Water Pollution Historical Documents
(1948-1957)

Letter dated July 17, 1957 from Washington State Department of Game to Local District Supervisor

Letter relating telephone conversation with Washington State Pollution Control Commission discussing drainage from Sea-Tac airport causing fish kills in Miller Creek., including the recent plant of fish just prior to the opening of fishing season. Suggestions made to eliminate Miller Creek from future fish planting until problem is solved as well as contact newspapers about the problem.

Letter dated June 20, 1957 from Kenneth R. Jones, Metropolitan Engineering Manager to Earle Bigler, Manager of Sea-Tac Airport

Letter from Pollution Control Board confirming conversation with Port of Seattle assistant airport manager concerning recent killing of over 1,000 Rainbow Trout 8-10 inches in length as a result of discharge of "plane wash waters". Letter states "[t]he most desirable system to provide proper disposal facilities in a single facility rather than in separate treatment units for each airline. Treatment will probably consist of adequate oil separation and chemical removal of emulsified oils and sludges."

Inter-Office Memorandum dated June 5, 1957 issued by Washington State Pollution Control Commission

Memorandum reports meeting with Sea-Tac Airport Assistant Manager to discuss fill kill reported by Department of Game. The two agree to write a letter concerning the situation.

Letter dated May 20, 1957 from Washington State Pollution Control Commission

Letter from Pollution Control Commissions concerning kill of planted trout states "the Sea-Tac airport will have to apply for a waste discharge permit and we will have to run a bio-assay on the existing effluent."

Letter dated March 30, 1954 from State of Washington Pollution Control Commission to Chief Engineer, Port of Seattle

Letter from Pollution Control Commission to Port concerning waste filtration facilities proposed by Port states "[i]t is our opinion that the installation you proposed will accomplish very little under present conditions" and that " there is a definite need to separate the oily wastes from the storm sewer or to provide adequate treatment for the combined wastes."

Letter dated February 15, 1954 from State of Washington Pollution Control Commission to Port of Seattle

Letter noting that oil separators installed by airline tenants fail to control waste and noting that the Port's proposal to run oily waste through a sand filter "will accomplish very little toward adequately and permanently solving the waste disposal problem." Letter also notes that the Port's airline leases require the Port "to provide adequate waste disposal facilities."

Letter dated November 12, 1953 from State Representative Andy Hess (31st District) to State Pollution Control Board

A scathing letter to the State Pollution Control Commission recapping the events of the past seven years. Representative Hess recounts that a property owner has filed suit for damages, naming the Port of Seattle as defendant, and cites the allegations in the complaint which include ". . . . said . . . waters . . . . have deposited vast quantities of oil, grease, and foreign and harmful substances upon plaintiffs's soil, impregnating the same so that on 8/19/52 a sample of said soil showed a deposit of oil amounting to 620 gallons per acre." . . . "That said waters, discharged by defendants aforesaid (Port of Seattle), have left a black crusty material on the tree trunks and brush and over the ground which is of sufficient oil content that the same ignites and burns with a smoky oily flame."

Letter dated April 22, 1953 from Pollution Control Commission to Port of Seattle

Letter approving plans for increasing the size of the lagoon for "Plane Wash Waste"

Letter dated April 21, 1953 from Port of Seattle to Pollution Control Commission

Letter stating that the Port is "doubling the size of the lagoon near the sough margin of the airport property."

Letter dated March 5, 1953 from Port of Seattle to State Pollution Control Commission

Letter discussing use of "a separator pit for separating grease and other impurities form plane wash waste before emptying into Port of Seattle drainage system or elsewhere on the property" as a temporary installation "until such time as a permanent system can be developed."

Letter dated October 30, 1952 from Leo A. Daly Company to Washington State Pollution Control Commission

Letter reporting that the results of a laboratory test to dilute waste oil and emulsified oils unsatisfactory.

Letter dated September 27, 1951 from Des Moines resident to State Pollution Commission

Letter concerning "pollution of Des Moines Creek, caused by the dumpling of airplane washings and oil from the Seattle-Tacoma Airport . . ." noting "[t]his condition has existed now for over four years, with the result that a large area of our property has become impregnated with oil and scum due to the overflow from the "settling pit" finding its way into the airport storm sewer."

