Q: What about the air quality around O’Hare? Are my children going to be affected by this project?
FAA Response: FAA’s EIS analysis of air quality impacts is presented in Section 5.6 (PDF), Appendice I (PDF), Appendice J (PDF), and Section 5.21 (PDF) presents environmental justice impacts, including impacts to children and the elderly.

Q: I have not seen any means of measuring air quality in Park Ridge, nor has it been a topic of discussion at the O'Hare Noise Compatibility Commission (ONCC) meetings that I have attended.
FAA Response: The FAA is not required to perform any further air quality monitoring for the O’Hare Modernization. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) has monitors throughout the state for the six criteria pollutants (particulate matter, ozone, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide and lead), along with some heavy metals (e.g. mercury, hexavalent chrome), nitrates, sulfates and volatile organic compounds. The information is provided through the Agency’s website http://www.epa.state.il.us/air/air-quality-menu. TheO’Hare Noise Compatibility Commission (ONCC) was established to develop meaningful methods to reduce aircraft noise in neighborhoods surrounding O’Hare International Airport through home and school sound insulation and to reduce, wherever possible, aircraft noise at its source.

Q: The Environmental Impact Statement from the FAA said the air quality will be acceptable, but are we measuring the level of JP6 exhaust and fumes?
FAA Response: The FAA performed the analysis contained in the EIS in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the Clean Air Act. The following main categories of sources were evaluated: aircraft, ground support equipment, auxiliary power units, motor vehicles on roadways and at curbsides and parking facilities located on Airport property, fuel storage facilities, Airport-related fire training activities, and on Airport stationary sources. The FAA is not required to perform any further air quality monitoring for the O’Hare Modernization. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) has monitors throughout the state for the six criteria pollutants (particulate matter, ozone, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide and lead), along with some heavy metals (e.g. mercury, hexavalent chrome), nitrates, sulfates and volatile organic compounds. The information is provided through the Agency’s website.

Q: What about the air quality?
FAA Response: Before the environmental scoping process, FAA met with United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) representatives to discuss their concerns and to develop specific air quality protocols to be used for air quality assessment purposes. The following main categories of sources were evaluated: aircraft, ground support equipment, auxiliary power units, motor vehicles on roadways and at curbsides and parking facilities located on Airport property, fuel storage facilities, Airport-related fire training activities, and on Airport stationary sources. The changes in emissions from airport operations that would affect air quality through Build Out +5 are shown in Table 7 in the Executive Summary of the Final EIS. (PDF)

Air quality impacts that would result from construction activities would be temporary (occurring over a period of ten years or more). When considering the total predicted air pollutant concentrations that were compared to the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), the results of the dispersion analysis for construction emissions indicate that NAAQS would not be exceeded, with or without the proposed improvements. The FAA, in consultation with the IEPA, has determined that the emissions associated with the proposed O’Hare Modernization Program improvements conform to the applicable State Implementation Plan (SIP), and thus to the Clean Air Act.

If you cannot read a PDF file, please call (847) 294-7131, or email cmp@faa.gov.