planning for airport sustainability

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Carol Lurie, LEED AP, AICP Principal, VHB/Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. clurie@vhb.com

Planning for Airport Sustainability

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Sustainability and Planning

• Defining Airport Sustainability• Benefits of Sustainability • FAA and Sustainability • Integrating Sustainability into Airport Planning

– Sustainable Master Plans– Stand Alone Sustainability Plans– Sustainability Management Systems – Facility Design and Construction Guidelines – Capital Improvement Plans

• Certifying Sustainability • Examples of Sustainability Initiatives • Resources

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Defining Airport Sustainability

• Airport sustainability planning is a holistic approach to managing an airport to ensure:– Economic viability, – Operational efficiency, – Natural resource conservation, and – Social responsibility.

– Airports Council International-North America

Triple Bottom Line

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Benefits of Sustainability

• Environmental– Reduces environmental footprint – Facilitates approval/permitting– Protects Natural Resources

• Social– Improves relationships with community and agencies– Enhances benefits to the community

• Economic – Encourages integrated design as a way of doing business – Incentivizes creation of new technologies– Results in greater utilization of assets– May reduce cost of development and/or operating and maintenance

costs

• Operational– All of the above

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FAA and Sustainability

“FAA is currently looking at existing policies to see what can be added/changed to incorporate sustainability at airports. Looking ahead, FAA’s Office of Airports will continue to work with airports and industry groups (such as SAGA and ACRP) to foster research in the area of sustainability. Once the research is ripe for implementation, FAA can then set policies and subsequent goals, and ensure that airports have the tools they need to reach those goals.”

Julie Unland BarrowOffice of Airports

Planning & Environmental Division

(Emphasis added)

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FAA and Sustainability/cont.

• Pilot Program– Goal: To develop policy or guidance for future master planning,

environmental, and grants programs – Outcome: Select 6 airports of different sizes and function and

regions to examine a range of sustainability planning efforts

• Funding for Planning Efforts – Master Plans– Stand Alone Sustainability Plans

• Possible Funding for Eligible Projects– Through Stand-Alone Projects (VALE, EMS)– As part of Larger Projects– Through Design Considerations

***Airports need to work closely with their ADO, in coordination with HQ, for final eligibility determinations.

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Integrating Sustainability into Airport Planning

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Integrating Sustainability into Airport Planning

• Sustainable Master Plans• Stand Alone Sustainability Plans• Sustainability Management Systems • Facility Design and Construction Guidelines • Capital Improvement Plans

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Sustainable Master Plans

• Sustainability integrated into each stage of a Master Plan process – OR-

• Separate Sustainability Chapter • Examples

– PDX Airport Futures– ITH Sustainable Master Plan

www.pdxairportfutures.com

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Traditional Master Plan Process

www.sustainableITH.com

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Integrated Sustainable Master Plan Process

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Stand Alone Sustainability Plans

• Develops airport-wide sustainability policy, with detailed goals and objectives

• Considers all aspects of airport operations (e.g., administration and finance, planning, design and construction, procurement, operations, security, facilities, communications, marketing)

• Incorporates a range of environmental, social and economic categories– Air quality and climate change,– Water quality and conservation– Solid waste reduction and recycling– Community outreach

• Develops measurable performance targets• Reports on progress regularly

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Sustainability Management Systems

• Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA)– Sustainability Performance Improvement

Management System/SPIMS– Enables LAWA stakeholders to evaluate and

integrate green practices across the organization– Continually tracks and improves environmental,

social and economic performance– Implementation Teams

• Sustainable Design• Energy and Atmosphere• Materials and Resources• Water Efficiency• Transportation Resources• Administrative Processes

www.lawa.org/uploadedFiles/LAWA/pdf/Sustainability%20Plan%20%28Final%29.pdfystem

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Facility Design and Construction Guidelines

• Chicago OMP/Sustainable Design Manual* (2003)– New construction - site management, water efficiency,

energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor air quality, facility operations and construction practices

• PANYNJ Sustainable Design Guidelines (2004) and Sustainable Design Project Manual* (2007)

– New Construction, and Substantial Renovation & Reconstruction Projects

• LAWA Sustainable Airport Planning, Design and Construction Guidelines* (2008)

– General construction and maintenance of buildings and other facilities, roads, runways, taxiways, infrastructure

– In all LAWA’s bid documents, design specifications and construction contracts.

• Massport Sustainable Design Standards and Guidelines* (2009)

– All capital projects – horizontal and vertical

* Partially based on LEED criteria

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Capital Improvement Plans

• Considerations – Life Cycle Cost Analysis (Total Cost of Ownership)

• Plan, Design, Construct Cost (25%)• Operating Cost (75%)

– Does the project meet the Airport’s Sustainability Goals and Objectives?

– Evaluate and prioritize projects based on sustainability criteria • Impact on Air Quality and Greenhouse gases• Ability to reduce energy use• Impact on community noise levels

– Projects can link planning to NEPA – Sustainability initiatives can be tied to specific projects

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Sustainability Initiatives

• Biodiesel/Clean Running Buses• Alternative Fuel Infrastructure• Good Neighbor Policy• Warm Mix Asphalt • PCA/400 Hz• Solar panels• Airport wide recyling programs• Xeroscape landscaping

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Certifying Sustainability

• Facilities/Buildings– US Green Building Council’s Leadership in

Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system which certifies the design, construction, operation, and renovation of a building as ‘green’

• Airport-Wide– Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)– Climate Registry (greenhouse gas registry)– Airport-Wide Sustainability Certification

BOS –Terminal A – first LEED certified terminal in US SFO – International Terminal

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What is LEED?

• USGBC - Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) – Green Building Rating System™ - nationally

accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings

– LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health:

• Sustainable site development• Water savings• Energy efficiency• Materials selection• Indoor environmental quality

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Resources

• SAGA/Sustainable Aviation Guidance Alliance

• ACRP/Airport Cooperative Research Program– Synthesis 10 – Airport sustainability Practices

• ACI-NA Sustainable Aviation – http://www.aci-na.org/sustainability/

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SAGA/Sustainable Aviation Guidance Alliance

• Offers guidance to airports on how to start a sustainability program

• Compiles airport-specific sustainability practices in searchable database (in Excel and Web- based database)

• Suggests examples of ways to adapt practices to airports of all sizes and types

• Provides specific references to airports’ source documents

www.airportsustainability.org

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SAGA Sustainability Measures Database

• Comprehensive, searchable listing of existing sustainability practices undertaken by airports

• Organized by broad range of criteria:

Activities• Planning 

• Design 

• Construction 

• Operations 

• Maintenance 

• Administration 

Functional Areas

• Landside 

• Airside 

• Airport‐wide 

EONS• Economic Viability

• Operations 

Efficiency 

• Natural Resources

• Social 

Responsibility 

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SAGA Web Version

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Questions/Discussion