Communicating a Balanced Look at Local Airport Activity and Climate Change (2025)
Chapter: Appendix D: ACRP Reports
APPENDIX D
ACRP Reports
Contents
1. ACRP Synthesis 21: Airport Energy Efficiency and Cost Reduction (2010)
2. ACRP Report 42: Sustainable Airport Construction Practices (2011)
9. ACRP Synthesis 33: Airport Climate Adaptation and Resilience (2012)
10. ACRP Synthesis 42: Integrating Environmental Sustainability into Airport Contracts (2013)
11. ACRP Synthesis 44: Environmental Management System Development Process (2013)
14. ACRP Synthesis 66: Lessons Learned from Airport Sustainability Plans (2015)
15. ACRP Report 147: Climate Change Adaptation Planning: Risk Assessment for Airports (2015)
— ACRP Synthesis 53: Outcomes of Green Initiatives: Large Airport Experience (2014)
17. ACRP Synthesis 77: Airport Sustainability Practices (2016)
18. ACRP Report 151: Developing a Business Case for Renewable Energy at Airports (2016)
19. ACRP Research Report 164: Exhaust Emissions from In-Use General Aviation Aircraft (2016)
21. ACRP Research Report 193: Strategies for Airports to Reduce Local Stormwater Utility Fees (2018)
25. ACRP Research Report 208: Benefit–Cost Analyses Guidebook for Airport Stormwater (2019)
27. ACRP Research Report 228: Airport Microgrid Implementation Toolkit (2021)
29. ACRP Synthesis 117: Agricultural Operations on Airport Grounds (2022)
1. ACRP Synthesis 21: Airport Energy Efficiency and Cost Reduction (2010)
Lau, C. R., J. T. Stromgren, and D. J. Green. 2010. ACRP Synthesis 21: Airport Energy Efficiency and Cost Reduction. Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, Washington, DC. https://doi.org/10.17226/14413.
This report documents energy efficiency improvements being implemented at airports across the country that are low cost and short payback by means of a survey, interviews, and a literature review. It targets terminal managers of small airports, staff, consultants, and other stakeholders interested in energy efficiency.
The report presents analysis and findings from the survey data and interview summaries collected on airport energy efficiency practices at small airport terminals. It includes details of the literature review, a discussion of data and analysis related to topic areas, conclusions drawn from interview data, and other information reviewed, as well as a chapter on new technologies and innovation.
The focus of this synthesis is on identifying and listing ways to reduce energy costs at small airports through energy efficiency.
The report is structured in a manner that will aid in the determination of energy efficiency projects and resources. After the discussion of planning processes, practices are divided into chapters concerning operations, systems, and conservation. At the end of each practice chapter, practices are summarized in a chart. Next, implementation factors and a brief discussion of emerging technologies are followed by conclusions and appendices including the report methodology and survey questionnaire. A comprehensive chart outlining systems and operational strategies for increasing energy efficiency and reducing energy costs concludes the appendix.
2. ACRP Report 42: Sustainable Airport Construction Practices (2011)
Ricondo & Associates, Inc., Center for Transportation and the Environment, and Ardmore Associates, LLC. 2011. ACRP Report 42: Sustainable Airport Construction Practices. Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, Washington, DC. https://doi.org/10.17226/22925.
The research team was contracted to conduct research for ACRP Project 08-01, “Sustainable Airport Construction Practices.” The research team compiled a collection of sustainable construction practices (referred to in this guide as the “Collection”) available for consideration by
stakeholders involved in the planning, design, and/or construction of airport development or redevelopment projects (referred to in this Guide as the “users” of the Collection). Practices identified include construction methods, procedures, and technologies that have been or are being implemented at airports in the United States and throughout the world. The Collection of sustainable airport construction practices focuses on those practices that are considered to have sustainable impact during the construction phase(s) of a project, including procurement, construction planning/logistics, construction monitoring, and implementation (actual construction).
The purpose of the Collection is to provide a resource that will enable the user to quickly identify potential sustainable airport construction practices for consideration. The Collection was developed so that it can be easily used by anyone involved in airport construction projects, regardless of the size of the airport or project scope. This user’s guide to the Collection explains the key concepts of sustainability, construction, and “sustainable construction practices”:
- How the data included in the Collection was gathered.
- The organization of the Collection.
- How to use the Collection.
The user’s guide also includes case studies that illustrate some of the sustainable construction practices contained in the Collection.
3. ACRP Report 43: Guidebook of Practices for Improving Environmental Performance at Small Airports (2011)
McGormley, R. W., J. A. Lengel Jr., D. E. Seal, J. N. Foster, M. Kenney, P. K. Sanford, B. J. Siwinski, C. Lurie, and E. Humblet. 2011. ACRP Report 43: Guidebook of Practices for Improving Environmental Performance at Small Airports. Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, Washington, DC. https://doi.org/10.17226/22897.
