Sustainability Priorities Established for Tampa International Airport

(December 4, 2013) - Based on information gathered during a series of online surveys and interactive workshops, Tampa International Airport has identified seven priorities for creating a Sustainability Master Plan.

Those priorities are:

  • Community
  • Health, safety and security
  • Natural systems management
  • Waste management
  • Building/buying green
  • Energy management
  • Regional economic impact

These priorities represent the key focus areas identified by the airport’s staff, tenants, and local community within the context of supporting the airport’s commitment to enhancing the social, natural, and fiscal environment. The airport continues to solicit input via the airport’s website and through social media as it moves forward with the Sustainability Master Plan, which is scheduled for completion in early 2014.

“It was, and still is, important for us to hear from as many people as possible to create a plan that satisfies that triple bottom line of people, planet and profit,” Project Director Alice Price said. “Now that we have clear priorities in place, we can begin to visualize the steps toward integrating our objectives into real actions.”

TPA was one of 25 airports selected by the Federal Aviation Administration to participate in its sustainability pilot program, which began in 2010 with two smaller airports (Ithaca-Tompkins Regional and Northeast Florida Regional). Other airports participating in the pilot program include Logan International in Boston, Seattle-Tacoma International and Salt Lake City International. Ultimately, the success of the airports’ creation and implementation of sustainable master plans will help shape the FAA’s final sustainability planning guidance to other airports around the country.

Several of these airports, including TPA, participated in 2013 Airports Going Green Conference in Chicago last month. TPA teamed up with local sustainability champion and airport concessionaire, HMS Host, to present the lessons learned from a thriving partnership at TPA.

The sustainability plan is funded by a $608,000 FAA grant, with the airport contributing $200,000 to supplement the program. The timing was perfect for TPA, which recently finished its Master Plan and can integrate the sustainability measures into its growth and development.

As the Tampa Bay area’s biggest and most-used transportation hub, Tampa International Airport’s strides toward using clean energy and being more sustainable are critical to our region. Recently, the airport was nominated in two categories – government and partnership – for Sustainable Florida’s 2013 Best Practices Awards, coming in as a finalist in the partnership category. It was also a nominee for the 2013 Natural Gas Vehicle (NGV) Achievement Award from NGVAmerica for its alliance with Clean Energy, converting the airport’s vehicle fleet to 40 percent alternatively fueled vehicles, with a goal of being 75 percent converted over the next 10 years. The airport also installed a compressed natural gas (CNG) station on airport property and several of the airport’s tenants have since shown interest in converting their vehicles to CNG.

Now having its priorities in place, the airport will begin setting goals and performance metrics before coming up with initiatives and drafting an action plan by early next year. The airport is planning another series of public workshops in spring 2014. To learn more about TPA’s Sustainability Master Plan and provide input on the priorities, visit www.tampaairport.com/tampa-international-airport-sustainability-master-plan.

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