Congressman Aderholt Conducts Meeting with FAA Concerning Proposed Gadsden Rendering Plant

For Immediate Release: November 16, 2021

Washington, D.C. —Tuesday morning, Congressman Robert Aderholt (AL-04) conducted a meeting between the Federal Aviation Administration and the stakeholders, both those in favor of and those opposed to the proposed Gadsden Rendering Plant at the Gadsden Airport.

"I want to thank everyone at the FAA who made this meeting possible. I think it clarified their current thinking about the status of this proposal. During the meeting, the FAA seemed to be clear that any use of airport property for a non-aeronautical purpose must first receive their approval, which has not occurred up to this point.

"In addition, any sale or lease of the property must also receive FAA approval. There has been some confusion related to a recent letter from the FAA [regarding the agency's Aeronautical Study Number 2021-ASO-4634-NRA] and that this somehow indicated the FAA's approval of the plant to go forward. However, from the meeting today, the FAA made it plain that this was simply an approval of the height of the proposed plant and what impact it could have on airport glide paths. It was not an approval of what the building would be used for. The FAA officials reiterated their concern for how this proposed plant could attract wildlife that could be a hazard to aviation.

"According to the FAA, any attempt to sell or lease the property without their approval will lead to an immediate investigation. Any unapproved sale or lease could be found to be in conflict with FAA rules, thereby jeopardizing future federal grant funding to the Gadsden Airport Authority.

"I want to thank FAA officials for clarifying the current status of this proposal."