by Kate Sanchez
The Portales Airport has recently undergone some changes in order to stay compliant with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations. A new fuel farm project recently took place with help from grants from both the FAA and the state. Included in the project updates are two new 12 thousand-gallon, double walled fuel tanks, with all new piping and dispensers.
Airport manager Mike Parkey says the improvements make everything much safer with a top-notch filtration system, and a sensor that shuts the whole operation down should anything go wrong. With the new system, bad fuel cannot be pumped. “This new system will allow us to be in compliance for at least another ten years now,” Parkey says.
The Fuel Farm Project cost $850,000 but was largely paid for by grants. Parkey says that the FAA’s portion of the grant was $485,000, while the state paid $326,000, leaving just $36,000 for the city to cover, and adds that plans are in the works for reconstruction of the airport runways, which will be approximately a $3 million project. Again, majority of the funds will be covered by design grants at both the state and federal level, leaving only $50-75,000 for the city to cover.
For those who may be unfamiliar with the Portales Airport and what it provides, it’s a place for cross-country traffic to re-fuel, as well as having an A&P mechanic available for service. The fuel service is self-serve, like a gas station. Last month alone, the airport sold two thousand gallons of low lead fuel and twelve to fifteen thousand gallons of jet fuel.
