Flagler Executive Airport lead testing shows de minimis results; commissioners approve wildlife‑fence design with FDOT/PTGA funding

Flagler County commissioners on March 17 received the results of an environmental testing study at the Flagler Executive Airport and approved county participation in design of a wildlife fence that the Federal Aviation Administration and Florida Department of Transportation will largely fund.

Roy Seager, director of the Flagler Executive Airport, told the board the county hired an environmental engineering consultant to test for lead in air and soil near airport operations after public concerns tied to leaded aviation fuel. Consolidated Environmental Engineering presented sampling results to the board; Dr. Tim Scott summarized the firm’s findings as “de minimis” for soils and below laboratory detection limits for the air samples collected during the survey.

Nut graf: The issue matters to public-health and airport-safety stakeholders because avgas (100‑low‑lead aviation gasoline) contains tetraethyl lead additives used by certain piston‑engine aircraft. The FAA and FDOT are funding airport safety improvements, including a multi-year wildlife fence intended to reduce bird and mammal strikes; commissioners approved a PTGA (public‑transportation grant agreement) and a design work authorization for that fence.

Testing and presentation: Dr. Scott said air samples were compared to OSHA occupational eight‑hour exposure criteria (50 micrograms per cubic meter in the chart shown) and that measured airport samples were at or below the control/background and below laboratory detection limits. Soil samples were collected at the surface (0–2 inches) to assess fallout; the consultant reported levels below the Florida Department of Environmental Protection cleanup standards and described the results as de minimis. Dr. Scott noted his firm used a “worst‑case” sampling approach—sampling both ends of runways and upwind/background locations—so the report targets likely points of maximum fallout from operations.

Airport operations and projects: Seager reported recent operational and sales figures as context: calendar‑year 2024 had about 180,000 operations; January and February 2025 combined for roughly 15,133 and 13,010 operations respectively (March not yet included in those tallies). Fuel sales for the first two months were about 25,432 gallons of Avgas and 31,573 gallons of Jet A. Seager also reviewed planned projects at the airport, including the wildlife fence, general aviation terminal improvements, and an upcoming Warbirds Over Flagler event.

Wildlife fence: Seager said the proposed wildlife fence would be a multiyear effort and estimated at roughly $6,000,000 for the full program. He described the planned fence as a 10‑foot airport‑operating‑area (AOA) fence with three‑strand barbed wire and two feet of sub‑grade anchor; the blue line on the project plan replaces existing fencing in areas with dense vegetation where wildlife access is frequent. Funding described on the record: FAA 90% share, FDOT 8% and Flagler County 2% for the PTGA phase. The board approved the FDOT PTGA (agenda item 7K) and a work authorization for the design firm (7L) to proceed under a county contract; both passed on 3–2 recorded votes.

Board discussion: Commissioners asked whether ordinance or zoning items needed to be finalized before awarding FDOT grants; staff said the county planned to adopt a required airport zoning ordinance in April with final reading later in the month and that FDOT had been informed. Commissioners who voted against the items cited that the local zoning ordinance requirement had not yet been adopted; commissioners who voted in favor stressed the FAA funding and the safety driving the project forward.

Ending: The consultant report and the airport’s presentation materials will be added to the county’s public records; commissioners approved the design phase to proceed with FAA/FDOT funding and the noted county contribution.