Press Releases

Congressman Salud Carbajal (CA-24) applauded the new support for forever chemical remediation efforts at San Luis Obispo County Airport (SBP) from the federal grant program he recently helped renew.

Earlier this week, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) awarded SBP a $3.57 million grant from the Airport Improvement Program to support innovative demonstration testing of three PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) remediation technologies for both soil and water, advancing efforts to mitigate environmental and health risks posed by these persistent chemicals.

In his role on the House Aviation Subcommittee, Rep. Carbajal helped write and pass a new law this spring that requires a minimum of $150 million a year in AIP grants for environmental protection and airport noise mitigation projects.

"Our airports are critical hubs for our local economies, tourism, commerce, and recreation. I'm proud to see this critical investment delivered to SLO County airport to help them exist in harmony with the surrounding community," said Rep. Carbajal. "As a member of the House Aviation Subcommittee, I have been working every single week to help SLO County Airport mitigate and remediate risks posted by PFAS chemicals – and this grant is the latest investment is proof of that work. This spring, I helped get this AIP grant program renewed to keep investments for these and other needs coming to Central Coast airports to manage their needs and help them tackle their safety, sustainability, and operational challenges."

“We are grateful to the FAA for this investment in our ongoing PFAS remediation efforts,” said Courtney Johnson, Director of SLO County Airport. “This funding allows us to continue addressing these critical environmental challenges and protect our community.”

The aviation legislation crafted by Carbajal and his colleagues renewed the AIP program for 5 years with a total of $4 billion available annually for similar grants.

Over the last two years, AIP has delivered more than $30 million in investments for Central Coast airports, including $9 million to Santa Maria, $7 million to Lompoc, and $6 million to Santa Barbara.

The aviation policy package signed by President Biden in May also included Rep. Carbajal’s ‘Clean Airport Agenda’ aimed at addressing PFAS chemical contaminations at Central Coast airports.

More information on the Clean Airport Agenda can be found here.