[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 13 (Friday, January 21, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3244-3245]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-1161]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration


Notice of Availability for the O'Hare Modernization Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement, Chicago O'Hare International Airport, 
Chicago, IL; Notice of Availability; and Notice of Public Hearing 
Dates, Times, and Locations

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of availability of the O'Hare Modernization Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) and notice of intent to conduct 
public hearings.

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    Location of Proposed Action: O'Hare International Airport, Des 
Plaines and DuPage River Watersheds, Cook and DuPage Counties, Chicago, 
Illinois (Sections 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 16, 17, and 18, Township 41 North, 
Range 10 East, 3rd P.M.). Please see the airport location maps showing 
the locations of the wetlands and Waters of the U.S. potentially 
affected by the Build Alternatives from the DEIS available on the FAA's 
Web site at http://www.agl.faa.gov/OMP/DEIS.htm under the title of 
Notice of Availability of the Draft EIS and Notice of Intent to Hold 
Public Hearings.

SUMMARY: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announces that the 
O'Hare Modernization Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Chicago 
O'Hare International Airport, Chicago, Illinois is available for public 
review and comment.
    The DEIS identifies alternatives intended to address the projected 
needs of the Chicago region by reducing delays at O'Hare, thereby 
enhancing capacity of the National Airspace System, and ensuring that 
terminal facilities and supporting infrastructure can efficiently 
accommodate airport users. All of the development alternatives would 
result in wetland, property acquisition, air quality and noise impacts, 
as well as other impacts.
    The FAA intends to host public hearings on the DEIS with the U.S. 
Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the Illinois Environmental 
Protection Agency (IEPA) Bureau of Water. The public hearings on the 
DEIS will be held on the following dates: Tuesday, February 22, 2005, 
at the Avalon Banquets, 1905 East Higgins Road, Elk Grove Village, 
Illinois 60007; Wednesday, February 23, 2005, at the Waterford 
Conference Center, 933 South Riverside Drive, Elmhurst, Illinois 60126; 
and Thursday, February 24, 2005, at the White Eagle, 6839 North 
Milwaukee Avenue, Niles, Illinois 60714. All three of these hearings 
will start at 2 p.m. (central standard time), and registration to 
participate in the hearings will conclude by 9 p.m. (central standard 
time). Repressentatives of FAA, USACE and IEPA will be available to 
provide information about the DEIS at an informational session held at 
the same time as the public hearings. Spanish language translators will 
be available at the hearings. The procedural rules governing the 
hearing are available from Michael W. MacMullen.
    The comment period is open as of the date of this Notice of Intent 
and closes Wednesday, March 23, 2005. All comments are to be submitted 
to Michael W. MacMullen of the FAA, at the address shown below. The 
USACE and IEPA have requested that the FAA be the recipient of all 
comments regarding their actions. These comments must be sent to 
Michael W. MacMullen of the FAA at the address shown below, and the 
comments must be postmarked and email must be sent by no later than 
midnight, Wednesday, March 23, 2005.
    The USACE is participating in the public hearings because 
implementation of any development alternatives, if selected, would 
require the USACE to approve issuance of a permit to fill wetlands 
under section 404 of the Clean Water Act Section. The IEPA is 
participating in the public hearings because implementation of any 
wetland development alternative, if selected, would also require IEPA 
to issue a Water Quality Certification under section 401 of the Clean 
Water Act.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The city of Chicago (City), Department of 
Aviation, as owner and operator of Chicago O'Hare International Airport 
(O'Hare or the Airport), PO Box 66142, Chicago, IL, 60666, proposes to 
modernize O'Hara to address existing and future capacity and delay 
problems. The City initiated master planning and the process of seeking 
FAA approval to amend its airport layout plan to depict the O'Hara 
Modernization Program (OMP). The City is also seeking the other 
necessary FAA approvals to implement the OMP and associated capital 
improvements and procedures. The FAA has prepared a DEIS addressing 
specific improvements at and adjacent to Chicago O'Hare International 
Airport, Chicago, Illilnois. FAA's DEIS presents an evaluation of the 
City's proposed project and reasonable alternatives. Under the City's 
concept, O'Hare's existing seven-runway configuration would be replaced 
by an eight-runway configuration, in which six runways would be 
oriented generally in the east/west direction, the existing northeast/
southwest-oriented Runways 4L/22R and 4R/22L would remain, and Runways 
14L/32R and 14R/32L would be closed.
    Please see the airport location maps showing the locations of the 
wetlands and Waters of the U.S. kpotentially affected by the Build 
Alternatives from the DEIS available on the FAA's Web site at http://www.agl.faa.gov/OMP/DEIS.htm under the title Notice of Availability of 
the Draft EIS and Notice of Intent to Hold Public Hearings.

