Arizona Airport Cleanup Project Earns ACEC Arizona Grand Award
C&S was the design engineer as part of the Haley & Aldrich design-build team that provided remediation services to tackle a long-standing environmental issue at Kingman Municipal Airport in Arizona. The project recently received the prestigious 2024-25 American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) Arizona Engineering Excellence Grand Award, celebrating its outstanding innovation, complexity, achievement, and value.
Following World War II, the U.S. military relocated thousands of surplus aircraft to the Kingman Municipal Airport, then an Army facility, for storage and disposal. The aluminum from these aircraft was recycled in three furnaces, producing approximately 57 million pounds of aluminum ingots. However, the process left behind toxic aluminum recycling by-products, known as dross, which were either piled on the surface or buried.
The project successfully excavated over 96,000 tons of hazardous waste, transporting it off-site via rail to reduce noise and air pollution compared to trucking. The team then backfilled and repaved the excavated areas, restoring airport operations ahead of schedule and under budget.
“This project was a monumental effort that required innovative solutions and seamless collaboration,” said Lance McIntosh, Service Group Manager, Western Pacific Aviation. “Our team at C&S, in partnership with Haley & Aldrich, is proud to have addressed a significant environmental challenge at Kingman Municipal Airport. Winning the ACEC Grand Award is a testament to our commitment to engineering excellence and sustainability.”
