[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 88 (Monday, June 6, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3437-S3439]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 4382. Mr. ISAKSON submitted an amendment intended to be proposed
by him to the bill S. 2943, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year
2017 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy,
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
At the end of subtitle I of title X, add the following:
SEC. 1097. CLOSURE OF ST. MARYS AIRPORT, ST. MARYS, GEORGIA.
(a) Release of Restrictions.--Subject to subsection (b),
the United States, acting through the Administrator of the
Federal Aviation Administration, shall release the City of
St. Marys, Georgia, from all restrictions, conditions, and
limitations on the use, encumbrance, conveyance, and closure
of the St. Marys Airport, to the extent such restrictions,
conditions, and limitations are enforceable by the
Administrator.
(b) Requirements for Release of Restrictions.--The
Administrator shall execute the release under subsection (a)
once all of the following occurs:
(1) The Secretary of the Navy transfers to the Georgia
Department of Transportation the amounts described in
subsection (c) and
[[Page S3439]]
requires as an enforceable condition on such transfer that
all funds transferred shall be used only for airport
development (as defined in section 47102 of title 49, United
States Code) of a regional airport in Georgia, consistent
with planning efforts conducted by the Administrator and the
Georgia Department of Transportation.
(2) The City of St. Marys, for consideration as provided
for in this section, grants to the United States, under the
administrative jurisdiction of the Secretary, a restrictive
use easement in the real property used for the St. Marys
Airport, as determined acceptable by the Secretary, under
such terms and conditions that the Secretary considers
necessary to protect the interests of the United States and
prohibiting the future use of such property for all aviation-
related purposes and any other purposes deemed by the
Secretary to be incompatible with the operations, functions,
and missions of Naval Submarine Base, Kings Bay, Georgia.
(3) The Secretary obtains an appraisal to determine the
fair market value of the real property used for the St. Marys
Airport in the manner described in subsection (c)(1).
(4) The Administrator fulfills the obligations under the
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et
seq.) in connection with the release under subsection (a). In
carrying out such obligations--
(A) the Administrator shall not assume or consider any
potential or proposed future redevelopment of the current St.
Marys airport property;
(B) any potential new regional airport in Georgia shall be
deemed to be not connected with the release noted in
subsection (a) nor the closure of St. Marys Airport; and
(C) any environmental review under the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) for
a potential regional airport in Georgia shall be considered
through an environmental review process separate and apart
from the environmental review made a condition of release by
this section.
(5) The Administrator fulfills the obligations under
sections 47107(h) and 46319 of title 49, United States Code.
(6) Any actions required under part 157 of title 14, Code
of Federal Regulations, are carried out to the satisfaction
of the Administrator.
(c) Transfer of Amounts Described.--The amounts described
in this subsection are the following:
(1) An amount equal to the fair market value of the real
property of the St. Marys Airport, as determined by the
Secretary and concurred in by the Administrator, based on an
appraisal report and title documentation that--
(A) is prepared or adopted by the Secretary, and concurred
in by the Administrator, not more than 180 days prior to the
transfer described in subsection (b)(1); and
(B) meets all requirements of Federal law and the appraisal
and documentation standards applicable to the acquisition and
disposal of real property interests of the United States.
(2) An amount equal to the unamortized portion of any
Federal development grants (including grants available under
a State block grant program established pursuant to section
47128 of title 49, United States Code), other than used for
the acquisition of land, paid to the City of St. Marys for
use as the St. Marys Airport.
(3) An amount equal to the airport revenues remaining in
the airport account for the St. Marys Airport as of the date
of the enactment of this Act and as otherwise due to or
received by the City of St. Marys after such date of
enactment pursuant to sections 47107(b) and 47133 of title
49, United States Code.
(d) Authorization for Transfer of Funds.--Using funds
available to the Department of the Navy for operation and
maintenance, the Secretary may pay the amounts described in
subsection (c) to the Georgia Department of Transportation,
conditioned as described in subsection (b)(1).
(e) Additional Requirements.--
(1) Survey.--The exact acreage and legal description of St.
Marys Airport shall be determined by a survey satisfactory to
the Secretary and concurred in by the Administrator.
(2) Planning of regional airport.--Any planning effort for
the development of a regional airport in southeast Georgia
shall be conducted in coordination with the Secretary, and
shall ensure that any such regional airport does not
interfere with the operations, functions, and missions of
Naval Submarine Base, Kings Bay, Georgia. The determination
of the Secretary shall be final as to whether the operations
of a new regional airport in southeast Georgia would
interfere with such military operations.
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