[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 136 (Monday, July 16, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Page 41878]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-17280]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration


Notice of Record of Decision on the Final Environmental Impact 
Statement that Evaluated the Proposed Airfield Improvement Project at 
Palm Beach International Airport, Palm Beach County, FL

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of Record of Decision.

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SUMMARY: The FAA is issuing this notice of availability to advise the 
public and interested parties that it has issued a Record of Decision 
(ROD) for the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the 
Airfield Improvement Project (AIP) at Palm Beach International Airport 
(PBIA). The ROD contains the FAA's Findings, Conditions of Approval, 
and Final Decision and Order with regard to the unconditional Airport 
Layout Plan (ALP) approval of the Near-Term AIP. This unconditional ALP 
approval will allow Palm Beach County--the Airport Sponsor--to proceed 
with the development of the Near-Term AIP pending the receipt of all 
State of Florida and local government approvals and funding. The ROD 
also discloses that the FAA has determined that the Long-Term AIP (the 
Runway 10R/28L airfield capacity enhancement project and its connected 
actions) are not ripe for decision at this time. The ROD grants only 
conditional ALP approval of the Long-Term AIP. This conditional ALP 
approval of the Long-Term AIP does not grant the Airport Sponsor the 
Federal approvals needed to construct the Long-Term AIP at this time.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Allan Nagy, Environmental Program 
Specialist, Federal Aviation Administration, Orlando Airports District 
Office, 5950 Hazeltine National Drive, Suite 400, Orlando, Florida 
32822, Telephone (407) 812-6331.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FAA published a Federal Register Notice 
of Availability of the FEIS on February 4, 2011 (77 FR 6510). The FEIS 
was prepared in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act 
of 1969 (NEPA) [42 U.S.C. 4321, et seq.], the implementing regulations 
of the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) [40 CFR parts 1500-1508], 
and FAA directives [Order 1050.1E and Order 5050.4B].
    During the EIS process, the FAA coordinated extensively with 
Federal, state, and local agencies; Native American Nations/Tribes; 
local municipalities; and the public. This coordination included, but 
was not limited to: the United States (U.S.) Environmental Protection 
Agency (EPA), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the National 
Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, the 
Muscogee (Creek) Nation, the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, the Seminole 
Tribe of Florida, the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida, the 
Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), the Florida Department of 
Environmental Protection (FDEP), Palm Beach County, the City of West 
Palm Beach, the Town of Palm Beach, and other local municipalities. The 
FAA undertook and completed Section 106 consultation in accordance with 
the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) and the provisions at 36 
CFR part 800, subpart B, Protection of Historic Properties. This 
consultation was conducted between the FAA, the Florida Division of 
Historic Resources (Florida State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO)) 
and the Keeper of the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). The 
FAA also coordinated extensively with other stakeholders, including 
representatives of local homeowner associations (HOAs) and the general 
public to facilitate the understanding and consideration of key issues, 
the Agency's policies and procedures, and the proposed actions being 
undertaken by both the Airport Sponsor and the FAA. The FAA actively 
solicited comments on the FEIS for an extended period of 45-days after 
its publication. Public and agency comments on the FEIS, as well as the 
FAA's responses to substantive comments on the FEIS, are included in 
Appendix A of the ROD.
    In the ROD, the FAA has identified the Near-Term AIP as the 
Agency's Selected Alternative. The FAA's decision on the Selected 
Alternative was based on a comparative analysis and examination of the 
potential environmental, social, and economic impacts for each of the 
alternatives evaluated in detail in the FEIS. The FAA has determined 
that the Near-Term AIP is safe and efficient; that it would not result 
in significant environmental impacts and that it is justified for 
implementation by the Airport Sponsor at this time. The Near-Term AIP 
consists of following projects: (1) General Aviation (GA) facility 
development in the northwest quadrant of the airfield, (2) widening 
Taxiway ``L'' from 50 feet to 75 feet along the full length of Runway 
10L/28R, and (3) acquisition of 13.2 acres of property on the east side 
of Military Trail, between the roadway right of-way and the airports' 
existing western property line. With respect to the Long-Term AIP, 
which consists of the Runway 10R/28L expansion project and its 
connected actions, the FAA has determined that the Long-Term AIP is not 
ripe for final approval at this time and, therefore, this component of 
the AIP was granted only conditional ALP approval in the ROD. This 
conditional ALP approval of the Long-Term AIP does not grant the 
Airport Sponsor the Federal approvals needed to construct the Long-Term 
AIP at this time.
    Availability of ROD: Copies of the ROD and FEIS are available at 
the following locations during normal business hours:
     Palm Beach County Library Greenacres Branch, 3750 Jog 
Road, Greenacres, FL 33467.
     Palm Beach County Library Okeechobee Boulevard Branch, 
5689 West Okeechobee Boulevard, West Palm Beach, FL 33417.
     West Palm Beach Public Library, 411 Clematis Street, West 
Palm Beach, FL 33401.
     Federal Aviation Administration, Orlando Airports District 
Office, 5950 Hazeltine National Drive Citadel International Building, 
Suite 400, Orlando, Florida. Contact Allan Nagy at (407) 812-6331.
     Palm Beach International Airport, Palm Beach County 
Department of Airports, 846 Palm Beach International Airport, West Palm 
Beach, Florida. Contact Gary Sypek at (561) 471-7412.
    An electronic copy of the ROD (and FEIS) will be available for 
download from the EIS Web site (www.pbia-eis.com) beginning on July 13, 
2012.

    Issued in Orlando, Florida on July 2, 2012.
Martin Polomski,
Acting Manager, Orlando Airports District Office, Federal Aviation 
Administration.
[FR Doc. 2012-17280 Filed 7-13-12; 8:45 am]
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