Paine Field debate about to heat up

Whether you love or hate the idea of commercial flights at Paine Field, three public hearings will soon give you the chance to air your opinion on a study of the potential impacts.

A group that wants regular commercial service plans to point to the study as proof that adding a few daily takeoffs and landings at the Snohomish County airport would create little additional noise, pollution or ground traffic.

Opponents are readying to argue that the consultants relied on assumptions that minimized the true effects.

The first scheduled hearing is in Meadowdale on Monday, followed by another in Everett on Tuesday.

“If people are interested, they should get themselves informed. Get educated and be heard,” county executive director Peter Camp said. “It’ll be an opportunity for people to speak and be educated.”

This week, the Federal Aviation Administration added a third hearing in Lynnwood on Jan. 21 because of concerns the earlier dates were too close to the holidays.

Specifically, officials are seeking comments on a draft environmental assessment of proposals by two airlines to schedule commercial flights from Paine Field. Comments are more helpful when supported by data, such as decibel readings, said Mike Fergus, a regional FAA spokesman.

“We believe we have an adequate document,” Fergus said. “What we’re looking for in the public comments is substantial information that the (environmental assessment) has not addressed.”

Save Our Communities, a group that opposes the commercial flights, intends to offer criticism because of worries that consultants paid too little attention to what might happen at the airport in the future, said Greg Hauth, the group’s vice president. Consultants, in his opinion, failed to account for expanded flight schedules or carriers changing the type of planes they use.

“We think the report needs a lot of work,” Hauth said. “It is reasonable to assume a large increase in activity level in the future.”

The cities of Mukilteo, Edmonds, Lynnwood, Mountlake Terrace and Woodway have approved resolutions opposing passenger flights at the airport.

“Definitely the city does plan on attending,” Mukilteo Mayor Joe Marine said. “We have talked to our legal team. We will be submitting through them some comments.”

Citizens Right to Fly from Paine Field, a group that supports commercial service, welcomes the chance to talk about the study.

“This is the discussion that we’ve been desiring for many, many years now,” said Todd Brunner, a co-chairman of the group. “This is bringing out data and not emotion.”

The county-owned airport south of Everett primarily serves the Boeing Co. and other aerospace companies, as well as private aircraft.

Horizon Airlines of Seattle wants to fly four times a day to Portland, Ore., and twice daily to Spokane, using 75-seat Bombardier Q400 turboprop airplanes on both routes.

“The aircraft that we use is one of the quietest aircraft in commercial service, so the fact that (the study) made that comment about noise did not surprise us,” said Dan Russo, Horizon’s vice president of marketing and communications. “Comparing that to a similar size jet aircraft, it uses 30 to 40 percent less fuel and produces 30 to 40 percent less emissions.”

Allegiant Air of Las Vegas wants to fly twice a week to Las Vegas, using 150-seat MD-83 aircraft.

Initial estimates that flights could start by spring now look doubtful, Camp said. Summer, fall or even later is more likely.

Consultant Barnard Dunkelberg &Co. of Tulsa, Okla., headed the environmental assessment, which was released in early December. The $450,000 environmental study was funded by an FAA grant.

For noise, the study uses an average 24-hour decibel level as the gauge. The federal government considers the 65 decibels the threshold for effects that could require remedies, such as noise insulation.

The study concludes that the area where noise would reach that level would expand by 4 acres in 2010. That would not extend into nearby neighborhoods. By 2016, the 65-decibel footprint would grow 17 acres larger than today, but still not reach any homes or other sensitive areas, according to the study.

Those findings support positions long held by Citizens Right to Fly.

“After reviewing the documents, we think the assessment was comprehensive,” co-chairman Greg Tisdel said. “It’s consistent with our beliefs that commercial air service will not create air, noise or traffic impacts at Paine Field.”

The FAA also will accept written comment by regular mail and e-mail, and has extended the deadline until Feb. 5. County officials hope to hear back from the FAA about a month after that, Camp said. The response will tell the county whether the agency thinks the assessment is adequate, or needs more work.

Noah Haglund: 425-339-3465, nhaglund@heraldnet.com.

Paine Field hearings

Three hearings will allow people to comment on potential commercial flights at Paine Field. The hearings start at 6 p.m.