COMMISSION 
AGENDA MEMORANDUM                        Item No.          7a 
SPECIAL ORDER                           Date of Meeting     September 22, 2020 
DATE:     September 8, 2020 
TO:        Stephen P. Metruck, Executive Director 
FROM:    Elizabeth Leavitt, Senior Director, Environment and Sustainability Center of Expertise 
Jeremy Webb, Environmental Program Manager (Aviation) 
Jane Dewell, Senior Environmental Program Manager (Maritime) 
Tom Fagerstrom, Airport Noise Programs Coordinator 
SUBJECT:  2019 Environmental Excellence and Fly Quiet Awards 
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 
In honor of Earth Day (April 22, 2020), Port staff will recognize winners of the Port's 2019
Environmental Excellence Awards for aviation and maritime divisions. These awards recognize
customers, tenants, non-profits,  and partners of all sizes for outstanding environmental
leadership and encourage continuous improvement by acknowledging the critical role they play
helping the Port achieve its environmental goals. 
Port staff will also recognize winners of the Port's Fly QuietAwards for airline noise reduction
efforts at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The annual Fly Quiet Awards were developed by
Port staff and a citizen advisory committee in 2005 to increase airline and pilot awareness of
aircraft noise impacts on local communities. 
2019 Award winners include: 
Environmental Excellence: 
Maritime  SSA Marine, Dirt Corps LLC, Orcasound Hydrophone Network; 
Aviation  Alaska Airlines, HMSHost, Seattle Chocolate, Whidbey Seatac Shuttle; 
Fly Quiet: 
Southwest Airlines, SkyWest Airlines, Frontier Airlines. 
MARITIME ENVIRONMENTAL EXCELLENCE AWARDS 
The Maritime Division received eight nominations and selected three award winners. The
Maritime Division also recognized two nominations with an Honorable Mention to highlight
notable accomplishments that demonstrate meaningful support for Port sustainability
objectives. Award winners and key accomplishments are described by award category below. 


Template revised April 12, 2018.

COMMISSION AGENDA  Briefing Item No. _7a_                                Page 2 of 7 
Meeting Date: September 22, 2020 
Environmental Performance Award 
SSA Marine 
This award recognizes SSA Marine for voluntary LED lighting upgrades at Terminal 18, making
use of Seattle City Light incentives. SSA Marine: 
Replaced 1,004-1,000-watt high-pressure sodium lamps with 663-47-watt LED fixtures. 
Gained significant energy savings with additional benefits for worker safety, and off-site
light impact reductions that improved conditions for residential communities and
natural habitats. 
Chose to invest in state-of-the-art system to gain longer-term benefits and more
efficient maintenance and operation. 
Achieved: 65% reduction in energy use, 3.8M-kilowatt-hours in annual energy savings,
1.1-year payback (including $795K investment by City Light). 
Environmental Education & Outreach Award 
Dirt Corps LLC 
This award recognizes Dirt Corps for supporting Port environmental, equity, and environmental
justice goals through education and outreach programs for adults, youth, and minorities. Dirt
Corps: 
Implemented a pilot program to teach shoreline restoration skills along the Duwamish
River and Elliot Bay to both youth and adult learners. 
Trained 75 youth and 7 adults in leadership, aquatic horticulture, shoreline restoration,
local history, ecosystem services and impacts, public speaking, salmon habitat and
restoration, and environmental justice principles. 
Conducted classroom and field training programs that include green jobs skills;
ecological infrastructure restoration, maintenance and design; and hands-on restoration
in the Duwamish watershed. Field work included over 20,000 square feet of area and
800 trees/shrubs planted. 
A critical component of the educational model is creating training opportunities that
allow people to learn while being paid for their time. 
All of these projects are done with local community partners, paid Dirt Corps trainees,
and frequent partnership with the Duwamish Valley Youth Corps. 
Environmental Education & Outreach  Small Business Recognition 
Orcasound Hydrophone Network 
This award recognizes Orcasound, a small non-profit organization, for convening 13 member
organizations in the Puget Sound region to deploy hydrophones and document orca sounds.
Orcasound: 
Compiles and shares hydrophone data that supports understanding of communication
between Southern Resident Killer Whales and the stresses of underwater noise. 

