Airport Grants Benchmark — How Advanced Airports Win Funding (and what FRISA can replicate)
Prepared for: FRISA (Front Range Institute for Sustainable Aviation) — mission: MEASURE and reduce general-aviation airborne lead (100LL), noise, and CO₂ around Front Range airports; base airport Boulder Municipal (KBDU). Sponsor pathways: KBDU / City of Boulder / Boulder County. Research date: 2026-06-17. All relative dates converted to absolute years. Dollar amounts shown only where a citable source was found; otherwise "unknown." No amounts invented.
Executive Summary
The single most replicable precedent for FRISA's lead mission is Santa Clara County's Reid-Hillview (RHV) / San Martin (E16) playbook: the county spent $250,000 of its own general fund (authorized Feb 11, 2020) to commission a peer-review-bound child blood-lead study by Prof. Sammy Zahran / Mountain Data Group (a Flint-crisis-credentialed scientist), using ~17,000 children's blood samples (2011–2020). The study found downwind children near RHV had blood-lead elevations comparable to or worse than Flint but continuous. Within days of the August 2021 release the Board voted to ban 100LL (effective Jan 1, 2022), making RHV/E16 the first US GA airports selling unleaded-only. That single $250k study cascaded upward into an EPA Clean Air Act endangerment finding (Oct 18, 2023) and California's statewide leaded-avgas ban, SB 1193 (signed Sept 22, 2024, effective Jan 1, 2031). The lesson: own credible science early; you don't need a grant to start — you need a study you control.
The most important correction for FRISA's brief: the California statewide ban is SB 1193 (Menjivar, 2024), NOT AB 938. Cite SB 1193.
On the funding-program side, California's airports lean heavily on Caltrans Division of Aeronautics (CAAP) and CARB/air-district GSE-electrification money (Carl Moyer, CORE) — neither directly available to a Colorado sponsor, but both have Colorado analogs (CDAG, Colorado Clean Air Program) already in FRISA's registry. The genuinely NEW, FRISA-accessible programs surfaced are mostly federal: the FAA Airport Terminal Program (BIL), FAA Airport Infrastructure Grants (BIL supplemental/AIG), and DOT/FHWA Charging & Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) — plus the Mountain Data Group "county-commissioned study" procurement model as a non-grant template.
On the Colorado side, Centennial (KAPA) and Rocky Mountain Metropolitan (BJC) show the in-state template: bundle a big BIL taxiway grant ($4.9M / $5.5M, 2024) with a "good-neighbor" award (KAPA's $92,465 zero-emissions vehicle+charger; BJC's $1.4M FAA Part 150 noise study), and layer CDOT CDAG unleaded-avgas subsidies (KAPA $300k+$350k; BJC $300k; Boulder Muni already received $63k in the 2026 round) on top of self-funded UL94 programs. KAPA self-funded $304k+ of UL94 subsidy before state money arrived — that track record is why it kept winning CDAG grants.
PART A — California / Bay Area Airport Grants
A.1 The Reid-Hillview / San Martin Lead Playbook (the keystone precedent)
| Step | What happened | Amount | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commission study | County contracts Mountain Data Group (Prof. Sammy Zahran, CSU; Flint-crisis scientist) | $250,000 (county general fund) | authorized 2020-02-11 | SCC news release |
| Study findings | ~17,000 child blood samples 2011–2020; downwind +0.40 µg/dL, peak +0.83 µg/dL; benchmarked to Flint | — | report Aug 2021; peer-reviewed Jan 10 2023 | PNAS Nexus |
| Ban 100LL | Board votes (Aug 17, 2021) unleaded-only + pursue early closure | — | 2021 | Flying Mag |
| Ban effective | 100LL sales end at RHV & E16 | — | 2022-01-01 | General Aviation News |
| First unleaded | Swift UL94 (first ~7,000 gal) | unknown infra cost | 2021-08-16 | AOPA |
| First 100-octane unleaded | GAMI G100UL retail (first in US), $6.99/gal | unknown | 2024-10-30 | SCC |
| Federal regulatory payoff | EPA Clean Air Act lead endangerment finding | — | 2023-10-18 | EPA |
| State law | SB 1193 (Menjivar) bans leaded avgas statewide | — | signed 2024-09-22, eff. 2031-01-01 | WCLP |
| FAA pushback | FAA Part 13 ruling: ban violated Grant Assurance 22 (~$6.8M historical AIP at stake; none sought since ~2010) | $6.8M historical | 2025-03-24 | AOPA |
Funding note: the study and transition were self-funded by the county, not grant-dependent. No CARB/EPA/foundation grant for the study or fuel transition was identified (treat as unknown). This is itself a strategic finding: the county exited FAA grant dependency, which removed the FAA's main leverage.
