Homer Airport Improvements

Project # CFAPT00491 / AIP 3-02-0122-021-2023

What’s New

November 4, 2022

The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF), in cooperation with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), announce the availability of the Final Environmental Assessment (EA), Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI), and Record of Decision (ROD) for the Homer Airport Improvements project.

Electronic versions of the Final EA, FONSI, and ROD are available for public viewing on the Documents page.

The DOT&PF released the Draft EA for public and agency review in January 2022. In the Draft EA, DOT&PF committed to continuing consultation with the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (ADEC) regarding the potential for encountering per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) during construction of the proposed project. Consultation with ADEC identified the need for additional site characterization to delineate PFAS-contaminated soils within the project’s footprint.

The DOT&PF performed initial sampling for PFAS at the Homer Airport in June 2021, in coordination with ADEC, as part of a statewide effort to identify PFAS issues at state-owned airports. Initial site characterization activities, consisting of soil, groundwater, surface water, and water well testing, identified PFAS contamination above regulatory limits at four soil sampling locations, one surface water sample location, and one temporary well point location within the project area. None of the water supply wells that were sampled contained PFAS contamination above regulatory levels.

Further site characterization activities performed in summer 2022 identified and delineated PFAS-contaminated soils within the project’s construction footprint. In an effort to avoid disturbing soil contaminated with PFAS during construction, the DOT&PF is reducing the scope of the proposed improvements. Elements removed from the project include:

• Expansion of the General Aviation (GA) Apron to the east toward Lampert Lake
• Construction of a new taxiway (Taxiway J) connecting the runway near mid-field to the expanded GA Apron

The updated scope of work is detailed under the Project Description below.

January 26, 2022

The project Environmental Assessment is complete and is available for public review from the Documents page.

November 22, 2021

The comment period for the project’s second Online Open House closed on November 21, 2021. The project team received valuable comments during the project’s two public open house meetings, and has incorporated many of those comments into the project scope and design. Major changes to the project based on public input include the following:

• Expanding aircraft parking on the GA Apron
• Adding a new taxiway connecting the runway near mid-field to an expanded GA Apron
• Removing the proposed service road around the north, east, and south airfield perimeter from the project scope (reconstruction of a portion of Taxiway D as a service road will remain in the project)

Overview

The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF), in cooperation with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), is proposing a project to rehabilitate and improve the Homer Airport and associated airport facilities. The project will make improvements to the runway, taxiways, General Aviation Apron, lighting, and drainage structures; expand or construct new taxiways, aprons, and service roads; remove obstructions to the runway Object Free Area (OFA); and perform ancillary work associated with the proposed improvements.

The Homer Airport is a state-owned, public-use, primary commercial service airport serving the southern Kenai Peninsula and eastern Cook Inlet. The airport receives scheduled passenger and cargo service, with approximately 53,000 annual aircraft operations for all operation types including commercial, air taxi, general aviation, and military. Airport facilities include a 6,701-foot-long by 150-foot-wide asphalt runway, passenger terminal, lighted helipad, flight service station, and floatplane facilities. The Homer Airport consists of 1,042 acres with 294 of these designated as state critical habitat (the Homer Airport Critical Habitat Area).

Project Description

The project will construct the following improvements:

• Rehabilitate Runway 04/22 and reduce width from 150 feet to 100 feet with paved shoulders
• Rehabilitate Runway Safety Area
• Rehabilitate portions of Taxiways A, B, and D, and the General Aviation (GA) Apron
• Remove a portion of Taxiway D and reconstruct as a service road
• Construct new taxiway turnaround at the east end of the runway
• Expand the gravel tie-down area at the east end of the existing GA Apron to the north
• Remove terrain obstructions penetrating the runway Object Free Area
• Replace runway and taxiway edge lighting
• Replace existing Visual Approach Slope Indicators with Precision Approach Path Indicators for both runway ends
• Improve drainage, including replacing culverts, ditch grading, and reconstructing the Lampert Lake outfall
• Clear and grub vegetation
• Adjust utilities, if required