Primer:  The Environment

 

Airports are large, complex operations subject to an array of environmental regulations. As the demand for air travel continues to grow, the potential for adverse environmental impacts will increase. To address these impacts, airport operators across the United States and Canada are working proactively to reduce the negative effects that aviation growth can have on the environment. Still, much of the impact is outside airport control. As a result, ACI-NA and its members are working collaboratively to work with international, federal and state/local entities, manufacturers and airlines to respond to these environmental concerns.

Environmental Impact of Airports

Noise and land use

While aircraft have become quieter over the last 30 years, the noise associated with aircraft operations is still a quality-of-life issue for surrounding communities. The push for residential development near airports means it remains a major concern for airport operators. Although the federal government controls aircraft noise certification standards and flight tracks, airport operators have taken steps to reduce the noise impacting nearby communities by encouraging the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to institute programs tailored to the unique noise considerations at each airport such as: 

  • Noise abatement runway use
  • Noise abatement flight tracks
  • Airport-sponsored pilot awareness/fly-quiet initiatives
  • Airport programs that work with communities by sound-insulating or purchasing homes most greatly impacted by aircraft noise
  • Developing community land use and zoning programs to discourage residential use and encourage compatible development near airports

 

Local air quality

Denigration of local air quality and its related health effects is of growing importance to airport communities. Aircraft, ground support equipment, ground access vehicles, power generation and construction activities all contribute to emissions that affect local air quality. Airports are continually working to reduce emissions by encouraging research to better understand emission sources and its effects.

Emissions associated with airport operations can include:

  • Criteria pollutants such as ground-level ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, and lead.
  • Hazardous air pollutants, also known as air toxics.  EPA is required to control 188 hazardous air pollutants.  Examples include benzene and formaldehyde.

The Clean Air Act

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates emissions through the Clean Air Act.

  • EPA establishes National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for the criteria pollutants. States develop implementation plans to show compliance with the national standards. Airport activities must conform to the state plans.
  • Airports must obtain permits for major permanent emission sources, such as fuel farms and boilers. 
  • Mobile sources, including aircraft and ground vehicles, are also subject to EPA emission standards.


Climate change

Aviation contributes only 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions, but that number is expected to increase to 5% by 2050, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Most of that contribution is attributed to aircraft.


Greenhouse Gases and Airports

  • Greenhouse gas emissions are not regulated by the U.S., but many airport operators are proactively addressing those emissions associated with airport operations.
  • Reduction strategies include improving the energy efficiency of the airfield vehicles and terminal buildings, acquisition of green power, switching on-site vehicles to alternative power sources and encouraging public transit access. 
  • Many airports are working with aviation industry partners to encourage alternative aircraft fuel sources as well as to research the effect of high altitude aircraft emissions.

 

Water quality

Airports continue to implement robust programs to ensure water quality is not impacted by activities at the airport, such as: fueling, washing, maintenance, deicing and construction programs.   

Programs include:

  • Most airports have programs to properly manage deicing discharges. EPA is developing national standards to even further minimize the impact of deicing discharges.
  • Airports have been incorporating spill prevention programs to reduce water pollution from fueling operations while EPA’s regulations governing spill prevention, control and countermeasure continue to evolve.

 

Wildlife management

Wildlife such as birds and deer present a significant safety concern for aircraft operations. Therefore, every airport has as a priority to reduce wildlife attractants and habitats near runways. Airports develop wildlife hazard management programs tailored to their unique setting.

Programs often include:

  • Relocating wildlife habitats
  • Bird dispersal
  • Eliminating wildlife attractants
  • Discouraging the development of landfills, waterways or other wildlife habitats near airports

 

Waste Management

Airports have implemented waste management programs either voluntarily or in order to meet rigorous state and local waste reduction and recycling requirements. Many have discovered that working cooperatively with airport tenants and community partners has increased the effectiveness of such programs.

Key measures include:

  • Recycling
  • Reduced paper use
  • Food composting
  • Hazardous waste management

 

National Environmental Policy Act compliance

Virtually any type of development at an airport must be evaluated to inform decision-makers of the project’s probable environmental impact in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Larger projects may require an environmental impact statement. For small projects, airports must document why an impact statement is not needed. NEPA has been criticized for its burdensome process.  By coordinating with FAA, ACI-NA members have helped streamline the NEPA process for key airport projects.

ACI-NA members regularly work with FAA to:

  • Improve understanding of NEPA requirements
  • Improve compliance with the NEPA process
  • Reduce the timelines associated with compliance


Airport sustainability

Sustainability has been described as a holistic strategy that strives to balance the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Within the airport context, sustainability has broad implications throughout the entire system, including energy consumption, environmental impacts and overall facility life-cycle costs. This typically addresses operating costs such as airport infrastructure, transportation fleet, utilities and a full range of social issues such as employee retention programs and community outreach. Members are developing sustainability measures that will enable airports to reduce current and future environmental impacts while increasing operating efficiency.


Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection

ACI represents the global airport industry on the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection (CAEP).  CAEP is the primary international body for establishing noise and air emissions requirements for certification of new aircraft.  Working through ACI, ACI-NA continuously argues for more stringent certification regulations for new aircraft and the development of safe, but quieter aircraft operational procedures that reduce emissions and noise.


Relevant links:

 

Compiled by Jessica S. Steinhilber  (jsteinhilber@aci-na.org)
ACI-NA’s Director of Environment Affairs

 

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