DFW Airport Hosts Airport Environmental Conference

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TO BUSINESS AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDITORS:

DFW Airport Hosts Airport Environmental Conference

Environmental Firsts and Support for a Proposed Airport Environmental Review Process

Measures Pave the Way for Improving Environmental Performance While Expediting Expansion at the Nation's Airports

DFW INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, TEXAS, Mar. 16 -/E-Wire/-- DFW International Airport, the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) and the Air Transport Association of America, Inc. (ATA) will announce first-of-their-kind, multi-party agreements that may serve as a model for improving environmental performance at the nation's airports as measures are enacted to speed the review of airport infrastructure projects.

The agreements, aimed at reducing ozone-producing emissions at Dallas-Fort Worth area airports, come on the heels of two other important environmental quality events at DFW Airport:

-- receipt by DFW Airport of the first-ever Certificate of Compliance from the Federal Aviation Administration for the air-quality-compliant design of DFW's new International Terminal D, currently under construction; and -- announcement of DFW Airport's support for the EASE (Expedited Airport System Enhancement) Initiative, proposed in Washington, DC, on March 12, a legislative measure that would speed the airport project review process at designated critical national airports.

The announcements will be made on the opening day of the 10th annual National Aviation Environmental Management (NAEM) Conference, next Monday (3/19) in Dallas.

DFW Airport and the Air Transport Association will announce the agreements, which have been formed among the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission (TNRCC), Dallas/Fort Worth area airports, major airlines serving North Texas, and area cities.

The agreements, which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency call the first of their kind in the nation, could serve as a model as other airports and communities consider ways to improve environmental performance. They come at a time when Congress is considering ways to expedite the expansion of the nation's airports while improving environmental responsibility.

The agreements "call for a 90 percent reduction in nitrogen oxide (NOx) attributable to airport ground support vehicles by 2005," said DFW Airport CEO Jeff Fegan. Emission reductions will come from operations at DFW Airport, Love Field, Alliance Airport and Meacham Field. Fegan will report on the agreements in his remarks welcoming aviation industry leaders to the NAEM Conference in Dallas on March 19.

"We are pleased that all major parties have now signed on to the agreements," Fegan said. Under terms of the agreements, "Major airlines will contribute a 75 percent NOx reduction and airport operators will make up the difference," he said. In addition to Dallas-Fort Worth area Airports, other parties involved in the agreements with the TNRCC include American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Delta Air Lines, the City of Dallas and the City of Fort Worth.

In an earlier announcement, the TNRCC said it will also propose repeal of a rule that requires each airline to reduce ground support vehicle emissions by 90 percent. "The important issue is to reduce total ground equipment emissions by 90 percent. With the airports committing to do more than 90 percent, the requirement for airlines could be eased," Fegan said.

"Our airlines have identified reducing NOx emissions from ground service equipment as an important environmental goal," said ATA President and CEO Carol B. Hallett. "We look forward to working with the TNRCC, as well as other federal, state and local government agencies, airports and environmental groups in implementing a practical, effective plan to reduce emissions at commercial airports in Texas."

TNRCC Chairman Robert Huston said his organization "applauds the efforts of all parties involved in the agreements. We can now concentrate on achieving clean air for the Metroplex in the near future. NOx emissions, which contribute to the formation of ground-level ozone, are the main target of the TNRCC's clean air plan for the area."

"Airports are making a renewed commitment to environmental quality," Fegan said. This is exemplified by the air quality Certificate of Compliance recently issued to DFW Airport for the design of our new International Terminal D. We are told that this is the first such Certificate ever issued for design of a new airport facility."

Sponsored by the AAAE, the Great Lakes Chapter of the AAAE, and the Air Transport Association, the two-day conference will focus on key environmental issues facing airport executives. Conference presentations will include topics such as air quality, environmental management systems, regulatory updates, noise issues, capacity enhancement, and hydrant fuel systems.

Opening remarks will be made by Fegan and Eric Frankl, conference chair who is from the Great Lakes Chapter/AAAE, at 8:45 a.m. on Monday, March 19. Keynote speakers will be Gregg Cooke, regional administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and Dick Ketler, chief general counsel, Southwest Airlines.

Other speakers will include James Crites, executive vice president- Operations, DFW Airport; Darcy Zarubiak, senior environmental planner, DFW Airport; Caren Centorelli, director, Environmental Affairs & Airport Projects, AAAE; Carter Morris, staff vice president-Regulatory Affairs, AAAE; Christine Klein, airport facilities manager, Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport; Victor Globa, environmental operations manager, Burbank Airport; Sandra Williams, senior project manager-Airport Services, Williamsburg Environmental Group; Virginia Jackson, airport planner, Camp Dresser and McKee; John Williams, vice president, Ricondo & Associates, Inc.; and Laurie Cullen, Massachusetts Port Authority.

DFW Airport announced plans to reduce NOx emissions from its ground support vehicles at the Southwest Regional Airport Alternative Fuel Vehicle (AFV) Conference it hosted on February 15. More than 300 AFVs currently operate at DFW Airport, just over 100 of them owned by the Airport. Recently, the Airport achieved its interim goal of 100 AFVs by purchasing eight police cars that operate on compressed natural gas and two ambulances powered by clean-burning diesel fuel.

The new low-emission police cars are the first to be purchased by an airport in Texas. Additionally, DFW Airport is the first in Texas to add a "hybrid" car, which operates on both electric batteries and a gasoline engine, to its fleet. DFW's long-range goal is to add approximately 400 more AFVs to its own fleet of ground equipment vehicles in the next few years, ultimately converting its entire vehicle fleet to clean-fuel engines by 2005.

Located halfway between the cities of Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas, DFW International Airport is the third busiest airport in the world with 838,000 operations and nearly 2,300 flights daily. The Airport is fifth busiest in terms of the 60 million passengers it serves.

Preserving the environment is a strong component of the Airport's new Strategic Plan. During the year 2000, the Airport set several environmental initiatives in motion, such as development of a comprehensive clean air policy, an employee learning program, an environmental stewardship program and a master plan to ensure Airport environmental policies are implemented effectively.

Currently, the Airport is implementing a $2.5 billion Capital Development Program that, when completed in 2005, will result in the addition of a world-class international terminal, an Automated People Mover, airfield improvements and many other features.

DFW International Airport

media, Tina Sharp of DFW International Airport, [REDACTED-PHONE],

or mobile, [REDACTED-PHONE]/

/NOTE TO EDITORS: A News Conference relating to this announcement will be

held on Monday, March 19 at 9:00 a.m. at the Fairmont Hotel in Dallas./

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