Nantucket Airport reviews options to avoid summer jet‑fuel shortages, including tank expansion and leased tanker strategy

Nantucket Airport commissioners on Tuesday discussed proposals to increase on‑island Jet A storage and alternative short‑term strategies to avoid the delivery bottlenecks that left the airport short of fuel during the summer. The airport’s consultant presented a sketch plan for four above‑ground 25,000‑gallon tanks (100,000 gallons total) sited in a rental‑car overflow lot adjacent to the existing fuel farm, with an early, program‑level cost estimate of about $22 million.

The plan matters because the airport’s problem, commissioners said, is primarily delivery capacity, not seasonal storage capacity. Airport Manager Warren Smith and consultant Rich Lassen of McFarland Johnson told the commission that additional storage would allow the airport to “bank” fuel in the off season, but would not by itself solve the ferry delivery constraints that have caused summer shortages.

Lassen said tanks over 10,000 gallons require state fire marshal permitting and town land‑use approvals; because both existing and proposed tanks would exceed 100,000 gallons, the design would require separate concrete containment and duplicate monitoring systems. He said the previously installed fire‑suppression building had been sized to accept an expansion without supplanting the recent suppression upgrade, reducing one potential cost driver. The October capital‑request timetable also prompted commissioners to ask for tighter engineer estimates before committing a number to the Town’s capital review process.

Commissioners pressed staff on the program estimate. Commissioner Marshfield said he had located used 24,000‑gallon tanks priced far below the consultant’s figure and asked why the estimate reached $22 million. Lassen replied that his estimate included excavation, concrete, piping, monitoring upgrades, a 25% contingency and local cost premiums for Nantucket; he offered to get fuller contractor prices and reach out to World Fuel and other vendors for comparative bids.

Several commissioners and staff proposed lower‑cost interim strategies while design and permitting proceed: leasing additional tanker/refueler trucks for the peak months, expanding the number of ferry (hazmat) reservations asked for from the Steamship Authority, and negotiating separate transportation contracts so a maritime carrier or local transporter would secure ferry slots on behalf of the airport. Commissioner Leavitt outlined a model in which the airport would lease 7,500‑gallon refuelers for $3,500 per month and store them in a secured lot during the season; others noted spacing, hose and filtration differences between Avgas and Jet A refuelers.

Staff were assigned follow‑up steps: (1) develop a more detailed engineering/design task order to refine the tank expansion cost estimate; (2) assess whether the airport can buy fewer tanks initially (for example build the containment and infrastructure but install only two tanks) and the cost savings of a staged approach; (3) ask World Fuel, Titan and other suppliers for vendor quotes and to clarify transportation/dispatch arrangements; (4) ask the Steamship Authority for help increasing ferry reservations or to explain allocation rules; and (5) investigate feasibility, spacing and regulatory issues for leased refueler trucks as a short‑term mitigation.

No formal vote was taken on the tank expansion at the meeting; commissioners asked staff and consultants for a firmer cost estimate and financing options before adding a capital request to the town process.