Certificate on the 2006 data report, November 2007

Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs · from the MEPA office · 8 pages · 608 KB
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The CommonweaCth o f Massachusetts 
Eqecutive OfJlce of Energy andEnvironmentalgffairs 
100 Cambridge street, Suite 900
Boston, M A 02114 
Deval L. Patrick
GOVERNOR 
'I'imothy P. Murray
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR 
Tel: (61 7) 626-1000
Fax: (617) 626-1 181
http:l/www.mass.gov/envir 
Ian A. Bowles 
SECRETARY 
November 1,2007 
CERTIFICATE OF THE SECRETARY OF ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS
ON THE
2006 LOGAN AIRPORT ENVIRONMENTAL DATA REPORT 
PROJECT NAME : 2006 Environmental Data Report 
PROJECT MUNICIPALITY : Boston 1 Winthrop 
PROJECT WATERSHED : Boston Harbor
EOEA NUMBER : 3247
PROJECT PROPONENT : Massachusetts Port Authority 
DATE NOTICED r N MONITOR : September 25,2007 
As Secretary of Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA), I hereby
determine that the Environmental Data Report submitted on this project adequately and
properly complies with the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (G. L. c. 30, ss. 61-62H)
and with its implementing regulations (301 CMR 11.00). 
The environmental review process at Logan Airport has been structured to occur on two levels:
airport-wide and project-specific. The Environmental Status and Planning Report (ESPR) has
evolved from a largely retrospective status report on airport operations to a broader analysis that
also provides a prospective assessment of long range plans. It has thus become (consistent with
the objectives of the MEPA regulations) part of Massport's long range planning. In recognition
of the increased role of planning in the GEIR process, the name of the document was changed to
ESPR. The ESPR provides a "big picture" analysis of environmental impacts associated with
current and anticipated levels of activities, and presents an overall mitigation strategy aimed at
avoiding increases in such impacts. The ESPR analysis is supplemented by (and ultimately
incorporates) the detailed analyses and mitigation commitments of project-specific EIRs. The
ESPR is currently updated on a 5-year basis, with much less detailed Environmental Data

EEA #3247 EDR Certificate 11/01/07 
Reports (formerly Annual Updates) filed in the years between ESPRs. The 2006 EDR is the
subject of this Certificate. 
In general, the EDR has fblfilled its purpose of providing a "snapshot" of year 2006 passenger
and impact levels at Logan Airport. Most environmental parameters showed improvement in
calendar year 2006. In particular, the technical studies in the 2006 EDR included reporting on
and analysis of key indicators of airport activity levels, airport planning, the regional
transportation system, ground access, noise, air quality, environmental management, and project
mitigation tracking. Mitigation of noise impacts and air quality remain key concerns both of this
office and the commenters. These commitments take the form of project-specific Section 61
Findings, as well as more general mitigation that has emerged from the ESPR process. 
Background 
In 1979, the Secretary of the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs issued a Certificate
requiring Massport to define, evaluate, and disclose, every three years, the impact of long-term
growth at the airport through a Generic Environmental Impact Report (GEIR). The Certificate
also required the submission of interim Annual Updates to provide data on conditions for the
years between the GEIRs. The GEIR provided projections of environmental conditions where the
cumulative effects of individual projects could be understood. The Secretary's Certificate on the
1997 Annual Update proposed a revised environmental review process for Logan Airport. As a
result, Massport evaluates the cumulative impacts associated with airport activities through
preparation of an ESPR every five years and provides data updates annually through the EDRs. 
Review of the 2006 EDR 
As always, EEA remains committed to evaluating and addressing the cumulative impacts of
airport operations on the nearby communities. In June 2001, Massport agreed to work with EEA
on structuring a proposed Air Quality Initiative (AQI). The Certificate indicated that Massport 
was "to solicit project submissions from local governments and community groups, which will
be reviewed in an objective, science-based process by a neutral organization such as
NESCAUM." The 2006 EDR reiterates that Massport has committed to the Air Quality
Initiative, a key program designed to mitigate the cumulative air quality impacts of airport
operations. The 2006 EDR details how Massport is meeting this commitment. The 2007 EDR
should continue to report on the details of Massport's commitment and address the concerns
raised by the City of Boston's Environment Department on this issue. In addition to the
environmental issues listed below, the 2007 EDR should address all of the air quality and noise
related issues raised by the commenters during the review of the 2006 EDR. 
Procedural 
Given the overall strength of the analysis in the 2006 EDR, the 2007 EDR can restrict itself to
providing an update on 2007 conditions, and respond to those issues explicitly noted in this 
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Certificate and the comments received as requiring response in the next EDR. The EDR should
provide a "snapshot" of the 2007 operations and impacts, with more substantial analysis awaiting
the next ESPR. Massport should file the 2007 EDR no later than October 15,2008 (although I
encourage Massport to file sooner, given the relatively few requirements for the next EDR). 