Letter dated January 29, 1951

Letter from Pollution Control Commission to Northwest Air Lines concerning "accidental spilling of heavy oil in the Northwest Airlines hanger, and failure of the Airlines to keep the oil sump cleaned."

Letter dated March 31, 1950 from N.E. Waggoner, Senior Public Health Engineer to Port of Seattle

Letter noting that "[d]uring a recent inspection of the United Airlines Hanger at the Seattle-Tacoma Airport on March 29, 1050, it was found that employees were dumping oil into the sanitary sewers."

Letter dated December 9, 1949 from Assistant Director & Associate Engineer to Chief Engineer, Port of Seattle.

Letter issued by State Pollution Control Board stating "We are preparing to issue an order requiring complete removal of airplane washings from the storm sewer and from Des Moines Creek. We are convinced that anything less than that will always be subject to accidents and much controversy."

Letter dated November 12, 1949 from City of Seattle and King County Department of Public Health to State of Washington Pollution Control Division

Letter from the Health Department refers complaints regarding the matter of "waste wash water from the Northwest Airlines hanger at Bow Lake Airport" to the State's Pollution Control Commission.

Memorandum dated June 25, 1948 from State of Washington Pollution Control Division

Memorandum of meeting attended by Seattle Port Commissioners, the Port's Chief Engineer, the Director and the Chief Biologist of Washington State Pollution Control Commission. Attendees suggest that the Port "dig a large pit in the vicinity of the hangers where the planes are washed, so as to run the drainage waters into it . . ."

Report dated June 8, 1948 from Laucks Laboratories - "Preliminary Report on Contamination at Bow Lake Airport"

Report describing the material used to wash aircraft and possible means of treatment of this material after the operation of washing aircraft.

Letter dated May 26, 1948 from the Port of Seattle

Letter noting the Port has just completed design of the sewage treatment plant for the airport requests information as to whether the treatment plant will treat the emulsifying agents used to wash airplanes.

Memorandum dated April 16, 1948 from State of Washington Pollution Control Commission

Memorandum relates Port of Seattle Chief Engineer stating that since the Port commissioners had requested the airlines cease polluting Des Moines Creek he assumed the airlines had ceased doing so and that "the rest is up to the State Pollution Control Commission." Memo includes a citation of letter from attorney representing airline tenant and states "we feel that at an early date the Port of Seattle will recognize its obligations both to us and to the State and thereupon undertake corrective procedures."

Letter dated April 15, 1948 from Port of Seattle to Northwest Airlines

Letter references previous correspondence with the airline tenants concerning "pollution that is taking place in Des Moines Creek" and alleges that continued discharges of detergent into Des Moines creek by the tenant constitutes a violation of the tenants lease with the Port.

Letter dated January 27, 1948 from State of Washington Department of Game to President of the Angle Lake Community Club

Letter acknowledging receipt of a resolution of the Angle Lake Community Club and requesting that the Department of Game replant fish in the stream "which originates in Bow Lake". The Department of Game writes "[w]e do not feel justified in making plants of valuable fish if they are to be periodically subjected to the lethal effluence from the airport."

Letter dated December 17, 1947 from Washington State's Pollution Control Commission to Airline Tenant at Sea-Tac Airport

Letter discusses that "[i]nvestigation has disclosed that the caustic materials used in washing the airplanes drain into Des Moines Creek and have killed all the fish." The letter requests that other means of disposing of drainage "be inaugurated at once."

Petition dated November 17, 1947 from property owners to State Pollution Control Commission

Petition signed by nine property owners near Sea-Tac airport requesting that the State take action "to compel the Seattle Tacoma Airport at Bow Lake to cease pollution of the waters of the Des Moines Creek by drainage from the hangers."

Memorandum dated November 12, 1947 from State of Washington Pollution Control Division to its Chief Biologist

Memorandum describing an inspection which revealed that drainage from "Bow Lake Airport" (Former name for Sea-Tac Airport) "finds its way into Des Moines Creek" and that dead fish had been noticed in the stream.

Letter dated October 6, 1947 from Lauck's Laboratories Inc. to Port of Seattle

Letter from testing laboratory to Port of Seattle Chief Engineer describing how cleaning detergents and emulsifying agents used at the airport are being rinsed into local storm sewers.