Portland International Airport (PDX)

Operations Overview

The Port of Portland operates PDX, which serves more than

14 million travelers annually. PDX is the 34th largest

passenger airport and 24th largest cargo airport in the United

States. Fourteen passenger airlines provide nonstop service

to 42 domestic destinations and four international cities.

Portland is served by 11 all-air cargo carriers, including a

non-stop cargo link to Asia. The airport is also home to the

142nd Fighter Wing of the Oregon Air National Guard.

Why do we deice?

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulates aircraft and airfield deicing for flight safety. Airlines apply anti-icing

and deicing materials to prevent or remove ice and snow from aircraft. The Port applies anti-icing and deicing

materials to pavement when freezing precipitation is imminent or occurring.

What is the PDX deicing system?

The Port constructed a $31 million system, financed by PDX airlines and the FAA, to collect deicing runoff for

monitoring, treatment, and controlled release into the Columbia Slough; the system began operating in the fall of 2003.

PDX airlines pay the approximately $1 million in annual operating costs of the system, which the Port operates.

What happens to the deicing materials after they’re applied to aircraft and runways?

When deicing occurs at PDX, some of the material is collected by Glycol Recovery Vehicles, which vacuum up

concentrated runoff from aircraft deicing and anti-icing operations. The remainder of the runoff is collected by the

airport’s drainage system except in Basin 1, which is not currently collected. The deicing material passes through the

drainage system, where it is tested by Biochemical Oxygen Demand (“BOD”) meters. The meters determine if the

material goes to the concentrated system (and to the City of Portland’s wastewater treatment plant) or the dilute

system. The dilute system discharges into the Columbia Slough under the conditions of a National Pollutant Discharge

Elimination System (NPDES) permit issued by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ).

What is ultimately discharged into the Slough?

The discharge consists of dilute deicing materials that have mixed with stormwater to create runoff. The discharge

contains glycol, a form of alcohol, plus other deicing materials (formates and acetates). Although deicing materials are

biodegradable, the biodegradation process can temporarily reduce the amount of dissolved oxygen in water. The

reduced levels of dissolved oxygen can be unhealthy for aquatic life.

Why do we need to enhance the PDX deicing system?

The system has proven effective at collecting deicing runoff from around the terminals and the majority of runways and

taxiways. However, the system does not currently collect runoff from Basin 1, which includes the western half of the

airfield. This situation, in combination with low or non-existent water flows in the Columbia Slough, has caused

exceedances of permit limits. The Port completed and the airlines paid for $4 million in improvements to the system

since operation began in 2003, but more significant infrastructure enhancements are necessary to ensure permit

compliance. In 2006, DEQ issued a Mutual Agreement and Order (MAO) to the Port to bring the deicing system into

compliance with environmental requirements.
What kinds of improvements are being added?

• On-airport treatment facility using anaerobic treatment technology that will treat concentrated effluent prior to

discharge to the Columbia River in compliance with permit requirements

• Increased storage capacity for both concentrated and dilute runoff

• A new, permitted Columbia River outfall

• Expansion of the area collected within the system to include the west airfield at PDX

The enhanced system will be able to capture more of the available deicing material for treatment and metered

discharge. With the enhanced system, the Port will see, on average, an 89 percent reduction in biochemical oxygen

demand discharged to the Columbia Slough.

Which regulatory agencies are involved?

The Port consults with local, state, and federal regulatory agencies to ensure the PDX deicing system meets all

applicable requirements to protect human health, the environment, and aquatic life. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

is the lead federal agency for environmental review of the project under the National Environmental Policy Act and will

be issuing a permit to the Port under Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act and Section 404 of the Clean Water

Act in fall 2009.

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality oversees the system’s National Pollution Discharge Elimination

System permit. DEQ approved the NPDES permit in June 2009 after a 45-day public comment period and public

hearing. The permit sets limits on discharges to the Columbia Slough and Columbia River, establishes monitoring

and reporting requirements, and requires the Port to submit Standard Operating Procedures for the Deicing System

to DEQ by October 1, 2010.

The National Marine Fisheries Service is responsible for reviewing the project for potential impacts to endangered

species. In September 2009, NMFS issued a Biological Opinion that found no significant impacts from project

construction to endangered salmon in the Columbia or Lower Willamette rivers.

What’s next in the project?

Construction began in fall 2009. Work is anticipated to continue into the early winter of 2010 and includes modifying

two existing pump stations and adding six miles of underground pipe, three new pump stations, a new treatment

facility, and new storage facilities. With the enhanced system, storage capacity for both dilute and concentrated

deicing runoff will double. After the construction period, the contractor will commission the new system over the

2010-2011 winter. During the 2011-2012 winter, the Port will conduct start-up testing. We are required to have a

fully operational expanded system by April 2012, our compliance date with DEQ.

May 2007 June 2009 November 2009 January 2010 December 2010 August 2011 April 2012

Enhancement

alternative

selected;

schematic

design begins

Final system

design complete

In-water work

begins in

Columbia River

Treatment facility

construction

begins

Need more information?

To join the project’s e-mail list, please visit the PDX Deicing page under the Projects

and Plans section on the Port of Portland’s Web site at www.portofportland.com

and sign up for e-mail notification, or call Rachel Wray at 503-944-7047.

10.09

Treatment system

operational;

system

commissioning

complete

System

start-up

complete

Enhanced system

and new outfall

construction

complete