[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 170 (Thursday, August 31, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53072-53073]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-22366]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration


Notice of Intent To Conduct Environmental Scoping for an 
Environmental Assessment To Be Prepared by the City of Chicago for Its 
Proposed O'Hare World Gateway Program at O'Hare International Airport 
in Chicago, Illinois

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice to hold a public scoping meeting.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is issuing this 
notice to advise Federal, State and local agencies, and the general 
public, that an opportunity will be given to provide input as to the 
scope of an Environmental Assessment to be prepared by the City of 
Chicago for its proposed O'Hare World Gateway

[[Page 53073]]

Program (WGP) for Chicago O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, 
Illinois. The WGP is a comprehensive effort by the city of Chicago to 
provide improved terminal space, additional parking, taxiway 
improvements, cargo support facilities, and Airport roadway access 
improvements. The City of Chicago Department of Aviation has made a 
decision to initiate the preparation of an Environmental Assessment. 
The FAA has offered to facilitate the environmental review process by 
soliciting scoping comments form Federal, State and local agencies. If 
during the environmental review process the FAA finds that no 
significant adverse environmental impacts are associated with the 
proposed actions, then a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) would 
be issued. If the FAA finds that significant adverse impacts would be 
associated with the proposed actions, an Environmental Impact Statement 
will be prepared.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
    City of Chicago Department of Aviation--Carol Wilinski, City of 
Chicago Department of Aviation, Chicago O'Hare International Airport, 
P.O. Box 66142, Chicago, Illinois, 60666. Ms. Wilinski can be contacted 
at (773) 894-6900 (voice), (773) 686-3743 (facsimile), or by e-mail at 
[email protected].
    Federal Aviation Administration (for informational purposes)--
Prescott C. Snyder, Airports Environmental Program Manger, Federal 
Aviation Administration, Chicago Airports District Office, Room 320, 
2300 East Devon Avenue, Des Plaines, Illinois 60018. Mr. Snyder can be 
contacted at (847) 294-7538 (voice), (847) 294-7046 (facsimile) or by 
e-mail at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: At the request of the City of Chicago, the 
FAA will be reviewing an Environmental Assessment to be prepared by the 
City of Chicago that will evaluate the environmental impact of the City 
of Chicago's O'Hare World Gateway Program (WGP). The WGP will address 
the operational pressures posed by changing airline industry conditions 
and efforts by the City of Chicago to address these pressures and 
improve convenience and amenities for the flying public at O'Hare 
International Airport.
    The major physical elements of the overall WGP include proposals 
for the following terminal development, airside improvements, and 
landside improvements:
     Terminal development components include two new terminals 
(TD/T6), the reconstruction of an existing concourse facility (T2, 
Concourse E/F), extension of Concourse K, utility systems/Heating & 
Refrigeration plant modifications, and replacement cargo facilities.
     Airside improvements include construction and 
reconfiguration of taxiways, aprons, and taxilanes in conjunction with 
new and reconfigured terminal facilities. This would include 
construction of an extension to Taxiway B and partial reconstruction of 
Taxiways A and B.
     Key landside components include improvements to terminal 
access roads and curbfronts, extension of the O'Hare airport transit 
system (ATS), additional parking, and consolidated rental car 
facilities.
    In addition to the planned improvements in the WGP, the City of 
Chicago will review for purposes of assessing cumulative impacts any 
other clearly defined projects for the years 1997 through 2012. 
Included are renewal and replacement projects, rehabilitation needs and 
on-going capital reinvestment. Also, the Airport is marketing 
undeveloped or underutilized parcels of the northeast portion of the 
airport to attract private commercial development. Some of the projects 
have already been evaluated from the environmental perspective and work 
has begun or is about to begin. Others are awaiting environmental 
evaluation.
    To ensure that all significant issues related to the proposed 
actions are identified, two scoping meetings will be held as part of an 
ongoing comprehensive public outreach effort by the City of Chicago. 
Copies of a scoping document with additional detail can be obtained by 
contacting the City of Chicago Department of Aviation informational 
contact person identified above. Federal, State and local agencies and 
other interested parties are invited to make comments and suggestions 
to ensure that the full range of issues related to these proposed 
actions are addressed and all significant issues identified. All 
reasonable alternatives will be considered including the no-action 
option. Additional public outreach opportunities will be provided in 
the future for the public to review and comment on the draft 
Environmental Assessment.
    Comments and suggestions should be received by the City of Chicago 
Department of Aviation contact person, identified above, by close of 
business Friday, October 20, 2000. Informational copies of comments may 
also be sent to the FAA Contact identified above.

Public Scoping Meetings

    To facilitate receipt of comments, two public scoping meetings will 
be held on Thursday, October 5, 2000. An Agency Scoping Meeting will be 
held for Federal, State and local agencies from 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. 
in the Michigan Conference Room at the Federal Aviation 
Administration's Great Lakes Region Office, 2300 East Devon Avenue, Des 
Plaines, Illinois. All persons planning to attend the agency scoping 
meeting which is during office hours should bring picture 
identification and if possible call ahead to acknowledge their expected 
attendance. This will facilitate issuance of a building security pass.
    A Public Scoping Workshop will be held for members of the public 
and other interested parties between 5:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. on the same 
day, Thursday, October 5, 2000. This meeting will be held at the 
Fountain Blue Banquets, 2300 S. Mannheim Road, Des Plaines, Illinois 
60018.

    Issued in Des Plaines, Illinois on August 24, 2000.
Philip M. Smithmeyer,
Manager, Chicago Airports District Office, FAA, Great Lakes Region.
[FR Doc. 00-22366 Filed 8-30-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-M