Collaboration & Teamwork — To keep stakeholders aligned from the outset, the project team convened a cross-disciplinary kickoff meeting to clarify expectations around procurement, compliance, funding, and performance goals. A subsequent sustainability charrette helped identify practical opportunities to embed sustainability into design and planning, ultimately informing the decision to pursue the Envision framework. As the project advanced, recurring coordination meetings with contractors, designers, airport staff, project leaders, and local community groups created a consistent forum for addressing issues, tracking progress, and ensuring sustainable practices were integrated into daily decisions. These collaborative efforts improved sustainability outcomes by encouraging solutions that reflected both environmental and community priorities, including initiatives to address energy efficiency, waste, and materials management.

Long-Term Monitoring & Maintenance — MRY has committed staff, funding, and training resources to support the long-term operation and maintenance of the commercial apron project and associated airfield infrastructure. The airport also maintains a comprehensive preventative maintenance program and pavement management plan that emphasize early detection of deterioration or damage, allowing staff to address issues proactively and reduce lifecycle costs and operational disruptions. To enhance durability, the project incorporated an FAA-approved concrete mix designed to withstand sustained commercial aircraft for at least 20 years. Together, these measures support efficient resource use, reliable performance, and the long-term serviceability of critical airport infrastructure.

Reduced Construction Waste — The project team set an ambitious target to divert at least 95% of construction, demolition, and land-clearing waste by weight from the landfill and required its contracting partner to develop and implement a Construction Waste Management Plan in accordance with project specifications. This plan established procedures for waste reduction, storage, handling, and tracking. It also outlined roles and responsibilities for implementing the plan, as well how to ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and local rules and regulations. Concrete and asphalt (two of the project’s major waste streams) were crushed and milled on-site to support waste diversion goals, and project performance was documented through required monthly waste tracking forms. These records confirm a final diversion rate of 99.51%, exceeding the original target and demonstrating exceptional construction waste management performance.

Innovative Carbon Reduction — The Monterey Commercial Apron project demonstrated significant innovation through its implementation of in-situ carbon dioxide mineralization technology in apron pavement. This technology converts captured post-industrial carbon dioxide into solid calcium carbonate during the concrete mixing process, creating a permanent carbon sequestration solution that reduces embodied carbon while maintaining required pavement performance standards.  While similar carbon sequestration technologies have been used in parking structures, tollways, and at one airfield deicing facility in Canada, this is only the second airport project in the United States to meaningfully incorporate carbon sequestration technology into airfield pavement — and the first to use post-industrial carbon dioxide injection for apron pavement. Successful implementation required developing specialized low-carbon concrete specifications and coordinating with the FAA to demonstrate compliance with pavement performance requirements. Beyond adopting the technology, the project established a scalable, repeatable model for future sustainable aviation infrastructure projects.

Protection of Soil Health — By confining construction disturbance to predefined areas and employing robust restoration techniques, the project team has shown a strong commitment to ecological sustainability. The project’s Erosion Control Plan and Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan outline key practices — such as preserving vegetation, minimizing soil disruption, managing flow paths, and installing permanent erosion control before construction ends — to help protect sensitive plant species, including the federally protected Yadon’s piperia. In coordination with an Environmental Impact Report and Environmental Assessment, the project team aimed to support Yadon’s piperia by incorporating mitigation measures like delineation fencing to avoid impacts to suitable habitat, a soil seed-bank conservation approach to support sensitive species, and targeted restoration within conservation areas to remove invasive species and reintroduce native plant communities. The contractor also created a Slope Restoration Planting Plan to install native Coast live oak trees and Sandmat Manzanita shrubs to ensure the continued presence of important flora at the project site. The thoughtful integration of mitigation measures, soil restoration practices, and the use of native vegetation ensures the long-term health of the surrounding ecosystem.

Improved Infrastructure Integration — The Monterey Commercial Apron project was designed to integrate new apron, taxiway, utility, and stormwater systems with existing and planned airport infrastructure. A coordinated stormwater design connects airside and landside systems, incorporates underground infiltration facilities, and meets FAA and regional criteria, reducing redundancy while improving flood protection and operational reliability. By aligning geometry, drainage, and future terminal infrastructure, the project strengthens internal system coordination, reduces the risk of disruptions, and reinforces the airport’s role as a resilient component of the regional and national aviation network.

Quotes

“We are pleased with the outcome of Monterey Regional Airport’s Commercial Apron project, both for the operational support it will provide to the replacement passenger terminal and the sustainable results through the deliberate design, planning, and construction investments by the airport team and contracting partners. This project is a model in best practices for other U.S. airports. It demonstrates that constructing state-of-the-art airport facilities can be accomplished with minimal environmental impact.”

– Chris Morello, Monterey Regional Airport, Executive Director

“The Commercial Apron Project represents a meaningful milestone for Monterey Peninsula Airport District as its first Envision-verified project. As Sustainability Lead, C&S was proud to partner with MRY and the broader project team to integrate sustainable construction strategies, consistent stakeholder coordination, and resilience planning into a complex, multi-year safety enhancement program. This effort demonstrates that critical airport infrastructure at commercial service airports can enhance safety, serviceability, and long-term performance while advancing measurable sustainability outcomes.”

– Larissa Holland, C&S Companies, Aviation Sustainability Consultant

“We congratulate Monterey Regional Airport and its partners on achieving Envision Verified for the Monterey Commercial Apron project. This recognition underscores the team’s commitment to integrating sustainability, resilience, and innovation into a complex, multi-year airport improvement program.”

– Kailey Eldredge, ISI, Verification Director