The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority is working in many ways to minimize impacts on the environment while serving millions of travelers. Good environmental stewardship begins with Federal and State regulatory compliance in our operations and construction. Here are some ways we go beyond what’s required to do things that make good sense for the planet:

Saving Energy

• Let the Sun Shine in: Our newer facilities are designed to let in plenty of natural light, reducing the need for powered lighting.
• Public Transportation links: Reagan National Airport is Metrorail accessible. We are building Metrorail to Dulles. And the Dulles Toll Road has bus/carpool lanes with special bus access to and from the Access Highway.
• Alternative Energy: The Dulles Toll Road's main plaza has solar panels to supplement the electricity supply.
• Using Power at Night: When electric demand is lowest, we run our chiller plant at Reagan National then use the stored-up chilled water to cool our terminals during the heat of the day.
• Energy Audits: These audits will monitor current levels of energy consumption and help us identify new strategies for energy reduction.

Recycling

We collect tons of recyclables in our offices and our terminals, reducing landfill-bound trash. In our construction projects, we typically recycle over 75% of materials from demolition activity.

Air Quality Initiatives

• The AeroTrain at Dulles is electric, replacing most of the diesel-powered mobile lounge fleet which dates back to the 1960s.
• CO2 emissions from CNG (compressed natural gas) shuttle buses at Reagan National are significantly lower than conventional diesel buses.
• At the gate, planes can turn off their engines while connected to our 400hz power and preconditioned air.
• Many airlines use electric vehicles for their ground service equipment, and we provide charging stations for their use.
• Electric vehicle charging stations are available in public parking garages at Reagan National and at Dulles International.
• We are studying our vehicle fleet usage to identify more opportunities to use alternative fueled vehicles. 

Water Quality Initiatives

• We participate in wetlands replacement and stream restoration projects when developing airport land.
• We use best management practices to keep fuels and deicers used on the airport from entering the waterways.
• The new runway at Dulles uses an innovative system to channel rainwater runoff into state-of-the-art “Biological Treatment Units” where the water is naturally filtered.
• DCA Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan

Employee Programs

• We participate in the Metropool program which helps pay for commuting expenses for our employees who use public transit.
• The MWAA Green Team gives employees a new way for their ideas to be heard and to participate first hand in our green programs