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Airport to sell gas again June 15No legal action yet taken vs. county for dispensing fuel with substandard tanksThis article was originally published in the the Amador Ledger Dispatch on May 9, 1999, and is reproduced here with its permission. By Sean Barry JACKSON—The county airport will start dispensing gas again beginning June 15, manager Fred Honnold said at an Airport Committee meeting Friday. "Great. Super," said Supervisor Richard Vinson. The committee is comprised of him and Supervisor Rich Escamilla. County Environmental Health officials ordered the tanks shut down several months ago because they weren't upgraded as required by federal law. "It's been quite an inconvenience for everyone," said Honnold, who took the job a few months ago. The airport sold gas after the December 1998 deadline—set ten years earlier—and could face fines or charges as a result. No such penalties have been initiated yet, Vinson said after the hour-long meeting. The topic of the apparent violations hasn't been on any agendas for meetings of the Airport Committee or the Board of Supervisors. Of the two new tanks due to be ready June 15, one is for jet fuel and one is for the grade used by other aircraft. The need for jet fuel was questioned by some pilots attending Friday's meeting. Vinson said there is some need for it now by helicopters and corporate jets. He also said making it available could lead to more activity at the airport by those aircraft. Also at the meeting, Vinson and Escamilla agreed to review an ordinance regarding liability insurance for businesses at the airport. Currently, the same amount of insurance is required regardless of the type of business—a scheme some feel is inequitable. The principle of requiring insurance is to protect the county from exposure to lawsuits, said Vinson. Hangar availability and the lease structure were also discussed. There are currently 21 people on the waiting list for hangars, said Vinson. For the various airport projects, Honnold said he's been applying for a host of federal and state grants and loans. Federal grant money has already been approved for the lion's share of the fuel tank system installation and other work. But a state loan of $197,000 has been rejected, Honnold said. Copyright © 1999 Amador Ledger Dispatch |
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