Opinion ID: 173200
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Conditions After Early 2006

Text: Even after full-plane deicing at the gates ceased at the Denver Airport, there were some reports of the odor of hydrogen sulfide in the basement of Concourse B. But the complaints were much fewer and not supported by objective evidence. The Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health, an independent engineering firm, conducted five air-quality tests between November 2005 and March 2008 at many sites in the concourse, but no hydrogen sulfide was detected. The district court concluded that currently the evidence does not establish levels of either propylene glycol or hydrogen sulfide that are dangerous to human health in the basement of Concourse B. Id. at 34. A United Airlines official testified in April 2008 that United had no intent to request full-plane gate deicing after this litigation ends. He said that there had been discussions two years earlier about testing the use of glycol-recovery vehicles at the gates, apparently to determine whether they could reduce the flow of ADF into the environment after full-plane deicing. But United then decided not to spend the money necessary to acquire the vehicles. An airport official testified that Denver had no plans to allow United to return to full-plane deicing at the gates. He explained that the airport had added deicing pads and that gate deicing could create traffic congestion as inbound aircraft waited for gates where deicing was taking place. He also said that gate deicing would require new infrastructure to collect overspray and runoff.