[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 195 (Tuesday, October 10, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52724-52725]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-25056]



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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration


Intent To Prepare Environmental Impact Statement, Proposed 
Terminal Doppler Weather Radar To Serve John F. Kennedy International 
Airport (JFK) and LaGuardia Airport (LGA)

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) intends to prepare 
an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to address the environmental 
impact of a proposal to construct and operate a terminal Doppler 
weather radar (TDWR) at a proposed site at Coast Guard Air Station 
Brooklyn (CGASB), New York. The proposed TDWR would serve both JFK and 
LGA Airports. The FAA has determined that it is critical to include the 
New York metropolitan area in the nationwide campaign to improve 
aviation safety. In addition to detecting wind shear for FAA reports to 
pilots, the TDWR would provide weather data to the Coast Guard for 
their search and rescue operations. The EIS will be prepared following 
FAA procedures for implementing the National Environmental Policy Act 
of 1969, as amended, (NEPA), 42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C), and consistent with 
the FAA's policy to facilitate public understanding and scrutiny of 
agency proposals. This notice of intent is published as required by the 
President's Council on Environmental Quality regulations implementing 
the provisions of NEPA, 40 CFR Parts 1500-1508.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), 
proposes to construct and operate a TDWR to serve both JFK and LGA 
Airports. The preferred site for this FAA 

[[Page 52725]]
facility is at Coast Guard Air Station Brooklyn (CGASB).
    TDWR is an automated weather radar system developed by the FAA. 
TDWR operates by sending out a radio frequency (RF) pulse. Then, the 
TDWR detects pulses reflected by weather conditions. TDWR detects 
conditions leading to hazardous wind shear at and in the vicinity of 
the airport and reports this to air traffic controllers. The only sure 
way to survive wind shear in the airport vicinity is to avoid it. With 
the assistance of the information provided by the TDWR, the air traffic 
controllers can then provide a timely warning to pilots. Improved wind 
shear detection provided by the TDWR reduces loss of life, injuries, 
property damage and air traffic delays that result from catastrophic 
airplane accidents caused by wind shear. The proposed TDWR facility 
would be part of a nationwide system of 47 radars strategically located 
near major airports.
    The FAA has determined that it is critical to include the New York 
metropolitan area in the agency's efforts to improve aviation safety. 
There are 380,105 commercial carrier operations per year at JFK and 
373,395 operations per year at LGA (March 1994-March 1995). Wind shear 
has been identified as a major cause of U.S. air carrier fatalities. 
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has recommended the 
installation of TDWR as a result of several crashes nationwide. One of 
the crashes was Eastern Airlines Flight 66 onto the Rockaway Parkway in 
June 1975 where 112 people died. TDWR is considered by NTSB as the best 
warning system for detecting wind shear conditions. In addition to 
preventing crashes, it will reduce weather-related delays. At JFK, 45% 
of delays are weather-related. At LaGuardia 39% of delays are weather-
related.
    Siting the proposed TDWR at the Coast Guard, Department of 
Transportation (DOT) property would be compatible with the continuing 
history of aviation facilities at this location. Additionally, it would 
be consistent with Coast Guard plans to install a weather radar for 
search and rescue helicopter operations. The proposed TDWR with an 
information feed to CGASB operations would satisfy this Coast Guard 
need, and for this reason, the Coast Guard supports the proposal. This 
would represent an important example of intermodal cooperation in 
satisfying multi-mission needs within the DOT.
    The FAA anticipates that construction and operation of the proposed 
TDWR at CGASB would have little or no environmental impact. However, 
the agency anticipates significant public controversy concerning the 
perception of the potential adverse health effects of RF radiation. The 
FAA will hold public scoping meetings to assist in defining the focus 
of the EIS issues. A public notice issued at a later date will provide 
the dates, times and places of the scoping meetings. Further, the FAA 
will provide ample opportunity for public participation in defining the 
issues to be addressed in the EIS and in reviewing and commenting on 
the draft EIS.
    The EIS will assess impacts and reasonable alternatives, including 
the ``no action'' alternative, following the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969 as amended, FAA Order 1050.1D, Policies and 
Procedures for Considering Environmental Impacts, DOT Order 5610.1C, 
Procedures for Considering Environmental Impacts, and the President's 
Council on Environmental Quality regulations implementing the 
provisions of NEPA, 40 CFR Parts 1500-1508. Previous Environmental 
Assessments (EAs) for proposals to site individual TDWRs for JFK and 
LGA considered reasonable alternatives. Copies of these EAs are 
available by written request to the information contact designated 
below. Siting constraints for reasonable alternatives include strict 
siting criteria for radar coverage and the close proximity of densely 
populated communities in the metropolitan New York area. The FAA will 
address any reasonable alternatives presented during the scoping 
process and subsequent comment periods.
    The final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) for 
the TDWR Site Determination Program issued in September 1991, 
identified general conditions which might result in potentially 
significant impacts. RF radiation was one of the many environmental 
considerations addressed in this document. Copies of the PEIS may be 
obtained by written request to the information contact designated 
below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jerome D. Schwartz, Environmental 
Specialist, Federal Aviation Administration, Wind Shear Products Team, 
AND-420, 800 Independence Ave., SW., Washington, DC 20591. Telephone 
(202) 358-4946.

    Issued in Washington, DC on October 3, 1995.
Steve Zaidman,
Deputy Director of Communications, Navigation, and Surveillance 
Systems, AND-2.
[FR Doc. 95-25056 Filed 10-6-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-M