[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 135 (Wednesday, July 15, 1998)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 38232]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-18832]
[[Page 38231]]
_______________________________________________________________________
Part II
Department of Transportation
_______________________________________________________________________
Federal Aviation Administration
_______________________________________________________________________
14 CFR Part 93
Noise Limitations for Aircraft Operations in the Vicinity of Grand
Canyon National Park; Proposed Rule
Establishment of Corridors in the Grand Canyon National Park Special
Flight Rules Area; Proposed Rule
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 135 / Wednesday, July 15, 1998 /
Proposed Rules
[[Page 38232]]
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 93
[Docket No. 28770; Notice No. 96-15]
RIN 2120-AG34
Noise Limitations for Aircraft Operations in the Vicinity of
Grand Canyon National Park
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.
ACTION: Supplemental amendment to proposed rule.
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SUMMARY: This supplemental amendment amends the notice of proposed
rulemaking published (NPRM) on December 31, 1996 (61 FR 69334), which
proposed to establish noise limitations for certain aircraft operating
in the vicinity of Grand Canyon National Park (GCNP). Specifically, the
FAA is removing two sections from the NPRM that proposed to establish a
corridor in the Torroweap/Shinumo Flight-free Zone through the National
Canyon area as an incentive route for quiet technology aircraft. The
FAA, in consultation with the National Park Service (NPS), is removing
these two sections from the NPRM because the agencies have determined
not to proceed with an air tour route in the vicinity of National
Canyon and are presently considering alternatives to this route. This
supplemental amendment does not affect any other provisions contained
in the NPRM. The FAA will address all substantive comments filed in
response to the National Canyon proposed in this NPRM is the near
future.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Thomas Connor, Manager Technology Division, AEE-100, Office of
Environment and Energy, Federal Aviation Administration, 800
Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20591, telephone (202) 267-
8933.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
On December 31, 1996, the FAA published in the Federal Register
three concurrent actions, an NPRM (61 FR 69334), a Notice of
Availability of Proposed Commercial Air Tour Routes (61 FR 69356), and
a Final Rule (61 FR 69302). These actions were part of an overall
strategy to reduce further the impact of aircraft noise on the park
environment and to assist the NPS in achieving the statutory mandate
imposed by Public Law 100-91.
The NPRM proposed to establish noise limitations for certain
aircraft operations within the vicinity of GCNP, including the National
Canyon corridor that was to be used by quiet technology aircraft. Based
on comments received during comment period for the Notice of
Availability of Proposed Commercial Routes, the FAA received valuable
information from commenters, as well as suggestions for alterations and
refinements of the route structure from officials of the GCNP and NPS
that could potentially produce noise reduction benefits. Furthermore,
the comments submitted on the National Canyon corridor, as proposed in
the NPRM, from the air tour operators, the environmentalists, and the
Native Americans led the FAA to conclude that this proposed route was
not a viable option.
As a result of the comments submitted on both notices, the FAA
issued a new proposed route structure concurrent with the issuance of a
second NPRM (Notice No. 97-6) (62 FR 26902; May 15, 1997). Notice 97-6
proposed to amend two Flight-free Zones by establishing two corridors;
a revised National Canyon corridor through the Toroweap/Shinumo Flight-
free Zone and a corridor through the Bright Angel Flight-Free Zone.
The revised National Canyon route was designed to provide a viable
air tour route through the center of the canyon while at the same time
providing mitigation of the effects of noise over Havasupai cultural
and sacred sites. Because it was designed to be used only by the
quietest technology aircraft for westbound traffic after December 31,
2001, the National Canyon route was found to provide noise mitigation.
The proposed Bright Angel Corridor for use by the quietest technology
aircraft was crafted as an incentive for operators to convert to quiet
technology.
The FAA, in consultation with the NPS, has determined not to
proceed with the proposed that would establish an air tour route
through the National Canyon area at this time. The agencies are
presently considering alternatives to the National Canyon area for air
tour routes. The FAA recognizes its responsibility to address the
comments filed in response to the proposed National Canyon corridor and
will do so in the near future. However, in order to facilitate the
development of the air tour route structure, the FAA is removing the
sections that propose the National Canyon corridor now and will dispose
of the comments in a separate document. In a companion document to this
supplement amendment published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal
Register, the FAA has withdrawn Notice 97-6, the NPRM that proposed a
revised National Canyon route and superseded the National Canyon route
proposed in this NPRM. Consequently, the FAA formally removes the
National Canyon corridor from this NPRM. The FAA notes that all other
provisions of this NPRM was not affected by this supplement amendment.
The FAA will dispose of all substantive comments with respect to the
National Canyon corridor in this NPRM in the near future.
Environmental Review
The effects of the National Canyon provisions in Notice 96-15 were
evaluated in the December 1996 Final Environmental Assessment/Finding
of No Significant Impact (1996 Final EA/FONSI) for the Special Flight
Rules in the Vicinity of Grand Canyon National Park and subsequent
evaluations. The FAA determined that the conclusions in the 1996 Final
EA/FONSI were still substantially valid. Once the air tour route
structure is determined, the FAA will conduct the appropriate
environmental review and provide for notice and public comment.
List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 93
Air traffic control, Airports, Navigation (air), Reporting and
recordkeeping requirements.
The Proposed Amendment
For the reasons set forth above, the Federal Aviation
Administration proposes to amend 14 CFR part 93 as follows:
PART 93--SPECIAL AIR TRAFFIC RULES AND AIRPORT TRAFFIC PATTERNS
1. The authority citation for part 93 continues to read follows:
Authority: 49 U.S.C. 106(g), 40103, 40106, 40109, 40113, 44502,
44514, 44701, 44719, 46301.
Sec. 93.305 [Amended]
2. The amendments to Sec. 93.305(c), as proposed at 61 FR 69353,
are removed.
Sec. 93.306 [Amended]
3. Section 93.306, as proposed to be added at 61 FR 69353, is
removed.
Issued is Washington, DC on July 10, 1998.
James D. Erickson,
Director, Office of Environment and Energy.
[FR Doc. 98-18832 Filed 7-10-98; 12:52 pm]
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