FAA Responds That Approved Projects All Have Merit
The DOT Office Of Inspector General
has issues a report which indicates the FAA has not followed all
Federal guidelines when awarding ARRA stimulus grants to airports.
Some of the projects that had received grants ranked lower on a
priority list than others which had not been funded, the OIG
charged, and it recommends that FAA stop awarding grants to
lower-ranked projects until is can demonstrate their economic
merit. The Inspector General went on to recommend that, for
lower-ranked projects that had been approved but for which no money
has been disbursed, FAA should consider withdrawing those grants
until their merit can be proven. The IG's office also noted that
some of the recipients have not demonstrated the ability to
properly administer previous AIP grants, and those grantees should
be closely monitored, and concluded that a full audit of FAA's ARRA
grants is planned.
Specifically, the report cites FAA awards to Akiachak and
Ouzinkie, Alaska, of $13.9 million and $14.7 million, respectively,
to replace their airports. "Each project had an NPR (National
Priority Rating) score of 40," the Inspector General's Office said
in its report. "Akiachak, which has about 659 residents, has a
seaplane base, an airfield with a gravel runway, and is within 7
miles of two other airfields. Akiachak is also 14 nautical miles
from Bethel, which has the State’s fourth busiest airport. In
summer, residents travel the river to Bethel by boat; in winter,
the frozen river becomes a highway. Ouzinkie has about 167
residents. In addition to Ouzinkie’s gravel airstrip, the
village has a float plane landing area at Ouzinkie Harbor. Barges
provide cargo delivery from Kodiak, 10 miles away. Akiachak’s
airport averages 57 flights a week; Ouzinkie’s averages 42
flights a month."
"The other four airports do not provide commercial passenger
service, have limited flight operations, and received NPR scores
ranging from 43 to 50. These projects include $4.8 million for a
new taxiway at Findlay Airport, Ohio; $2.2 million for a runway
extension at Wilbur Airport, Washington; $2 million for an apron at
Warrensburg-Skyhaven Airport, Missouri; and $909,806 to design (not
construct) a new runway at an airpark near Dover, Delaware.
According to FAA, the Dover project was chosen because it was the
State’s only project that was “ready to go.”
The FAA, for its part, responded
that it carefully ensured that each grant issued using ARRA funding
fully complied with applicable statutory requirements. The Recovery
Act indicated that stimulus funds for airport purposes are to be
administered under the requirements of the AIP discretionary
priority projects for funding with ARRA funds. About 80
percent of the projects selected by FAA not only met, but far
exceeded the existing standards established for AIP grants.
The remaining 20 percent fulfilled other important aspects of the
AIP program, and fully complied with applicable requirements.
Under the Recovery Act, FAA says it was able to fund projects
critical to both the economy and to aviation safety throughout the
country, including taxiways, airfield lighting, and high priority
safety and security equipment.
"The OIG ARRA Advisory apparently questions the basis for all
Recovery Act projects funded under the AIP based on just 6 of 263
projects representing approximately 2.3 percent of the total
projects," The FAA said in its response. "While each of these
projects qualified for funding under existing AIP criteria, the OIG
Advisory utilizes factors outside existing requirements to suggest
these projects are unworthy." Of the Alaskan projects in
particular, FAA said "(T)he costs of these projects have been
checked and justified based on the high costs of moving materials
and equipment into the areas, as well as construction challenges
associated with remote locations in Alaska. Further, it is an
overstatement to suggest that funding safety compliant airstrips to
ensure the Native Alaskan citizens of Alaska have access to
services such as emergency medical assistance falls into the
category of 'imprudent' projects discussed in the President's
memorandum of March 20, 2009, such as casinos, zoos, or golf
courses, which are clearly outside the scope and intent of the
Recovery Act."