A.2 Bay Area airport benchmark table (FAA AIP / noise / electrification / unleaded)
FAA AIP / BIL grants (primary source: USAspending.gov CFDA 20.106, queried 2026-06-17):
| Airport | Funder / Program | Amount | Purpose | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palo Alto (PAO) | FAA AIP | $1,027,000 | Runway visual guidance | 2025 | USAspending.gov |
| Palo Alto (PAO) | FAA AIP | $15,594,825 | Major airport reconstruction | 2020 | USAspending.gov |
| San Carlos (SQL) | FAA AIP | $11,556,879 | Rehab Runway 12/30 | 2023 | USAspending.gov |
| San Carlos (SQL) | FAA AIP | $64,936 | Zero-emissions infrastructure | 2024 | USAspending.gov |
| Hayward (HWD) | FAA AIP + BIL/AIG | $5,840,133 | Reconstruct Taxiway Z West | 2025 | Sen. Padilla |
| Livermore (LVK) | FAA AIP | $3,343,945 | Airport improvement (largest recent) | 2016 | USAspending.gov |
| Concord/Buchanan (CCR) | FAA AIP (ARPA) | $8,694,523 | ARFF building Phase 2 | 2021 | USAspending.gov |
| Napa County (APC) | FAA AIP | $4,384,900 | Reconstruct Taxiway K | 2024 | USAspending.gov |
| Half Moon Bay (HAF) | FAA AIP | $1,200,000 | Emergency generator | 2024 | USAspending.gov |
| Moffett (NUQ) | — | none (NASA-owned, AIP-ineligible) | — | — | Wikipedia |
| San Jose (SJC) | BIL Airport Infrastructure Grants | ~$18,153,923 | Taxiway + terminal | 2024 | Rep. Lofgren |
| Reid-Hillview (RHV) | FAA AIP | County voted 2018 to STOP accepting AIP | — | 2018 | CBS News |
Noise monitoring (who paid):
| Airport | Funder | Amount | System / vendor | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose (SJC) | City / airport funds | unknown | ANOMS, 10 monitors (EMS Brüel & Kjær) | 1992 | emsbk.com |
| San Carlos (SQL) | San Mateo County (Measure K) | up to $313,695 | Vector Airport Systems (Surf-Air driven) | 2017 | SMC Gov |
| Palo Alto (PAO) | City of Palo Alto | unknown | 1200.aero geofencing compliance | 2024 | Almanac |
| Sunnyvale (community) | City of Sunnyvale | unknown | Casper.aero — 4 solar NMTs + NoiseLab | 2019 | Casper |
Electrification:
| Project | Funder / Program | Amount | Purpose | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joby Aviation | GO-Biz CalCompetes | $9.8M | CA expansion (San Carlos/Santa Cruz hiring) | 2023 | Joby |
| Archer Aviation | CAEATFA sales/use tax exclusion | ~$10M benefit | Electric powertrain facility, San Jose | 2024 | Archer |
| ZeroAvia | CA Energy Commission | $3.25M | Mobile liquid-H2 refueler at Livermore (LVK) | 2024 | ZeroAvia |
Unleaded avgas availability: RHV/E16 (UL94 since 2022, G100UL Oct 2024); San Carlos (UL94 since 2016, Swift 100R Nov 2024); Livermore, Hayward, Palo Alto (UL94); Concord (UL94 first delivery Dec 30, 2025). Statewide ban via SB 1193 effective 2031.
