However, the runway funds are the ones that are problematic. The grant, in that amount, was accepted from the Federal Aviation Administration, along with other airport grants totaling $39 million, pending board approval next week.

Members of the board's Finance Committee are concerned with which contractor would carry out the review of preliminary environmental engineering for the runway project, and what the consultant's budget, hourly rate and schedule will be. Airport officials say that these concerns are routine and will not slow down the overall project.

Groups such as San Francisco BayKeeper, the Alliance for a Clean Waterfront and the Sierra Club are protesting against the runway, saying that filling hundreds of acres of the San Francisco Bay is a threat to the ecosystem.