Internal Environmental Issues

FdA in Airport and Air Transport Management

Objectives

•To investigate the internal environmental issues.

•To discuss the issues and possible solutions

•How these issues are going to affect the environment in the future.

Environmental effects of airports•“Airports are perceived to have negative

environmental effects in terms of air pollution, noise pollution, waste production and hydrological damage. Pitt and Brown (2001) cited on http://0-www.emeraldinsight.com.brum.beds.ac.uk/Insight/ViewContentServlet?Filen... (Accessed 19/08/08)

Waste

•Increases 3% per annum•Three lanes in Europe- UK being in the

slow lane.•The Netherlands, Austria, Sweden and

Germany are in the fast lane. •Government strategy is now aimed at

moving environmental management statements and recovery initiatives up the hierarchy.

Airports

•“An airport is essentially small city and therefore has a significant impact on the volume of waste produced for the region in which it is situated” http://0-www.emeraldinsight.com.brum.beds.ac.uk/Insight/ViewContentServlet?Filen... (Accessed 19/08/08)

Airports

•The solid waste generated in an airport comes from three main sources▫Office waste▫Tenant concessionaires▫Aircraft waste McGuiness (2001) cited in

http://0-www.emeraldinsight.com.brum.beds.ac.uk/Insight/ViewContentServlet?Filen... (Accessed 19/08/08)

Waste Water • Airports produce a large volume of water waste.• Waste water in airport areas comes from a variety

of sources:▫ Domestic sewage▫ Industrial sewage▫ Combines water containing a mix of waste water and

precipitation.▫ Rainwater from roads and parking areas.▫ Unpolluted water from runways, taxiways and

aprons.▫ Rainwater containing light liquids that runs off

aprons▫ Water containing de-icing fluid from the de-icing of

paved areas and aircraft. Hofstetter (1996) cited in http://0-www.emeraldinsight.com.brum.beds.ac.uk/Insight/ViewContentServlet?Filen... (Accessed 19/08/08)

Groundwater

•Groundwater may become contaminated by airport operations.▫Petroleum▫Jet fuels▫Diesel fuel▫Chlorinated solvents▫De-icing/anti-icing compounds

http://0-www.emeraldinsight.com.brum.beds.ac.uk/Insight/ViewContentServlet?Filen... (Accessed 19/08/08)

Reducing water usage

•LHR- Use a rainwater harvesting system which reuses 85% of all the rainwater that falls on the Terminal 5 site. http://www.heathrowairport.com/portal/page/Heathrow%5EGeneral%5EOur+business+and+community%5EHeathrow+and+climate+change%5ECutting+emissions+from+airport+buildings/9e81875427b54110VgnVCM20000039821c0a____/448c6a4c7f1b0010VgnVCM200000357e120a____/ (Accessed 23/10/08).

Using on-site combined, cooling heat and power (CCHP)•Conventional power plants only convert

about 35% of the energy in the fuel that they burn into electricity. 

•CCHP plants typically convert over 80% of the energy in the fuel that they burn into electricity, heat or cooling. http://www.heathrowairport.com/portal/page/Heathrow%5EGeneral%5EOur+business+and+community%5EHeathrow+and+climate+change%5ECutting+emissions+from+airport+buildings/9e81875427b54110VgnVCM20000039821c0a____/448c6a4c7f1b0010VgnVCM200000357e120a____/ (Accessed 23/10/08).

Optimising the performance buildings and processes

•Optimising the performance of existing buildings and processes

Intelligent building management systems•Intelligent building management systems.

▫Do you know what these systems do?

Investing in renewables

•Heathrow East-▫ will be one of the first major developments

to use renewable biomass gasification. 

Recycling waste and turning waste into energy•BAA has a target of recycling or

composting 40% of its waste by 2010 and 70% of its waste by 2020. We are also investigating the possibility of turning our non-recyclable waste into energy. http://www.heathrowairport.com/portal/page/Heathrow%5EGeneral%5EOur+business+and+community%5EHeathrow+and+climate+change%5ECutting+emissions+from+airport+buildings/9e81875427b54110VgnVCM20000039821c0a____/448c6a4c7f1b0010VgnVCM200000357e120a____/ (Accessed 23/10/08).

Trialling innovative zero-carbon electricity•Heathrow will be one of the first sites in

Britain to trial generating zero-carbon energy from waste heat. http://www.heathrowairport.com/portal/page/Heathrow%5EGeneral%5EOur+business+and+community%5EHeathrow+and+climate+change%5ECutting+emissions+from+airport+buildings/9e81875427b54110VgnVCM20000039821c0a____/448c6a4c7f1b0010VgnVCM200000357e120a____/ (Accessed 23/10/08).

Issue Target Score

EnergyReduce Heathrow’s direct impact on CO2 by 2% against

the business as usual forecast between January 2007 and

December 2007 through improvements in energy

efficiency.

Target bettered

WasteIncrease recycling for the general waste handled by the

airport waste contract from 25% to 30% by

31 December 2007.

Target bettered

NoisePrepare a draft noise action plan for Heathrow and develop

a plan for consultation with key stakeholders by 31

December 2007 to enable the action plan to be agreed with

key stakeholders by 30 April 2008.

Target achieved

Air QualityEstablish a baseline of Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) usage

(hours) for Heathrow in 2007 and set a target for reduction

in APU use in 2008.

Some progress made

Water QualityReview at-source pollution control solutions for reducing

aircraft de-icant pollution load in surface run-off water, to

meet current and future compliance.

Target achieved

*Surface TransportTo update Heathrow Airport's surface access strategy.

Target achieved

*Surface TransportTo update the rail strategy supporting document in 2007.

Target achieved

*Surface TransportTo increase the percentage of air passengers using public

transport from 37% to 38%

Target bettered

*Water consumptionTo reduce water consumption by 2% against the business as

usual forecast between January and December 2007,

through improvements in water conservation

Target bettered

LHR•Energy•Noise•Air quality•Waste•Waterhttp://www.heathrowairport.com/portal/page/CRMicrositeLHR08/Heathrow%5ECRMicrositeLHR08%5EOur+performance%5ELocal+environment/e15b859169318110VgnVCM10000036821c0a____/448c6a4c7f1b0010VgnVCM200000357e120a____/

(Accessed on 24/10/08)

Reference and Suggested Reading

• Anon. (2008) Cutting emissions from airport buildings, (On-line), UK. Available from: http://www.heathrowairport.com/portal/page/Heathrow%5EGeneral%5EOur+business+and+community%5EHeathrow+and+climate+change%5ECutting+emissions+from+airport+buildings/9e81875427b54110VgnVCM20000039821c0a____/448c6a4c7f1b0010VgnVCM200000357e120a____/ (Accessed 23/10/08).

• Anon. (2008) Local environment, (On-line), UK. Available from: http://www.heathrowairport.com/portal/page/CRMicrositeLHR08/Heathrow%5ECRMicrositeLHR08%5EOur+performance%5ELocal+environment/e15b859169318110VgnVCM10000036821c0a____/448c6a4c7f1b0010VgnVCM200000357e120a____/ (Accessed on 24/10/08)

• Pitt.M, Brown. A and Smith. A (2002) Waste management at airports (On-line), UK. Avaiable from: http://0-www.emeraldinsight.com.brum.beds.ac.uk/Insight/ViewContentServlet?Filen... (Accessed on 19/08/08)