Private Industry Initiative at Bird Control: A Success Story

An increase in land development pressures and land use conflicts in urban centres with airports requires that a greater priority be placed on bird control and wildlife management. This is a particularly high concern for the siting and operation of landfills. Minimizing the potential for bird/wildlife interactions with aircraft is critical to maintaining air traffic safety. Browning-Ferris Industries (BFI) has demonstrated a corporate sensitivity to the bird management issue. A corporate commitment has been made to address the issue of bird management at waste management facilities in the vicinity of airports. This paper provides an overview of two case studies of BFI sites with quite different challenges regarding bird management: one in Denver, Colorado, and one near Winnipeg, Manitoba. At the Denver site, the BFI facility had been operating for over 15 years when an international airport was established in the vicinity. At the Winnipeg site, the airport has been in operation for over 40 years, and a BFI waste management facility was proposed in proximity to the airport