Updated: Airport Advisory Commission does not approve working relationship with Environmental Commission
Thursday, May 18, 2023 by
Nina Hernandez Though it won the votes of the majority of Airport Advisory Commissioners in attendance, due to vacancies the group did not approve a resolution establishing a working relationship with the city’s Environmental Commission with regard to the environmental impacts of Austin-Bergstrom International Airport expansion projects.
At the commission’s May 10 meeting, Chair Wendy Price Todd said the Environmental Commission approached her with the possibility of the partnership so that the airport’s expansion development program can move forward without the city backtracking on its environmental standards.
“We have an environmental officer, we have a sustainability officer at the airport, but they are not communicating to the community in real time,” Todd said. “And that’s something that we can do as a board and commission. We know that the airport is complying with the (Federal Aviation Administration) and the (Environmental Protection Agency), and with (Texas Commission on Environmental Quality) guidelines. We know that is happening. But those are the minimum.”
In February, the Airport Advisory Commission learned that a non-toxic mud leak occurred last fall on airport property during construction of the new jet fuel storage facility. Then-Chair Eugene Sepulveda questioned why the commission – and therefore the public – hadn’t been informed of the leak more quickly. The Environmental Commission recommended the arrangement at its May 3 meeting.
Todd noted the “confusion” with the mud leak. “I don’t want to relive or point fingers, but I think, moving forward, there are going to be a lot of projects, as we’ve heard, that may or may not have situations that will require some expertise.”
The partnership would create “some flexibility that if there’s something that we have to vote on that has some environmental impact downstream or upstream or air quality or noise or light pollution or environmental justice issues, that we have an opportunity to air those publicly and not rely on staff who’s doing their job.”
Todd also referenced the “green team” of community partners and volunteers that now-former airport CEO Jaqueline Yaft said in April 2022 would be created in an effort to “improve community engagement and collaboration” with regard to the airport and its expansion. The team was supposed to act as environmental stewards overseeing future airport projects.
“We were promised a green team that didn’t materialize,” Todd said.
Commissioner Raymond Young represents District 2, where the airport is located. He said he would like for there to be more collaboration and information shared with the community with regard to airport projects.
“It’s kind of disheartening that we are supposed to be an open commission, but there are projects that are being done and information is being withheld from the public,” Young said. “That’s not a good deal. So I really would like for us to collaborate and have more information to provide to the public and not be behind closed doors or hiding information.”
Commissioner Jeremy Hendricks also spoke in support of the resolution.
“I think it’s a great idea, because as we’ve seen with a lot of things, including worker protections, the airport does a great job of following federal standards, but not necessarily are they always focused on what our local standards are, what our local sense of values are.”
Update: This story has been corrected since publication. Though commissioners supported the resolution in a vote of 5-1, that was not enough votes to approve the resolution and move forward with the working relationship. The Austin Monitor originally reported that the resolution passed, and we regret the error.
Photo made available through a Creative Commons license.
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