Template revised April 12, 2018.

COMMISSION

AGENDA MEMORANDUM

Item No.

BRIEFING ITEM

Date of Meeting

April 23, 2019

DATE: April 5, 2019

TO: Stephen P. Metruck, Executive Director

FROM: Elizabeth Leavitt, Senior Director, Environment and Sustainability Center of Expertise

Jeremy Webb, Environmental Program Manager (Aviation)

Marlene Maurer, Environmental Management Specialist (Maritime)

Tom Fagerstrom, Airport Noise Programs Coordinator

SUBJECT: Environmental Excellence and Fly Quiet Awards

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

In honor of Earth Day (April 22, 2019), Port staff will recognize winners of the Port’s 2018

Environmental Excellence Awards for aviation and maritime divisions. These awards recognize

customers, tenants, non-profits, and partners of all sizes for outstanding environmental

leadership and encourage continuous improvement by acknowledging the critical role they play

helping the Port achieve its environmental goals.

Port staff will also recognize winners of the Port’s Fly Quiet Awards for airline noise reduction

efforts at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The annual Fly Quiet Awards were developed

by Port staff and a citizen advisory committee in 2005 to increase airline and pilot awareness of

aircraft noise impacts on local communities.

This year’s award winners include:

Environmental Excellence:

 Maritime - ECOSS, Sound Experience;

 Aviation - Bremerton Kitsap-Airporter, Whidbey Seatac Shuttle, Lyft;

Fly Quiet:

 Southwest Airlines, Jazz Aviation (Air Canada Express), Spirit Airlines.

MARITIME ENVIRONMENTAL EXCELLENCE AWARDS

The Maritime Division received eight nominations and selected two award winners. The

Maritime Division also recognizes one nomination with an Honorable Mention to highlight

notable accomplishments that demonstrate meaningful support for Port sustainability

objectives but did not receive top honors. Award winners and key accomplishments are

described by award category below.

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Environmental Education and Outreach

ECOSS

This award recognizes ECOSS’ outstanding work educating and serving diverse communities.

ECOSS:

 Provided multi-lingual educational materials and other resources to minority communities

and non-native English speakers

 Provided spill training and spill kits and collaborated with King County’s RainWise program

to enable businesses and homeowners in improving stormwater management

 Hosted food waste prevention, compost and recycling trainings for restaurant owners and

community members

 Educated business owners and individuals about toxic household products and hazardous

chemicals as well as non-toxic and environmentally-friendly alternatives

 Organized volunteer programs, habitat restoration events and other outdoor

environmental stewardship outings

 Empowered over 10,000 businesses and community members in 2018

Environmental Education and Outreach

Sound Experience

This award recognizes Sound Experience’s invaluable experiential youth education program.

Sound Experience:

 Enhanced environmental understanding of the Puget Sound region by developing hands-on

curricula on watersheds, ocean/estuarine features, marine food webs, human impact on

the environment, biodiversity, marine animal ecology, natural history, climate and habitat

 Developed leadership qualities and fostered team work qualities through individual and

group assignment and activities

 Encouraged stewardship for the marine environment, Puget Sound and the local maritime

industry

 Completed 44 educational sailings reaching 878 students in 2018

Environmental Performance - Honorable Mention

Pacific Fishermen Shipyard and Electric

This Honorable Mention recognizes Pacific Fishermen Shipyard and Electric for consistent efforts

to reduce the environmental impact of their operations. Pacific Fishermen Shipyard and Electric:

 Installed a 7.9 kW Solar photovoltaic array and offsetting 3.5 metric tons of CO

annually

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 Completed energy efficiency upgrades including the installation of a high efficiency boiler

system and high efficiency air compressor, reducing 30.3 metric tons of CO

annually

compared to previous technology

 Implemented sustainability practices that reduce waste and increase the use of non-toxic

paints, thinners, and cleaning solvents

AVIATION ENVIRONMENTAL EXCELLENCE AWARDS

The Aviation Division received five nominations and selected three winners. Award winners

and key accomplishments are described by award category below.

Ground transportation is the central theme of this year’s aviation awards and the second-

largest source of STIA greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions behind aircraft. This year’s winners

reduced or offset GHG emissions and expanded passenger access to environmentally preferable

forms of ground transportation. These accomplishments support Port Century Agenda

environmental goals and align with STIA’s Ground Transportation Framework guiding principles,

goals, and strategies.

