People who oppose a new airport in Pierce County rallied in McKenna on Saturday, Nov. 12 to display signs in opposition of the measure.
There are two locations in Pierce County and one in Thurston County that were recently recommended by the Commercial Aviation Coordinating Commission as being feasible “greenfields” for a new commercial airport, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation.
The commission is aiming to create a new airport and airfield by 2040 as the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is expected to exceed its capacity by 2050.
The possibility that a major airport could be built in Pierce County has worried state and county representatives, who raised their concerns about issues construction would cause. These concerns were raised in the commission’s report, and included needed infrastructure upgrades, noise, impacts to the environment and disruptions to the rural character of the proposed site land.
