SENATE BILL REPORT

                   SB 6662

              As Reported By Senate Committee On:

          State & Local Government, February 3, 2000

Title:  An act relating to aircraft noise abatement.

Brief Description:  Providing resources for aircraft noise abatement in schools.

Sponsors:  Senators Patterson, Eide, Heavey and McAuliffe.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  State & Local Government:  1/31/2000, 2/3/2000 [DP, DNP].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON STATE & LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Majority Report:  Do pass.

  Signed by Senators Patterson, Chair; Haugen, Kline and McCaslin.

Minority Report:  Do not pass.

  Signed by Senators Gardner, Vice Chair; Hale and Horn.

Staff:  Roger Brodniak (786-7445)

Background:  Port districts operating a major airport may undertake programs for the purpose of abating the impact of jet aircraft noise on surrounding areas.  Port districts may raise revenue by levy not to exceed 45 cents per thousand dollars of assessed value of taxable property in the district for port purposes, including construction projects.

Summary of Bill:  Port districts may assist public schools in paying for direct and reasonable indirect expenses related to aircraft noise abatement.

A port district with a population of one million or more operating an airport serving more than 20 scheduled jet aircraft flights per day (Sea-Tac) must do the following:

(1) Undertake a program for alleviating and abating the impact of jet aircraft noise, with particular attention paid to schools in the impacted area.  This may include providing money to assist school districts in constructing, improving, or repairing school facilities when the project is related to aircraft noise abatement;

(2) Use available federal funds, airport revenues, or property tax revenue to pay for the direct costs of aircraft noise abatement for schools in the impacted area; and

(3) If the amount does not directly impair port contracts, use at least 10 percent of its revenue acquired by property taxes for aircraft noise abatement programs for schools in the impacted area.

If the port district and a school district cannot agree on a method to mitigate noise, the port district must pay for all direct aircraft noise abatement costs, and half of all indirect aircraft noise abatement costs.  All other indirect aircraft noise abatement costs are paid by the school district and the state.

If the port district and a school district cannot agree on what is a direct or indirect expense, the matter is sent to arbitration in Thurston County Superior Court.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  The impacts of airport noise are severe.  15 schools are located in the flight paths for jets at Sea-Tac Airport.  Students in these schools are impacted negatively relative to other students around the state.

Testimony Against:  The port district has already worked with school districts to study the problem and implement noise abatement programs.  It is difficult to agree on the cost of building upgrades.  How quiet is Aquiet@?

Testified:  Terry Finn, Isabel Safara, Lynae Jacobsen, Port of Seattle (con); Karen Tarabochia, Saint Philomena School (pro); Pat Jones, WA Public Ports Assn. (con); Representative Shay Schual-Berke (pro); Tom Slattery, Highline School Board (pro)..