program through a local bond issue!). All of these costs, & others, should be part of the cost of doing business as an airport, & they should be met from the operating revenues of the Airport. Most of these costs fall on the people who live closest to the Airport. But they are not the people who are the primary users of the Airport, nor do they derive unusual benefits from the Airport. When the Port shifts costs, it mostly shifts them on to people who are already suffering from Airport activities. Documents: Helmuth, Obata + Kassabaum, Inc. Dallas, Texas, Raytheon Infrastructure Services, Inc., Denver & Philadelphia, in association with Thomas/Lane & Associates, Inc., SeaTac International Airport Impact Mitigation Study: Initial Assessment and Recommendations, February, 1997. Appendix A: Equity Issues and Socio-Economic Impacts. This section of the HOK Report examines the economic benefits and costs to the locally impacted communities. It generally concludes that the communities shoulder heavy costs for the impacts but receive relatively small amount of the benefits from the airport. [Acrobat version - 81 KB, 12 pages] Home \| What's the Latest? \| Links \| Library \| Newsletter \| About Us