4    WASTE MINIMIZATION ACTIVITIES DURING THE
CONSTRUCTION PHASE OF THE DENVER
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
Marie Bushway Zanowick, Environmental Engineer —Manager, Hazardous Waste
Minimization Program, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region VIII, Denver,
Colorado 80202
Michelle May, Civil Engineer, Waste Minimization Assessment Center, Colorado State
University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80202
David Duster, Environmental Scientist —Pollution Prevention Coordinator for the
Denver Airport, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region VIII, Denver,
Colorado 80207
INTRODUCTION
Denver's new $2.7 billion airport, Denver International Airport (DIA), will not only be the largest
airport in the country when it is unveiled in 1993, it will be the first facility to incorporate pollution
prevention measures into the design, construction, operation and maintenance of the airport.
DIA has been designed in a manner compatible with the surrounding environment. DIA operations '
will conserve water through the installation of low flush toilets, use of reclaimed water for irrigation
of grasses, and planting of drought-resistant grasses. Also, pollution that is related to hazardous
chemicals will be greatly minimized through recycling of chemical aircraft de-icing fluids, and recycling of solvents and petroleum products generated during airport operations. The generation of air
pollutants will be diminished through the installation of low NOX burning boilers, installation of
Phase II vapor recovery gasoline and aviation fuel tanks, and implementation of employee and
passenger travel reduction measures. A significant amount of hazardous and solid waste is generated
during any construction activity. For a large construction project, the amount of generated waste
material can be enormous resulting in high disposal and remedial costs. Construction waste from large-
projects cause a significant load on local solid waste landfills. Hazardous waste contamination
resulting from improper management of construction wastes can lead to enormous liabilities under
Federal and State hazardous waste requirements.
As part of its efforts to minimize hazardous and solid waste generated during DIA construction
activities, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region VIII office conducted a waste minimization audit of two DIA construction contractors. This is one of the first instances where EPA has
stepped outside of its more traditional enforcement role to promote waste minimization proactively.
BACKGROUND
The DIA is one of the largest construction projects in the history of the United States. It is the first
airport to be built in the last 20 years. The opening date for DIA is planned for October, 1993. It will
include construction of a terminal complex, three concourses, an underground automated guideway
transit system (AGTS), and five full service, 12,000 foot runways, with a sixth, 16,000 foot runway to
follow shortly thereafter.
The area encompassing DIA is over 53 square miles, twice the size of Manhattan. The surface area
included in the first phase of construction for runways, ramps and taxiways is the equivalent of a
single lane highway from Denver to Chicago. At the peak of construction activities, over 7,000
construction workers will be employed on DIA construction activities. During 1991 there were five
major earthwork projects in progress simultaneously. Each of these moved approximately 100,000
cubic yards of earth each day. This is equivalent to one-third the amount of earth moved during the
entire Panama Canal Project.
47th Purdue Industrial Waste Conference Proceedings, 1992 Lewis Publishers, Inc., Chelsea, Michigan 48118.
Printed in U.S.A.
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