Obama Pushes Sustainability Envelope
Multiple U.S. government agencies are collaborating in an endeavor to promote sustainable transportation communities under an important initiative launched by the Obama administration, a top U.S. aviation official said this week.
The partnership, announced in June, will review U.S. aviation infrastructure and air transportation system modernization plans as part of its overall effort to encourage smart growth and better serve the needs of U.S. citizens, said Christa Fornarotto, deputy assistant secretary for aviation and international affairs at the U.S. Department of Transportation.
In a Dec. 3 speech at an ACI-NA International Aviation Issues Seminar in Washington, Fornarotto underscored the vital role the Next Generation U.S. air transportation system will play in making “a positive impact on the environment.”
The Partnership for Sustainable Communities, led by DOT Secretary Ray La Hood, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan, will also examine best practices, said Fornarotto, who gave a thumbs up to Chicago's O’Hare International for enhancing airport capacity “in a sustainable way.”
