County denies having hand in airport selection process

'We are not directly involved'

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Thurston Regional Planning Council (TRPC) Executive Director Marc Daily stressed that the TRPC and the Lacey Transportation Policy Board are not directly involved in the potential involvement of the region in the state's airport selection process.

Daily said all the information presented during the October 13 Lacey Council work session was based directly on the Commercial Aviation Coordinating Commission (CACC) and the Washington Aviation System Plan (WASP).

"We are not directly involved in this process," said Daily. "We have been closely following this process because of the huge potential for impact to our region."

He explained that in 2020, the Board of County Commissioners and the Port of Olympia voted not to sponsor the expansion of the Olympia Regional Airport. Still, in August 2022, the consultant assisting Washington's Department of Transportation with the ongoing WASP identified ten potential sites for the CACC's consideration, including two locations in Thurston County.

"There isn't anything in statute at this point that says what the state plans to do with the recommendation," said Daily. "Even with a recommendation, we're a long way to go to the state funding and to construct a new airport."

Daily reported that the airport proposal was state-initiated to address the projected unmet 27 million annual passengers by 2050.

Thurston County has formally expressed its opposition to the proposal twice and is currently working on another letter of opposition. 

Daily said he also reached out to the CACC to request engagement on surface transportation issues.

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  • Digger

    With airline travel being a major source of greenhouse gases, we need to turn away from this mode of transportation.

    Tuesday, October 18, 2022 Report this