State Representative Dave Upthegrove (D-33: Sea-Tac, Des Moines, Normandy Park and part of Kent and Burien) sent the following message, relevant to Beaconians who, like the folks in Upthegrove’s district, live under a flight path:

Dear Neighbors,

As you know, our August 19th Community Meeting on Airport Noise was attended by more people than the venue could accommodate. I know that many of you took time away from your families and other duties to attend this meeting and I apologize to everyone who was turned away. Please know that simply by showing up, you helped to demonstrate just how deeply this issue affects our community.

We have scheduled a follow-up meeting to accommodate those who were turned away last month. Please join me, along with Senator Karen Keiser, Representative Tina Orwall, Des Moines City Councilwoman Susan White, and King County Councilmember Julia Patterson, to discuss airport flight operations and noise mitigation programs.

While the state legislature and county and city governments have no direct authority over SeaTac Airport flight operations (where and when planes fly), we have heard from many of you with questions and concerns about increased noise since the third runway has gone into use. This meeting will be an opportunity to hear directly from the Noise Programs Manager at SeaTac Airport and to ask questions and share information and concerns.

Follow-up Community Meeting on Airport Noise
Tuesday Evening
September 29th
7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
WA State Criminal Justice Training Commission Auditorium:
19010 1st Ave S, Burien

Some of the questions to be addressed:

• Who decides who gets money for noise insulation?
• Who is responsible for determining runway usage and flight patterns?
• How does current use of the Third Runway compare with previous projections?
• How has airplane noise changed in the last decade?
• How can community members monitor and track runway usage and flight operations?

Noise from airport operations significantly impacts our quality of life.
The more informed we are about how flight decisions are made and how noise mitigation funding decisions are made, then the more effective we all can be advocating for the interests of our community.

Thanks to Curtis Bonney, Patty Fong, and Brett Fish for passing this info around.

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