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RCAA – Keeping a Low Profile An interview with Larry Corvari, President of the The following is an interview with Larry Corvari, President of the Regional Commission on Airport Affairs (16 June 2005) Truth in Aviation: President Larry, RCAA seems to have been very quiet in the last few months. Larry Corvari: We've been quiet but busy. TiA: Busy at what? L.C.: Still working on community-impact issues connected to Sea-Tac Airport, as always. TiA: Such as what? L.C. Right now, our focus is on the pollution that rolls out of the Airport and into local streams, and, eventually, into Puget Sound. Most people know that the Airport generates a lot of noise, and most people know that the Airport is a big contributor to problems on the freeways, but very few people are aware that Sea-Tac is one of the biggest industrial polluters in the whole State. TiA: What sorts of pollution? L.C.: Water pollution is the big issue that we're looking at. Aircraft and Airport ground vehicles contaminate the working areas with copper, de-icing compounds (glycols), fall-out from exhaust, drippings of grease and oil – all sorts of lovely stuff. This all will end up in local lakes and streams, and in the Sound, unless it's dealt with. TiA: Where does RCAA fit in? L.C.: We're taking a hard look at the anti-pollution measures that the Airport is supposed to be implementing, as required by the Department of Ecology. The Airport is not allowed to dump any pollution into public waters, except in compliance with its pollution permit, issued by Ecology. And that permit is being re-written, because a State appeal board said that the permit wasn't tough enough. We're closely tracking that re-writing process, and we're supplying expert comments to Ecology, to support a better permit TiA: Is this doing any good? L.C.: We think, very much so. We're able to provide very accurate technical information to give support to Ecology's desire to do the right thing. Our work is successful in counteracting incomplete and inaccurate information that the Airport and its consultants have tried to rely on. We've taken over where the former Airport Communities Coalition left off, when it disbanded last year. TiA: Can you give an example? L.C.: Here's one, one of many. The Airport has been dumping wastewater into Puget Sound in very large quantities, without treatment to remove de-icing compounds – primarily glycols. As most people know, glycols are hazardous to most forms of animal life. You don't dump old anti-freeze down the sewer. The Airport shouldn't send water that's contaminated with glycols into the Sound, either. They've resisted any effort |