FAA holding $10M in grants

Laura Sturza

The Federal Aviation Authority will withhold more than $10 million in

pending grants from the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport until it

has completed its review of the Airport Authority’s proposal to

settle $46 million in previous grants to purchase land for a new

terminal.

“We haven’t yet processed the Burbank airport’s funds for this

year, which is about $10 million, because we are still reviewing the

issue of the return of the money for the terminal that hasn’t been

built,” said FAA Western-Pacific Region spokesman Donn Walker.

The $10.2 million in federal grants being considered for

allocation by the FAA are earmarked for several airport projects, and

would pay 80% of the cost of soundproofing 200 homes. The grants are

also expected to cover repayment of $3.5 million the airport spent on

its security enhancement project and additional facility

improvements.

“They called up today and said that the home insulation funds

should not be affected...[but] the other moneys would still be on

hold for the time being,” Airport spokesman Victor Gill said Tuesday.

Since 1994, the airport has received up to $46 million in agency

grants to pay for land for a new terminal that will not be built any

time soon, prompting FAA Administrator Marion Blakey to demand a

repayment plan. On May 5, Blakey issued a 30-day deadline for the

airport to come up with such a plan.

Last week, the airport submitted a plan asking that the funds be

used for security and airport purposes, which would include housing

the Burbank and Glendale National Guard on the land.

Airport officials are waiting on the FAA’s decision, knowing they

may need to dip into reserve funds or sell land to pay the agency

back.

The FAA received appropriations late this year, according to

spokeswoman Marcia Adams, who said that Burbank is eligible for

funding and is being reviewed with every other airport nationally.