ACRP Report 43: Guidebook of Practices for Improving Environmental Performance at Small Airports is a resource for operators of small airports and/or those with limited staff, which outlines federal environmental regulations and requirements, and identifies activities in which operators can be proactive in promoting environmental stewardship. As a quick reference, summary graphics provide information pertaining to the cost and savings as well as the necessary knowledge and amount of time to implement a particular activity. In addition, five case studies discuss environmental initiatives already undertaken at airports that can serve as a guide for other airports. While the audience was intended to be operators of small airports with limited resources and staff, managers of larger airports and other aviation professionals will also find this to be a valuable resource.
4. ACRP Synthesis 24: Strategies and Financing Opportunities for Airport Environmental Programs (2011)
Molar, B. 2011. ACRP Synthesis 24: Strategies and Financing Opportunities for Airport Environmental Programs. Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, Washington, DC. https://doi.org/10.17226/14567.
The objective of this synthesis was to provide airport operators and their potential partners with a comprehensive listing of financing opportunities for airport environmental programs and to outline strategies for identifying and pursuing additional opportunities as they arise over time. This report was intended to provide a high-level overview of the full breadth of potential funding programs, including information on possibilities and a broad outline of requirements and benefits for the programs. The data included in the matrices represent a “snapshot in time” of information available at the time the review was conducted.
5. ACRP Synthesis 28: Investigating Safety Impacts of Energy Technologies on Airports and Aviation (2011)
Barrett, S. B., and P. M. Devita. 2011. ACRP Synthesis 28: Investigating Safety Impacts of Energy Technologies on Airports and Aviation. Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, Washington, DC. https://doi.org/10.17226/14590.
The purpose of this report was to compile existing literature, data, and ongoing research on physical, visual, and communications systems interference impacts from energy technologies on airports and aviation safety. The study team collected information from both published and unpublished sources and conducted interviews with experts in the fields of aviation and energy. The intended audience for the report was airport operators, aircraft pilots, planning managers, energy developers, and legislators and regulators responsible for aviation safety, land use compatibility, airport planning and development, and airport financial self-sustainability. With a comprehensive inventory undertaken of the safety impacts of energy technologies on airports and aviation, gaps in the existing knowledge base are identified along with future research to fill those gaps.
6. ACRP Legal Research Digest 17: State and Federal Regulations That May Affect Initiatives to Reduce Airports’ GHG Emissions (2012)
Putnam, J. E., L. T. Wu, and S. J. Tatham. 2012. ACRP Legal Research Digest 17: State and Federal Regulations That May Affect Initiatives to Reduce Airports’ GHG Emissions. Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, Washington, DC. https://doi.org/10.17226/22671.
— ACRP Report 56: Handbook for Considering Practical Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Strategies for Airports (2011)
CDM, and Synergy Consultants, Inc. 2011. ACRP Report 56: Handbook for Considering Practical Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Strategies for Airports. Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, Washington, DC. https://doi.org/10.17226/14616.
ACRP Legal Research Digest 17 (referred to as Digest hereafter) introduces airport management and staff to legal issues that are relevant to implementing GHG mitigation measures at airports. As part of this effort, the authors of the Digest have coordinated with the team that developed ACRP Report 56: Handbook for Considering Practical Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Strategies for Airports, which provides an extensive menu of 125 GHG reduction measures for airports. ACRP Report 56 evaluates each measure for its practicality, considering factors such as capital cost, return on investment, and GHG reduction potential. ACRP Legal Research Digest 17 complements that effort by analyzing many of those same measures from a legal perspective.
The Digest is organized into three main sections. Section II describes the various sources of GHG emissions that are generated from airport-related activities. Section III summarizes the federal, state, and local laws that are most likely to be implicated in the implementation of various GHG mitigation measures at airports. Section IV explains how these laws may apply to the implementation of specific GHG mitigation measures described in ACRP Report 56, including actual and hypothetical examples. The Digest is intended for airport attorneys, managers, and staff; elected officials; regulatory agencies; and others interested in this topic. The Digest is not intended to provide any legal or policy recommendations. What may be considered prudent, feasible, cost-effective, and appropriate at one airport may not be at another. The Digest is intended for general information purposes only and does not contain legal advice applicable to any particular airport.
7. ACRP Report 64: Handbook for Evaluating Emissions and Costs of APUs and Alternative Systems (2012)
Environmental Science Associates, AERO Systems Engineering, Inc., Synergy Consultants, Inc., and Wyle, Inc. 2012. ACRP Report 64: Handbook for Evaluating Emissions and Costs of APUs and Alternative Systems. Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, Washington, DC. https://doi.org/10.17226/22797.