[[Page 3245]]

    The Draft EIS is available for review until March 23, 2005, at the 
following libraries:
    Arlington Heights Memorial Library, 500 North Dunton Ave., 
Arlington Heights;
    Bellwood Public Library, 600 Bohland Ave., Bellwood;
    Bentsenville Community Public Library, 200 S. Church Rd., 
Bensenville;
    Berkeley Public Library, 1637 Taft Ave., Berkeley;
    Bloomingdale Public Library, 101 Fairfield Way, Bloomingdale;
    College of DuPage Library, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn;
    Des Plaines Public Library, 1501 Ellinwood Ave., Des Plaines;
    Eisenhower Public Library, 4652 N. Olcutt Ave., Harwood Heights;
    Elk Grove Village Public Library, 1001 Wellington Ave., Elk Grove;
    Elmhurst Public Library, 211 Prospect Ave., Elmhurst;
    Elmwood Park Public Library, 4 W. Conti Pkwy., Elmwood Park;
    Franklin Park Public Library, 10311 Grand Ave., Franklin Park;
    Glendale Heights Library, 25 E. Fullerton Ave., Glendale Heights;
    Glenview Public Library, 1930 Glenview Rd., Glenview;
    Harold Washington Library, 400 S. State St., Chicago;
    Hoffman Estates Library, 1550 Hassell Rd., Hoffman Estates;
    Itasca Community Library, 500 W. Irving Park Rd., Itasca;
    Lombard Public Library, 110 W. Maple St., Lombard;
    Maywood Public Library, 121 S. 5th Ave., Maywood;
    Melrose Park Public Library, 801 N. Broadway, Melrose Park;
    Morton Grove Public Library, 6140 Lincoln Ave., Morton Grove;
    Mount Prospect Public Library, 10 S. Emerson St., Mount Prospect;
    Niles Public Library, 6960 W. Oakton St., Niles;
    Northlake Public Library, 231 N. Wolf Rd., Northlake;
    Oak Park Public Library, 834 Lake St., Oak Park;
    Oakton Community College Library, 1616 E. Golf Rd., Des Plaines;
    Park Ridge Public Library, 20 S. Prospect Ave., Park Ridge;
    River Forest Public Library, 735 Lathrop Ave., River Forest;
    River Grove Public Library, 8638 W. Grant Ave., River Grove;
    Schamburg Townshhip District Library, 130 S. Roselle Rd., 
Schaumburg;
    Schiller Park Public Library, 4200 Old River Rd., Schiller Park;
    Villa Park Public Library, 305 S. Ardmore Ave., Villa Park; and
    Wood Dale Public Library, 520 N. Wood Dale Rd., Wood Dale.
    The public will be afforded the opportunity to present oral 
testimony and/or written testimony pertinent to the subject of the 
hearing. Testimony from a group or agency representative will be 
limited to 5 minutes. All others will be given 3 minutes. Written 
comments, faxes and e-mails should be submitted to Michael W. MacMullen 
of the FAA. The comment period is open as of the date of this Notice of 
Intent and closes Wednesday, March 23, 2005. Forms for providing 
written comments will also be available at the public hearings. 
Comments received via e-mail can only be accepted with the full name 
and address of the individual commenting. Additional court reporters 
will be present outside of the main hearing room to record oral 
testimony. Spanish language translators will be available at the 
hearings.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael W. MacMullen, Airports 
Environmental Program Manager, Federal Aviation Administration, Chicago 
Airports District Office, 2300 East Devon Avenue, Des Plaines, IL 
60018. Telephone: 847-294-8339, FAX: 847-294-7046; e-mail address: 
[email protected].

    Issued in Des Plaines, Illinois on January 14, 2005.
Barry Cooper,
Manager, Chicago Area Modernization Program Office, Great Lakes Region.
[FR Doc. 05-1161 Filed 1-79-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7910-13-M