[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 127 (Monday, July 2, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34980-34981]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-16606]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration


Availability of Final Environmental (EA) and Draft Finding of No 
Significant Impact (FONSI)/Record of Decision (ROD) For Toledo Express 
Airport, Toledo, OH

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of availability of documents and soliciting comments.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is issuing this 
notice to advise the public of the availability of a Final EA and a 
Draft FONSI/ROD. This EA contains a scaled-back version of a portion of 
projects from an earlier Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). 
The DEIS was initiated in 1996/1997 to assess air traffic noise 
abatement measures from the 1998 FAR Part 150 Study Update, the 
development and operation of a second air cargo hub, and aviation-
related industrial development.
    Interested parties are invited to submit comments on the Final EA 
and the Draft FONSI/ROD. Based on the information received, the FAA 
will make a determination whether to approve the Draft FONSI/ROD for 
the proposed development at Toledo Express Airport or prepare a new 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the proposed development.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ernest P. Gubry, Federal Aviation 
Administration, Detroit Airports District Office, Willow Run Airport, 
East, 8820 Beck Road, Belleville, Michigan 48111, 734-487-7280.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FAA accepted a Final EA for the 
development depicted on the Airport Layout Plan (ALP) for Toledo 
Express Airport on June 26, 2001.
    The development included:
    1. Construction of a 1,159,365 square foot cargo aircraft-parking 
apron.
    2. Construction of two buildings totaling 400,000 square feet 
housing the Perishable Preparation Center and Dry Freight Sort 
Facility.
    3. Construction of an entrance road.
    4. Construction of out buildings
    5. Construction of a vehicle parking lot.
    This EA contains a scaled-back version of a portion of projects 
from an earlier Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). The DEIS 
assessed air traffic noise abatement measures from the 1998 FAR Part 
150 Study Update, the development and operation of a second air cargo 
hub, and aviation-related industrial development.
    The FAA issued a Federal Register notice on June 27, 1996 
announcing its intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement and 
to hold a public scoping meeting on August 6, 1996. The FAA issued a 
subsequent Federal Register notice on February 2, 1999, announcing the 
availability of a DEIS for public review and comment and that a Public 
Hearing would be held on March 10, 1999 to receive public comments 
concerning the social, economic, and environmental effects of the 
proposed actions.
    The DEIS public hearing raised concerns about the need for cargo 
related development and the fact that at the time, the Toledo-Lucas 
County Port Authority (TLCPA) did not have a tenant. However, TLCPA has 
identified a tenant for a portion of the Southwest Quadrant as proposed 
in this EA. Questions were also raised about purpose and need and 
alternatives; and impacts to threatened and endangered species, air 
quality, Section 4(f) resources, archaeological resources and wetlands. 
For the development proposed in the EA these issues have been 
addressed. A subsequent Ohio Environmental Protection Agency Section 
401 Public Hearing was held on March 28, 2000.
    The Draft Environmental Assessment was distributed to the agencies 
and the FAA was involved with agency consultation and coordination at 
the federal and state levels. Comments on the Proposed Project included 
concerns about impacts to threatened and endangered species, streams, 
and wetlands. The Section 404 permit was issued. These issues have been 
addressed in the EA were appropriate and in addition, a response to 
comments has been prepared.
    Because the second air cargo hub and other aviation-related 
industrial developments proposed in the earlier DEIS are neither 
reasonably foreseeable nor ripe for review at this time, an 
Environmental Assessment was initiated by TLCPA to independently assess 
the potential impacts associated with construction and operation of a 
proposed Perishable Preparation Center and Dry Freight Sort Facility, 
aircraft parking apron, entrance road and related airport improvements 
in the southwest quadrant of the airport. The site of this proposed 
facility (73 acres) was included in a portion of the land identified 
for the larger development projects proposed in the earlier Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) prepared by the FAA.
    For purposes of disclosure it should be noted that the remainder of 
the Southwest Quadrant site might be developed in the future for other 
aviation-related industrial uses. However, to date no other future 
development plans have been prepared for this site and no other tenants 
have been identified. Any development plans for the possible 
development in the remainder of the Southwest Quadrant site in the 
future are not discussed in this EA. All future development would 
require an additional environmental review that would include a 
discussion of cumulative impacts of the project assessed under this EA. 
Any other actions considered in the 1999 DEIS also would be subject to 
separate environmental review if they become ripe for decision at a 
later date.
    The Proposed Project assessed in this EA has independent utility 
from the air