ACRP Report 64: Handbook for Evaluating Emissions and Costs of APUs and Alternative Systems provides a handbook to help airports evaluate different alternatives to aircraft auxiliary power units (APUs). The handbook addresses environmental impacts, costs, infrastructure and maintenance requirements, as well as funding options. The accompanying ACRP CD-113: Tool for Evaluating Emissions and Costs of APUs and Alternative Systems (TEECAAS) provides a user-friendly software tool that can be used to quantify emissions from APUs and alternative systems, while also providing quantitative analysis of the financial implications of implementing and operating the systems. While the handbook provides the overall evaluation, including step-by-step details of the quantification process, the tool facilitates the quantification work. The handbook and software tool can be used by airports of all sizes, whether or not they have collected airport-specific data. Such specific information includes airport temperature ranges, operations by aircraft category, the amount of time aircraft spend at gates, power requirements, and various other datasets. In those cases where airport-specific data are not available, the included set of default data can be used. The resulting emissions, power requirements, and costs can be used to analyze various airport scenarios. The handbook and tool are intended to be used for planning purposes only, and should not be used to replace or supersede the use of the FAA’s Aviation Environmental Design Tool (AEDT).
8. ACRP Report 80: Guidebook for Incorporating Sustainability into Traditional Airport Projects (2012)
Landrum & Brown, Inc., Environmental Consulting Group, Inc., Primera Engineers, Ltd., and Muller & Muller, Ltd. 2012. ACRP Report 80: Guidebook for Incorporating Sustainability into Traditional Airport Projects. Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, Washington, DC. https://doi.org/10.17226/22698.
This guidebook and accompanying evaluation tool, the Airport Sustainability Assessment Tool (ASAT), were developed to allow users to assess and judge what practices would be most applicable and useful for their individual airport situations/environments, and also eliminate the need to research all relevant materials on their own time and at their own expense. The guidebook also provides a reference for understanding the terminology specific to green initiatives within an airport setting.
The results of this research show that there are many opportunities for applying principles of sustainability in all areas of airport operation: airside, landside, terminals, and hangars. In the case of new buildings, runways and taxiways, maintenance facilities, and concessions, designs can easily include various sustainable approaches. Sustainability can also be applied as a component of retrofit and repair activities. While there are many beneficial opportunities for incorporating sustainable practices within the planning and design phases of an airport development project, there may be even more opportunities to consider in equipment replacement, operation, and maintenance. Furthermore, the expense of green technologies, which may often be perceived as a detriment to implementation due to higher upfront costs than traditional systems, often produces lower life cycle costs as compared to traditional systems; and in some cases, such as balanced earthwork plans, significant cost savings can be generated when sustainable practices are incorporated instead of traditional practices.
This guidebook and accompanying Excel-based, interactive decision-making tool, ASAT, were designed to assist airport decision-makers in identifying and assessing sustainable practices that could potentially be incorporated into traditional airport projects within their unique operating environments.
9. ACRP Synthesis 33: Airport Climate Adaptation and Resilience (2012)
Baglin, C. 2012. ACRP Synthesis 33: Airport Climate Adaptation and Resilience. Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, Washington, DC. https://doi.org/10.17226/22773.
The objective of this synthesis is to provide airport administrators and their technical managers with a document that reviews the range of risks to airports from projected climate change and the emerging approaches for handling these risks. To gather relevant information on current practices, primary and secondary literature was reviewed. In addition, 16 airports were surveyed, supplying a profile of emerging practices and identifying personnel for subsequent interviews. From this information, a summary of likely climate effects and response actions was developed. The literature review, survey, and interviews were also used to identify the ways decision-makers and their stakeholders use general information on climate effects and potential adaptation measures to define, plan for, and otherwise address climate risks to their own situation, including to their assets and operations. Detailed case examples were prepared to capture several distinct approaches to airport climate change resilience and adaptation.
10. ACRP Synthesis 42: Integrating Environmental Sustainability into Airport Contracts (2013)
Haseman, Z. 2013. ACRP Synthesis 42: Integrating Environmental Sustainability into Airport Contracts. Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, Washington, DC. https://doi.org/10.17226/22567.
The objective of this synthesis was to provide airports with effective practices and tools to integrate sustainability into their contracts. The synthesis’s intended audience includes airport management; more specifically, those managers with responsibilities tied to the environment, sustainability, procurement, and contracts.
This synthesis aimed to provide practical information to airport operators and, as a result, increase activity across the industry as airports continue to use contracts as an efficient mechanism for delivering environmental sustainability improvements across an airport’s planning, operations, and management.
Synthesis Organization
Chapter 1 is the introduction.
Chapter 2 presents a review of the airport contract types. This includes a summary of the different types of airport contracts and an overview of where sustainability considerations may best be integrated.
Chapter 3 is a summary of the then-current trends in airport contracts. It explores what the incentives are for airport operators to integrate environmental sustainability considerations into airport contracts and highlights the key components for successfully integrating sustainability considerations, as well as some of the primary obstacles.
Chapter 4 provides a summary of the opportunities for integrating sustainability considerations into airport contracts. It includes a generic overview of a typical airport procurement process and then evaluates the scope of each procurement phase for integrating environmental considerations into airport contracts.
Chapter 5 presents a review of the common airport contracts that drive environmental sustainability improvements. It provides contract language from excerpts of airport contracts that have incorporated environmental sustainability requirements or conditions.
Chapter 6 reviews information on contract management and performance monitoring. It provides a summary of monitoring trends and examples airport operators are deploying to manage contracts.
