[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 139 (Thursday, July 18, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37538-37539]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-18205]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Notice of Finding of No Significant Impact
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice of Finding of No Significant Impact.
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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) has made a finding of no significant impact
(FONSI) with respect to the potential programmatic environmental
impacts related to the construction and operation of its proposed Wide
Area Augmentation System (WAAS).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Susan Burmester, Federal Aviation
Administration, (202) 358-5408.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Proposed Action
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is proposing to construct
and operate an enhanced aircraft navigation system consisting of a
nationwide system of hardware and software and four transmitting
antenna sites known as ground earth stations (GESs). The collective
system is known as the Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS). The WAAS
would augment existing Department of Defense (DoD)-provided Global
Positioning System (GPS) navigational information for civil aviation
use. The WAAS would receive, process, and correct data from existing
GPS satellites and transmit navigation corrections to existing
communications satellites. The communications satellites would transmit
enhanced GPS information to aircraft that would be equipped with WAAS
receivers to use this information for navigation. This satellite-based
system would be used to supplement the existing navigation system,
providing better navigational information to aircraft and thus
enhancing safety.
In order to implement WAAS, the FAA would use existing GPS
satellites and geostationary earth orbiting (GEO) communication
satellites, construct wide area reference stations (WRSs) and wide area
master stations (WMSs), and lease GES transmitting antenna facilities
to provide additional accuracy, availability, and integrity of
information provided by the existing civilian available GPS. The 29
WRSs and WMSs to be constructed would each consist of three 32 inch
diameter receiving antennas on 6 foot supports with attached weather
sensors. These antennas would be mounted on existing FAA facilities and
connected by cable to additional interior equipment. The four
[[Page 37539]]
GES facilities to be leased would consist of a transmitter control
building and one to three 54 foot (16.4 meter) diameter parabolic
antenna dishes.
Purpose
One of the FAA's long-term goals is to provide accurate, available,
and reliable navigational data to enhance airspace safety in a cost-
effective manner. In order to meet this goal, the FAA proposes to
implement the initial WAAS which would provide 100% availability of
navigational information throughout the national airspace, avoid
ground-based reflection and signal interference problems, provide
accurate position information, and support an unlimited number of
users. By augmenting the existing navigation system to provide accurate
aircraft position information to an unlimited number of pilots
throughout national airspace, the initial WAAS would provide a safer,
more efficient navigation system in accordance with the FAA's mission.
The initial WAAS program would be a supplemental navigation system,
only; the initial WAAS is expected to neither increase air traffic nor
alter existing air routes.
Environmental Impacts
No significant environmental impacts were identified at the
programmatic level. No significant programmatic impacts to the physical
setting, including electromagnetic fields and air and water quality;
land use/land management; biological resources; cultural/historical
resources; or socioeconomics were identified. Any potential
environmental effects that might occur due to activities associated
with the proposed initial WAAS have been determined to be associated
with activities at specific sites. These potential environmental
effects and mitigation alternatives will be addressed in the site-
specific environmental analyses to be prepared for the individual
actions to implement this program. If site-specific environmental
analyses indicate potentially significant environmental impacts at the
preferred individual sites, FAA would take steps to mitigate potential
significant effects or change the specific sites to avoid such impacts.
This FONSI for the Programmatic EA does not preclude the relocation of
the specific sites if an environmental analysis shows the potential for
significant impact.
The proposed initial WAAS will use existing FAA facilities and
lease GES services from existing sites and is consistent with community
planning at the programatic level.
Alternatives
The FAA completed an analysis of various alternative navigation
concepts with the potential to meet the FAA's long-term navigation
goals. Alternatives other than the initial WAAS that were considered
were the enhancement of the existing navigation system (very high
frequency omnidirectional ranges, distance measuring equipment, and
instrument landing systems); use of existing long-range, local-area
differential GPS; and receiver autonomous integrity monitoring. None of
these alternatives met the technical needs of the FAA. The ``no
action'' alternative, the continued operation of the existing system
without providing a supplemental navigation system, was also
considered. It was found to have no significant environmental impacts.
However, it does not meet the FAA's long-term goals of increased
navigational accuracy, availability, and system integrity.
Conclusion
After careful and thorough consideration of the facts contained
herein, the undersigned finds that the proposed Federal action is
consistent with existing national environmental policies and objectives
as set forth in Section 101(a) of the National Environmental Policy Act
of 1969 (NEPA) and that it will not significantly affect the quality of
the human environment or otherwise include any condition requiring
consultation pursuant to Section 102(2)(c) of NEPA.
Approved: Raymond J. Swider, Jr.
Date: July 12, 1996.
Order
The foregoing actions are directed to be taken, and determinations
and approvals are made, under the authority of Title 49 U.S.C.
44502(a)(1) (formerly Section 307 of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958)
to acquire, establish, improve, operate, and maintain air navigation
facilities.
Right of Appeal
This order constitutes final agency action under 49 U.S.C. 46110,
for construction and operation of the initial WAAS. Any party to this
proceeding having a substantial interest may appeal the order to the
Courts of Appeals of the United States or the District of Columbia upon
petition, filed within 60 days after issuance of this order.
Issued in Washington, DC on July 10, 1996.
Raymond J. Swider, Jr.,
WAAS Project Manager, Satellite Program Office, AND-510, FAA
Headquarters.
[FR Doc. 96-18205 Filed 7-17-96; 8:45 am]
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