ACI-NA Announces Winners of the 2004 Environmental Achievement Awards; Fort Meyers and Atlanta Receive Top Honors.

WASHINGTON -- Airports Council International - North America (ACI-NA) has selected Fort Meyers (Lee County Port Authority-Southwest Florida International Airport) and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport as the winners of its 2004 Environmental Achievement Awards.

Southwest Florida International Airport Mitigation Park was established to offset environmental impacts associated with the long-term development of the airport. The park is a 7,000-acres of preserve owned by the Lee County Port Authority that will be managed for the long-term by Florida Wildlife. Enhancement activities to be completed in the Park will improve the quality of the natural environment and result in a net benefit to the region. Establishment of the Park has led to streamlined permitting of airport development at Southwest Florida International Airport.

To address Hartsfield-Jackson's strict environmental objectives and construct a new 9,000-foot runway as expeditiously as possible, the City of Atlanta/Department of Atlanta Aviation turned to a state-of-the-art, overland belt conveyor system that transports 93 percent of the 21.5 million cubic yards of fill necessary for the runway's construction. The use of the conveyor system eliminated 2,600 tons of harmful air emissions; prevented an estimated 395 accidents by avoiding on-road truck traffic; facilitated reuse of existing fill material, saving valuable landfill space and approximately $5.5 million in disposal costs; and supports the nation's airlines by expediting runway construction.

"This year's ACI-NA Environmental Achievement Awards exemplify the efforts of our members, whose programs bring together technology, available resources and great vision to achieve environmental compliance," said Sara Massey, Manager, Technical and Environmental Affairs. "The winners demonstrate that airports recognize their responsibility in protecting the environment and take that responsibility seriously by exceeding state and federal regulations. The recipients of this year's award demonstrate tremendous vision in addition to their dedication in protecting the natural environment," she added.

Award winners will be recognized at ACI-NA's 13th Annual Conference & Exhibition in Houston, Sept. 22, 2004, at the Chairman's Honors Luncheon. In addition, the winning airport authorities will make presentations during the Environmental Affairs Committee meeting on Sept. 18, 2004.

Airports Council International - North America represents local, regional and state governing bodies that own and operate commercial airports in the United States and Canada. ACI-NA member airports enplane more than 98 percent of the domestic and virtually all the international airline passenger and cargo traffic in North America. Over 300 aviation-related businesses are also members of the association, which is the largest of the six worldwide regions of Airports Council International.