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COMMISSION AGENDA  Briefing Item No. _7a_                                Page 3 of 7 
Meeting Date: September 22, 2020 
Hydrophone sounds are shared with the public so that we may all learn about orca
populations and noise impacts. 
Orcasound's role has helped to consolidate the impacts of other small organizations that
track Orca sounds and noise impacts upon them. 
Environmental Performance  Honorable Mention 
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH) 
This award recognizes NCLH for instituting a wide-ranging environmental program that includes
eliminating single-use plastics, adapting vessels for shore-power, and reducing potable water
consumption. NCLH: 
Voluntarily conducted underwater sound surveys with DVN GL, which was a notable
element significant to the Puget Sound. 
NCLH met SILENT-E parameters, which ensure vessels don't exceed average-to-
moderate noise levels, for four cruise vessels, three of which come to Elliott Bay. 
Vessel noise reduction is a priority for the Southern Resident Killer Whale task force. 
Environmental Education & Outreach  Honorable Mention 
Just Health Action 
This award recognizes Just Health Action for conducting a community-based participatory
action program that combines environmental and human health principles and directly engages
Duwamish Valley community members. Just Health Action: 
Supports the Port's equity and environmental justice principles. 
Engaged in collaboration with Duwamish Valley community members that led to the
Port of Seattle's Duwamish Valley Community Benefits Commitment. 
This commitment helped to establish the Port-Duwamish Valley Community Equity
Program and the Port Community Action Team. Shared goals include community-Port
capacity building, healthy environment and communities, and economic prosperity in
place. 
Conducts trainings across the country, serving youth and community groups, grade
school to college students, health professionals, and county health departments. 
AVIATION ENVIRONMENTAL EXCELLENCE AWARDS 
The Aviation Division received six nominations and selected four winners, including two small
businesses. Award winners and key accomplishments are described by award category below.
Environmental Performance Awards 
Alaska Airlines 
This award recognizes Alaska Airlines for an energy efficiency lighting upgrade project at SEA
facilities and efforts to reduce waste. Alaska Airlines: 

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COMMISSION AGENDA  Briefing Item No. _7a_                                Page 4 of 7 
Meeting Date: September 22, 2020 

Completed a voluntary lighting efficiency upgrade at two airport Maintenance Hangars,
replacing 366 fluorescent lights with 193 high-efficiency LED lights, which:
Reduced energy consumption by nearly 1,000,000 kWh (70% decrease); 
Reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 11 metric tons; 
Lowered annual energy utility costs by $60,000; 
Partnered with Port to obtain a Bonneville Power Administration energy efficiency
incentive rebate of $175,000, offsetting project costs by 33%; 
Delivered higher lighting levels, improved worker safety, and reduced need to
manage hazardous waste from fluorescent lights; 
Reduced inflight waste by eliminating 22 million plastic waste items (straws and stir-
sticks), and recycled other inflight waste; 
Promoted reusable bottles through "Fill Before You Fly" campaign, reducing passenger
use of single use plastic cups. Alaska partnered with Bonneville Environmental
Foundation to plant a tree for every passenger who brings a prefilled reusable water
bottle on their flight and posts to social media with the hashtag #FILLBEFOREYOUFLY. 
HMSHost 
This award recognizes HMSHost, an airport Concession operator, for extensive food donations,
donating and recycling surplus restaurant equipment, and continuous improvement using
environmentally preferable service ware and reducing waste. HMSHost: 
Donated 7,594 meals (or 9,493 lbs.) of surplus restaurant food and supplies to the local
food bank including 2,276 meals during closure of their Anthony's restaurant; 
Donated large volumes of surplus tiles, tables, chairs, and refrigerators from restaurant 
build-outs and closures to Habitat for Humanity and small local businesses, including a
small Native American owned business that accepted Anthony's table tops with plans to
refinish and repurpose for their own business; 
Donated and installed surplus storage racks to Highline Schools Foundation benefitting
local programs in the surrounding school district; 
Recycled an estimated 10,000 lbs. of metal equipment from restaurant closures; 
Installed nitrogen generators at five airport Starbucks stores eliminating nitrogen tank
deliveries; 



