[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 158 (Wednesday, August 16, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42639-42640]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-20264]



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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration


Notice of Intent (NOI) To Prepare a Programmatic Environmental 
Assessment (EA) and Four Site-Specific Environmental Assessments (EAs) 
for the Proposed National Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS)

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA , Department of 
Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare a Programmatic EA for four site-
specific EAs.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announces its intent 
to prepare a programmatic environmental assessment (EA) and four site-
specific environmental assessments (EAs) for the proposed construction 
and operation of the following:
    (1) A nationwide system of hardware and software, and
    (2) Four antenna sites, called ground earth stations (GESs), 
collectively known as the Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS). The 
WAAS will receive, process, correct data from Global Positioning System 
(GPS) satellites, and transmit navigation corrections to communication 
satellites. An aircraft equipped with a WAAS receiver will navigate 
using the signals from the communication satellites. This satellite-
based navigation system will provide better navigation information to 
aircraft, thus enhancing safety. Senate Report 103-310 of the Committee 
on Appropriations, Department of Transportation and Related Agencies 
Appropriations, fiscal year 1995, stated that the WAAS schedule 
``should be accelerated to enable a quicker realization of what 
promises to be significant benefits to aviation system users.''
    The FAA is conducting a scoping process for the programmatic EA and 
the four GES EAs. The scoping process will consist of a 30-day period 
for written comments.

DATES: Written comments on the scope of the programmatic EA will be 
accepted at the address below until September 29, 1995. Comments 
submitted after the September 29 deadline will be considered to the 
extent practicable.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the scope of the programmatic EA may be 
sent to the FAA at the following address: Federal Aviation 
Administration, Satellite Program Office, ATTN: Ms. Susan Burmester, 
AND-510, 800 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC 20591.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Ms. Susan Burmester, Federal Aviation Administration, (202) 358-5408.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FAA's WAAS is a system consisting of 
equipment and software which will augment the existing U.S. Department 
of Defense (DoD)-provided GPS Standard Positioning System (SPS). The 
WAAS will provide a signal to aircraft to support more precise 
navigation and landing capabilities.

    The GPS satellite data will be received and processed at widely 
dispersed sites, referred to as Wide Area Reference Stations (WRSs). 
The WRS will transmit these data via existing communication links to 
central data processing sites, referred to as Wide Area Master Stations 
(WMSs). The WMSs will determine the integrity, differential 
corrections, residual errors, and ionospheric information for each 
monitored GPS satellite. Then, these calculations will be sent to the 
GESs. 

[[Page 42640]]
The GESs will transmit this information to communications satellites. 
The communication satellites will rebroadcast the data for navigational 
use by aircraft.
    Generally, a WRS will be composed of computer processors, time 
synchronization equipment, and GPS receivers. It will require no more 
than 50 square feet within an existing FAA facility. Additionally, 
three GPS antennas will be installed on the roof of the facility. These 
antennas will be similar in size to existing roof mounted antennas, but 
will include a small dome approximately 18 inches in diameter.
    A WMS will be composed of a WRS and communication equipment that 
will connect all of the WRSs and GESs to the WMSs. This equipment will 
require no more than 150 square feet within an existing FAA facility.
    The proposed WAAS would be composed of 29 sites at existing FAA 
facilities and 4 GES sites. Five of these 29 sites will constitute the 
Functional Verification System (FVS): Atlantic City, NJ; Bangor, ME; 
Dayton, OH; Oklahoma City, OK; and Wilmington, NC. The FVS will be the 
testbed for the WAAS. All sites are WRSs with the exception of Atlantic 
City and Oklahoma City, which are WMSs. Listed below are the remaining 
24 sites that would compose the initial operational system for the 
WAAS. All sites are WRSs with the exception of Nashua and Palmdale, 
which are WMSs:

Albuquerque, NM
Anchorage, AK
Auburn, WA
Aurora, IL
Billings, MT
Farmington, MN
Forth Worth, TX
Fremont, CA
Hampton, GA
Honolulu, HI
Houston, TX
Indianapolis, IN
Jacksonville, FL
Leesburg, VA
Longmont, CO
Memphis, TN
Miami, FL
Nashua, NH
Oberlin, OH
Olathe, KS
Palmdale, CA
Ronkonkoma, NY
Salt Lake City, UT
San Juan, PR

    The four proposed WAAS GES sites would be located on the east and 
west coasts of the continental United States. Two of the proposed GES 
sites would be located at existing facilities in: Whitinsville, MA and 
Brewster, WA. Two of the proposed GES sites will be developed in the 
vicinity of Hampton, GA and in the vicinity of Palmdale-Rosamond, CA.
    The programmatic EA will include a discussion of the proposed 
action and alternatives, the affected environment, potential impacts or 
consequences of the proposed action, and potential mitigation measures.

Alternatives

    In addition to the proposed action, the following alternatives will 
be considered in the programmatic EA: (1) enhancement of the existing 
navigation system, (2) the no action alternative under which the 
existing navigation system would be maintained.

Public Scoping

    The FAA is conducting a scoping process for the programmatic EA and 
the four GES EAs. The national scoping meeting for the programmatic EA 
will address the overall WAAS architecture. This meeting will be held 
in the vicinity of Washington, DC on or about Tuesday, September 19. 
Further information regarding the programmatic EA and the four GES EAs 
will be announced in national and local newspapers of general 
circulation.

    Issued in Washington, DC on August 11, 1995.
James C. Johns,
WAAS Project Manager, Satellite Program Office, AND-510, FAA 
Headquarters.
[FR Doc. 95-20264 Filed 8-15-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-M