Chapter 7 is the synthesis’s conclusions, including a summary of the key findings and suggestions for further research.
Appendix A is a collection of sustainability clauses and conditions from actual airport contracts provided primarily by the airport operators interviewed for this project. The contract language examples are organized by airport contract type to provide the reader with an easy-to-use resource to reference example contract language. A matrix is included that allows airport operators to search the appendix by the environmental goals of the contract language.
11. ACRP Synthesis 44: Environmental Management System Development Process (2013)
Delaney, E. and B. Thomson. 2013. ACRP Synthesis 44: Environmental Management System Development Process. Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, Washington, DC. https://doi.org/10.17226/22588.
This synthesis reports on the current practice of environmental management system (EMS) development at airports in the United States and Canada—why this is occurring, what practices look like, and how they were developed. The report provides airports with the current state of the practice in the airport industry and answers questions that airport managers and personnel responsible for environmental management may have about what their peers are doing. It is written for an audience that may not have extensive familiarity with the technical details of EMS. The study provides background on the framework of an EMS, similarities and differences of various approaches, the development process, and lessons learned by 19 airports that have EMS experience. The airports surveyed included 12 that had an established EMS in place; four that were considering an EMS; one in the process of evaluating an EMS; and two that evaluated and decided not to implement an EMS.
12. ACRP Report 110: Evaluating Impacts of Sustainability Practices on Airport Operations and Maintenance: User’s Guide and Research Report (2014)
Salerno, J., G. Raiffa, and C. Lurie. 2014. ACRP Report 110: Evaluating Impacts of Sustainability Practices on Airport Operations and Maintenance: User’s Guide and Research Report. Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, Washington, DC. https://doi.org/10.17226/22402.
The purpose of this project was to develop an evaluation process and cost-benefit tool (EP&CBT) to help airports consider the operations and maintenance (O&M) impacts of implementing sustainability practices.
The cornerstone of this project involved a case study to obtain data about current practices and potential improvements to the way airports evaluate the O&M impacts of implementing sustainability practices.
These data provided the foundation required to develop the EP&CBT for airports to analyze potential O&M impacts from implementing new sustainability practices. The project team used a three-phased approach to execute the case study and develop the EP&CBT. The approach consisted of interviewing airport personnel to validate tool requirements and collect data; developing the EP&CBT proof-of-concept based on information and recommendations garnered from the interviews; and testing the proof-of-concept with airport staff and refining the EP&CBT. The resulting tool is easy to use and allows the user to enter quantitative and qualitative information
to display key metrics in numerical and graphical form. The accompanying user guide serves as a step-by-step tutorial for using the tool. There is potential for enhancement of the evaluation process/tool and adaptation as new sustainability practices emerge.
Part I discusses the EP&CBT. Chapter 1 explains its purpose and audience. Chapter 2 is the tool’s user guide. It provides background information on the tool, its structure and requirements, information on how to use the tool and its outputs, and troubleshooting help. Part II discusses the tool development effort.
Chapter 3 describes the research conducted before the case studies. Chapter 4 presents the case study approach and the results of each of its phases.
13. ACRP Report 119: Prototype Airport Sustainability Rating System—Characteristics, Viability, and Implementation Options (2014)
Lurie, C., E. Humblet, C. Steuer, and K. Lemaster. 2014. ACRP Report 119: Prototype Airport Sustainability Rating System—Characteristics, Viability, and Implementation Options. Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, Washington, DC. https://doi.org/10.17226/22233.
The ACRP initiated Project 02-28, “Airport Sustainability Practices: Tools for Evaluating, Measuring, and Implementing,” in an effort to assist airports in making decisions regarding sustainability. The intended outcomes of the ACRP Project 02-28 were a Prototype Airport Sustainability Rating System (Prototype Rating System) that gauges airport sustainability performance, and an industry-accepted Decision Tool that assists airports in evaluating and selecting best practices for airport sustainability.
ACRP Report 119 includes a summary of the research (Chapter 2) and stakeholder outreach (Chapter 3) completed to inform the development of the Prototype Rating System, presents the functional components of the Prototype Rating System (Chapter 4), and explains how they were derived. The completed Prototype Rating System also includes an annotated outline of the Rating System User Guide (Appendix C), five excerpts of Sustainability Activity Sheets (Appendix D), and definitions of the 50 sustainability activities that compose the Prototype Rating System (Appendix E). In addition, a Potential Work Plan (Appendix F) was submitted that details the tasks for potential future phases of the project.
ACRP Report 119 also reports on the status of the Decision Tool, which will be published as part of the enhanced Sustainable Aviation Guidance Alliance (SAGA) website on completion of ACRP Project 02-30, “Enhancing the Airport-Industry SAGA Website.”
Three objectives were defined for ACRP Project 02-28 related to tools that would assist airports in evaluating, measuring, and implementing sustainability practices. The three objectives were:
- To develop a Decision Tool for airports to identify, evaluate, prioritize, and select sustainability practices.
