At Washington’s state Capitol, crowd rallies with one goal: ‘Stop the airport!’

Roughly 100 anti-airport activists rallied Wednesday on the north steps of the Legislative Building in Olympia, urging state lawmakers to stop seeking a site to build a new commercial airport in Washington.

The prospect that either of three rural areas in Pierce and Thurston County could be home to a two-runway airport has spurred fierce opposition from residents, as they confront fears of losing their homes and sound the alarm about threats to public safety, wildlife and the environment.

In an hour-long morning demonstration, they used what they said was their strongest weapon: Their voices.

Scott Lay, an organizer with the Coalition Against Graham and Eatonville-Roy Airports, provided additional encouragement.

“What do we want?” Lay asked.

“Stop the airport!” the crowd answered.

Most brought signs to the state Capitol. They called for repelling urban sprawl; protecting water, wildlife and homes; investing in high-speed rail as an alternative to aviation; and abolishing the Commercial Aviation Coordinating Commission, the state-created planning group tasked with identifying a feasible site for a new two-runway airport.

“Keep Rural Pierce County Evergreen!” one sign said.

In 2019, the CACC was directed by the state Legislature to research potential landing spots for Washington’s next major airport amid projections that Seattle-Tacoma International Airport will reach capacity by 2032, leaving 27 million annual passengers unable to fly by 2050.

When the commission in September narrowed its site review to two so-called greenfield locations in Pierce County and another one in Thurston County, it set off a wave of local pushback that has been organized and persistent.

“You are the reason why we have made any headway,” said Dawn Sonntag, chief organizer of Stop the Thurston Airport, one of several speakers who addressed those gathered at the Capitol on a workday.

The airport site exploration has galvanized communities in and around Graham, Roy and East Olympia. Organizers said that they must remain vigilant and stay the course, anticipating that the fight could be lengthy even if they claim near-term victories.

Rep. Tom Dent, R-Moses Lake, said that he hoped this week to introduce legislation to reset or end the CACC’s search, which has been ongoing for three years. Dent is among several state and local lawmakers who have declared their opposition to the prospect of putting an airport in Pierce or Thurston county.

“These three sites are not going to happen,” he told demonstrators.

Dent and other lawmakers have said the CACC’s process — launched by a unanimously approved bill in 2019 — has been flawed and lacked needed public engagement. At least some people opposed to siting an airport in the South Puget Sound have signaled they do not seek site selection improvements, but instead want any airport plans permanently shelved to end the stress of the unknown.

“People have the right to live with peace of mind and know that their homes are safe,” Lay said.

Orting Mayor Josh Penner warned activists to not let their guards down.

“We have folks on the ropes,” he said.

The rally attracted residents from Thurston, Pierce and King counties at the start of Lobby Day, where people meet with legislators to advocate for specific causes. Some rally attendees said they had meetings set up later in the day.

Penner urged activists to seek commitments from lawmakers, noting that it was more valuable than any words of protest.

“Runways don’t care about rhetoric. All of the stuff that we do talking out here doesn’t matter,” he said. “What matters is the relationships that you build in that building.”