When the newest iteration of a group tasked with relieving Washington’s projected aviation capacity shortage held its inaugural meeting, community members weighed in on the committee, its members and its mission.
The Commercial Aviation Work Group (CAWG) – which first met on Thursday, July 11, at the Capital Event Center in Tumwater – is a newly convened, state-appointed committee.
The all-day meeting included a 20-minute time frame for members of the public attending the meeting in person or via Zoom to speak. Each speaker received a maximum of two minutes.
One man, who identified himself as a resident of Tacoma, stated, “Twenty minutes of public comment for an eight-hour meeting is not enough.” He observed, “The last effort was doomed to fail.” He exhorted the new committee, “Be transparent; listen to the public.” He added that if thousands of people oppose a proposed airport site, the group should pay attention.
The CACC (Commercial Aviation Coordinating Commission; CAWG’s predecessor), had proposed a site for a major airport in Thurston County, two more sites in adjacent Pierce County, and another in southern King County. The public overwhelmingly opposed these proposals.
Following public backlash – including the efforts of the organization Stop the Airport (a group opposed to building a large commercial airport in Thurston County) and a partner group in Pierce County, along with hundreds of emails to government officials and hundreds of people attending protests – the Washington legislature passed a bill which Gov. Jay Inslee signed into law in May 2023. The legislation scrapped the CACC, declared the four proposed sites permanently off the table, and established CAWG as CACC’s successor.
Local governments in Thurston County also played an important role in opposing the recommended sites. The County Board of Commissioners drafted a letter opposing the construction of the airport in Thurston County, and the mayors of Lacey, Olympia, Rainier, Tenino, Tumwater and Yelm, along with the Port of Olympia, signed the letter. The Thurston County Chamber of Commerce likewise opposed a new airport here.
Dawn Sonntag, founder of Stop the Airport, was among those speaking out at the CAWG meeting’s public comment period. She spoke both during the public comment period and later with The JOLT.
“We signed a request with the State (Superior) Court for legal action to stop the CACC,” she stated. “Mike Butters did the legal research.” She added that this request led to the bill and Stop the Airport “chose to stop that legal action.”
Sonntag pointed out that she and the organization “made certain requests and would not support the bill unless these requests were met. Citizen reps should include tribal members.”
At CAWG’s meeting, though, she questioned how the government kept its word.
Sonntag commented, “The composition of this group does not appear to represent the intention of the bill. “Why were the citizen representatives all part of the aviation industry? Is this group even legal?”
“I know people who applied who have a lot of experience, such as on city councils, and they’re not here. If there’s a plan, they can openly discuss with us why the workgroup is composed of these people. If they want us to trust the system, they need to be open,” Sonntag added.
Moreover, “nobody who opposed the greenfields [the proposed sites for the airport] was selected for this committee.” Sonntag remarked that she is glad not to be part of the CAWG because then she would be restrained from speaking to the media. (The group agreed in its initial meeting that neither members nor the interim chairman should speak to the media).
Another member community member who spoke identified herself as Ursula Euler, and although she spoke as an individual citizen, she said that she is a volunteer with the community group 350 Seattle. She added that she was an observer of the CACC.
Euler requested that the citizen representatives include their affiliation with commercial aviation when they introduced themselves. “These are not the right people at the table here,” she remarked about the group’s composition.
“The CACC also had non-voting members, but they were allowed to vote on important issues. Please keep non-voting members non-voting,” Euler urged the new group.
“The government should represent the people, not commercial interests. That’s not happening here and across the nation. We need to start getting the government back to working for the people,” she exhorted.
Some speakers indicated they live in houses in one of the designated greenfields. One man said that he bought a home with his wife two years ago, and now they have a daughter. He voiced concern about the lack of representation on CAWG. “There is nobody in the work group who lives in the greenfield,” he noted.
Another person argued, “Don’t use the word ‘greenfield’—it impacts us residents. It’s not rural, green fields and pastures. Call it what it is,” he demanded.
Another resident of spoke out about plumbing companies being shut down if the airport is built while there is already a shortage of plumbers. He recalled buying his home in 2013 after having worked half his life to be able to afford it. “If you think I’m going to let you take my home and my business – I will fight it,” he declared.
The comments in opposition to a new major airport and to the group’s composition continued. They included the following.
To stay current on the Commercial Aviation Work Group, keep an eye on its website. community members are welcome to submit comments to the CAWG contact page, and they may submit questions via email.
Editor's note: Stop the Airport filed a request for legal action with the State Attorney General, and were given legal standing to have the request considered by the State Superior Court, not the State Supreme Court. The article was adjusted to reflect such.
