Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport is being recognized with a prestigious national award for its Sustainable Master Plan. The Plan has been chosen as a recipient of the 2011 “Airports Going Green” (ASG) award, to be presented October 31, at the fourth annual Airports Going Green Conference in Chicago, IL.

Announcing the award, Chicago’s Deputy Commissioner of Aviation for Sustainability, Amy Malick, noted that the award recognizes the value of the Ithaca Airport Sustainable Master Plan as an important and ground-breaking project, as well as the Airport’s “outstanding leadership in pursuit of sustainability within the aviation industry.”

“I am delighted to receive this award and happy to play a part in the Sustainable Master Plan initiative,” says Airport Manager Bob Nicholas. “As the first of its kind, I believe it deserves this kind of recognition, particularly since it has led to a pilot program involving many other airports, and is likely to be the way airport master plans are done from this point on. Charlie McDermott of C&S Companies, the airport’s Syracuse-based consultants, should be singled out for his inspired insight in seeing the possibilities.”

“We’re thrilled that Bob Nicholas is receiving this award,” says Carol Chock, Chair of the County’s Facilities and Infrastructure Committee. “This Plan is consistent with Tompkins County’s efforts to maintain green and sustainable standards in all our operations, and through principles of the County’s Comprehensive Plan. Bob’s work shows it is possible to achieve sustainability-and that those efforts help, not hinder, the ability of local government to run efficiently and in a fiscally sustainable manner.”

In a related sustainability initiative, the Airport also announces that it is teaming with the organization Sustainable Tompkins to set up a Carbon Footprint Offset station at the airport.

As of November 1, air travelers will have the option of using one of two airport-provided computers, located in the passenger departure lounge and central atrium, to calculate the carbon footprint of their journeys and to make secure credit card payments to the Finger Lakes Climate Fund. (The fund also accepts other forms of payment by mail.)

The Finger Lakes Climate Fund supports charitable local projects that reduce carbon emissions and benefit local sustainability initiatives. The carbon offset contributions are inexpensive and tax-deductable. Further information on this program may be found at www.sustainabletompkins.org or www.fingerlakesclimatefund.org.

 

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