A distribution list for the 2007 EDR (indicating those receiving documents, CDs, or Notices of
Availability) should be provided in the document. This section must also include copies of all
ESPR and EDR Certificates issued since the 2004 Logan Environmental Status and Planning
Report (issued on August 16,2006) to provide context for reviewers. Supporting technical
appendices should be provided as necessary. 
Responses to Comments 
The comments received on the 2006 EDR are thoughtful and detailed although I note that some
of the comments were received only one day before this Certificate was to be issued. I request
that during the review of the 2007 EDR that commenters make every attempt to submit
comments by the close of the comment period to allow time for review. The 2007 EDR must
include Responses to Comments which addresses all of the substantive comments from the
letters listed at the end of this Certificate. The Response to Comments included in this EDR is
well-constructed and cross-referenced. Massport may follow the same format in addressing
comments in the next EDR, although the Responses to Comments should pay particular attention
to increased specificity, where necessary.
The majority of comments received on the 2006 EDR focused on air quality and noise related
issues, including measurement of noise, modeling of noise contours, and noise abatement. In
addition to responding to these comments, the 2007 EDR and future EDRs should also continue
to report on the refinements to noise tracking and abatement efforts. Massport should consult
directly with individual commentors where necessary. 
Organization of the Certificate 
I have organized the remainder of this Certificate to respond to issues raised roughly in the order
in which they were presented in the 2006 EDR, although I have for the most part incorporated
discussion of issues raised in the technical appendix into the discussion of the environmental
impact analyses. 
Activity Levels 
The Activity Levels chapter provides a solid analysis of major activity issues and the technical
appendix contains useful and detailed information. This chapter presents aviation activity
statistics for Logan Airport in 2006 and compares activity levels to the prior year including air
passengers, aircraft operations, fleet mix, and cargolmail volumes. Air passenger traffic at Logan
Airport reached 27.7 million, up from 27.1 million in 2005. The total number of aircraft

EEA #3247 EDR Certificate 11/01/07 
operations decreased in 2006 even though the total number of air passengers increased because
airlines increased the number of passengers per aircraft operation. Specifically, the total number
of aircraft operations declined from 409,066 in 2005 to 406,119 in 2006 which is a decrease of
0.7 percent. Air cargo volumes continued to decline from 728 million pounds in 2005 to 679
million pounds in 2006 with the largest volume decrease in the express/small packages. 1advise 
Massport to consider and attempt to address all comments related to activity levels in the next
2007 EDR. 
Planning 
The Airport Planning chapter provides an overview of planning, construction, and permitting
activities that occurred at Logan Airport in 2006. It also describes known future planning,
construction, and permitting activities. Specifically, several projects were completed in 2006.
The new Terminal A, which opened on March 16,2005, achieved Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design (LEED) certification in June 2006. It is the first airport terminal in the
U.S. to earn this ranking. In addition, in November, 2006 the MBTA Silver Line service was
enhanced with the addition of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's (MBTA)
Charlie Card automatic fare collection kiosks in all Logan Airport terminals. Several
construction projects were also completed, including the construction of the North Service Road
(SR-2) Roadway Buffer, which consists of a sidewalk linking the Blue Line Airport Station to
Logan Airport Terminals, and a landscaped area adjacent to the sidewalk. Construction of Phase
1 of the Southwest Service Area (SWSA) buffer, which began in 2005, was completed in the fall
of 2006, and the Navy Fuel Pier Edge Buffer was completed in December 2006. 
Regional Transportation 
This chapter describes activity levels at New England's regional airports in 2006 and updates
recent planning activities. Massport has demonstrated that it is coordinating its planning with
other transportation agencies, and that this planning effort is aimed at minimizing cumulative
impacts from Logan Airport operations. The 2006 EDR includes estimates of potential
passenger diversions from Logan, and outlines how Massport planning encourages those
diversions. 
In general, the 2006 EDR has met the requirements laid out in the ESPR Certificate. The
directives in the ESPR Certificate were laid out to have Massport look at potential diversions,
and explain how its planning and coordination with other agencies could impact potential
diversions. The 2006 EDR has performed this task. 
