Published on May 10, 2013
Chicago O'Hare airport hires a herd of goats to trim grass. Erin Burnett has the story in the OutFront OutTake. For more CNN videos, visit our site at
http://www.cnn.com/video/
(CNN) -- Have you herd? Goats are now scheduled to land at Chicago's O'Hare Airport for a meal and some landscaping.
The
city's aviation authority wasn't kidding Wednesday when they announced a
two-year contract for "sustainable vegetation management grazing
services" with Central Commissary Holdings.
Twenty-five
to 30 of the four-legged creatures will chow down on 120 acres of
foliage at the airport, including space along creeks and hilly areas too
hard and expensive to maintain using other methods, a press release
said.
To
ensure the animals don't try to head butt a 747 they will be separated
from the airfield by security fencing, remain supervised while on
airport property, and spend evenings in a nearby transport trailer.
The
curse of the Billy Goat may
have haunted the Chicago Cubs for decades, but the airport believes
embracing the animals will save money, reduce carbon dioxide emissions
and cut down on toxic herbicides.
Sheep clear brush near Atlanta's airport
"This
pilot program will help the CDA achieve many economic, operational,
environmental and social benefits, achieving our goal of balancing
people, planet and profit," Aviation Department Commissioner Rosemarie
Andolino said in the release.
There's no word if the goats will help with World Series hopes.
The
overall cost for two years of weed eating goats could reach $100,000,
but the Chicago Department of Aviation is quick to point out it uses no
local or state
tax dollars for operations or capital improvements.
Other airports have tried grazing goats with mixed results.
San
Francisco airport uses a herd for two to three weeks each June to clear
vegetation for a fire break on the west side of the airport.
"The
benefits of the goats is this property is home to two endangered
species, the San Francisco Garter Snake and the California Red Legged
Frog," SFO Airport Duty Manager Doug Yakel told CNN.
"They can clear this vegetation for us without endangering these two species, where heavy machine or mowing might."
But Seattle's Sea-Tac Airport kicked the goats out after only a week in 2008.
"Airport
managers decided to discontinue using the goats because they were, in
effect, too effective," said Christina Faine, an airport spokeswoman.
"Goats, indiscriminate eaters, eat everything, including the trees and
native plants that we wanted to protect."
Chicago's goat herd is expected to arrive at O'Hare in about a month.