- To develop a Prototype Airport Sustainability Rating System to help airports and their stakeholders gauge sustainability performance.
- To evaluate the viability of implementing the Rating System and an associated voluntary airport sustainability certification system.
14. ACRP Synthesis 66: Lessons Learned from Airport Sustainability Plans (2015)
Martin-Nagle, R., and A. Klauber. 2015. ACRP Synthesis 66: Lessons Learned from Airport Sustainability Plans. Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, Washington, DC. https://doi.org/10.17226/22111.
This synthesis presents the findings of ACRP Project A11-03 (Topic S02-11), “Synthesis of Information Related to Airport Practices,” which was a Transportation Research Board project to analyze and provide a benchmark for sustainability initiatives at smaller U.S. airports. The report included a literature review, a web-based survey of 31 U.S. airports with a 100% response rate, and telephone interviews with airport personnel at 12 selected facilities. The synthesis presents and analyzes the survey responses and provides information gained from the telephone interviews in the form of case examples. The survey found certain consistencies among the respondent airports. Sustainability initiatives adopted by smaller airports, regardless of the existence of a formal sustainability plan, included the following:
- Lighting upgrades, including LED lights
- Solar and geothermal energy systems
- Recycling of municipal and construction waste
- Planting trees and native plants
- Community and stakeholder outreach
- Employee programs
- Funding from nontraditional sources.
In addition to the survey results, this synthesis presents more in-depth information on sustainability initiatives at 12 airports that are featured as case examples. The approaches to sustainability vary with airport size, location, priorities, and management, and each of the case examples offers a window into real-life issues, situations, and solutions.
The scope of this synthesis included:
- Review of existing airport sustainability planning documents, with an emphasis on nonhub commercial service and general aviation (GA) airports, to determine definitions of sustainability, initiatives included, major focus areas, and scope of the planning documents.
- Interviews that examine delivery on commitments outlined in the plans, long-term program management, barriers and aids to implementation, and whether comprehensive airport sustainability plans are more beneficial than implementing projects on an ad hoc basis. Interview results are presented as case examples and lessons learned in summary format.
- Identification of costs or benefits realized from the existence (or absence) of an airport sustainability plan.
15. ACRP Report 147: Climate Change Adaptation Planning: Risk Assessment for Airports (2015)
Dewberry; Gresham, Smith and Partners; GCR Inc.; and R. Marchi. 2015. ACRP Report 147: Climate Change Adaptation Planning: Risk Assessment for Airports. Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC. https://doi.org/10.17226/23461.
ACRP Report 147: Climate Change Adaptation Planning: Risk Assessment for Airports provides a guide to help airport practitioners understand the specific impacts climate change may have on their airport, develop adaptation actions, and incorporate those actions into the airport’s planning processes. This guide first helps practitioners understand their airport’s climate change risks and then guides them through a variety of mitigation scenarios and examples. Accompanying the guide is an electronic assessment tool called Airport Climate Risk Operational Screening (ACROS) that was developed to help airports ask the question, “Within the entire airport, what’s most at risk to projected climate changes?” The ACROS tool uses a formula to compute an estimated level of risk for assets and operations at the airport. In addition, the research team used the most recent information available from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fifth Assessment Report. These airport-specific risks are then ranked to provide an enterprise-level estimate of the relative risk posed by each
asset and operation. The ACROS tool is a streamlined way to approach risk screening for an entire airport. This guide will be of interest to a wide range of airport practitioners, including landside planners, utility managers, operations and maintenance personnel, and senior management staff.
16. ACRP Synthesis 69: Airport Sustainability Practices—Drivers and Outcomes for Small Commercial and General Aviation Airports (2016)
Prather, C. D. 2016. ACRP Synthesis 69: Airport Sustainability Practices—Drivers and Outcomes for Small Commercial and General Aviation Airports. Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC. https://doi.org/10.17226/23486.
— ACRP Synthesis 53: Outcomes of Green Initiatives: Large Airport Experience (2014)
Thomson, B., and E. Delaney. 2014. ACRP Synthesis 53: Outcomes of Green Initiatives: Large Airport Experience. Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, Washington, DC. https://doi.org/10.17226/22393.
This study was designed to build upon and expand the results of ACRP Synthesis 53: Outcomes of Green Initiatives: Large Airport Experience but with a focus on small airports. ACRP Synthesis 53 examined sustainability initiatives at 15 large airports. ACRP Synthesis 69 examines sustainability initiatives at 303 small airports nationwide. Small airports, as defined in this report, include general aviation (GA), reliever, and nonprimary commercial service. This study was intended to fill the gap in the available literature by focusing on sustainable initiatives at small airports.
17. ACRP Synthesis 77: Airport Sustainability Practices (2016)
Malick, A. 2016. ACRP Synthesis 77: Airport Sustainability Practices. Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC. https://doi.org/10.17226/23644.