Overall, the number of air passengers utilizing New England's primary commercial service
airports in 2006 declined marginally, from 48.0 million to 47.9 million. When measured by the
number of aircraft operations, however, activity levels fell by 4.4 percent, from 1.4 million
operations to 1.3 million operations. This reflects substantial changes in the commercial aviation
sector and the continued decline of general aviation (GA) noted in the 2005 EDR. Major airlines

EEA #3247 EDR Certificate 11/01/07 
reduced capacity at the regional airports in 2006 as they reconfiguied their operations in an
effort to consolidate gains made in bankruptcy and near-bankruptcy restructuring. Passenger
declines were generally consistent with capacity reductions. In addition, the average aircraft size
of scheduled flights to the regional airports declined in 2006 as airlines substituted regional jet
service for mainline jets on certain routes. Declines in GA activity in New England (declined by
4.2 percent from 2005 levels) continue to outpace declines in the rest of the country. According
to the FAA as reported in the 2006 EDR, GA activity declined by 1.3 percent nationally in 2006,
largely due to rising fuel costs. 
Ground Transportation 
The 2006 EDR serves its purpose of updating 2006 ground access conditions on the airport, and
has also adequately addressed the larger ground access issues identified in previous Certificates,
as discussed below. 
This chapter reports on transit ridership, roadways, traffic volumes, and parking for 2006.
Specifically, ground transportation activity levels increased across the board from 2005 to 2006
as a result of a 2.4 percent increase in the number of air passengers. Also, a portion of 1-90
connecting the City of Boston and areas to the south and west of Boston to Logan Airport was
closed from July 2006 until early 2007, which is believed to have reduced traffic flows to and
from the Airport. The 2006 EDR reports that ridership on the MBTA, Logan Express, water
transportation, scheduled and unscheduled HOV Services, and taxis increased in 2006. This is
due in part to the completion of roadway and other construction projects at the Airport, and to
the closure of the 1-90 connector to the Airport for much of 2006. Massport-subsidized service
provided by the C & J Bus Company began in 2006 providing early morning transportation
between New Hampshire and Logan Airport. The 2006 EDR also reports that the number of on-
Airport parkers decreased by 8.4 percent in 2006. 
Noise 
The Noise Abatement chapter updates the status of the noise environment at Logan Airport in
2006, and describes Massport's efforts to reduce noise levels. The technical appendix contains
useful and detailed information, while the main text provides a solid analysis of major noise
issues. Many of the issues raised in the noise analysis are ongoing and require continuous
monitoring a point raised by several commenters. The EDR represents an appropriate forum to
serve this updating function. 
In 2006, the overall number of people exposed to Day-Night Sound Level (DNL) values greater
than 65 decibels (dB) decreased in 2006 compared to 2005. An estimated 5,583 people were
exposed to DNL levels greater than 65 dB in 2006, compared to 6,477 in 2005, and 9,438 in
2004. For the second year in a row, fewer than 7,000 people experienced levels of 65 dB DNL
and above. The 2006 Cumulative Noise Index (CNI) of 152.6 Effective Perceived Noise Level
(EPNdB) remained well below the cap of 156.5 EPNdB. The CNI decreased compared to 2005 
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primarily because of decreased use of recertificated aircraft by cargo operators. 
Massport provided sound insulation for 857 residential dwelling units in 2006. This is the largest
number of units to receive sound insulation in the vicinity of the Airport in any one year since
the beginning of the program. Since the program's inception, Massport has sound insulated a
total of 9,943 dwelling units. The majority of the units insulated in 2006 were in Chelsea. 
The information in this chapter is very informative and I encourage Massport to continue with its
updates in the 2007 EDR. I also strongly advise Massport to consider and address the comments
received that have raised noise related concerns. 
Air Ouality 
The Air Quality/Emissions Reduction chapter provides an overview of airport-related air quality
issues in 2006 and efforts to reduce emissions. 
The emissions inventory results are driven largely by improvements to the FAA Emissions and
Dispersion Modeling System (EDMS), v5.0.1. These include the addition of aircraft main engine
startup VOC emissions; adjustments to how aircraft performance profiles are modeled, which
changed aircraft times-in-mode and thus emissions of all pollutants; an advanced method to
calculate aircraft PMlOPM2.5 emissions; and updated ground support equipment (GSE)
emission factors using NONROAD2005. The in-place air quality initiatives at Logan Airport and
other ongoing efforts by Massport to minimize emissions also played a role, as did changes to
aircraft taxi time, fleet mix, and number of operations. 
The 2006 EDR reports that emissions inventory changes show an increase in VOC over 2005
levels attributed to the changes to EDMS. The 2006 EDR reported that total VOC emission
number is up 34 percent (1,724 kglday). The total NO, emissions were one percent lower than
reported in the 2005 EDR. In 2006, NOx emissions at Logan Airport were approximately 677
tons per year (tpy) lower than the 1999 threshold level established by Massport's Air Quality
Initiative. This represents a 28 percent decrease since1 999. There was a continuing trend of
decreasing NO2 concentrations at both the Massport and Massachusetts Department of
Environmental Protection (MDEP) monitoring sites located in the general vicinity of Logan
Airport. In addition, in 2006 the annual NO2 concentrations at all monitoring locations were well
below the NO2 air quality standards. 
