[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 119 (Wednesday, June 22, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36229-36230]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-12375]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration


Notice of Determination of Compliance of the Noise Exposure Maps 
and Receipt and Request for Review of Noise Compatibility Program at 
Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announces its 
determination that the noise exposure maps submitted by Northwest 
Arkansas Regional Airport Authority for Northwest Arkansas Regional 
Airport under the provisions of 49 U.S.C. 47501 et seq. (Aviation 
Safety and Noise Abatement Act) and 14 CFR part 150 are in compliance 
with applicable requirements. The FAA also announces that it is 
reviewing a proposed noise compatibility program that was submitted for 
Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport under part 150 in conjunction with 
the noise exposure maps, and that this program will be approved or 
disapproved on or before December 4, 2005.

DATES: The effective date of the FAA's determination on the noise 
exposure maps and of the start of its review of the associated noise 
compatibility program is June 7, 2005. The public comment period ends 
August 6, 2005.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Tim Tandy, Federal Aviation 
Administration, ASW-630, Fort Worth, TX 76193-0630; telephone number 
817-222-5635. Comments on the proposed noise compatibility program 
should also be submitted to the above office.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice announces the FAA finds the 
noise exposure maps submitted for Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport 
are in compliance with applicable requirements of part 150, effective 
June 7, 2005. Further, the FAA is reviewing a proposed noise 
compatibility program for that airport which will be approved or 
disapproved on or before December 4, 2005. This notice also announces 
the availability of this program for public review and comment.
    Under 49 U.S.C. 47503 (the Aviation Safety and Noise Abatement Act, 
hereinafter referred to as the ``the Act''), an airport operator may 
submit to the FAA noise exposure maps which meet applicable regulations 
and which depict non-compatible land uses as of the date of submission 
of such maps, a description of projected aircraft operations, and the 
ways in which such operations will affect such maps. The Act requires 
such maps to be developed in consultation with interest and affected 
parties in the local community, government agencies, and persons using 
the airport.
    An airport operator who has submitted noise exposure maps that are 
found by the FAA to be in compliance with the requirements of Federal 
Aviation Regulations (FAR) part 150, promulgated pursuant to the Act, 
may submit a noise compatibility program for FAA approval which sets 
forth the measures the operator has taken or proposes to take to reduce 
existing non-compatible uses and prevent the introduction of additional 
non-compatible uses.
    Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport Authority submitted to the FAA 
on May 25, 2005, noise exposure maps, descriptions and other 
documentation that were produced during Northwest Arkansas Regional 
Airport Part 150 Study, May 2005. It was requested the FAA review this 
material as the noise exposure maps, as described in section 46503 of 
the Act, and that the noise mitigation measures, to be implemented 
jointly by the airport and surrounding communities, be approved as a 
noise compatibility program under section 47504 of the Act.
    The FAA has completed its review of the noise exposure maps and 
related descriptions submitted by Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport 
Authority. The specific documentation determined to constitute the 
noise exposure maps includes the following from the May 2005 14 CFR 
part 150 Noise Study: Figure A2, Existing Airport Layout; Figure A3, 
Generalized Existing Land Use; Figure C10, Noise Monitoring Locations 
with Existing Land Use; Figure C18, Arrival/Departure Flight Tracks 
with Existing Land Use; Figure C24, Existing (2002) Noise Exposure Map; 
Figure C25, Future Base Case Noise Contours (2008) with Existing Land 
Use; Figure F1, Future (2008) DNL Noise Contours with Existing Land 
Use; Figure F2, Future (2020) DNL Noise Contours with Existing Land 
Use; Figure G1, Future (2008) Noise Exposure Map; Figure G2, Future 
(2020) DNL Noise Contours with Existing Land Use; Table A1, Summary of 
Historical Operations, 1990-2001; Table A2, Instrument Approach 
Procedures; Table B1, Historical Aviation Activity, 1990-2000; Table 
B2, Existing Operations by Aircraft Type, 2000; Table B4, Commercial 
Service Operations Forecast, 2000-2020; Table B5, General Aviation 
Operations Forecast Scenarios, 2000-2020; Table B6, Military Operations 
Forecast, 2000-2020; Table B7, Summary of Operations Forecast by 
Aircraft Type, 2000-2020; Table B8, Summary of Local and Itinerant 
Operations, 2000-2020; Table B9, Peak, Period Aircraft Operations, 
2000-2020; Table B10, Based Aircraft Forecast Scenarios, 2000-2020; 
Table B11, Based Aircraft Forecast by Type, 2000-2020; Table B12, 
Summary of Aviation Activity Forecasts, 2000-2020; Table C2, Summary of 
Noise Measurement Survey; Table C3, Ambient Noise Levels in dB (A) by 
Monitoring Site; Table C4, Average Daily Departures by Aircraft Type; 
Table C6, ATC Tower Counts by Aircraft Class and Month; Table C7, 
Commercial Aircraft Types by Airline and Origin/Destination; Table C8, 
Existing Annual Operations by Aircraft Type and Time of Day; Table C9, 
Forecast of Operations, 2008; Table F1, Contour Comparison for Each 
Modeled Alternative; Chapter I, Consultation; Appendix One, Additional 
Noise Information.
    The FAA has determined these maps for Northwest Arkansas Regional 
Airport are in compliance with applicable requirements. This 
determination is effective on June 7, 2005. The FAA's determination on 
an airport operator's noise exposure maps is limited to a finding that 
the maps were developed in accordance with the procedures contained in 
appendix A of FAR part 150. Such determination does not constitute 
approval of the applicant's data, information or plans, or constitute a 
commitment to approve a noise compatibility program or to fund the 
implementation of that program.
    If questions arise concerning the precise relationship of specific 
properties to a noise exposure contours depicted on a noise exposure 
map submitted under section 47503 of the Act, it should be noted the 
FAA is not involved in any way in determining the relative locations of 
specific properties with regard to the depicted noise contours, or in 
interpreting the noise exposure maps to resole questions concerning, 
for example, which properties should be covered by the provisions of 
section 47506 of the Act. These functions are inseparable from the 
ultimate land use control and planning responsibilities of local 
government. These local responsibilities

