Sea-Tac Needs $192.6 Million for
Two-Year Runway Construction Project

The apparent low bid for third-runway work planned for the next two years totals $192.6 million, according to figures released by Sea-Tac Airport on Monday, March 8. The bid, still under review, came from a consortium, TTI Constructors LLC, made up of three of the larger local construction firms, Scarsella Brothers, Gary Merlino, & Tri-State. Although nearly 20 firms were plan-holders, one other bid, totaling $201.9 million, was received, submitted by Kiewit Pacific Co. Port engineers had estimated the costs at $188 million.

Contrary to some reports, the bid has not been awarded. The bid documents are under review by Port staff, & also by the Department of Ecology. No deadline has been announced for the actual award.

The Airport's public-relations spokesman Bob Parker told the Daily Journal of Commerce that the work could be done “according to the current law”. Mr Parker indicated to Truth in Aviation that “current law” did not include the restrictions placed on use of the Synthetic Precipitation Leaching Procedure (“SPLP”) in the ruling of the Pollution Control Hearings Board now under appeal before the Supreme Court. In the Airport's view, the passage of the “dirty fill bill” (SSB 5787) in 2003 overruled the order of the Board.

Ecology Breaks Its Promise to Supreme Court

The Airport Communities Coalition takes a different view: In a letter dated March 19, the ACC's lead attorney, Peter Eglick, cautioned the Department of Ecology not to rely on the dirty-fill bill as an excuse to allow contaminated fill into the embankment. Mr Eglick reminded Ecology that the Department had made a commitment to the Supreme Court that it would not “[take] any immediate action based on SSB 5787”. It was on that basis that the Court dismissed the petition of ACC directly challenging the constitutionality of SSB 5787.

Recently, ACC has obtained documents that indicate that Ecology has violated this commitment. Within three months of its assurance to the Court, Ecology authorized a Work Plan allowing the Port to use the SPLP procedure to approve fill for the next two years' work – estimated at nine million cubic yards. The Work Plan To Qualify Fill Materials, dated October 3, 2003, states that under specified conditions [fill fails the usual test for various metals], “the fill source supplier may used the Synthetic Precipitation Leaching Procedure … . “ The SPLP procedure may also be used to allow the Port to use fill contaminated with PCBs.

Mr Eglick called upon Ecology to advise the Port, immediately, that actions to import fill under the provisions of the dirty-fill bill “would be illegal, unpermitted, and actionable”.

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