Kenai receives over $500,000 in airport grants

Kenai City Council members accepted more than half a million dollars in federal grants for airport projects at their meeting Wednesday. Both grants come from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

The majority of that money comes from a single grant, for about $526,000 to replace the heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems in the rescue and fire facility at Kenai Municipal Airport. The FAA’s contribution is about two-thirds of the total project cost, with the city paying the remaining third.

The resolution accepting the money said the system was “outdated” and that a boiler heat exchanger had makeshift seals. Kenai City Manager Terry Eubank says the FAA has a vested interest in making sure the building’s air conditioning system is working properly.

“This facility helps us comply with FAA regulations,” he said. “We are required to ensure the storage and safekeeping of the snow removal equipment that the FAA purchases for our airport, and this is one of the primary facilities where that happens.”

Council members awarded the project contract to Wasilla-based Orion Construction Inc. In total, the city will pay the company about $700,000.

The second grant, for about $35,000, also comes from the FAA, as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The city will use it to purchase test firefighting equipment, also known as an Eco Cart. The test equipment will eliminate the need for the city to test its actual firefighting equipment, which may release hazardous substances.

“We have to test these systems annually,” Eubank told council members. “There are a number of ways to do that. You can spray foam – actually spray foam. The foam we have is A-Triple-F, it contains PFAS, which is now an environmentally hazardous substance. That’s why we haven’t sprayed foam at our airport for a number of years.”

Exposure to PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals,” can lead to health problemsAs previously reported by KDLL, PFAS often associated with fire extinguishing agents.

The acceptance of the grant comes as Kenai works to expand service at the airport. Last month, the city applied for a separate grant from the FAA to encourage new airline service, including potential direct flights to Seattle.

The full Kenai City Council meeting on Wednesday can be streamed on the city’s YouTube channel.