[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 36 (Wednesday, February 25, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8612-8613]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-3816]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration


Noise Exposure Map Notice for Buckeye Municipal Airport, Buckeye, 
AZ

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 the Town of 
Buckeye, Maricopa County, Arizona for Buckeye Municipal 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.

DATES: Effective Date: The effective date of the FAA's determination on 
the noise exposure maps is September 22, 2008.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Victor Globa, Federal Aviation 
Administration, Los Angeles Airports District Office, 15000 Aviation 
Boulevard, Hawthorne, California 90261-1000, Telephone: 310/725-3637.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice announces that the FAA finds 
that the noise exposure maps submitted for Buckeye Municipal Airport 
are in compliance with applicable requirements of Part 150, effective 
September 22, 2008. Under 49 U.S.C. 47503 of the Aviation Safety and 
Noise Abatement Act (hereinafter referred to as ``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 interested 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 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.
    The FAA has completed its review of the noise exposure maps and 
accompanying documentation submitted by the Town of Buckeye, Buckeye, 
Arizona. The documentation that constitutes the ``Noise Exposure Maps'' 
as defined in section 150.7 of Part 150 includes: Exhibit I ``Existing 
Aircraft Operations (2006) Noise Exposure Map,'' and Exhibit 2 
``Projected Aircraft Operations (2011) Noise Exposure Map.'' The Noise 
Exposure Maps contain current and forecast information including the 
depiction of the airport and its boundaries, the runway configurations, 
land uses such as residential, open space, commercial/office, community 
facilities, libraries, churches, open space, infrastructure, vacant and 
warehouse and those areas within the Yearly Day-Night Average Sound 
Level (DNL) 65, 70 and 75 noise contours. Estimates for the number of 
people within these contours for the year 2006 are shown in Table 46. 
Estimates of the future residential population within the 2011 noise 
contours are shown in Table 4E. Flight tracks for the existing and the 
five-year forecast Noise Exposure Maps are found in Figures 3D, 3E and 
3F. The type and frequency of aircraft operations (including nighttime 
operations) are found in Table 3C. The FAA has determined that these 
noise exposure maps and accompanying documentation are in compliance 
with applicable requirements. This determination is effective on 
September 22, 2008.
    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 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 
noise exposure contours depicted on a noise exposure map submitted 
under section 47503 of the Act, it should be noted that the FAA is not 
involved in any way in determining the relative locations of specific 
properties with regard to the depicted noise contours, or

[[Page 8613]]

in interpreting the noise exposure maps to resolve 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 are not changed in any 
way under Part 150 or through 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.
    Copies of the full noise exposure map documentation and of the 
FAA's evaluation of the maps are available for examination at the 
following locations:

Federal Aviation Administration, Community and Environmental Needs 
Division, APP-600, 800 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20591-
0001.
Federal Aviation Administration, Western-Pacific Region, Airports 
Division, Room 3012, 15000 Aviation Boulevard, Hawthorne, California 
90261-1000.
Federal Aviation Administration, Los Angeles Airports District Office, 
15000 Aviation Boulevard, Room 3000, Hawthorne, California 90261-1000.
Ann Quigley, Airport Manager, Buckeye Municipal Airport, 423 Arizona 
Eastern Avenue, Buckeye, AZ 85326.

    Questions may be directed to the individual named above under the 
heading FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

    Issued in Hawthorne, California on February 13, 2009.
George E. Aiken,
Acting Manager, Airports Division, AWP-600, Western-Pacific Region.
[FR Doc. E9-3816 Filed 2-24-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-M