The objective of this synthesis was to compile information about airport sustainability practices, highlighting 10 case examples that have been previously unreported and presenting them in a readily accessible fashion; and submitting them to the Sustainable Aviation Guidance Alliance (SAGA) website (www.airportsustainability.org). The case examples are intended to be presented in a manner that will promote continued and enhanced utility of the website. Originally, the intended audience for this synthesis was perceived to be airport sustainability specialists, as well as maintenance, operations, planners, designers, asset managers, procurement, legal, and other staff. However, the audience for the SAGA website is more expansive, and this report may be useful to a broader audience as well.
The scope of this study included the following tasks:
- Reviewing the scope of work with the research Panel and identifying potential airport practices to include in synthesis;
- Conducting literature and SAGA review, and if necessary, conducting a survey to identify new airport sustainability practices;
- Conducting initial outreach to select the most appropriate case examples;
- Collecting information through interviews and investigating sustainability practice data for at least 10 diverse airport sustainability practices not previously included in the SAGA database;
- Entering practices data into the SAGA database through collaboration with airport practitioners; and
- Interviewing practitioners about their experience in collecting and reporting information on the SAGA database using a survey supplied by the ACRP Project 02-30, “Enhancing the
- Airport Industry SAGA Website” research team, which is also available on the SAGA website in the “Give Feedback” section.
18. ACRP Report 151: Developing a Business Case for Renewable Energy at Airports (2016)
Barret, S. B., P. M. DeVita, J. E. Kenfield, B. T. Jacobsen, and D. Y. Bannard. 2016. ACRP Report 151: Developing a Business Case for Renewable Energy at Airports. Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC. https://doi.org/10.17226/22081.
This report provides airports with instructions and tools to help them develop a business case that maximizes the benefits of renewable energy opportunities. It presents the business case as a comprehensive planning exercise supporting a specific objective (e.g., energy stability, and reliability) and integrates it into the airport’s typical decision-making process. It provides a systematic approach to combine the application of near-term financial measures that are typically considered in business planning along with value for self-sustainability benefits associated with long-term investments and the environmental and social benefits that are important to the airport in its governmental responsibilities.
The research focuses on identifying and communicating the inherent benefits of renewable energy as part of the business case analysis. To reinforce its practical application, this report presents direct experience in developing a business case for renewable energy to show how those attributes are valued differently by different organizations with different missions and how this broader renewable energy business experience translates to the airport business.
Regardless of how one uses the report, it represents a change in thinking for most in viewing the future where airports will continue to execute their missions of providing safe and efficient air travel to the general public while navigating an increasingly unpredictable energy landscape, which is critical to its core functionality. The challenge for airports is to adapt the business case examples to a business that is far from “usual,” to take advantage of opportunities being revealed by technology and a changing energy industry, and to address challenges associated with securing airport operations in times of new and unanticipated risk. Renewable energy can be part of that solution.
19. ACRP Research Report 164: Exhaust Emissions from In-Use General Aviation Aircraft (2016)
Yacovitch, T. I., Z. Yu, S. C. Herndon, R. Miake-Lye, D. Liscinsky, W. B. Knighton, M. Kenney, C. Schoonard, and P. Pringle. 2016. ACRP Research Report 164: Exhaust Emissions from In-Use General Aviation Aircraft. Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC. https://doi.org/10.17226/24612.
Aircraft emissions data for smaller aircraft such as piston and small turbine-powered aircraft either do not exist or have not been independently verified. The emissions data obtained as part of this project is available on the TRB website and can be added to the FAA’s Aviation Environmental Design Tool (AEDT) database of aircraft engines to better understand and estimate general aviation (GA) aircraft emissions. This report provides the findings from the emissions testing and the data. A PowerPoint presentation provides an overview of the findings and is available on the TRB website.
20. ACRP Report 174: Green Stormwater Infrastructure, Volume 1: Primer (2017) and ACRP Report 174: Green Stormwater Infrastructure, Volume 2: Guidebook (2017)
Jolley, J. W., M. E. Tuccillo, M. L. Young, M. Barrett, and A. Lantin. 2017. ACRP Research Report 174: Green Stormwater Infrastructure, Volume 1: Primer. Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC. https://doi.org/10.17226/24817.
Jolley, J. W., M. E. Tuccillo, M. L. Young, M. Barrett, and A. Lantin. 2017. ACRP Research Report 174: Green Stormwater Infrastructure, Volume 2: Guidebook. Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC. https://doi.org/10.17226/24816.
ACRP Research Report 174 defines and discusses green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) management strategies, a relatively new approach to regulation compliance. As more airports are proactively incorporating sustainable practices in all aspects of their operations, federal and state regulatory agencies are also promoting GSI strategies to comply with water regulations and requirements. There are some challenges in implementing GSI strategies, such as the perception that they are expensive and may conflict with safety and operational regulations, as well as a lack of understanding of what constitutes a GSI strategy, which includes techniques, technologies, and design elements. ACRP Report 174 (Volume 1: Primer) is written for the airport manager, planner, and engineer seeking to understand stormwater management and how GSI can comply with regulatory standards and requirements along with other benefits. ACRP Report 174: Green Stormwater Infrastructure, Volume 2: Guidebook has been developed to assist airport staff with evaluating the applicability of a GSI strategy and how to select an appropriate GSI strategy.
