Alaska Air, Delta named in Seattle airport pollution lawsuit
A class-action lawsuit against Alaska Air Group and Delta Air Lines over the effects of plane emissions near Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is moving forward as the plaintiffs say the pollution has caused physical injury, death and property damage.
The case was allowed to move forward after a federal judge in Seattle denied the airlines’ request to have the Washington citizens’ claims dismissed, according to court documents.
Residents in the case described the five-kilometer area around the airport as “an area of filth.”
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The two airlines were targeted because “those airlines operate approximately 80% of the flights at Sea-Tac Airport, thus causing the most pollution,” according to court documents.
The lawsuit was first filed in April last year and it is said that air pollution with carbon monoxide, lead and particulate matter causes many deaths and birth defects each year.
“When planes take off and land at Sea-Tac Airport, the jet fuel that burns it spews pollutants into the atmosphere,” the suit says. “The fragments may explode from the fuselages themselves during flight, and pollute the surrounding area.”
In a statement sent to Reuters, Delta said it is “carefully reviewing the court’s decision and next steps.”
SEATTLE-TACOMA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT HIT DELAYS AFTER ‘POTENTIAL’ CYBERATTACK
In the filings, the airlines argued that state law claims are barred because the Federal Aviation Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency are the authorities in these matters.
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Fox News Digital has reached out to Alaska Air for comment.
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