H-0995.3                  _______________________________________________

                                                      HOUSE BILL 1788

                              _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              53rd Legislature                             1993 Regular Session

By Representatives Valle, G. Fisher, Eide, Shin, Wineberry, Leonard, Patterson, Veloria, Brough and Johanson

Read first time 02/08/93.  Referred to Committee on Local Government.

Involving the state in airport siting and funding.

          AN ACT Relating to airport siting; adding a new section to chapter 53.08 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 47.86 RCW; creating a new section; and repealing RCW 53.08.350.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  The legislature finds that the citizens of the state are concerned about the efficiency and effectiveness of the Puget Sound region's air transportation system, but are also concerned about the adverse environmental impacts that busy airports inflict upon their communities.

          It finds that the Puget Sound air transportation committee's flight plan recommendations regarding a regional air transportation system do not adequately address the citizens' concerns about aircraft noise and air pollution.  Further it finds that wishful thinking about the future has supplanted dispassionate analysis of the facts, even as they are presented in the flight plan report itself.

          The legislature also finds that the responsibilities and authorities of local, state, and federal governments involved in air transportation decision-making are often complex and confusing.  Moreover, it finds that local government officials' decisions regarding airport activities in their communities are often controversial, protracted, and ineffective because local demands are often at odds with the needs of the state as a whole.

          Therefore, it is the intent of the legislature to remove airport siting decisions from the responsibilities of local governments and require the state air transportation commission to assume that responsibility, if additional air capacity is needed.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 53.08 RCW to read as follows:

          No county-wide port district in a county with a population of one million or more may construct a runway, or cause a runway to be extended.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.  A new section is added to chapter 47.86 RCW to read as follows:

          The air transportation commission shall determine if additional capacity is required at any airport in the state of Washington.  If additional capacity is required, the commission shall determine where to site it.  However, the commission shall not site additional capacity in a county with a population of one million or more.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.  RCW 53.08.350 and 1992 c 190 s 2 are each repealed.

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