This primer on GSI describes the essentials of stormwater management and GSI for airport managers, planners, engineers, and aviation consultants.
21. ACRP Research Report 193: Strategies for Airports to Reduce Local Stormwater Utility Fees (2018)
The Cadmus Group, Municipal & Financial Services Group, Western Kentucky University, and Parametrix. 2018. ACRP Research Report 193: Strategies for Airports to Reduce Local Stormwater Utility Fees. Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC. https://doi.org/10.17226/25320.
This guide was developed to inform airport decision-makers and other airport staff about stormwater utility financing and strategies to manage stormwater fees at airports. It is intended to equip airport decision-makers and practitioners with the information they need to identify, evaluate, and implement the most appropriate strategies for managing stormwater fees. The best options for managing stormwater fees will vary depending on airport size and type, governance, impervious surface, and the policies associated with local stormwater management. This guide aims to provide information relevant to all airports; different portions of this guide may apply to airports depending on their familiarity and experiences with stormwater utilities.
22. ACRP Research Report 209: Integrating Sustainability Planning and the Environmental Review Process (2019)
Lurie, C., M. Egge, Environmental Science Associates, Inc., American Infrastructure Development, Inc., Changing Climates Consulting, R. Thompson, and R. McGill. 2019. ACRPResearchReport 209: Integrating Sustainability Planning and the Environmental Review Process. Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC. https://doi.org/10.17226/25638.
Environmental regulations have long required airports to undertake a review of many actions associated with planning and development. More recently, airports have embraced sustainability as a means for ensuring the long-term viability and community benefits of their facilities. ACRP Research Report 209: Integrating Sustainability Planning and the Environmental Review Process is designed for airport industry practitioners who are interested in gaining a better understanding of the benefits of integrating environmental review with sustainability planning, and who would like strategies and tools to help them implement this integration.
The report serves as a best practices and recommendations manual for professionals who seek to integrate the environmental review and sustainability planning processes at airports. The goal of the report is to (1) demonstrate the opportunities in which the sustainability planning process and the environmental review process overlap and (2) enhance each other and provide suggestions on how to integrate information and concepts between the two.
23. ACRP Research Report 197: Guidebook for Developing a Comprehensive Renewable Resources Strategy (2019)
Shaw, S., C. Ferraro, T. Orcutt, G. Morrison, M. Stephens, S. Barrett, P. DeVita, and J. Cohen. 2019. ACRP Research Report 197: Guidebook for Developing a Comprehensive Renewable Resources Strategy. Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC. https://doi.org/10.17226/25433.
This guide provides airport planning staff, engineers, and operational teams with the resources and information needed to incorporate renewable resources into the airport planning process. This report is not intended to serve as an exhaustive reference to any specific renewable resource; rather, it is intended to frame a process that airport staff can use to incorporate renewable resources into their airport planning (e.g., the master planning process and sustainability planning). Adopting renewable resources as a planned process yields significant cost savings and facilitates a smooth adoption process, compared to ad hoc adoption of renewable resources. This guide assists airport planners and decision-makers in developing and implementing a comprehensive renewable resources strategy. Chapter 2 highlights key steps in developing that strategy. The subsequent chapters provide detailed explanations of these steps and include additional information to aid airports in understanding their renewable resource opportunities. This document applies to airports of all types and sizes and includes various options for utilizing renewable resources with minimal effort or incorporating renewables into an airport’s vision statement. Though options will vary by costs, feasibility, resources, and effort, this guide will help airport decision-makers identify the best strategy for each airport.
24. ACRP Research Report 199: Climate Resilience and Benefit–Cost Analysis: A Handbook for Airports (2019)
GRA, Inc., LMI Government Consulting, RFMarchi Aviation Consulting, AECOM, and CHPLanning. 2019. ACRP Research Report 199: Climate Resilience and Benefit–Cost Analysis: A Handbook for Airports. Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC. https://doi.org/10.17226/25497.
ACRP Research Report 199 is a handbook on how to apply benefit-cost analysis tools and techniques to improve decision-making affecting the resilience of airport infrastructure projects in response to potential long-term impacts of climate change and extreme weather events. This handbook helps practitioners evaluate the financial and societal payoffs from climate-related investments using state-of-the-art financial tools including evaluating the value at risk of a project due to highly variable climate outcomes. In particular, the handbook is designed to improve the process by which infrastructure investment strategies are evaluated, with an emphasis on ensuring climate-related resiliency. Procedures for presenting assumptions, handling large climate data sets, evaluating results transparently, and implementing the process are also included so that industry users and decision-makers can understand and communicate the outcome of the analytical process.
