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Seattle airport pollution overview:
- Who: Plaintiffs Cindy Codoni and Michelle Geer filed a class action lawsuit against the Port of Seattle, Alaska Air Group and Delta Air Lines Inc.
- Why: The defendants are allegedly ignoring the potential health risks posed by airport pollution to residents who live near the Sea-Tac airport.
- Where: The air pollution class action lawsuit was filed in King County Superior Court.
The Port of Seattle, Alaska Air Group and Delta Air Lines Inc. are facing a class action lawsuit alleging they are ignoring the potential health risks of air pollution to communities near the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
Plaintiffs Cindy Codoni and Michelle Geer are seeking injunctive relief and damages for harm allegedly caused by the defendants’ “emission of dangerously high levels of pollutants that have contaminated communities” near the Sea-Tac airport, violating community members’ rights under Washington law.
Air pollution affects low-income and racially diverse communities near Sea-Tac airport, class action says
The air pollution allegedly created by the defendants includes particulate matter, harmful gasses and hazardous air pollutants.
“These pollutants settle over local communities, contaminating the air residents breathe and the soil where their children play,” the class action lawsuit says.
The air pollutants reportedly cause respiratory issues such as asthma, pulmonary fibrosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; cardiovascular problems; Alzheimer’s disease; and central nervous system disorders.
The airport pollution is “particularly acute in a five-mile radius” of the Sea-Tac airport, the plaintiffs say. Nearly 300,000 people live in the area, more than 60,000 of whom are children, the airport pollution class action lawsuit says.
The majority of residents in the affected area are Black, Native American, Asian or Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander and are more likely to be immigrants, the plaintiffs say.
“The disproportionate impact of airport pollution on low-income and racially diverse communities is an issue of environmental justice; it is unlikely that Defendants’ behavior would continue for long if the affected community was wealthy or politically powerful,” according to the air pollution class action lawsuit.
Both plaintiffs live near the Sea-Tac airport and claim their families have suffered health issues related to the air pollution, including asthma, cancer and deaths related to their health problems.
They point to news articles and other reports that have been released in the last few years as evidence the defendants knew their activities were causing harm, yet failed to prevent future contamination. The Port of Seattle instead constructed a new international arrivals facility with plans to “more than double” international passenger capacity, the plaintiffs allege.
The Sea-Tac air pollution class action lawsuit asserts claims for negligence, continuing intentional trespass, public nuisance and inverse condemnation.
American Airlines, JetBlue and Southwest Airlines have been hit with class action lawsuits over alleged problems with system upgrades, antitrust allegations, canceled flight refunds and military leave denial.
Do you think the defendants should be liable for the airport pollution they emit near Sea-Tac airport? Join the discussion in the comments.
The plaintiffs are represented by Sean R. Matt, Thomas E. Loeser, Shelby R. Smith, Martin D. McLean, Jerrod C. Patterson, Garth D. Wojtanowicz, Jacob P. Berman and Abigail D. Pershing of Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro.
The Sea-Tac airport pollution class action lawsuit is Cindy Codoni, et al. v. Port of Seattle, et al., Case No. 23-2-07049-6, in King County Superior Court.
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