[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 214 (Wednesday, November 5, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62653-62654]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-27757]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment and 
Conduct Scoping for Proposed Air Traffic Procedural Changes Associated 
with the Omaha Airspace Redesign

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Assessment (EA).

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SUMMARY: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Central Region, is 
issuing this notice to advise the

[[Page 62654]]

public, pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as 
amended (NEPA), 42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C) that the FAA intends to prepare an 
EA for the proposed Omaha Airspace Redesign (OAR). While not required 
for an EA, the FAA is issuing this Notice of Intent to facilitate 
public involvement. This EA will assess the potential environmental 
impacts resulting from proposed modifications to air traffic routings 
in the metropolitan Omaha and surrounding areas. Airports in this area 
include Omaha, Eppley Airfield (OMA), Offutt Air Force Base, Lincoln 
Airport (LNK), as well as smaller, primarily general aviation use 
airports. All reasonable alternatives are being considered including a 
no action alternative.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Donna O'Neill, Airspace Branch, ACE-
520, Air Traffic Division, Federal Aviation Administration, 901 Locust, 
Kansas City, MO 64106; telephone: (816) 329-2560.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FAA is exploring new routing structures 
that will improve the safety and efficiency of air traffic control 
(ATC) operations in the Omaha Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) 
area. Preliminary operational concepts involve changes internal to the 
Omaha TRACON airspace structure, as well as changes to Omaha and 
Lincoln arrival and departure routes that would align with Minneapolis 
Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) en route airspace routes. 
Establishment of standardized, predictable routing reduces pilot and 
controller workload, thereby increasing overall safety. This will be 
accomplished by providing predictable and efficient procedural 
separation for arriving and departing aircraft, reducing the need for 
controller intervention. In addition, this concept will also allow 
pilots to take advantage of improved aircraft navigational 
technologies.
    Potential alternatives will encompass new routing proposals that 
would accommodate aircraft without Area Navigation (RNAV) capability, 
and without changes to ground based navigational facilities. The Omaha 
Airspace Redesign encompasses a geographic area of approximately 55 
miles around the Omaha Eppley Airfield. The exact study area will be 
identified in the draft EA.
    The FAA will examine methods that will take advantage of new and 
emerging ATC technologies, and improved performance characteristics of 
modern aircraft, as well as improvements in navigation capabilities. 
The proposal will address the merits of alternative airspace design 
scenarios that safely and efficiently use regional airspace and 
procedures in and around the Omaha Eppley Airfield and terminal 
airspace controlled by the Omaha TRACON, as well as facility airspace 
associated with portions of the Lincoln Airport Traffic Control Tower 
and Minneapolis ARTCC airspace.
    As part of the airspace redesign effort, the FAA will conduct 
detailed analyses, which will be used to evaluate the potential 
environmental impacts in the study area. Upon the publication of a 
draft EA, the FAA will contact and coordinate with federal, state, and 
local agencies, as well as the public, to obtain comments and 
suggestions regarding the EA for the proposed project. The EA will 
assess impacts of reasonable alternatives, including a no action 
alternative, pursuant to NEPA; FAA Order 1050.1, Policies and 
Procedures for Assessing Environmental Impacts; DOT Order 5610.1, 
Procedures for Considering Environmental Impacts; and the President's 
Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) Regulations implementing the 
provisions of NEPA, 40 CFR parts 1500-1508, and other appropriate 
guidance.
    Scoping: While not required for an EA, the FAA will use the scoping 
process as outlined in the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) 
Regulations and guidelines to facilitate public involvement. Concerned 
individuals and agencies are invited to express their views in writing. 
The purpose of the scoping process is: (1) To provide a description of 
the proposed action, (2) to provide an early and open process to 
determine the scope of issues to be addressed and to identify 
potentially significant issues or impacts related to the proposed 
action that should be analyzed in the EA, (3) to identify other 
coordination and any permit requirements associated with the proposed 
action, and (4) to identify and eliminate from detailed study those 
issues that are not significant or those that have been adequately 
addressed during a prior environmental review process.
    The scoping period begins with this announcement. To ensure that 
all issues are identified, the FAA is requesting comments and 
suggestions on the project scope from all interested federal, state and 
local agencies and other interested parties. In furtherance of this 
effort, the FAA has established an Intenet Web site that can be 
accessed at: http://www.faa.gov/ats/central/oar/oar.html. Additional 
information about the Omaha Airspace Redesign can be found at this 
internet site. Further, the FAA will be maintaining the following 
telephone number for general information: (816) 329-2560.

DATES: The FAA will accept formal scoping comments through December 12, 
2003. Written comments should be directed to the following address: 
Federal Aviation Administration, 901 Locust, Attn: ACE-520-OAR, Kansas 
City, MO 64106. Comments will also be accepted electronically via 
http://www.faa.gov/ats/nar/central/oar/oar.html.

    Issued in Kansas City, Missouri on: October 20, 2003.
Herman J. Lyons, Jr.,
Manager, Air Traffic Division, Central Region.
[FR Doc. 03-27757 Filed 11-4-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-M