[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 146 (Wednesday, July 30, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44835-44836]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-19401]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration


Environmental Impact Statement: Philadelphia International 
Airport Capacity Enhancement Program, Philadelphia, PA

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of Intent.

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SUMMARY: The FAA is issuing this notice to advise the public that an 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) will be prepared for the 
Philadelphia International Airport Capacity Enhancement Program 
(Capacity Enhancement Program). In 2002, although the Philadelphia 
International Airport (PHL or the Airport) was the 12th busiest airport 
in the United States in terms of the annual number of aircraft 
operations (departures and arrivals), it was the 5th most delayed 
airport in the country. The FAA has also identified PHL as a ``pacing'' 
airport--an airport that contributes to delays throughout the national 
airports system. An airfield modeling and capacity/delay analysis 
performed during the Airport's on-going Master Plan Update process 
determined that the average annual delay in 2000 at PHL was nearly 10 
minutes per aircraft operation. This level of delay has not abated 
significantly since that time. Without improvements, the Master Plan 
Update forecasts that this average annual delay would increase to 
nearly 20 minutes per operation by 2010. Furthermore, it was determined 
that one of the major causes of the delay is inadequate airfield 
capacity because of the current configuration of the airfield. As a 
result, the City of Philadelphia is proposing major improvements to 
increase airfield capacity at the Airport to reduce existing and 
forecast delays. The FAA has concurred that a capacity and delay 
problem exists at PHL and that projects for alleviating this problem 
are subject to the preparation of an EIS under the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The City proposes two projects to 
address immediate and long-term needs. One project, known as the Runway 
17-35 Extension Project (the Runway 17-35 Project) would provide a more 
immediate delay reduction for several years by extending the length of 
Runway 17-35 and is the subject of a separate Notice of Intent. The 
second project, referred to as the Capacity Enhancement Program, which 
is the subject of this Notice of Intent, is a major airfield 
redevelopment project that would provide greater relief from delay over 
a much longer period. The FAA, as lead federal agency, at the City of 
Philadelphia's request, has opted to prepare a separate EIS for each 
project because the Runway 17-35 Project will address the need for 
delay reduction at PHL in the short term while the Capacity Enhancement 
Program will provide a more comprehensive and longer-term delay 
reduction. The EISs will be prepared concurrently, but a separate 
Public Scoping Meeting will be held for the Runway 17-35 Project. The 
U.S. Secretary of Transportation has chosen these proposed improvements 
as one of thirteen high priority transportation projects for expedited 
environmental review under Executive Order 13274, Environmental 
Stewardship and Transportation Infrastructure Project Review. The FAA 
and the environmental review agencies will be collaborating to 
undertake environmental streamlining and stewardship on both the 
Capacity Enhancement Program and the Runway 17-35 Project.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  James B. Byers, Environmental 
Specialist, Federal Aviation Administration, Harrisburg Airports 
District Office, 3905 Hartzdale Drive, Suite 508, Camp Hill, PA 17011. 
Telephone (717) 730-2833.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FAA, in cooperation with the City of 
Philadelphia Department of Aviation, will prepare an EIS for the 
proposed project. The EIS for the Capacity Enhancement Program will 
address a range of alternatives that would reduce existing and 
forecasted delays at PHL, including demand management alternatives and 
alternatives that are not within the jurisdiction of PHL or FAA, such 
as greater use of regional airports or other transportation modes. 
Within

[[Page 44836]]

this range, the alternatives being considered for the Capacity 
Enhancement Program are the No Build Alternative and two build 
alternatives developed in the Master Plan Update: the Parallel Concept 
and Diagonal Concept, both which increase airfield capacity at PHL. The 
EIS will also evaluate alternatives identified during the Scoping 
process that would reduce existing and forecasted delays at PHL. The 
Parallel Concept is an expansion of the existing runway configuration 
that would be completed in two phases. It involves extending two of the 
four existing runways and constructing a new runway, as well as other 
changes to make the airfield more efficient in this configuration and 
minor changes to gate facilities and around the existing terminal 
complex. The Diagonal Concept would also be phased and would ultimately 
provide four parallel runways in a northwest-southeast configuration 
that would be capable of supporting four independent arrival or 
departure streams in good weather conditions and two independent 
arrival streams plus two independent departure streams in poor weather 
conditions. The Diagonal Concept involves other changes to the airfield 
to accommodate the new configuration and ultimately, the construction 
of new centerfield terminals to replace the existing terminals.
    The FAA intends to use the preparation of this EIS to comply with 
section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as 
amended, and any other applicable laws having public involvement 
requirements. Comments addressing this issue should be addressed to the 
listed contact person.
    The FAA intends to conduct a Scoping process to gather input from 
all interested parties to help identify any issues of concern 
associated with the proposed project. In additional to this notice, 
Federal, state, and local agencies, which have jurisdiction by law or 
have special expertise with respect to any potential environmental 
impacts associated with the proposed project, will be notified by 
letter of an Agency Scoping Meeting to be held on August 19, 2003 from 
8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Airport Executive Offices of the 
Philadelphia International Airport in Terminal E in Philadelphia, 
Pennsylvania.
    To notify the general public of the Scoping process, a legal notice 
will be placed in newspapers having general circulation in the project 
area describing the proposed project. The newspaper notice will notify 
the public that Scoping Meetings will be held to gain their input 
concerning the proposed project. The Public Scoping Meetings are 
scheduled for the evenings of August 18, 19, 20, 2003 from 5 p.m. to 9 
p.m. at locations in the project area. The format of the meetings will 
be an open house with project information displayed and representatives 
from the FAA and the Airport available to answer questions. A formal 
presentation will be held at 6 p.m. and repeated at 8 p.m. written and 
oral comments will be accepted at each of the meetings. The public 
comment period on this initial Scoping phase of the EIS will end on 
September 3, 2003. The purpose of the Scoping Meetings is to receive 
input from the public and answer questions regarding the scope and 
process related to the EIS.

    Issued in Jamaica, New York, July 21, 2003.
James White,
Acting Manager, Airports Division, Eastern Region.
[FR Doc. 03-19401 Filed 7-29-03; 8:45 am]
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