Alaska Air, Delta targeted in Seattle airport pollution lawsuit
A class action lawsuit against Alaska Air Group and Delta Air Lines about the effects of aircraft emissions near the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is moving forward as plaintiffs allege that pollution has caused physical harm, death and property damage.
The lawsuit was allowed to move forward after a Seattle federal judge rejected the airlines' bid to have claims from Washington residents tossed, according to court documents.
Residents in the lawsuit described a five-mile radius around the airport as a "contamination zone."
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The two airlines are targeted because "those Airlines operate about 80% of flights at Sea-Tac Airport, thereby causing most of the pollution," according to the court documents.
The lawsuit was originally filed in April of last year and alleged that pollution of air through carbon monoxide, lead and particulate matter were causing hundreds of deaths and birth complications each year.
"When planes take off and land from Sea-Tac Airport, the jet fuel they burn spews pollutants into the atmosphere," the suit stated. "Particulate matter can also flake off from the bodies of the airplanes themselves during flight, further contaminating the surrounding environment."
In a statement to Reuters, Delta said it was "carefully reviewing the court's ruling and next steps."
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In the documents, the airlines made the case that state law claims were prohibited because the Federal Aviation Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency are the authorities on these issues.
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Fox News Digital has reached out to Alaska Air for comment.