[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 92 (Friday, May 12, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27771-27772]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-4411]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration


Notice of the Availability of the Final Environmental Impact 
Statement (FEIS) for the Proposed Relocation of the Panama City-Bay 
County International Airport, Panama City, FL; Notice of Significant 
Encroachment and Unavoidable Impacts to the Base Floodplain; Notice of 
New Construction Significantly Affecting Wetlands and Finding of No 
Practicable Alternative

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT. The U.S. Army Corps 
of Engineers (USACE) is a cooperating Federal agency, having 
jurisdiction by law due to the potential for significant wetland 
impacts.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of Final Environmental Impact Statement

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    Location of Proposed Action: The proposed airport site (identified 
as the West Bay Site in the FEIS) is located in northwestern Bay 
County, Florida, approximately 20 miles north and west of the existing 
airport site. The Proposed Action includes three mitigation parcels 
located immediately south of County Road 388 and adjacent to the West 
Bay.
SUMMARY: The FAA announces that an FEIS for the Proposed Relocation of 
the Panama City-Bay County International Airport is available for 
public review. The FEIS includes the section 7 consultation with United 
States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) regarding the Proposed 
Action's impact to threatened and endangered species. An Essential Fish 
Habitat (EFH) and Living Marine Resources (LMR) Assessment is included 
in the FEIS. The FEIS discusses impacts to the base floodplain and 
wetlands and measures to mitigate those impacts. The FAA is seeking 
comments on those sections of the FEIS that have been updated and/or 
contain additional information not previously contained in the DEIS. 
Please see SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for a listing of sections of the 
FEIS and associated appendices that have been updated or contain 
additional information.
    Additional information regarding potential redevelopment of the 
existing airport site under the West Bay Site alternatives was 
published following public availability of the Draft Environmental 
Impact Statement (DEIS). This information has been analyzed and is 
included in the FEIS for disclosure purposes but is not part of the 
Proposed Action.
    All comments are to be submitted to Virginia Lane of the FAA, at 
the address shown in the section below entitled ``For Further 
Information or to Submit Comments Contact.'' The USACE has requested 
that the FAA be the recipient of all comments regarding their actions.
    The USACE is a cooperating Federal agency for this FEIS, having 
jurisdiction by law because the proposed federal action has the 
potential for significant wetland impacts, and would require the USACE 
to approve issuance of a permit to fill wetlands under section 404 of 
the Clean Water Act.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FAA as lead agency and the USACE, as a 
cooperating agency, have prepared the FEIS for the proposed relocation 
of the Panama City-Bay County International Airport. FAA published a 
DEIS in November 2004. The DEIS was prepared pursuant to the National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). The DEIS assessed the 
potential impacts of five proposed action alternatives, described as 
the Existing Site--No-Action Alternative, Existing Site--Extend Runway 
14-32, 6,800 Feet Southeast, Existing Site--Extend Runway 14-32, 8,400 
Feet Southeast, West Bay Site--Runway 16-34, 6800 Feet (referred to in 
the FEIS as Scenario 1), and the West

[[Page 27772]]

Bay Site--Runway 16-34, 8,400 Feet (Sponsor's Proposed Project). The 
FEIS additionally analyses one alternative that was identified during 
the comment period on the DEIS. This alternative is identified in the 
FEIS as the Existing Site--Extend Runway 14-32, 6,800 Feet Southeast 
EMAS Scenario 2.
    The proposes airport relocation site (West Bay Site) encompasses a 
total of approximately 4,037 acres and would accommodate both short- 
and long-term aviation needs as described in the FEIS. The Airport 
Sponsor proposes to construct a primary runway of 8,400 feet, a 
crosswind runway of 5,000 feet, and associated aviation support 
facilities as part of an initial development plan encompassing 
approximately 1,378 acres. Under this proposal, the existing airport 
facilities would be decommissioned, and facilities and operations at 
the existing site would be relocated to the West Bay site. The Airport 
Sponsor is also seeking the other necessary FAA approvals to implement 
the Proposed Action and associated capital improvements and procedures.
    FAA will not make a decision on the Proposed Act for a minimum 45 
days following publication of this Notice of Availability of the FEIS 
in the Federal Register. FAA will record the appropriate decision or 
decisions in a Record of Decision.
    Copies of the FEIS are available for public review at the following 
locations:
     Panama City-Bay County International Airport 
Administration Office, 3173 Airport Road, Panama City, Florida 32405. 
(850) 763-6751.
     Bay County Public Library, 26 West Government Street, 
Panama City, Florida 32401. (850) 872-7500.
     U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Panama City Regulatory 
Office, 1002 West 23rd Street, Suite 350, Panama City, Florida 32405. 
(850) 763-0717.
     Federal Aviation Administration, Orlando Airports District 
Office, 5950 Hazeltine National Drive, Suite 400, Orlando, Florida 
32822. (407) 812-6331.
    The Panama City-Bay County International Airport Administration 
Office has a limited number of CDs of the FEIS available for public 
distribution. Please contact that office for a copy. The FEIS may also 
be viewed at the following Web site http://www.pcairport.bechtel.com.
    The FAA is seeking comments on updated and/or refined information 
in the following sections of the FEIS and the associated appendices:

Volume I--Technical Documentation

Chapter 1--Section 1.7.2
Chapter 2--Sections 2.2.2, 2.2.3, and 2.6.3
Chapter 3--Sections 3.2.8, 3.6.4, 3.9.10, 3.10.5, 3.11, 3.12, and 
3.13
Chapter 4--Sections 4.6, 4.7.4, 4.10.7, 4.12.3, and 4.21
Chapter 5--Sections 5.1, 5.2.2, 5.3.2, 5.4.1, 5.6, 5.7.2, 5.8, 5.9, 
5.10, 5.11, 5.12, 5.13, 5.14, 5.15, 5.18, 5.20, 5.21, 5.22, 5.23, 
and 5.26
Chapter 6--Sections 6.3, .4, and 6.5
Chapters 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11

Volume II--Appendix

Appendices D, G, J, K, L, M, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X

Volume III--Responses to Comments--Federal, State, and Local 
Agencies
Volume IV--Responses to Comments--Public Individuals
Volume V--Responses to Comments--Public Organizations

    The FEIS will be available for public review for 45 days. Written 
comments on the sections of the document identified above should be 
submitted to the address listed in For Further Information or to Submit 
Comments Contact. The comment period begins as of the date of this 
Notice of Availability and all comments must be received no later than 
5 p.m., Eastern Daylight Time on Wednesday, July 5, 2006.
    For Further Information or to Submit Comments Contact: Virginia 
Lane, Environmental Specialist, Federal Aviation Administration, 
Orlando Airports District Office, 5950 Hazeltine National Drive, Suite 
400, Orlando, Florida 32822. Telephone (407) 812-6331 Extension 129. 
Comments can only be accepted with the full name and address of the 
individual commenting.

    Issued in Orlando, Florida on May 10, 2006.
W. Dean Stringer,
Manager, Orlando Airports District Office.
[FR Doc. 06-4411 Filed 5-11-06; 8:45 am]
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