Los Banos Municipal Airport
Encyclopedia
Los Banos Municipal Airport is a city-owned public-use airport
located one mile (1.6 km) west of the central business district
of Los Banos
, a city in Merced County
, California
, United States
.
paved runway
(14/32) measuring 3,801 x 75 ft (1,159 x 23 m).
For the 12-month period ending August 5, 2008, the airport had 16,000 general aviation
aircraft operations, an average of 44 per day. At that time there were 13 aircraft based at this airport: 12 single engine, and one jet aircraft.
in the site vicinity is perched in a high water table
, with depth to groundwater
being only seven to ten feet below the surface. Therefore, any release of contaminants to the soil
poses a risk to aquifer
contamination. The chief hazardous substances of concern at the airport are derived from prior pesticide
s and herbicide
s used by crop dusting aircraft
; these operations ceased in 1989. At the present time, no such flights are authorized from the airport; in fact, the only hazardous materials presently used and stored at the airport are those associated with the underground gasoline fuel storage tanks. Surface runoff
and groundwater flow is generally to the northeast toward the San Joaquin River
.
Rinse water from maintenance operations flows into a storm drainage system and pesticide chemicals, which have previously contaminated soil and groundwater on the site, may have been introduced to the environment via this route. Contaminants include S,S,S-tributyl phosphorotrithioate (DEF), dicapthon, and bromophosethyl. These contaminants have been found in wells owned by the Los Banos Community Water District within three miles (5 km) of the airport.
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
located one mile (1.6 km) west of the central business district
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
of Los Banos
Los Banos, California
Los Banos is a city in Merced County, California, near the junction of State Route 152 and Interstate 5. Los Banos is located southwest of Merced, at an elevation of 118 feet . The population was 35,972 at the 2010 census, up from 25,869 at the 2000 census...
, a city in Merced County
Merced County, California
Merced County , is a county located in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California, north of Fresno and southeast of San Jose. As of the 2010 census, the population was 255,793, up from 210,554 at the 2000 census. The county seat is Merced...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Facilities and aircraft
Los Banos Municipal Airport covers an area of 101 acres (40.9 ha) which contains one asphaltAsphalt
Asphalt or , also known as bitumen, is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid that is present in most crude petroleums and in some natural deposits, it is a substance classed as a pitch...
paved runway
Runway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
(14/32) measuring 3,801 x 75 ft (1,159 x 23 m).
For the 12-month period ending August 5, 2008, the airport had 16,000 general aviation
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
aircraft operations, an average of 44 per day. At that time there were 13 aircraft based at this airport: 12 single engine, and one jet aircraft.
Hazardous materials issues
Historically a release of hazardous materials to the environment has occurred at the airport. GroundwaterGroundwater
Groundwater is water located beneath the ground surface in soil pore spaces and in the fractures of rock formations. A unit of rock or an unconsolidated deposit is called an aquifer when it can yield a usable quantity of water. The depth at which soil pore spaces or fractures and voids in rock...
in the site vicinity is perched in a high water table
Water table
The water table is the level at which the submarine pressure is far from atmospheric pressure. It may be conveniently visualized as the 'surface' of the subsurface materials that are saturated with groundwater in a given vicinity. However, saturated conditions may extend above the water table as...
, with depth to groundwater
Groundwater
Groundwater is water located beneath the ground surface in soil pore spaces and in the fractures of rock formations. A unit of rock or an unconsolidated deposit is called an aquifer when it can yield a usable quantity of water. The depth at which soil pore spaces or fractures and voids in rock...
being only seven to ten feet below the surface. Therefore, any release of contaminants to the soil
Soil contamination
Soil contamination or soil pollution is caused by the presence of xenobiotic chemicals or other alteration in the natural soil environment....
poses a risk to aquifer
Aquifer
An aquifer is a wet underground layer of water-bearing permeable rock or unconsolidated materials from which groundwater can be usefully extracted using a water well. The study of water flow in aquifers and the characterization of aquifers is called hydrogeology...
contamination. The chief hazardous substances of concern at the airport are derived from prior pesticide
Pesticide
Pesticides are substances or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling or mitigating any pest.A pesticide may be a chemical unicycle, biological agent , antimicrobial, disinfectant or device used against any pest...
s and herbicide
Herbicide
Herbicides, also commonly known as weedkillers, are pesticides used to kill unwanted plants. Selective herbicides kill specific targets while leaving the desired crop relatively unharmed. Some of these act by interfering with the growth of the weed and are often synthetic "imitations" of plant...
s used by crop dusting aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
; these operations ceased in 1989. At the present time, no such flights are authorized from the airport; in fact, the only hazardous materials presently used and stored at the airport are those associated with the underground gasoline fuel storage tanks. Surface runoff
Surface runoff
Surface runoff is the water flow that occurs when soil is infiltrated to full capacity and excess water from rain, meltwater, or other sources flows over the land. This is a major component of the water cycle. Runoff that occurs on surfaces before reaching a channel is also called a nonpoint source...
and groundwater flow is generally to the northeast toward the San Joaquin River
San Joaquin River
The San Joaquin River is the largest river of Central California in the United States. At over long, the river starts in the high Sierra Nevada, and flows through a rich agricultural region known as the San Joaquin Valley before reaching Suisun Bay, San Francisco Bay, and the Pacific Ocean...
.
Rinse water from maintenance operations flows into a storm drainage system and pesticide chemicals, which have previously contaminated soil and groundwater on the site, may have been introduced to the environment via this route. Contaminants include S,S,S-tributyl phosphorotrithioate (DEF), dicapthon, and bromophosethyl. These contaminants have been found in wells owned by the Los Banos Community Water District within three miles (5 km) of the airport.
External links
- Los Banos Airport Website at OurLosBanos.com