By Michael Howell
One thing to emerge from the Environmental Assessment (EA) process that is currently being conducted in relation to proposed improvements at the Ravalli County Airport is the need to conduct an air quality analysis.
According to airport engineer Rick Donaldson of Robert Peccia and Associates, the number of public comments concerning air quality received during the EA process led the FAA to believe that a study of the air quality was needed to provide expert response. The price tag for that study was estimated at $82,382.26. The FAA agreed to fund 90% of the cost, leaving a total of $8,238 for the local government to match.
Last week the county commissioners agreed to apply to the Montana State Aeronautics Division to split the matching cost, reducing the county’s obligation to about $4,119. The state money comes from the airplane fuel tax.
The commissioners are also reaching out to the State Aeronautics to split the local match involved in another FAA grant for an unrelated pavement improvement project. That project is estimated at $134,000. The local government match is $13,400. The county is asking the state to kick in half that, or $6,700.