[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 208 (Tuesday, October 28, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Page 61547]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-27178]



[[Page 61547]]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration


Notice of Intent To Prepare a Tiered Environmental Impact 
Statement and Conduct Environmental Scoping for the Construction and 
Operation of Inaugural Airport Facilities by the State of Illinois for 
the South Suburban Airport

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a Tiered Environmental Impact 
Statement and to hold one (1) public scoping meeting and one (1) 
governmental and agency scoping meeting.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is issuing this 
notice to advise the public that a tiered Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) will be prepared to consider the construction and 
operation of Inaugural Airport Facilities for the south Suburban 
Airport (SSA). To ensure that all significant issues related to the 
proposed project are identified, one (1) public scoping meeting and one 
(1) governmental and public agency scoping meeting will be held. The 
scope of the proposed action is significantly different from earlier 
scoping completed in August 2000 that considered the location and 
acquisition of land by the state of Illinois for a potential future 
supplemental air carrier airport to serve the northeast Illinois and 
northwest Indiana metropolitan area. New public scoping will be held in 
order that all significant issues related to the proposed actions are 
identified.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Denis R. Rewerts, Federal Aviation 
Administration, Chicago Airports District Office, Room 320, 2300 East 
Devon Avenue, Des Plaines, Illinois 60018. Mr. Rewerts can be contacted 
at (847) 294-7195 (voice), (847) 294-7046 (facsimile) or by e-mail at 
[email protected]. Comments on the scope of the EIS should 
be submitted to the address above and must be received no later than 
Friday, December 19, 2003.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FAA will prepare a Tier 2 EIS for 
development of inaugural airport facilities at the SSA site located in 
Will County, IL. An earlier Tier 1 EIS approved in the FAA Record of 
Decision on July 12, 2002, addressed FAA site approval for a potential 
future supplemental air carrier airport to serve the greater Chicago 
region. This second tier (Tier 2 EIS) will address the construction and 
operation of inaugural airport facilities for the SSA. All reasonable 
alternatives to the proposed action will be considered including the 
No-Action Alternative.
    Copies of a scoping document with additional detail can be obtained 
by contacting the FAA informational contact person identified above. 
The scoping documents can also be accessed on the Internet at http://www.southsuburbanairport.com. 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 the proposed project 
are addressed and all significant issues identified. The FAA 
informational contact person identified above must receive these 
comments and suggestions no later than Friday, December 19, 2003.

Public Scoping Meetings

    The FAA will hold one (1) public and one (1) governmental agency 
scoping meeting to solicit input from the public and various Federal, 
state, and local agencies which have jurisdiction by law or have 
specific expertise with respect to any environmental impacts associated 
with the proposed project. The agency and public scoping meetings will 
be held on December 3, 2003, in Engbretson Hall at Governors State 
University, University Park, Illinois. The first meeting will be held 
between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. for Federal, State, and local agencies. The 
second meeting will be held from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. for the public and 
other interested parties. An informational workshop on the SSA Tier 2 
EIS will run concurrent with the public scoping meeting. The workshop 
will be held at the hall of governors, Governors State University, 
University parkway, University Park, Illinois.

    Dated: Issued in Des Plaines, Illinois on October 22, 2003.
Philip M. Smithmeyer,
Manager, Chicago Airports District Office, FAA, Great Lakes Region.
[FR Doc. 03-27178 Filed 10-27-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-M