[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 152 (Tuesday, August 9, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46260-46261]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-15650]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration


Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement and Hold 
Scoping Meetings for Sacramento International Airport, Sacramento, CA

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration.

ACTION: Notice to hold one (1) public scoping meeting and one (1) 
Governmental/Public agency scoping meeting.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is issuing this 
notice to advise the public that a joint Environmental Impact 
Statement/Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) will be prepared for 
proposed development included in the Sacramento County Airport Systems 
(SCAS) Master Plan (Master Plan) for Sacramento International Airport 
(SMF), Sacramento, California. To ensure that all significant issues 
related to the proposed action are identified, one (1) public scoping 
meeting and one (1) governmental and public agency scoping meeting will 
be held.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Camille Garibaldi, Environmental 
Protection Specialist, SFO-613, Planning and Programming Section, 
Federal Aviation Administration, Western-Pacific Region, San Francisco 
Airports District Office, 831 Mitten Road, Suite 210, Burlingame, 
California 94010-1303, telephone: (650) 876-2778 ext. 613; fax: (650) 
876-2733. Comments on the scope of the EIS should be submitted to the 
address or fax above and must be received no later than 5 p.m. Pacific 
daylight time, Friday, September 23, 2005.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Sacramento International Airport (SMF) is a 
commercial service airport located within a metropolitan area in the 
northwest corner of Sacramento County and is operated by SCAS. SMF 
currently has two parallel 8,600 feet long and 150 feet wide runways 
oriented in a north/south direction. In February of 2004, the 
Sacramento County Board of Supervisors recommended the SMF Master Plan 
for environmental review. The SMF Master Plan includes proposed 
improvements to be implemented at the airport in two phases. SCAS 
subsequently submitted a revised airport layout plan (ALP), reflecting 
the proposed first phase of development to the Federal Aviation 
Administration (FAA) for approval.
    A joint EIS/EIR will be developed by FAA and SCAS that identifies 
and analyzes the potential significance of impacts of the proposed 
improvements in accordance with federal and state law. As the lead 
federal agency, FAA will prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
first phase projects included in the ALP. The need to prepare an EIS is 
based on the procedures described in section 501 of FAA Order 1050.1E, 
Environmental Impacts: Policies and Procedures and FAA Order 5050.4A, 
Airport Environmental Handbook. The federal actions that cause the FAA 
to prepare an EIS are the approval for the ALP depicting the proposed 
development and the further processing of an application for federal 
funding or passenger facility charges to finance the proposed projects 
by Sacramento County. In making this decision, the FAA based the need 
for an EIS on its preliminary review of possible noise, wetland and 
endangered species impacts the proposed action could cause.
    In addition, the County of Sacramento, Department of Environmental 
Review and Assessment (DERA), as the lead state agency, will prepare an 
Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for both phases of the recommended 
Master Plan improvements, pursuant to the California Environmental 
Quality Act of 1970 (CEQA).
    The proposed Phase I projects include:

Airfield Improvements

     Extension of Runway 16L34R from 8,600 feet wide to 11,000 
feet long by 159 feet wide.
     Establishment of a new Instrument Landing System (ILS) for 
Runway 34R and relocation of the ILS for Runway 16L.
     Construction of a new south crossfield Taxiway Y.
     Construction of Air Cargo Improvements and Terminal Apron.
     Airport Traffic Control Tower Relocation.
     Construction of a new Passenger Terminal Apron.

Land Side and Airport Support Improvements

     New Passenger Terminal.
     On-airport and access road improvements.
     Construction of passenger facilities such as a Hotel, 
Parking Garage, and Rental Car facilities.
     Construction of maintenance facility improvements, such as 
a new General Services Building and Equipment Maintenance Building.

Land Acquisition

     Acquire 707 acres for approach protection and future 
airport growth.
    Alternatives: The alternatives being considered in the EIS/EIR 
include the No-Action Alternative; the Proposed Action Alternative; 
various physical configurations of proposed improvements, such as the 
extension of Runway 16R/34L rather than 16L/34R; and use of other 
existing airports.
    During scoping, FAA and SCAS will seek comments and input from 
Federal, State and local agencies, and other interested parties to 
ensure the EIS/EIR addresses a full range of issues related to the 
proposed projects and alternatives. Written comments and suggestions 
concerning the scope of the EIS may be mailed or faxed to the FAA 
contact listed above and must be received no later than 5 p.m. Pacific 
daylight time, Friday, September 23, 2005.
    Public Scoping Meeting: 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 having 
jurisdiction by law or having specific expertise with respect to any 
environmental impacts associated with the proposed projects. the public 
scoping meeting will be held on Thursday, September 8, 2005, at Public 
Television station KVIE's OSE Community Room, 2595 Capital Oaks Drive, 
Sacramento, California 95833.

[[Page 46261]]

The meeting will be held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Pacific daylight time 
(P.d.t.). A scoping meeting will be held specifically for governmental 
and public agencies on Thursday, September 8, 2005, from 2 p.m. to 4 
p.m. P.d.t. in the same location as the public scoping meeting.

    Issued in Hawthorne, California on July 28, 2005.
Mark A. McClardy,
Manager, Airports Division, Western-Pacific Region, AWP-600.
[FR Doc. 05-15650 Filed 8-8-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-M