When officials at Martha's Vineyard Airport (MVY) became aware that groundwater in and around the airfield may have been contaminated with toxic chemicals from firefighting foam, they took action'even though federal or state regulations did not require it.
Hosting managed bees on or near airport land can help bring awareness to the importance of pollinators and highlight an airport's commitment to supporting local agriculture. On a very literal basis, airport beekeeping is a grass roots initiative that promotes healthy communities from the inside out.
Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) has embarked on an initiative to calibrate and quantify the impacts of sustainable design and construction throughout its facilities. Using a formalized framework for assessing sustainability, resiliency and equity in civil infrastructure, PHL is contributing to a sea change in the way infrastructure is understood by the people who understand it best.
A few short years ago, Chris Hastert had heard about PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) but didn't know much about them. By March 2019, he was fully embroiled in the topic. That's when the California Water Board began sending letters to all commercial airports in the state as part of its larger initiative about PFAS contamination in groundwater.
A concerted, collaborative effort has turned empty land at Sanford Seacoast Regional Airport (SFM) in rural Maine into a privately financed 50-megawatt solar farm. The $120 million array, which went live in November 2020, is one of the largest airport-based solar energy farms in the United States, as measured by annual megawatt, alternating current (MWac) production.
The recent rehabilitation of an aging levee will help protect Harrisburg International Airport (MDT) from flooding for decades to come. In the meantime, the $22 million project also offers a valuable lesson about the benefits of planning ahead.
Amid all the turmoil that COVID-19 has wrought, the only public airport on the small island of Nantucket, MA, is taking on a big issue: potential environmental contamination associated with common components in FAA-mandated firefighting foam.
As U.S. airports prepare to turn the corner on the pandemic and the harsh winter of 2020-2021, some still face a significant long-term challenge: the rise in sea levels resulting from climate change. Although the biggest risk is to airports located along the Atlantic, Pacific and Gulf coasts, experts predict secondary effects for inland airports as well.
San Diego International Airport (SAN) recently raised its lofty sustainability bar a few notches higher by adding a new, award-winning element to its stormwater management system. The $38 million project, completed in November 2020, features a large concrete cistern that collects runoff from the northside airfield.
The Ocean City, NJ, area is known for beaches, boardwalks and unspoiled hiking areas. But some of the very features that make it attractive for tourists and outdoor enthusiasts make it difficult for the local general aviation airport. Located on a barrier island between the Atlantic Ocean and Great Egg Harbor Bay, Ocean City Municipal (26N) is prone to erosion problems from high tides and safety hazards from birds.
Building the world's largest airport-based solar farm doesn't come without challenges. But the team developing the new 320-acre, 42-megawatt (MWac) solar farm at Tallahassee International Airport (TLH) prevailed'and also shattered previous records for renewable energy production for airport sited solar farms. When the new facility became operational in January 2020, it joined TLH's other solar farm that came online in 2018. Together, the two solar farms span 400 acres and produce 62 MWac per year, vaulting the Florida airport well ahead of other industry standouts.
Travelers have their minds on many things, but separating their trash and recyclables is not always among them. To get more customers participating in its recycling program, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) is trying to make the process almost automatic.
