The Green Airports Initiative is a public-private sector partnership to promote energy efficiency, alternative fuels and recycling options that may be shared with airport staff and other aviation personnel in South Carolina.
Why the new focus on airports? One major reason is air quality. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for ozone, nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter are about to become stricter than ever. While air quality is actually improving in South Carolina, meeting these standards is becoming more difficult. Airports in nonattainment areas may be subject to a federal review known as General Conformity prior to certain construction activities. Mobile sources, both on-road (cars, trucks, etc.) and off-road (highway grading equipment, airport ground service equipment) are important factors in helping South Carolina to meet the standards and avoid federal prescriptive measures.
Green Airports Initiative
Green Airports Initiative aims to provide resources and information to help airport services (airlines as well as other tenants and vendors) become more environmentally friendly and reduce operating costs. To that end, we're offering an educational seminar at which we will explore opportunities for ground service equipment upgrades and alternative fuel conversions. Future plans, following this initial seminar, are to make further headway in the greening of South Carolina airports through seminars and other outreach efforts to reduce airport environmental footprints and costs.
Green Airports Initiative Workgroup
- Erika Meyers, S.C. Energy Office
- Steve Whaley, Alliance Autogas
- Chuck Henderson, Deputy Director, Columbia Metropolitan Airport
- Brian Barnes, S.C. DHEC, Bureau of Air Quality
- Michael Monroe, S.C. DHEC, Bureau of Air Quality
- Mary Pat Baldauf, Columbia Climate Protection Action Campaign (CPAC)
May 5, 2010: Green Airports Educational Seminar: Propane and Other Alternatives
Airports and Their Link to Air Quality
Information related to recent and upcoming air quality attainment issues, federal prescriptive measures related to nonattainment, and action steps to reduce emissions at airports.
Download the "Airports and Their Link to Air Quality" Presentation (pdf)
Airport Efficiency Upgrades and How to Pay for Them
Opportunities to utilize energy efficiency, conservation, renewable energy, and alternative transportation fuels to "green" your airport and available state and federal grant, loan, and tax incentives to help pay for them.
Download the "Airport Efficiency Upgrades and How to Pay for Them" Presentation (pdf)
Overview of the world's most popular alternative fuel: propane autogas. Explanations of why 14.6 million vehicles around the world run on this clean burning, safe, and domestically produced fuel.
Download the "Why Propane?" Presentation (pdf)
Discussion Panel "Practical Examples of GSE Conversions" (pdf)
Example of a propane converted tug
For more information, or if you have questions, please contact Michael Monroe by phone at (803)898-3261 or email.