T.F. Green Airport Improvement Program - FEIS Chapters - PVD

T.F. Green Airport Improvement ProgramEnvironmental Impact Statement and Final Section 4(f) Evaluation5.19.1 Regulatory ContextExecutive Order 13123, Greening the Government Through Efficient Energy Management, 464 encourages each federalagency to expand the use of renewable energy in its facilities and for its actions. It is also the policy of the FAA,consistent with NEPA and the CEQ regulations, to encourage the development of facilities that exemplify thehighest standards of design including principles of sustainability.5.19.2 Significance ThresholdsAs presented in Table 5-6, FAA Order 5050.4B, Table 7-1, defines a significant impact for natural resources andenergy supply as one where an action’s construction, operation, or maintenance would cause demands thatwould exceed available or future (project year) natural resource or energy supplies.5.19.2.1 Finding: No Significant Energy Supply, Natural Resources ImpactsAlternatives B2 and B4 would not have a significant impact on natural resources or energy supply since neitherAlternative would cause an excessive demand for available natural resources or energy supplies.5.19.3 MethodologyAs described in the Environmental Desk Reference for Airport Actions, factors which were considered in thisanalysis include, “consumable natural resources necessary for construction are rare; the action would cause asubstantial demand on available energy or natural resource supplies; when compared to no action conditions,changes in aircraft movements or ground vehicle use would cause a statistically significant increase in fuelconsumption; or the action would not be consistent with smart growth requirements of the agency havingjurisdiction over the area where the airport is located.” 465Consideration is given to the proposed major changes in stationary and mobile facilities as a result of theT.F. Green Airport Improvement Program to determine what type of effect they would have on local energysupplies; construction activities and their effect on natural resource and fuel consumption; and elements ofsustainable and energy efficient design which may reduce the Airport’s total future potential impact on energysupply and natural resources.Future energy consumption was projected for the No-Action and Alternatives B2 and B4 for the categories ofStationary Facilities, Aircraft, GSE, Ground Service Vehicles (GSV) and Generators, and is displayed inTable 5-130. This analysis used baseline 2004 aircraft operations, terminal square footage, and energy use forthese major energy categories. In comparing these known quantities, a ratio was calculated for each energycategory, such as watts per square foot for the stationary facilities or gallons per aircraft operation. Thesebaseline ratios were applied to aircraft operations forecasts and the projected square footage of the terminal forAlternatives B2 and B4, and the No-Action Alternative in order to ascertain anticipated energy use estimates ineach category. The estimates conservatively assume that the future terminal building is equally as efficient orinefficient as the current terminal and that future aircraft and future GSE vehicles are equally as efficient orinefficient as the current fleet. With advancements in building, aircraft, and GSE technology in the past 10 yearsand beyond, these estimations represent a worst case scenario.464 64 FR 30851; June 8, 1999465 Environmental Desk Reference for Airport Actions, FAA, October 5, 2007.Chapter 5 - Environmental Consequences 5-277 July 2011\\mawatr\ev\09228.00\reports\FEIS_Final_July_2011\PVD_CH05_Environmental_Cons_JUL_2011.doc