Emissions to water and soil

Activities at airports should not lead to new ground contamination or a reduced state of the water environment. This entails continuous efforts to monitor and reduce emissions of de-icing chemicals. 

The use of de-icing chemicals is absolutely essential for reducing ice and snow on airplanes and runways so that conditions meet safety regulations. Runoff and spreading of de-icing chemicals from airport areas can affect nature's tolerance and degradation capacity, as both aircraft and runway de-icing chemicals require oxygen for biological degradation. 

The consumption of de-icing chemicals at airports is continuously monitored. At airports with high consumption and vulnerable recipients, mitigating measures are considered. Examples of such measures include changes in plowing patterns, increased use of grit, removal of snow from snow depots, and greater use of mechanical work. The amounts of de-icing chemicals used per year vary with weather and temperature conditions, as well as the total number of flight departures. 

All Avinor airports have valid discharge permits in accordance with the Pollution Control Act. These regulate the use of chemicals and impose requirements for preparedness in case of acute discharges, as well as environmental risk assessments. Avinor's discharge permits are available at https://www.norskeutslipp.no/ under Land-based industry – Airport. Several of the airports' discharge permits include requirements for extensive studies of the recipient conditions to ensure that the requirements of the Water Regulations/EU Water Framework Directive are met. Reports from completed studies can be found here (in norwegian).

Avinor strives to keep the environmental impact around airports as low as possible. This is achieved through systematic work, good maintenance routines, and preparedness systems.