Los Angeles, California, 2013-06-20 — /travelprnews.com/ — Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) continues its leadership amongst American airports with the release today of the Air Quality and Source Apportionment Study (AQSAS) report for Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). This study is the first of its kind in the nation to comprehensively assess a major airport’s contribution to ambient air quality levels in communities nearby.
“During the time it took to conduct this study, there were many instances when it became clear we were pushing the capabilities of science to definitively allocate air emissions sources and distribution,” stated Airport Commission President Michael Lawson. “LAWA appreciates the hard work of the scientists who conducted the study and the Technical Working Group who helped design it. Because of their efforts, we know much more than when we started this process.”
The AQSAS found that the levels of all major air pollutants (carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide, and fine particulate matter) measured do not exceed national and California air quality standards. The study also found that concentrations of all major as well as other pollutants measured were comparable or lower than concentrations in other similar areas of Los Angeles.
“LAWA deserves credit for completing this air quality study. It took a lot of time, effort and resources. The researchers gathered more information about the air quality impacts of airport operations than anyone has ever collected,” noted Joe Lyou, President and CEO of
Coalition for Clean Air, and South Coast Air Quality Management District Governing Board member. “There is a lot of important information in this study. Some of it is good news. Some of it raises concerns that suggest where to focus next. All of it is useful.”
About the LAX Air Quality and Source Apportionment Study (AQSAS)
The study is a comprehensive three-phase, multi-year project that was designed and continuously reviewed by a technical working group of air quality scientists and researchers on the federal, state, and local levels, as well as community organizations.
A variety of sophisticated monitoring equipment and modeling techniques were used to complete this complex study. The air quality monitoring approach included two six-week sampling seasons in Winter/Spring 2012 and Summer 2012. More than 121,000 data points were collected at 17 core, satellite, and gradient monitoring sites in the communities adjacent to LAX, including El Segundo (south), Lennox (east), Playa del Rey (upwind northwest), and Westchester (north).
The AQSAS report was presented to the Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners at the regularly scheduled board meeting on Tuesday, June 18. It is available for public review online at http://www.lawa.org /airqualitystudy , and later available at Councilmember Bill Rosendahl’s District Office, located at 7166 W Manchester Avenue, Los Angeles, 90045 and at the following public libraries:
- Westchester-Loyola Village Branch Library, 7114 West Manchester Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90045
- Inglewood Library, 101 West Manchester Boulevard, Inglewood, CA 90301
- El Segundo Library, 111 West Mariposa Avenue, El Segundo, CA 90245
A public symposium is being scheduled for September 2013 to provide interested parties the opportunity to learn more and comment on the study. Further details will be posted online at http://www.lawa.org /airqualitystudy as soon as they are available.
Several options will be offered for submitting written comments on the study, including at the public symposium, or online at http://www.lawa.org /airqualitystudy , or by e-mail to airqualitystudy@lawa.org ; or by mail to: Los Angeles World Airports, Environmental Services Division, Attention: LAX AQSAS, 7301 World Way West, 3rd Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90045-5803. Comments must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time on Friday, October 11, 2013. The report with public input appended will be posted on the project website in late 2013.
About Los Angeles International Airport
LAX is the sixth busiest airport in the world and third in the United States, offering 680 daily flights to 96 domestic cities and 930 weekly nonstop flights to 59 cities in 30 countries on 63 commercial air carriers. It ranks 14th in the world and fifth in the U.S. in air cargo tonnage processed. In 2012, LAX served nearly 63.7 million passengers, processed over 1.9 million tons of air cargo valued at over $86.9 billion, and handled 605,480 aircraft operations (landings and takeoffs). An economic impact study in 2011 reported that operations at LAX generated 294,400 jobs in Los Angeles County with labor income of $13.6 billion and economic output of more than $39.7 billion. This activity added $2.5 billion to local and state revenues. LAX is part of a system of three Southern California airports – along with LA/Ontario International and Van Nuys general aviation – that are owned and operated by Los Angeles World Airports, a proprietary department of the City of Los Angeles that receives no funding from the City’s general fund.
For more information about LAX, please visit www.lawa.aero/lax or follow us on Twitter @LAX_Official on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LAInternationalAirport , and on YouTube at www.YouTube.com/laxairport1 .
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