For the first time, King County’s climate action plan recognizes aviation health harms. Families worry that aviation emissions impact their health, the environment and climate. With close to half a million aviation-impacted residents living near airports and under flight paths with majority are people of color (64.6%), and significant immigrant and refugee (29%) residents, this makes it a major equity issue.
“Our job was to bring community concerns to the table. We want to be part of the solution for community health and climate resiliency.” said Maria Batayola, Beacon Hill Chair and founding chair of Aviation CHECAs (Community Health Environment and Climate Advocates) coalition with Climate Solutions, Defenders of Highline Forest, Duwamish River Community Coalition and Tree Action Seattle.
“…Our impacted communities know that aviation air pollution is mostly carbon pollution that is the same as climate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.” With community concerns and data in hand, the Aviation CHECAs advocated for changes in the complex and forward thinking 2025 King County Strategic Climate Action Plan (SCAP). They found the SCAP King County Council Committee reviewers receptive, in particular Chair De’Sean Quinn, with Vice Chair Rod Dembowski, and members Councilmember Claudia Balducci and Sarah Perry Baron and the Executive’s Office.
The 2025 SCAP was passed by the full Council on October 21, 2025. For the first time, it recognizes residents who live under flight paths along with those living near airports as part of the aviation impacted communities. Batayola continues: “This is significant because communities living under flight paths do not have any standing for mitigation – areas such as Beacon Hill, Chinatown ID, the Duwamish Valley and the seven cities in south King County.” Equally important is the SCAP’s recognition of aviation health impacts beyond climate extreme heat. The 2025 SCAP cites the 2020 Community Health and Airport Operations Related Noise and Air Pollution report that documented respiratory, cardiovascular, and other health impacts “…compared to the rest of the County, communities within 10 miles of SeaTac airport, ‘are associated with higher rates of pervasive health concerns.’ ”
The SCAP will also phase out the use of leaded aviation fuel at King County International Airport based on the 2023 EPA ruling that the lead air pollution “…significant risk to children…given the number of children in close proximity to runways…” These SCAP changes will allow the Aviation CHECAS and other advocates to work with the King County Council health leadership and the newly elected King County Executive Girmay Zahilay on health mitigation solutions.
As to reducing aviation GHG gas, Climate Solutions local policy manager Deepa Sivarajan observed “Aviation GHG emissions is 16% of all GHG emissions in King County. We support the use Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) that emit less aviation GHG. Our communities are very concerned that the production and transportation of SAF might actually increase GHG emissions. We worked with 350 Seattle Aviation team and successfully advocated to include in the SCAP that the SAF ‘…can actually provide a demonstrated net GHG emission and air pollution benefit over the life cycle of fuel production and use.’ Our work continues, advocating for multimodal transportation, travel policy and public education.”
Climate and community resiliency cannot occur without trees. It is commonly known that air pollution/carbon/GHG emissions gets absorbed by trees and sticks to the trees’ leaves and needles, cleaning the air. Trees also help cool residents in times of climate extreme heat events. The Defenders of Highline Forest lead organizer Dr. Sandra Hunt said “We were really pleased with the King County’s 30-year Forestry Plan that outlined a science and community informed process to set tree canopy goals, because community needs vary. The 2025 SCAP now has a commitment from King County to set tree canopy goals for unincorporated areas and towns. We plan to continue this work with communities that need tree canopies.”
The Aviation CHECAs successfully raised community concerns in the SCAP resulting in measures that address community health and climate resiliency. Our work would not have been possible without community involvement and partners like 350 Seattle Aviation Team, Asian Counseling & Referral Services, El Centro De La Raza, Friends of Seattle’s Urban Forest, Front & Centered, Physicians for Social Responsibility, SeaTac Airport Community Coalition for Justice, and Washington Conservation Action. To receive email updates, contact [email protected].