A.3 California state programs (precedent only — NOT available to a Colorado sponsor)
These are documented as templates; their Colorado analogs are already in FRISA's registry (CDAG, HB24-1235 set-aside, Colorado Clean Air Program, Colorado Fleet ZERO):
- Caltrans Division of Aeronautics — California Aid to Airports Program (CAAP): Annual Credit Grant ($10k/yr, accumulates 5 yrs); Acquisition & Development (90% state/10% local); AIP Matching (5% of FAA AIP); Airport Loan Program. Funded by avgas/jet-fuel tax. (dot.ca.gov/programs/aeronautics) → CO analog = CDAG (already in registry).
- CARB Carl Moyer / CORE voucher — airport GSE electrification (eGPU, tugs $16k–$124k/unit). (californiacore.org) → CO analog = Colorado Clean Air Program / Colorado Fleet ZERO (already in registry).
- CARB Statewide Clean Aviation Initiative (SCAI) — regulatory driver for ZE airport GSE by 2034. (ww2.arb.ca.gov/.../scai)
PART B — Colorado Comparables: Centennial (KAPA) & Rocky Mountain Metropolitan (BJC)
| Airport | Funder / Program | Amount | Purpose | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KAPA | FAA BIL / AIP | $4.9M | Reconstruct two taxiway pavements | 2024 | Durango Herald |
| KAPA | FAA (zero-emissions equip.) | $92,465 | Zero-emissions vehicle + recharger | 2024 | Durango Herald (same) |
| KAPA | DOT Airport Terminal Program (BIL) | $8,000,000 | ATC tower renovation / safety | 2024 | Bennet release |
| KAPA | CDOT CDAG (HB24-1235) | $300,000 | Unleaded-avgas fuel subsidy | 2024 | Airport Improvement |
| KAPA | CDOT CDAG (HB24-1235) | $350,000 | Unleaded-avgas fuel subsidy | 2025 | Airport Improvement (same) |
| KAPA | Airport self-funded | $304,000+ | UL94 subsidy + STC reimbursements (pre-state) | 2023–24 | Airport Improvement (same) |
| KAPA | FAA Part 150 grant | unknown | Noise Compatibility Study (Mead & Hunt) | 2023–26 | centennialairport.com |
| KAPA | CACNR + Airport | ~$1.4M | Permanent noise-monitoring system | 2013 | centennialairportnoise.com |
| BJC | FAA BIL / AIP | $5.5M | New + reconstructed taxiway | 2024 | Durango Herald (same) |
| BJC | FAA AIP / BIL | $1,400,633 | Part 150 Noise Compatibility Study | 2024 | Denver7 |
| BJC | CDOT CDAG (HB24-1235) | $300,000 | Unleaded-avgas fuel subsidy | 2025 | CDOT Feb 2025 |
| BJC | CDOT CDAG | $450,000 | Primary taxiway pavement maintenance | 2026 | CDOT Apr 2026 |
| BJC | DOE (proposed) | unknown | Beam EV ARC solar+battery charging station | ~2024 | DOE proposal (doc unconfirmed) |
| Boulder Muni (KBDU) | CDOT CDAG | $63,000 | Unleaded-fuel price subsidy | 2026 | CDOT Apr 2026 (same) |
| (comparable) Fremont County | CDOT CDAG | $576,000 | Unleaded-fuel infrastructure | 2026 | CDOT Apr 2026 (same) |
Noise context: KAPA runs the Centennial Airport Community Noise Roundtable (CACNR) and a proactive FAA-funded Part 150 study. BJC's noise roundtable disbanded in 2024; Boulder County + Town of Superior sued Jefferson County (Mar 12, 2024) over touch-and-go training noise/lead — dismissed Mar 28, 2025. Lesson: the federally funded Part 150 study is the legitimized path, not a voluntary roundtable.
