Third-Runway Fill-Haul Trucks
Break the Rules – As Expected

The ambitious 2004-2005 schedule for hauling fill to the site of the Sea-Tac Airport third-runway embankment has always been regarded by critics of the runway project as being unrealistic. During the Fall months, the Regional Commission on Airport Affairs and Citizens Against Sea-Tac Expansion received constant complaints from citizens about fill trucks traveling too fast, too close together, & overloaded. Both groups have asked area legislators to help protect the local communities. Sen. Erik Poulsen is reported to be drafting legislation for greater enforcement of weight limits on the trucks. Other legislators have been in touch with the State Patrol (WSP) to encourage more Patrol attention to the trucks. A particular problem is that most of the trucks are running at night, when the Patrol has no-one on duty to check on their actions.

Residents of Maple Valley have complained about a sharp increase in truck traffic through their community from the Kangley gravel pit – greatly exceeding the number of daily trips allowed, & running at times of day when such trips were prohibited. It turns out that the pit operator has now applied to King County's Department of Development & Environmental Services for amendment of its long-standing permit, to allow truck hauling hours to be expanded from the present limits of 6 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday to all hours excep t 3:30 to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday (20.5 hours a day!) and from 12 a.m.(midnight) to 9p.m. on Saturdays. The revision also bumps the number of allowable trips up to 400 trips per day, 46 per hour. Public comments on this huge increase were to close on Monday, December 11; however, we now understand that comments will be received through Friday Dec. 17. (Send them to paul.meyer@metrokc.gov)

The Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce reported in its December 10 issue that weight violations by fill haul trucks are endemic, despite a very low number of citations having been issued. A whistleblower from the state patrol says the few trucks actually cited are just the tip of a very heavy iceberg on south King County roadways.

The DJC quotes former WSP commercial vehicle enforcement officer Art Farash as saying, "The Third Runway Project is a big overweight problem". Farash who retired in September after 14 years with the state patrol, is now serving in Iraq. "In the four-month period before I retired, I must have issued well over $20,000 in overweight citations to CTI," he said. City Transfer, Inc., of Sumner, is one of five trucking companies hauling fill to the third runway project for prime contractor TTI Constructors.

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