Dear friends and neighbors,

While airports are an important part of Washington’s economy, they also have adverse environmental and health effects on those who live nearby.

In King County, the majority of Black, Hispanic, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander residents live within 10 miles of Sea-Tac Airport. A 2019 study by the King County Department of Health found this population faces a greater risk of premature birth, asthma, stroke, diabetes, heart disease, chronic pulmonary disease, lower life expectancy and higher rates of death.

But there are things we can do

I teamed up with Sen. Karen Keiser on companion bills (HB 2103 / SB 5955) to address the health and environmental inequities in communities around Sea-Tac Airport.

The measures would require port districts to use a portion of levy revenues to mitigate the effects of noise and air pollution on people who live near large airports. The goal is to reduce noise and air pollution by providing soundproofing for residences, air purifiers for schools, and increased green space, among other interventions.

Hearings on Tuesday

Our bills will be heard on Tuesday. If you have a story on how airport activity has affected your daily life, please consider testifying at the public hearings. If you are able to come to Olympia, that’s great, but you can also provide testimony remotely or in writing. Click on the links to the bills (HB 2103 / SB 5955), you will see a menu with green buttons on the right side. Click on “Sign Up to Testify / Submit Written Testimony” and follow the instructions on how to get your story on the legislative record! Here’s the schedule for the hearings: SB 5955: Senate Local Government, Land Use & Tribal Affairs Committee, 8 a.m., Tuesday, Jan. 16, in Senate Hearing Room 3 and on TVW HB 2103: House Local Government Committee, 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, Jan. 16, in House Hearing Room E and on TVW

Press Conference on Monday

Sen. Keiser and I will hold a press conference on these bills on Monday, Jan. 15 at 9 a.m. in the Senate Rules Room, Office of the Lieutenant Governor, 220A, Legislative Building, Olympia.

If this issue is important to you and you’d like to talk to the media about how airport activity is affecting your daily life, please join us!

The press conference will also be available to stream live and on replay on TVW at this link.

Thank you for your interest in this important matter. Our district is right on the path of hundreds of flights. It’s time to work on solutions.

Sincerely,