Gary/Chicago International Airport received an industry training award that operator AvPorts officials said is good news for the airport’s future.
Gary was one of 92 airports in the United States who received the Digicast Excellence in Airport Training Award from the American Association of Airport Executives.
“We wanted to change the culture at the airport and we used training to be able to do this,” said AvPorts CEO Ozzie Moore at the airport board’s meeting last week. “We were waiting for the retreat to really discuss this, but it’s major accomplishment and it shows we are on the right track.”
The Airport Board will see some change as attorney Lee Lane will be leaving her post to focus on other clients. The board approved a contract for Gary-based firm Tolbert and Tolbert to handle the board’s legal needs. Lane will still offer advice on some of the many issues she helped with during her tenure, and she thanked the board for the “intense” work involved in finalizing deals with the railroads to proceed with the runway extension project.
“I want to say thank you to your firm so much for allowing us to monopolize you,” said interim executive director B.R. Lane. “You existed solely for us, and were available all day and all night. I had to realize that she does have other clients.”
Dan Vicari, the project manager for the runway extension, said the project is still on pace to finish by June 25, which is about three months prior to the federal deadline.
Vicari said the earthen berm that blocked the extension of the runway has been almost completely removed. Once the earth is leveled, the remaining 480 feet will connect the two existing sections of runway and adjacent safety areas will be built.
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Vicari said there are some remaining environmental issues — including the disposal of asbestos material, placing a clay cap over some material at the former Conservation Chemical Company property and a stormwater management plan — that require additional approval from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management and the Environmental Protection Agency.
“We’re trying to avoid a discharge permit (with IDEM) with the approach we’re taking in the stormwater management plan,” Vicari said.
The airport also awarded contracts for wetland mitigation on three Gary properties — Clark and Pine, Tolleston Woods and Miller Woods. The airport acquired these properties to make up for dune and swale properties that were impacted by the runway extension. Tallgrass Restoration Inc. received a $674,000 contract for the Clark and Pine property, and Conservation Stewardship Inc. received the $404,000 contract for Miller Woods and the $582,000 contract for Tolleston Woods. The companies will restore the properties for five years, then the properties will be turned over to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Shirley Heinze Land Trust and the National Park Service.
Lane said those groups will manage the properties in perpetuity as undeveloped parcels for the purposes of conservation.