For the second year (2005 EDR was the first year), estimates of particulate matter emissions
associated with Logan Airport are reported in this 2006 EDR in response to the recent
availability of an FAA-approved method for computing particulate matter emission factors for
aircraft. The total CO decreased 15 percent and the total PMlo /PM2.5 decreased seven percent
below the 2005 EDR reported numbers. 
The 2006 EDR emissions inventory analysis used the actual aircraft fleet mix, except in the few 
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instances where aircraftlengine types or combinations were not available in the EDMS database. - 
Data included aircraft type, engine, landing and takeoff operations (LTOs) and aircraft taxi
times. Aircraft types are divided into four categories: commercial air carriers, commuter
aircraft, general aviation and cargo. 
The 2007 EDR should continue updates on the information presented in the 2006 EDR and
address comments received related to air quality. In particular the City of Boston has raised
several concerns the Massachusetts Department of Public Health's (DPH) Logan Airport Health
Study and the air quality monitoring study. The 2007 EDR should update the status of
discussions with the City of Boston related to this concern. 
Last, I ask that Massport consult with the MEPA office regarding the recently promulgated
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Policy and Protocol prior to subsequent filings. 
Water Quality/Environmental Compliance 
This chapter describes Massport's ongoing environmental management activities including
NPDES compliance, stormwater, fuel spills, activities under the Massachusetts Contingency
Plan, and tank management. Specifically, Logan Airport experienced 92 hazardous material
spills in 2006, 11 (12 percent) were considered reportable (i.e., over 10 gallons) under the
applicable environmental regulations. Jet fuel spills accounted for 65 (71 percent) of the total
spills, with nine of the jet fuel spills exceeding 10 gallons. The remaining 27 spills (29 percent)
involved gasoline, hydraulic oil, diesel fuel, and other substances, including two reportable
spills. 
In 2006, only four of 332 outfall samples exceeded the regulatory limits. The West Outfall and
the Maverick Street Outfall each had one sample which exceeded the 15 milligrams per liter 
(mg/L) National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) limit for oil and grease. The
North Outfall had two samples which exceeded the 0.3 milliliters per liter (rnl/L) daily maximum
limit for settable solids. This is an improvement compared to 2005, when eight samples
exceeded the regulatory limits. In accordance with the Massachusetts Contingency Plan (MCP), 
Massport continues to assess, remediate, and bring to regulatory closure areas of subsurface
contamination. In 2006, two of its five MCP sites were closed out, and Massport was working
towards achieving regulatory closure of the three remaining MCP sites. In accordance with the
Massachusetts Contingency Plan (MCP), Massport should continue to report in the 2007 EDR
how Massport will assess, remediate, and bring to regulatory closure areas of subsurface
contamination. 
Sustainability at Logan Airport 
This chapter describes Massport's airport wide sustainability goals. In October 2000, the 
Massport Board approved an Authority-wide Environmental Management Policy, which
articulates Massport's commitment to protect the environment and to implement sustainable

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design principles. In October 2004, the Massport Sustainability Team produced the 
Massachusetts Port Authority Szlstainability Plan (Sustainability Plan). The Environmental
Management Policy is incorporated in the Sustainability Plan as Massport's long-term
sustainability goal or vision. 
This chapter describes Massport's continued efforts including Massport-wide sustainability and
details how sustainability is incorporated into many aspects of Massport's activities: Planning
and Design; Construction; Operations, Maintenance and Management; and Monitoring of
Environmental Performance. 
Massport has been a leader in sustainable development. Terminal A, which opened in 2005,
received LEED certification in 2006. It is the first airport terminal in the country to receive such
certification, and is a model for other airports in the country. In addition, in an effort to reduce
air pollutants, Massport is phasing in alternative fuel vehicles in place of conventionally-fuel
vehicles. At the airport, Massport maintains electric vehicles infrastructure, as well as a
privately operated CNG station to power newer vehicles. The information in this chapter is very
informative and I encourage Massport to continue with its updates in the 2007 EDR. 
November 1,2007 
Date r 
Ian A. Bowles 
Comments Received: 
10/24/07 Nancy Timmerman 
10/25/07 Stephen Kaiser 
10/26/07 Town of Lincoln, Lincoln Board of Selectmen 
1 013 1/07 City of Boston's Environment Department 
1013 1 107 The Boston Harbor Association