DFW Airport Publishes Book Highlighting Environmental Excellence, Stewardship
Industry-Leading Programs Follows Board's Commitment To Keep Airport Clean, Safe
DFW INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, Texas (Mar. 4, 2004) – DFW Airport releases a 118-page book today titled "DFW: A Balance of Nature and Global Technology" that celebrates the 30th anniversary of the Airport and a century of aviation history while highlighting efforts to be the most environmentally-friendly airfield in the world. The book, written and produced by DFW's Environmental Affairs Department, documents the Airport's industry-leading programs and initiatives to keep DFW's 18,000 acres pristine and illustrates the extensive flora and fauna of the Airport in bright, stunning photos.
"Our board has made a very strong commitment to environmental excellence and employee stewardship for the past four years, and the book truly captures the great strides this Airport has made to be a good corporate citizen and clean, safe place for travel," says Max Wells, Chairman of the DFW Airport Board. "An Airport is a complex place, and one of this size definitely faces environmental challenges. But our clean air and clean water initiatives are second to none, and we will continue to strive to set the standard for all airports as well as other municipalities of North Texas."
The book will be distributed to city, government and environmental leaders in the DFW Metroplex as well available to other airports. Excerpts of the publication will also be available on www.dfwairport.com and the Airport's upcoming Annual Report CD-ROM. DFW's passengers will also find the book of interest, with historic photographs of DFW's grand opening in 1974 and behind-the-scenes pictures of the Airport's operations that span stormy to sunny conditions.
"The traveling public is indeed the ultimate benefactor of DFW's environmental efforts," says Jim Crites, executive vice president of operations at DFW. "What we do with our land, water and air not only serves the region, it allows our passengers to travel safely, efficiently and in an environmentally sound manner. That makes DFW an even more attractive place for air carriers, opening up new flights and options for our business and leisure travelers."
DFW's primary environmental priorities are pollution prevention, source reduction, waste minimization and continuous environmental improvements that follow DFW Board and Executive Management Policy directives. This effort focuses on reducing air emissions and assuring that storm water quality meets the quality standards in the receiving waters of the United States/Texas surrounding DFW. Other priorities include improving energy efficiencies and facilitating environmentally friendly procurement policies. And all 1,600 of DFW's employees must complete an extensive environmental stewardship-training program.
The Airport's Board adopted its Environmental Policy in December 1998 and its Clean Air Policy in May 2000. DFW's Board shared its vision for achieving sustainable environmental compliance and environmental leadership in its May 2000 Strategic Plan. A stated objective in the Airport's Environmental Policy calls for DFW "to lead the industry in the development and implementation of comprehensive environmental programs and practices designed to ensure a safe operating environment throughout the Airport and the North Central Texas Region."
"By documenting these programs and priorities we believe we have benchmarked our current success for future improvement," says Dan Bergman, vice president of environmental affairs at DFW and the book's author. "This is indeed a living document that maps out our environmental strategy to keep pace with strong regional demand for air transportation services and increasing our market share for air-cargo and international commerce."
To arrange interviews contact DFW Public Affairs at 972-574-NEWS (6397) or Ken Capps, Vice President Public Affairs, kcapps@dfwairport.com.