25. ACRP Research Report 208: Benefit–Cost Analyses Guidebook for Airport Stormwater (2019)
Krop, R. A., M. E. Tuccillo, J. Rooke, M. L. Young, M. Walters, J. Proudfoot, J. Overdevest, R. Furey, K. Frink, A. Malick, and N. Gardiner. 2019. ACRP Research Report 208: Benefit–Cost Analyses Guidebook for Airport Stormwater. Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC. https://doi.org/10.17226/25617.
ACRP Research Report 208 provides information on using benefit-cost analyses (BCAs) to identify, evaluate, and select airport stormwater management projects. The report focuses on a triple-bottom-line approach that considers an airport’s finances and environmental and societal impacts. The report will be particularly helpful for small airports that may not have BCA expertise or experience with innovative stormwater projects.
The goal of this guide is to demonstrate the process of conducting a BCA of the impact of stormwater infrastructure projects on an airport’s finances, the environment, and society—the triple bottom line (TBL). The stormwater project could be a stand-alone project or part of a larger airport project. The guide emphasizes decisions made at airports and considerations at each stage of the process to provide airport personnel with a starting point for 1) identifying the stormwater project’s benefits and costs, 2) collecting relevant data, 3) using the TBL approach, and 4) communicating the results of the analysis.
26. ACRP Research Report 220: Guidebook for Developing a Zero- or Low-Emissions Roadmap at Airports (2021)
Morrison, G., D. Fordham, E. Emil, C. Fields, K. Blynn, T. Patel, J. Schroll, K. Preston, A. Klauber, K. Lemaster, and A. Epstein. 2021. ACRP Research Report 220: Guidebook for Developing a Zero- or Low-Emissions Roadmap at Airports. Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC. https://doi.org/10.17226/25677.
Reducing or eliminating carbon emissions at airports requires long planning horizons, and airports can benefit from understanding where they should start. ACRP Research Report 220: Guidebook for Developing a Zero- or Low-Emissions Roadmap at Airports provides the resources and processes to begin. The report includes tools, resources, and information that airport staff can use as they begin considering options to reduce carbon emissions. This report was further enhanced with information and lessons learned from piloting the implementation at two airports—a large hub and a small hub airport.
27. ACRP Research Report 228: Airport Microgrid Implementation Toolkit (2021)
Klauber, A., J. Cathcart, L. Shwisberg, I. Toussie, A. Naslé, K. Fahy, S. Mitchell, Z. Pecenak, M. Stadler, W. Rickerson, M. Pringle, S. Barrett, and J. Crites. 2021. ACRP Research Report 228: Airport Microgrid Implementation Toolkit. Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC. https://doi.org/10.17226/26165.
ACRP Research Report 228: Airport Microgrid Implementation Toolkit addresses site-specific criteria for airports of all types and sizes. The implementation toolkit contains an online tool (https://acrpmicrogridtoolkit.xendee.com/) that can be used to obtain an analysis and determine feasibility of a microgrid for an individual airport. The toolkit has a suite of reference materials that includes utility and regulatory considerations, evaluation for selecting among regional transmission operators, current and future market characteristics and regulatory environments, and potential for community microgrid and macrogrid interface. It also includes federal agency regulations and requirements (i.e., FAA, EPA); physical site and operational considerations; as well as commercial, business, and other considerations. A pilot implementation was conducted at Laurence G. Hanscom Field with the Massachusetts Port Authority.
28. ACRP Synthesis 119: Considerations for Establishing and Maintaining Successful Pollinator Programs on Airports (2022)
Lurie, C., S. Alger, S. LePore, and C. McCandless. 2022. ACRP Synthesis 119: Considerations for Establishing and Maintaining Successful Pollinator Programs on Airports. Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC. https://doi.org/10.17226/26680.
The objective of this report was to summarize experiences and best management practices of pollinator-friendly programs at airports. This report was developed by collecting information on existing resources and conducting surveys and interviews with airport operators, beekeepers, and other land managers, including state DOTs. It synthesizes published literature and provides case examples of pollinator-friendly programs designed to improve habitat and forage for native
and managed pollinators as well as examples of beekeeping programs that serve to engage the public. Case examples highlight achievements and lessons learned. The report also discusses how pollinator-friendly programs can be developed and managed, what their associated costs are, and the unique challenges airports face, which can include operational issues, liabilities, and wildlife hazard management. Checklists and resources are also included.
29. ACRP Synthesis 117: Agricultural Operations on Airport Grounds (2022)
Germolus, S. J. 2022. ACRP Synthesis 117: Agricultural Operations on Airport Grounds. Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC. https://doi.org/10.17226/26543.
This report is focused on agricultural operations on airport grounds and the benefits and risks associated with maintaining an airport agricultural program. This synthesis compiles previous studies, regulator information, and existing guidelines from airports that already have a program in place. A number of airports were surveyed, which provided information on types of agricultural uses in place at airports, safety concerns, program motivations, risk factors, and lessons learned. A sample checklist that may be used to determine the feasibility of developing a program by airport operators is found in Appendix E. Information used in this study was acquired through literature review, airport interviews, and over 250 survey responses from airports of a variety of sizes.
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