2013 Session: AV030

• Behavioral Traits and Airport Type Affect Mammal Incidents With U.S. Civil Aircraft
  Abstract: Worldwide, it is estimated that Wildlife-Vehicle Collisions (WVCs) are responsible for > US$4 billion in annual damages from vehicle collisions on roads and civil aircraft collisions alone. Wildlife incidents with aircraft cost the United States civil aviation industry an estimated > US $1.4 billion in damages and loss of revenue from 1990 to 2009. Although terrestrial mammals represent 2.3% of wildlife aviation incidents, damage to aircraft occurs in 59% of mammal incidents. Behavioral traits and size of mammal species and differences in mammal management techniques may produce temporal, frequency, species richness, and damage in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) National Wildlife Strike Database from 1990–2010 to characterize and analyze these incidents by airport type: Part-139 certified (certificated) and general aviation (GA). Relative hazard scores were also generated for species most frequently involved in incidents based on damage and effect on flight. We found incidents were most frequent in October (n = 215) at certificated airports, and November (n = 111) at GA airports, but overall, more incidents were reported in August (n = 310) at all airports. Most (63.2%) incidents at all airports (n = 1,523) occurred at night but the greatest incident rate occurred at dusk (177.3 incidents/hr). Certificated airports had more than twice as many incidents as GA airports and “other” airports. Certificated airports had incidents with more species or groups (n = 41) than GA airports (n = 28) or “other” airports (n = 20). More incidents with damage (n = 1,594) occurred at GA airports (38.6%) than certificated airports (19.0%), or “other” airports (n = 1.76%). Artiodactlya incidents incurred the greatest (92.4%) damage costs (n = 326) at all airports, followed by Carnivora (7.3%). Mule deer (Odocoileus hermionus) was the most hazardous (hazard score = 100) species, followed by white-tailed deer (89), and domestic dog (78). Overall, relative hazard score increased with increasing log body mass. We recommend biologists evaluate mammal species present on airport grounds based on the aircraft hazard information we provide and consider prioritizing management strategies that emphasize reducing occurrence of species on airport property.
  Authors: Biondi, Kristin M.
  Authors: Biondi, Kristin M.
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Aviation; Energy; Environment
  Session: AV030
  Paper Number: 13-0430
• Dispersion Modeling of Lead Emissions from Piston-Engine Aircraft at General Aviation Facilities
  Abstract: In 2008 the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for lead was tightened by an order of magnitude. Additionally, general aviation is now the largest source of lead emitted to the atmosphere. The accuracy of modeled lead impacts from general aviation airports is unclear due to uncertainties in both emissions estimation and dispersion modeling. It is important to understand how well such modeling can perform when there is limited data on the aircraft activities at an airport. This study evaluated the level of accuracy that can be achieved by using aggregate activity information and using simple assumptions about the nature of activities to estimate impacts at an airport with lead monitoring.Dispersion modeling of general aviation lead emissions was performed for Centennial Airport to estimate near-field impacts from airport operations in 2011. Emissions were estimated using the Federal Aviation Administration’s Air Traffic Activity System and Emission and Dispersion Modeling System (EDMS). The annual emission estimates for 2011 was 0.43 tons, which is much lower than the 0.73 tons estimated by the 2008 National Emissions Inventory. Sensitivity analyses were conducted by varying several emission parameters. Modeled concentrations at the on-site lead sampler were quite sensitive to the amount of run-up emissions. Concentrations modeled with Automated Surface Observing System meteorology have greater correlation with on-site measured values than concentrations modeled with Integrated Surface Hourly meteorology. Three-month average impacts modeled at the on-site lead sampling location ranged from 10 ng/m3 to 20 ng/m3, all well below the lead NAAQS of 150 ng/m3.
  Authors: Feinberg, Stephen N.
  Authors: Feinberg, Stephen N.
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Aviation; Environment
  Session: AV030
  Paper Number: 13-0432
• Challenges to Air and Rail Alternatives Analysis in Government Environmental Impact Review Processes
  Abstract: The current institutional process for project-level environmental review, the government-required Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) requires assessment of the proposed project, the no-build alternative, and alternatives to the proposed project. Despite growing academic research to compare the environmental impacts of air and high speed rail (HSR) infrastructure, there are few instances of multimodal alternatives analysis in airport and HSR EIS documents. In this paper, we chronicle examples of EISs for air and HSR capacity-enhancement projects to identify key challenges to completing modal alternative analysis in the EIS: the spatial heterogeneity of the physical infrastructure for air and HSR, the framing of EIS purpose and need statements, and the complicated interpretations of environmental impact significance thresholds. We conclude by proposing strategies to incentivize modal alternative assessments and highlight methodologies that are needed to perform high-quality comparative analysis to inform decision makers, whether in the context of the EIS or in upstream planning processes.
  Authors: Woodburn, Amber; Ryerson, Megan Smirti; Chester, Mikhail
  Authors: Woodburn, Amber; Ryerson, Megan Smirti; Chester, Mikhail
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Aviation; Energy; Environment
  Session: AV030
  Paper Number: 13-4641
• Dispersion Modeling of Lead Emissions from Piston-Engine Aircraft at General Aviation Facilities
  Authors: Feinberg, Stephen
  Authors: Feinberg, Stephen
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Presentation
  Session: AV030
  Paper Number: 13-0432