7.2 The Airport and the Environment

 The Airport and the Environment 

Airports come in all shapes and sizes, from large International hubs to small grass runways and one thing can be true for all of them, they are home to some nasty chemicals. The world is slowly shifting its focus on greener, more environmentally friendly ways of transportation and the aviation industry is no exception. Aircraft require vast amount of fuel, oil and hydraulic fluid in order to operate properly. For instance, aviation gasoline or avgas, contains a high amount of lead. This leaded fuel contains Tetra-ethyl-lead (TEL), which is an additive used to prevent engine damage at higher power settings (FAA). TEL, is known to cause nervous system damage in humans, along with a a laundry list of other ailments. If is able to do this to a human, what do you think it can do to the environment?

When I was first taking flight lessons, my instructor showed me how to sump check the wing tanks to make sure there was no water in the fuel, and his way of disposal was to dump the excess fuel on the ground or as he said "sump and dump". That was common practice at the airfield because there was no collection barrel nearby to properly dispose of the fuel. After years of the sump and dump method, you can only imagine the amount of fuel that has seeped into the ground and possibly into the water table. Something as simple as a localised hazardous waste collection point near the apron would make a difference along with adequate training. This is just one example at a small regional airport, what do you think is happening at other, larger airports? Airport managers must focus on every detail of hazardous waste disposal and pass that down to the next generation of aviators. 

https://www.faa.gov/about/initiatives/avgas