BY TERRY FLYNN
The Cincinnati Enquirer
HEBRON -- A draft report from the Kentucky Division of Water finds that the Cincinnati - Northern Kentucky International Airport is employing strong measures to prevent the runoff of de-icing fluid into two Boone County creeks.
The report on the impact of de-icing fluids on Elijahs and Gunpowder creeks, recently released for public comment, states that the airport has made every effort to correct water-quality problems in the streams.
Starting in 1992, the state began testing and documenting water-quality problems in the creeks caused by the runoff from the de-icing operations conducted at the airport.
Eventually, the airport was fined by the state Environmental Protection Agency for polluting the streams. The airport subsequently signed an agreement to increase efforts to curb the de-icing fluid runoff, and additional monitoring stations were established along the streams.
"We have spent approximately $5 million on containment of de-icing fluid," said Dale Keith, the airport's director of operations. That includes automated de-icing procedures and a series of de-icing pads with drains that capture the runoff and return it to tanks. He said the airport has used "every type of containment technology out there, and ours is probably the best. I feel we are way ahead of almost every airport in the country in this area."
Certain actions have been taken to ensure the runoff of de-icing fluid doesn't create additional water-quality problems in the creeks, both of which empty into the Ohio River.
The airport submitted a groundwater protection plan and a "best management practices control" plan for containment of de-icing fluid. Both plans were accepted and approved by the Division of Water.
Don Chapman, a Northern Kentucky native and graduate of Western Kentucky University, was hired as coordinator of environment and safety at the airport. He says his No. 1 priority is containing de-icing runoff to the creeks.
De-icing is performed on specially constructed pads that capture most of the fluid as it runs off aircraft and returns it to holding tanks.
When aircraft taxi from the de-icing pads to the runways, some of the fluid will drip onto the ground, Mr. Keith said. Officials want as much fluid clinging to the plane as possible so no ice forms before takeoff. At takeoff, anything remaining evaporates.
The airport purchased a specially designed motorized environmental sweeper that can be used on the taxiways to capture what drips from the aircraft.
David Leist, a specialist with the Division of Water who prepared the report, pointed out that de-icing "is an essential component of airline safety in areas subject to freezing conditions."
But his report also emphasized that the chemicals used in the de-icing process result in environmental problems to surface water near the airports.
The report concluded that water quality in both Elijahs and Gunpowder creeks is expected to improve significantly as the result of the actions taken by the airport to prevent runoff.
"Monitoring will continue to ensure this occurs, and additional control measures will be taken if necessary to restore Elijahs and Gunpowder creeks," the reports stated.