5 comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here
TomBoucher
Thank you, JOLT for covering this. It's hard to find anything on the Olympian site. I could support more use of existing capacity if it came with light rail extension.
Friday, July 26, 2024 Report this
JanWitt
Thank you, Jolt, for covering and facilitating discussion of this important issue.
Governor Inslee vetoed several sections of the bill that established the Aviation Work Group. The Governor's explanation for one portion of the veto stated: "...Section 3 directs the Work Group to simultaneously consider expanding capacity at existing airports and siting a new airport. However, it is important for the state to first fully consider increasing capacity at existing airports throughout the state, excluding SeaTac, before it considers siting a new airport...."
The Aviation Work Group website states: "The group is not out to build a new airport, the group's goal is to evaluate the long-range commercial aviation and transportation needs of the state, including alternatives for additional aviation capacity which includes expanding use of existing airports and multi-modal opportunities.
In other words - indications are that, at least initially, this Work Group is going to focus on potential expansion of existing airports.
During meetings of the (now defunct) CACC, those in favor of accommodation of unfettered growth in aviation repeatedly expressed opinions that the Olympia Airport should be expanded to help address the projected future capacity deficiency at SeaTac Airport of 400,000 annual commercial (passenger and cargo) operations, as well as to accommodate projected significant growth in general aviation.
Port of Olympia officials and consultants have been working on an Update for the Olympia Airport Master Plan. That Update outlines plans for expansion of airport infrastructure, including a new passenger terminal, 500 parking spaces with room for more, an aircraft deicing facility, a new turf runway, more aircraft hangers, refurbishment of a portion of the main airport runway (which will likely include runway strengthening to accommodate heavier aircraft). and much more.
While promoting airport growth, Port officials have resisted doing an assessment of cumulative direct and indirect adverse environmental impacts of such growth. They've also stated that local citizens have no control over where aircraft fly, over numbers or types of aircraft that utilize the airport or over hours of operation.
The Olympia Airport is an urban airport. Flight paths go directly over nearby residential neighborhoods, schools and parks to the north as well as a State Park, wildlife preserves and farms to the south. Increased aircraft flights in Thurston County - either due to a new airport or expansion of the existing Olympia Airport - would bring significant adverse impacts, including increased noise and air pollution, serious public health risks, depreciation of residential property values (particularly under ever-increasing numbers of flight paths) and diminished quality of life.
An expanded Olympia Airport or a new mega airport in Thurston County would undermine years of climate mitigation planning and change the character of our communities.
Plans for an expanded Olympia Airport or a new airport in Thurston County should be opposed. More sustainable alternatives must be explored and promoted - including expanded rail service and life-style changes.
Saturday, July 27, 2024 Report this
BobJacobs
This airport planning effort is a very serious threat to our quality of life in Thurston County. We need to vigorously oppose any consideration of a large airport here in any way we can. This includes attending and testifying at all meetings of the group, sending letters to the editor, and getting local elected officials to clearly and firmly oppose any new or expanded commercial airport facilities here.
Bob Jacobs
Saturday, July 27, 2024 Report this
wildnature
I firmly oppose any new or expanded commercial airport facilities here.
Saturday, July 27, 2024 Report this
FirstOtter
Last year a large group of Thurston county residents met the Port of Olympia in their chamber. We were protesting the expansion of Olympia's Regional Airport.
We were peaceful and respectful of the Port's board. We obeyed their 3 minute testimony limit. We were courteous and civil. We even dropped our signs so that the NO EXPANSION OF OPERATIONS didn't show up on their videos.
We read them information from their own Plan...that being the dreadful concept of more than 600 departures and landings of large jets, both cargo and passenger jets. One of the Port members said that number wasn't true. Only when one of us read that number from the POrt's own plan, verbatim, did the member back off. Apparently he didn't either read his own plan or think us smart enough to read it and repeat it.
Their reaction to our testimonies...and all of our testimonies were against any expansion of runways, coupled with more and larger aircraft-was an eye rolling, heavy sighs emitted barely constrained tolerance.
THey had the same body language of a bored teenager being told for the umpteenth time to behave. Their faces said it all..."are you done talking because I have more important things to do'. Not a one of them seemed at all concerned that the vast majority of Thurston county residents...some of whom live on the other side of the airport's fence..had any real reason to object to their bulldozing their plans over us. They all treated us nothing but a bunch of whiners getting in their way. How dare we object..even more how dare we even attempt to tell them NO.
THey have this thing all planned and ready to shove up our backends. It's time to completely disband the Port of Olympia, defund them, put them out of a job. No, wait. It's not a job, it's a Position. Well paid and free of any responsiblility to the employer...US.
Sunday, July 28, 2024 Report this