Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) Commissioner Rosemarie Andolino spotlighted airport sustainability initiatives before the House Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee during a hearing on sustainability in transportation this week.
Andolino shared CDA's experiences at both O'Hare and Midway International Airports. "CDA is committed to increasing efficiency, capacity and environmental sustainability of our airports," she said, detailing groundbreaking green initiatives the department undertook as part of the O'Hare Modernization Program, ranging from recycling asphalt to re-using dirt on-site to cut down on transportation-related emissions from dump trucks. Andolino provided lawmakers with a copy of the Sustainable Airport Manual, which integrates airport-specific sustainable planning and practices into one manual for green airports, through applying the intent of the Leadership in Energy Efficient Design (LEED) rating system.
In her testimony, Andolino emphasized that CDA's work on the O'Hare Modernization Program, "demonstrates that going green at airports is possible, cost effective, and more important - it is the right thing to do." CDA is working with industry experts on creating an Airport Sustainability Institute that would serve as an independent, nonprofit agency to promote, certify and award sustainability performance standards at airports, she said.
Andolino told lawmakers that "going green doesn't have to cost a lot of green," and that it can in fact save money in the long term.
Lawmakers quizzed Andolino on whether the efforts undertaken at O'Hare would work at land-challenged airports like Midway or Boston Logan. Andolino noted that projects of any size and scope can be tailored to include sustainable elements, and referenced the construction of a new rental facility at Midway that was redesigned to include sustainable elements before being put out for bid.