Environmental Performance – Small Business Award

Bremerton-Kitsap Airporter

This award recognizes Bremerton-Kitsap Airporter, a small and veteran owned business, for

alternative fuel conversions that reduced fleet GHG emissions. Bremerton-Kitsap Airporter:

 Converted fourteen (14) passenger buses from gasoline to propane fuel reducing carbon

emissions by 161 metric tons

 Equivalent to removing 34 cars from the road annually

Environmental Performance – Small Business Award

Whidbey Seatac Shuttle

This award recognizes Whidbey Seatac Shuttle, another small and veteran owned business, for

alternative fuel conversions that reduced fleet GHG emissions. Whidbey Seatac Shuttle:

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 Converted nine (9) passenger buses from gasoline to propane fuel reducing carbon

emissions by 164 metric tons

 Equivalent to removing 35 cars from the road annually

Environmental Performance and Innovation

Lyft

This award recognizes Lyft, a Rideshare/Transportation Network Company (TNC), for creative

use of technology and significant investments that reduced and offset GHG emissions from STIA

operations. Lyft:

 Introduced innovative Re-match technology enabling drivers to immediately pick up a

passenger(s) shortly after completing a drop off, which reduced deadheading by

approximately 50% and GHG emissions by an estimated 250 metric tons of carbon in

2018 at Sea-Tac

 Offset 9,100 metric tons of carbon from Lyft’s Sea-Tac operations, becoming one of

the largest voluntary carbon offset purchasers in the world and the first and only TNC

to become carbon-neutral for both company and ride-related emissions

FLY QUIET AWARDS

The annual Fly Quiet Awards were developed by Port staff and a citizen advisory committee in

2005 as a way to increase airline and pilot awareness of aircraft noise impacts on local

communities. Fly Quiet was included as a continuing noise program measure in the most

recent Part 150 Noise Study update completed in 2014.

Airlines are judged using 3 award criteria: the sound levels of their operations (utilizing 4 of the

Port’s noise monitors), success at flying within the noise abatement flight procedures, and

adhering to the airport’s ground maintenance engine run-up regulations.

Fly Quiet Bravo Award

Southwest Airlines

This award goes to the quietest jet airline among the five busiest airlines operationally at STIA

for:

 Noise levels were consistently lower than competitors; and

 Flew the noise abatement procedures at a high rate of success.

Fly Quiet Regional Award

Jazz Aviation (Air Canada Express)

This award is presented to the quietest regional jet airline at STIA for:

 Reached remarkably low levels of noise from their operations; and

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 Had good success at flight procedures.

Fly Quiet Award

Spirit Airlines

This award is for the quietest jet airline at STIA with at least 1,000 annual operations. This

year’s winner displayed:

 Were outstandingly and consistently flying STIA’s flight procedures correctly; and

 Noise levels were significantly lower than their competitors in this large group.

ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND

Airport staff created the Environmental Excellence Awards Program in 2010. One or more

awards may be given each year, depending on the quality and quantity of nominations

received. The Maritime Division has offered the “Green Gateway” awards since 2010 focusing

on environmental leadership within the cruise industry.

To better align the two award programs, the Maritime and Aviation Divisions began joint

participation in the Environmental Excellence Awards in 2017, offering participation to all

customers, tenants, non-profits and partners. Both divisions accept nominations for any

project, process, or action that promotes environmental leadership and stewardship in one of

the following environmental categories:

 Performance

 Education and Outreach

 Innovation

NEXT STEPS

An Environmental Excellence Award Luncheon is scheduled for 5/22/19 at 12:00-1:30PM in the

Airport’s International Conference Center. Port Commissioners and Leadership are invited to

attend and present commemorative plaques, learn more about winner accomplishments, and

pose for pictures with winners.

Concurrent with the luncheon, Port staff will launch a publicity campaign acknowledging 2018

Award winners through digital and print media (e.g. Port website, social media, newsletters), a

public press release, and local public radio underwriting spots (88.5 FM KNKX).

ATTACHMENTS TO THIS BRIEFING

(1) Presentation slides

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Meeting Date: April 23, 2019

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PREVIOUS COMMISSION ACTIONS OR BRIEFINGS

4/24/2018 – Announced 2017 award winners (Item #9a)

Environmental Excellence:

 Maritime: Vigor, Castan Inc. Trucking Company, Maxum Petroleum, Seaview Boatyard

 Aviation: United Airlines, HMSHost, The Common Acre

Fly Quiet:

 Southwest Airlines, SkyWest Airlines, Spirit Airlines