[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 171 (Friday, September 3, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48445-48446]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-23024]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration


Notice To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement and Conduct 
Scoping for Air Traffic Control Procedural Changes in and Near the 
Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement 
and conduct scoping meetings.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is issuing this 
notice to advise the public that an Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) will be prepared and considered to assess the potential impacts 
of changes to air traffic control procedures and aircraft routings. 
These changes are associated with the consolidation of four stand-alone 
Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) facilities. The TRACONs are 
currently located at Baltimore-Washington International Airport, Ronald 
Reagan Washington National Airport, and Washington Dulles International 
Airport; and the FAA operated TRACON located at Andrews Air Force Base, 
Maryland.
    All reasonable alternatives will be considered including a no-
change option. The airspace EIS will evaluate alternatives to aircraft 
routes and air traffic control procedures beyond the immediate airport 
area. Changes to existing take-off and/or landing noise abatement 
procedures, or other initial departure or final arrival procedures are 
not being considered. In order to ensure that all significant issues 
pertaining to the proposed action are identified, public scoping 
meetings will be held.
    This EIS is being tiered from an earlier EIS that examined the 
impacts associated with consolidation of four TRACONs and construction 
of a new consolidated facility called the Potomac Consolidated TRACON 
(PCT). A Record of Decision (ROD) on that first tier was published in 
the Federal Register on

[[Page 48446]]

June 9, 1999. The ROD documented FAA's decision to consolidate the 
TRACONs in a new building to be built at the former Vint Hill Farms 
Station in Fauquier County, Virginia.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Joseph Champley, Project Support 
Specialist, Federal Aviation Administration, FAA Air Traffic Control 
Systems Command Center, Potomac Program Office, 13600 EDS Drive, Suite 
100, Herndon, VA 20171-3233 (800) 762-9531. Email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A TRACON facility provides radar air traffic 
control (ATC) services to aircraft operating on Instrument Flight Rules 
(IFR) and Visual Flight Rules (VFR) procedures generally beyond 5 miles 
and generally within 50 miles of the host airport at altitudes from the 
surface to approximately 17,000 feet. These distances and altitudes may 
vary depending on local conditions and infrastructure constraints such 
as adequate radar and radio frequency coverage. The primary function of 
the TRACON is to provide a variety of ATC services to arrival, 
departure, and transient aircraft within its assigned airspace. These 
services include aircraft separation, in-flight traffic advisories and 
navigational assistance. The four existing TRACON facilities provide 
terminal radar ATC services to aircraft approaching/leaving the four 
major airport areas and a number of small reliever airports located 
within the study area. They will be consolidated and replaced by a 
single facility to be built at Vint Hill Farms in Fauquier County, VA. 
FAA expects to commission the new facility in May 2002. FAA operated 
control towers will remain at each of the airports after the TRACON 
consolidation.
    FAA will conduct an in depth analysis of aircraft routes and 
altitudes as well as ATC procedures. The purpose is to determine what, 
if any, new routes, altitudes or procedures could be implemented that 
would take advantage of the TRACON consolidation, improved aircraft 
performance, and new and emerging ATC technologies. The goals of the 
study are to enhance safety, reduce operating costs and reduce 
environmental impacts of Potomac TRACON controlled aircraft in the 
study area. The project study area is generally within a 75 mile radius 
of the Georgetown Non-Directional Radio Beacon, a radio navigational 
aid located near the Chain Bridge in Washington, DC.
    Additional information on the Potomac TRACON is available on the 
Internet at http://www.faa.gov/ats/potomac.
    Public Scoping Meetings: To facilitate the receipt of comments on 
the EIS, five public scoping meetings will be held. The meetings will 
be held from 1:30 to 3 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. at the following locations:

--October 19, 1999 at the Dulles Airport Hilton, 13869 Park Center 
Road, Herndon, VA 22071 (Off McLearen Rd, at Route 28)
--October 20, 1999 at the Gaithersburg Hilton, 620 Perry Parkway, 
Gaithersburg, MD 20877 (On I-270), take Exit 11 to Montgomery Village 
Ave (Rt. 124 East). Right at second light (Rt. 355). Right at first 
light to Perry Parkway. Proceed to Hilton beyond circle)
--October 26, 1999 at the Colony South, 7401 Suratts Road, Clinton, MD 
20748 (Near Andrews AFB, off Route 5 in Clinton, MD)
--October 27, 1999 at the Maritime Institute of Training and Graduate 
Studies, 5700 Hammons Ferry Road, Linthicum Heights, MD 21090 (On I-295 
(BWI Parkway), take West Nursey Road exit. (If you are heading North 
towards Baltimore on I-295, at end of exit, bear right onto Nursey 
Road. If you are heading South towards Washington on I-295, at end of 
exit, bear left onto Nursey Road). Go to first traffic light and turn 
left onto International Drive. Go to first street and turn left onto 
Aero Dr. This will dead end into MITAGS property. Turn right on the 
driveway and follow signs to Conference Center. Proceed to Building #3 
(Academic Building). Meeting is on the Lower Level in Classroom #1)
--October 28, 1999 at the National Rural Electric Cooperative 
Association, 4301 Wilson Blvd., Arlilngton, VA 22203 (Intersection of 
Wilson Blvd. and Taylor Street in the Ballston area opposite the 
Ballston Mall. Parking is available in the garage under the building. 
Enter off Taylor Street. Ballston Metro stop is approximately two 
blocks away. Meeting will be in the first floor Conference Center)

    A separate meeting will be held from 1:30 to 4 p.m. primarily for 
Federal, State and local agency staff in accordance with NEPA 
coordination requirements. However, this meeting is also open to the 
public:

--October 21, 1999 at the Holiday Inn Capitol, 550 C Street SW, 
Washington, DC 20024 (Between National Air and Space Museum and Dept. 
of Transportation (intersection of C and 6th Street) near L'Enfant 
Plaza Metro Station)

    If there is a demand and adequate interest from other areas that 
could be affected by the airspace redesign, additional meetings may be 
scheduled. Additionally, for those unable to attend a meeting written 
comments sent to the address shown below are invited.
    The scoping period for this project formally begins with this 
announcement. Scoping will conclude ninety days after the date of this 
announcement. To ensure that the full range of issues related to this 
proposed project are addressed and all significant issues identified, 
comments and suggestions on the scope are invited from Federal, State, 
and local agencies, and other interested parties. Comments and 
suggestions may be sent to: FAA Potomac TRACON Project, c/o Mr. Fred 
Bankert, PRC, Inc., 12005 Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston, VA 20191-3423. 
EMAIL: [email protected].

    Dated: August 30, 1999.
John Mayhofer,
Director TRACON Development Program.
[FR Doc. 99-23024 Filed 9-2-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-M