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COMMISSION AGENDA  Briefing Item No. _7a_                                Page 5 of 7 
Meeting Date: September 22, 2020 
Reduced waste by converting to reusable plates and compostable liners at Stonehouse
Caf, eliminated all stir straws in casual dine units, and converted all on-request straws
to compostable at Re'lish and Dungeness Bay restaurants; 
Continued efforts to eliminate single-use plastic straws at airport Starbucks locations by
voluntarily Partnering with Starbucks to pilot a strawless lid for cold-cups, removing
straws from condiment bars, and switching straw offering to on-request only. 

Environmental Performance  Small Business Awards 
Seattle Chocolate 
This award recognizes Seattle Chocolate, a small and woman owned business and airport
Concessionaire, for reducing waste and using socially responsible business practices to alleviate
hunger in local communities. Seattle Chocolate: 
Switched to reusable delivery boxes, which reduced airport shipment waste by 80% or
3,192 cardboard boxes; 
Donated 54,822 fresh food servings to food banks based on JCOCO chocolate sales at
SEA. Their Pink Umbrella fund uses a portion of sales to fund food donations through
partnerships with local food banks; 
Improved recoverability of product waste by using certified compostable film wraps for
150,000 lbs. or 7.2 million truffle chocolates. 

Whidbey Seatac Shuttle 
This award recognizes Whidbey Seatac Shuttle, a small and veteran owned business and airport
shuttle service, for completing alternative fuel conversions in their bus fleet, reducing waste and
incorporating employee sustainability suggestions into operations. Whidbey Seatac Shuttle: 
Converted the remaining three (3) passenger buses in their fleet from gasoline to propane
fuel reducing total annual carbon emissions by 164 metric tons, equivalent to removing
35 cars from the road annually; 
Switched to using silica-based tires that improve fuel economy and extend tire lifespan; 
Recycled ~50 lbs. weekly from passenger and employee recycling programs; 




Template revised September 22, 2016.

COMMISSION AGENDA  Briefing Item No. _7a_                                Page 6 of 7 
Meeting Date: September 22, 2020 
Encouraged employee feedback on sustainability measures including landscaping that
improves stormwater quality, providing free electric charging for employee vehicles, and
providing driver training to reduce idling emissions and fuel consumption. 

FLY QUIET AWARDS 
The annual Fly Quiet Awards were developed by Port staff and a citizen advisory committee in
2005 to increase airline and pilot awareness of aircraft noise impacts on local communities. Fly
Quiet was included as a continuing noise program measure in the most recent Part 150 Noise
Study update completed in 2014. 
Airlines are judged using 3 scoring criteria: the sound levels of their operations, success at flying
the noise abatement flight procedures, and adhering to the airport's ground maintenance engine
run-up regulations.

Southwest Airlines 
Achieved their award as the quietest airline among the five busiest airlines operationally in 2019. 

SkyWest Airlines 
Achieved their award as the quietest regional jet airline at SEA in 2019.

Frontier Airlines 
Achieved their award as the quietest jet airline with at least 1,000 annual operations in 2019. 
ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND 
The Environmental Excellence Awards program offers annual recognition opportunities for Port 
customers, tenants, non-profits and partners that demonstrate sustainability and
environmental leadership. Both divisions accept nominations for any project, process, or action
that promotes environmental leadership and stewardship in one of three categories including
environmental performance, education and outreach, and innovation. 
ATTACHMENTS TO THIS BRIEFING 
(1)   Presentation Slides 
PREVIOUS COMMISSION ACTIONS OR BRIEFINGS 
4/23/2019  Announced 2018 award winners (Item #7a) 
Environmental Excellence: 

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COMMISSION AGENDA  Briefing Item No. _7a_                                Page 7 of 7 
Meeting Date: September 22, 2020 
Maritime: ECOSS, Sound Experience 
Aviation: Bremerton Kitsap-Airporter, Whidbey Seatac Shuttle, Lyft 
Fly Quiet: 
Southwest Airlines, Jazz Aviation (Air Canada Express), Spirit Airline 
















Template revised September 22, 2016.