Unleaded avgas: KAPA was Colorado's first (Swift UL94, May 3, 2023; largest US UL94 FBO; 20%+ of piston sales). BJC launched UL94 Feb 2026 via Sheltair. Both sell UL94, not G100UL.
Replicable Funding Programs FRISA Could Pursue (NEW — not in the 43-item registry)
The registry already covers FAA AIP Part 150 noise, FAA VALE, FAA ZEV, CDAG, HB24-1235 set-aside, EPA monitoring/SRA, CDC lead, NSF S&CC, SMART, NASA, Colorado Clean Air Program, etc. The following are NEW and accessible to FRISA via its KBDU/City/County sponsor (or directly as a nonprofit). See the JSON in the orchestrator handoff for full schema.
- FAA Airport Terminal Program (ATP, BIL) — federal; funded KAPA's $8M tower. FRISA angle: noise-monitoring/community space tie-in via sponsor.
- FAA Airport Infrastructure Grants (AIG / BIL supplemental) — federal; the BIL entitlement+discretionary stream behind KAPA $4.9M / BJC $5.5M, distinct from base AIP. FRISA angle: bundle a sustainability/sensor element.
- DOT/FHWA Charging & Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) Discretionary Grant — federal; EV charging incl. at airports. FRISA angle: CO₂/electrification charging at KBDU via City/County.
- Mountain Data Group "county-commissioned blood-lead study" model — not a grant but the keystone procurement template: a county directly funds a credible independent study. FRISA angle: the lead playbook FRISA/Boulder County should copy.
(California Caltrans/CARB programs are documented as precedent but excluded here because they are not available to a Colorado sponsor; their CO analogs are already registered.)
Key Lessons for FRISA / KBDU
- The Reid-Hillview lead playbook (copy this): (a) Fund your own credible science first — $250k bought a peer-reviewed, Flint-credentialed study using real children's blood data; you control the narrative and don't wait on a grant. (b) Anchor to a household-name disaster (Flint) and an environmental-justice frame. (c) Convert science to a board vote within days. (d) Ban first, solve fuel logistics in parallel. (e) Exit FAA grant dependency to remove the FAA's main leverage. (f) Scale upward — a local study seeded an EPA endangerment finding and a state law (SB 1193). For FRISA: pitch Boulder County to commission a Front Range blood-lead/airborne-lead study (Mountain Data Group / Zahran are the proven vendor).
- Bundle "growth" grants with "good-neighbor" grants in the same FAA cycle — KAPA/BJC paired multimillion-dollar taxiway BIL grants with a small ZEV award or a Part 150 noise study, giving political cover.
- A Part 150 noise study is the fundable, FAA-blessed answer to noise pressure — far stronger than a voluntary roundtable (BJC's collapsed and it got sued).
- Be first and show volume on unleaded avgas — KAPA kept winning CDAG grants because it self-funded $304k and showed 20%+ piston sales. KBDU already won $63k in 2026; build the track record to win more.
- Sustainability micro-grants are cheap to match and easy to win ($92k ZEV; DOE EV-charger) and they build the electrification narrative.
- Engage the congressional delegation — every CO/CA BIL award was amplified through senators/representatives; coordinate announcements.
Caveats / unknowns
- California statewide ban = SB 1193, not AB 938 (correct the brief).
- Costs marked "unknown": RHV fuel-transition infrastructure; SCC second/third study; KAPA Part 150 FAA grant amount; BJC DOE EV-charger amount.
- USAspending.gov (CFDA 20.106) is authoritative for FAA obligations; faa.gov and santaclaracounty.gov block automated fetch (403) and were corroborated via press/USAspending.