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are not changed in any way under Part 150 or through the FAA's review 
of noise exposure maps. Therefore, the responsibility for the detailed 
overlaying of noise exposure contours onto the map depicting properties 
on the surface rests exclusively with the airport operator that 
submitted those maps, or with those public agencies and planning 
agencies with which consultation is required under section 47503 of the 
Act. The FAA has relied on the certification by the airport operator, 
under section 150.21 of FAR part 150, that the statutorily required 
consultation has been accomplished.
    The FAA has formally received the noise compatibility program for 
Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport, also effective on June 7, 2005. 
Preliminary review of the submitted material indicates that it conforms 
to the requirements for the submittal of noise compatibility programs, 
but that further review will be necessary prior to approval or 
disapproval of the program. The formal review period, limited by law to 
a maximum of 180 days, will be completed on or before December 4, 2005.
    The FAA's detailed evaluation will be conducted under the 
provisions of 14 CFR part 150, section 150.33. The primary 
considerations in the evaluation process are whether the proposed 
measures may reduce the level of aviation safety, create an undue 
burden on interstate or foreign commerce, or be reasonably consistent 
with obtaining the goal of reducing existing non-compatible land uses 
and preventing the introduction of additional non-compatible land uses.
    Interested persons are invited to comment on the proposed program 
with specific reference to these factors. All comments, other than 
those properly addressed to local land use authorities, will be 
considered by the FAA to the extent practicable. Copies of the noise 
exposure map, the FAA's evaluation of the maps, and the proposed noise 
compatibility program are available for examination at the following 
locations:
    Federal Aviation Administration, Arkansas/Oklahoma Airports 
Development Office, Room 695, 2601 Meacham Boulevard, Fort Worth, TX 
76137-4298; Kelly L. Johnson, Airport Director, Northwest Arkansas 
Regional Airport, Alice L. Walton Terminal Building, One Airport 
Boulevard, Suite 100, Bentonville, AR 72712.
    Questions may be directed to the individual named above under the 
heading, FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

    Issued in Forth Worth, Texas, June 7, 2005.
Kelvin L. Solco,
Manager, Airports Division.
[FR Doc. 05-12375 Filed 6-21-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-M