McMurdo for retrograde from Antarctica. Solid,
wheeled aircraft to transport personnel to New
liquid and sanitary wastes would be placed in
Zealand at the end of each austral summer re-
containers and returned to McMurdo for dis-
search season, thereby making more LC-130s
posal.
available to support science during this time; pos-
Atmospheric emissions would be released from
sibly extending the austral summer research sea-
aircraft, construction and maintenance equipment,
son or allowing year-round access to McMurdo;
and power generators; the degree to which these
being able to transport equipment and supplies
emissions would degrade local air quality is an-
to the South Pole more efficiently; providing ac-
ticipated to be both less than minor and transi-
cess to sites that could be used as base camps for
tory (that is, they would pose no significant
major science projects; and, improving safety of
impacts). The number of flights that would use
Antarctic operations. Greater use of wheeled air-
these runways is not yet determined, but no sig-
craft would improve the efficiency of support op-
nificant degradation of air quality is anticipated
erations because they carry more cargo and use
from aircraft operations. The only wildlife popu-
less fuel. Such increases in efficiency could re-
lations that could possibly be affected by devel-
duce the number of flights needed and could, in
opment of blue-ice or compacted-snow runways
turn, reduce the number of support personnel
are seal and penguin populations in the general
that need to be sent to Antarctica.
vicinity of the Pegasus site. Normal landing and
takeoff patterns would avoid the SSSI site on White
Island, and no adverse impacts to seals and pen-
LITERATURE CITED
guins from low-flying aircraft in the immediate
vicinity of McMurdo Station and Scott Base are
Abele, G. (1989) Snow roads and runways. USA
anticipated because populations in this area are
Cold Regions Research and Engineering Labora-
acclimatized to aircraft operations.
tory, Monograph 90-3.
Some degradation of the aesthetic environment
Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parties (1991) Pro-
at blue-ice and compacted-snow runways is un-
tocol on environmental protection to the Antarctic
avoidable because of the presence of aircraft,
Treaty. XI Antarctic Treaty System Consultative Meet-
people, construction and maintenance equipment,
ing/2/3/2, Madrid, Spain (34 October 1991).
and structures. At the Pegasus site, this change in
Blaisdell, G. L., V. Klokov, and D. Diemand (1992)
aesthetics could be relatively permanent if the
Development of a wheeled runway for McMurdo
runway proves to be successful. A compacted-
on the Ross Ice Shelf. Paper presented at the XXII
snow runway at the South Pole Station should
SCAR Meeting, San Carlos de Bariloche, Argen-
have essentially no aesthetic impact as it would
tina, June 1992.
require no additional support structures and
Draggan, S., and P. Wilkniss (1993) An operating
would be compatible with the existing skiway
philosophy for the U.S. Antarctic Program. Marine
and station. The aesthetic intrusion of blue-ice
Pollution Bulletin, 25: 912.
runways at other sites in Antarctica is expected to
Giovinetto, M.B., and C.R. Bentley (1985) Surface
be both less than minor and transitory (that is, of
balance in ice drainage systems of Antarctica.
no significant aesthetic impact). In some cases,
Antarctic Journal of the United States, 24(4): 613.
temporary buildings may be located at such a site
Kovacs, A., and G. Abele (1977) Runway site
for a few years. Because many of these runways
survey, Pensacola Mountains, Antarctica. USA
require minimal surface preparation, there is little
Cold Regions Research and Engineering Labora-
visual intrusion. Aircraft are present at these sites
tory, Special Report 77-14.
only for short periods of time, and construction
Mellor, M. (1988) Hard surface runways in Ant-
and maintenance equipment would be limited
arctica. USA Cold Regions Research and Engi-
and removed when the activity is over.
neering Laboratory, Special Report 88-13.
The findings of this IEE are that development
Mellor, M., and C. Swithinbank (1989) Air-
and subsequent use of blue-ice and compacted-
fields on Antarctic glacier ice. USA Cold Regions
snow runways would have less than minor or
Research and Engineering Laboratory, CRREL
transitory environmental impacts (that is, no sig-
Report 89-21.
nificant environmental impacts are anticipated)
National Science Foundation (1990) Environ-
and could benefit the program. The benefits of
mental Action Memorandum on the Installa-
developing such runways could include using
tion of an Experimental Runway at the Pegasus
111
Previous Page
