The Commercial Aviation Coordinating Commission (CACC) delivered its final report to state lawmakers, solidifying its conclusion: A major airport should be built somewhere in Washington but not on either of three disputed greenfield sites in Pierce and Thurston counties.
"We are not in a position to make a recommendation with the substantial community opposition at the three finalist sites," one unidentified CACC member wrote in comments within the nine-page report.
The report, submitted July 14, represents the last formal action of the now-defunct group. The CACC was created by the Legislature in 2019 and tasked with identifying a single location for a new commercial airport to meet future demand. Projections indicated two years ago that capacity for air travelers and cargo in the state was nearing its limit.
Ultimately, the commission could not recommend a site, confronting a relentless backlash from communities, lawmakers and others after narrowing choices in September from 10 greenfield sites in the Puget Sound to three in or around Graham, Roy and East Olympia.
In May, Gov. Jay Inslee signed a bill that created a new working group to replace the CACC and investigate Washington's future aviation needs with an aim of information gathering and not identifying any particular site. The legislation was born out of concerns from lawmakers that the CACC's mandated process was flawed, citing limited public engagement due to the pandemic, among other issues.
"Public engagement and consensus building among local government agencies is critical to the advancement of any potential expansion efforts," one unidentified CACC member wrote, according to the report. "Watching that unfold as part of this work reminded me of the importance of a thoughtful and transparent decision-making process. I would strongly encourage public engagement (as well as industry engagement) in future efforts."
During its final meeting last month, the CACC — which disbanded by statute on June 30 — announced what was largely expected: It was not recommending any of the three finalists as a location for a new, two-runway airport. Instead, its last report to the state would simply highlight the results of a 16-question member survey.
One unidentified CACC member said they didn't think the commission was provided with adequate analysis on the three finalist sites, specifically in the areas of community public health and environmental impacts, the report said.
The report includes results of the survey, with previously revealed findings that show the majority of CACC members believe future aviation needs can only be met by employing a yet-to-be-identified greenfield site — a term used to define land where there currently isn't an airport. Most believed that a functional new facility "will only be possible beyond 2050," according to the report, a time frame 10 years past what lawmakers had envisioned in 2019.
CACC members, who suggested that their search had been hampered by their statutory inability to recommend sites in King County or near a military installation, suggested transferring the commission's work to the new group taking over the investigation. It's worth noting that Inslee has sought to prioritize potentially expanding existing airports over immediately exploring greenfield sites again.
In the final line of the report, the commission left a departing message: "The CACC wishes the new work group luck in their journey to solve the future of commercial aviation passenger and cargo capacity needs."
