[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 146 (Wednesday, July 30, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44834-44835]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-19402]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration


Environmental Impact Statement: Philadelphia International 
Airport Runway 17-35 Extension Project, 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 Runway 17-35 Extension Project. 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 operations 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 the Airport to increase airfield 
capacity at PHL in order 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), which is the subject of this Notice of 
Intent, would provide a more immediate delay reduction for several 
years by extending the length of Runway 17-35. The second project, 
referred to as the Capacity Enhancement Program, is a major airfield 
redevelopment project that would provide greater relief from delay over 
a much longer period and is the subject of a separate Notice of Intent. 
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 short-term need for delay reduction at 
PHL while the Capacity Enhancement Program will provide more 
comprehensive and longer-term delay reduction. The FAA will prepare the 
EISs concurrently and will take into account the potential cumulative 
impacts of each project, but a separate Public Scoping Meeting will be 
held for the Capacity Enhancement Program.
    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

[[Page 44835]]

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 Runway 17-35 Project will address a 
range of alternatives that would reduce existing and forecasted delays 
at PHL, including a No Build Alternative, a build alternative that 
would extend Runway 17-35 to the north by 600 feet and to the south by 
440 feet, to a total length of 6,500 feet, as well as a range of other 
alternatives such as 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. The EIS will also 
evaluate alternatives identified during the Scoping process that would 
reduce existing and forecasted delays at PHL. 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 addition 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 in Terminal E at 
the Philadelphia International Airport 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 proposed project. The newspaper notice will notify the 
public that a Scoping Meeting will be held to gain their input 
concerning the proposed project. The public scoping meeting is 
scheduled for 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on August 12, 2003 at the Sheraton 
Suites and Four Points, Philadelphia Airport Complex, 4101 Island 
Avenue in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The format of the meeting 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. Written comments will be accepted if postmarked on 
or before September 3, 2003 and should be sent to the address above.
    The purpose of the Scoping Meeting is to receive comments from the 
public and answer questions regarding the scope and process related to 
the EIS.

    Issued on: July 21, 2003.
James White,
Acting Manager, Airports Division, Eastern Region.
[FR Doc. 03-19402 Filed 7-29-03; 8:45 am]
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