By Khalida Sarwari
Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport will become the first airport on the West Coast and the 10th airport in the country to receive a $4.6 million grant to implement airport and ground service equipment aimed at improving air quality, airport officials announced this
week.
The grant, given through the Federal Aviation Administration’s Voluntary Airport Low Emissions program, will go toward the installation of “pre-conditioned” air and electrical power upgrades, airport spokesman David Vossbrink said.
The upgrades will be implemented at 13 airport gates in Terminal A to heat or cool the air through the system and eliminate the need for diesel equipment and practice of aircraft idling, according to Vossbrink.
The upgrades will help reduce greenhouse gases and will result in lower emissions, reducing the need for on-board auxiliary power units to support idling and allow for more efficient use of electrical power.
“We are delighted that we got the grant which certainly helps us in these times and it also allows us to move our environmental program forward and be consistent with the high standards here in San Jose to improve sustainability and air quality,” Vossbrink said.
Installation at Terminal A will begin within the next two weeks and all 28 gates will be equipped when the new airport opens in summer 2010, Vossbrink said.
“We look forward to having the new equipment in place as soon as we can,” Vossbrink said. “It’s really part of a comprehensive effort to build facilities that are much more environmentally friendly.”