[[Page 34981]]

traffic noise abatement measures, the development and operation of a 
second air cargo hub, and other aviation-related industrial development 
assessed in the earlier DEIS. No further development of the Southwest 
Quadrant would be needed to support the development project proposed in 
this EA. Likewise the proposed Perishables Preparation Center and Dry 
Freight Sort Facility would not prevent any other future airport 
development at this site.
    Additionally for purposes of disclosure it should also be noted 
that the air traffic noise abatement measures may also be considered 
for implementation at a future date. However, they are not assessed in 
the EA and are not considered for approval in the FONSI/ROD. Prior to 
their being considered for approval, they would be subject to 
environmental reevaluation. The reevaluation would include a discussion 
of the cumulative impacts of the projects assessed in this EA.
    The EA includes an assessment of cumulative noise impacts for these 
projects. The noise impacts from this EA and air traffic noise 
abatement measures assessed in the 1999 Draft EIS were used to 
determine if significant increases in noise were likely to occur with 
the implementation of both projects. It was determined that there would 
be no significant cumulative noise impacts with the implementation of 
these projects. This finding is based on the determination that the 
incremental growth in cargo operations forecast in the 1999 EIS noise 
analysis sufficiently encompassed the addition of 18 operations per 
week proposed by the Project in this EA. This is further bolstered by 
the fact that existing cargo operations are not meeting forecast levels 
(down 22 percent in 2001 from 2000 levels). The EA also disclosed the 
cumulative impacts for the other NEPA categories.
    Based on the analysis presented in the Environmental Assessment, it 
is determined that there is no practicable alternative to the proposed 
construction in wetlands and that the proposed action included all 
practicable measures to minimize harm to wetland which may result from 
such uses. TLCPA has developed and will implement a wetland mitigation 
plan that was found to be acceptable to the State of Ohio and the 
United States Army Corps of Engineers.
    The Draft Environmental Assessment was distributed and the FAA was 
involved with agency consultation and coordination at the federal and 
state levels. Additionally, on March 28, 2000, the State of Ohio, 
Environmental Protection Agency held a public hearing for the issuance 
of a 401 wetland permit that was need for construction of the project. 
On August 28, 2000 the OEPA issued the Section 401 Water Quality 
Certification, conditional upon approval of the wetlands mitigation 
plan. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued a validated Section 404 
permit on September 11, 2000, The required mitigation plan has been 
approved.
    The Section 404 validated permit stipulates that wetland mitigation 
must include on-site creation of appropriate wetland habitat to support 
state threatened and endangered plant species that would be lost 
through the construction of the Proposed Project. The on-site 
mitigation must include a wild lupine (Lupinus perennie) that is part 
of the life cycle for the Karner blue butterfly (Lycacides melissa). No 
other Federally listed species would be impacted by the Proposed 
Project.
    The TLCPA will be required to implement the mitigation measures 
identified in the Draft FONSI/ROD as a condition of environmental 
approval for the proposed development/action items listed above to 
support existing and proposed aeronautical activities at the airport.
    The purpose of this notice is to provide the public an opportunity 
to submit information to the FAA prior to its reaching a decision on 
this matter.
    In accordance with 40 CFR 1501.4(c) of the Council on Environmental 
Quality, there will be a thirty (30) day comment period before the FAA 
makes its final determination on the FONSI/ROD. Interested individuals, 
government agencies, and private organizations are invited to send 
comments on the Draft FONSI/ROD to the address set forth above. Absent 
receipt of additional substantive information on environmental impacts 
the FAA anticipates that it will sign the Draft FONSI/ROD thirty days 
after this notice appears in the Federal Register.
    The Final EA and supporting documents and the Draft FONSI/ROD may 
be viewed duing normal business hours at the following locations:
    Airport Manager's Office, Toledo Express Airport, 11013 Airport 
Highway Swanton, Ohio 43558.
    Toledo-Lucas County Public Library, 1032 South McCord Road Holland, 
Ohio 43528.
    Swanton Public Library, 305 Chestnut Street, Swanton, Ohio 43558.
    Federal Aviation Administration, Detroit Airports, District Office, 
Willow Run Airport, east, 8820 Beck Road, Belleville, Michigan 48111.
    Questions may be directed to the individual named above under the 
heading, FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

    Issued in Des Plaines, Illinois, on June 26, 2001.
Barry D. Cooper,
Acting Manager, Airports Division, FAA, Great Lakes Region.
[FR Doc. 01-16606 Filed 6-29-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-M