While the Federal Emergency Management Agency has issued a check to reimburse Yeager Airport $318,615 for its response to damages to utilities and adjacent property owners caused by the collapse of its safety overrun area last March, plans to rebuild the safety zone remain "stuck right now due to a lack of funding," according to Ed Hill, president of Yeager's governing board.
"We're still talking to the leadership in state government about getting a loan allowing us to proceed" with rebuilding, pending the settlement of insurance claims and lawsuits stemming from the landslide, Hill told members of the airport's board of directors on Wednesday. "But so far, we're not hearing anything back."
Last month, airport officials asked Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin for a $10 million loan to begin rebuilding the safety overrun area during the coming construction season, instead of waiting a year or more to receive compensation from insurers, legal action or additional FEMA emergency grants.
The $318,615 check announced Wednesday covers emergency response expenses not included in a $585,000 payment FEMA made to the airport in August. Meanwhile, airport officials are appealing FEMA's rejection of a separate $72 million grant request to cover the cost of stabilizing the landslide, clearing debris, and rebuilding the safety overrun area and its EMAS (Engineered Materials Arresting System) bed, credited with saving the lives of 34 people aboard a regional jet that came to a safe stop during an aborted takeoff attempt in January 2010.
So far, Yeager's earth-moving contractor has dug 240 feet below runway grade to remove nearly 300,000 cubic yards of material from the collapsed safety overrun area. Another 200,000 cubic yards remains to be moved to complete the job, airport Director Terry Sayre told board members.
Sayre said he would like to see the most recent FEMA reimbursement applied toward completing the slide removal project.
"It needs to be taken down before Keystone Drive can be reopened or any rebuilding can happen," he said.
In other developments, Charles T. Jones, chairman of the airport board's construction committee, said the Federal Aviation Administration is requiring Yeager to remove three taxiway stubs - sections of pavement connecting taxiways to the main runway - to reduce the risk of aircraft entering the runway while other aircraft are departing or landing. An FAA program to reduce such runway incursions is underway nationally, and the federal agency is footing the bill for 90 percent of the cost of construction costs, with the state expected to cover the rest.
In the case of Yeager, the FAA also plans to cover 90 percent of the cost of rehabilitating all taxiways. Cost for the runway stub removal and taxiway rehab project is expected to total about $8 million.
Nick Keller, Yeager's assistant director, said the Charleston airport remained open during the duration of Winter Storm Jonas, but all flight operations were closed between 10 a.m. Friday and 4:26 p.m. Saturday due to poor visibility and runway conditions. Airport personnel drove passengers and several airline flight crews to and from their hotels on Saturday and Sunday, since hotel shuttles and taxis were not operating.
Reach Rick Steelhammer at rsteelhammer@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-5169, or follow @rsteelhammer on Twitter.