[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 113 (Friday, June 12, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33582-33583]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-14202]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration


Environmental Impact Statement: Norfolk International Airport, 
Norfolk, VA

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The FAA is issuing this notice to advise the public that an 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) will be prepared for proposed 
improvements to the Norfolk International Airport (ORF).
    In October 2008, the Norfolk Airport Authority (NAA), owner and 
operator of ORF, prepared a Master Plan Update (MPU) to document 
changes occurring ``in Airport facilities and activity that have taken 
place since the 1995 Master Plan Update,'' to ``provide the Authority 
with a development plan for the Airport through 2024,'' and to address 
compliance shortfalls with published safety standards. Following the 
MPU, NAA prepared technical documents that focused on the potential 
construction of a replacement secondary runway. The first was the 
December 2008 Supplemental Technical Analyses for the Proposed 
Secondary Runway at Norfolk International Airport and the second was 
the December 2009 Justification for Proposed Runway 5R/23L. In 2008 NAA 
also developed an Airport Layout Plan (ALP) that evaluated and noted 
future development needs at ORF. The ALP included a Capital Improvement 
Program (CIP) for the Airport to address Federal Aviation 
Administration (FAA) design standards for the Airport's existing 
crosswind Runway 14/32. During its planning process, NAA explored a 
number of alternatives to meet FAA design standards while also 
providing the flexibility needed to operate without interruption during 
various conditions. These alternatives included the potential 
construction of a replacement secondary runway as well as improvements 
to the existing crosswind Runway 14/32. The FAA will evaluate and 
consider the Airport's MPU, ALP, and associated planning efforts when 
considering reasonable and feasible alternatives for the ORF EIS.
    Based on these previous planning efforts, the primary components of 
NAA's proposed project at ORF include:
     Decommissioning and demolition of Runway 14/32
     Constructing a relocated secondary runway parallel to and 
separated by 876 feet from the existing Runway 5/23. The proposed 
Runway 5R/23L would be 6,500 feet long by 150 feet wide.
    The purpose of the proposed project is:
     To meet relevant FAA airfield safety standards and enhance 
airfield safety without reducing runway availability. Relevant airfield 
safety standards include:
    [cir] Runway Safety Area, which is designed to provide additional 
safety in the event an aircraft leaves the runway;
    [cir] Runway Protection Zone, which is area at ground level prior 
to the threshold or beyond the runway end to enhance the safety and 
protection of people and property on the ground; and
    [cir] Runway Object Free Area, which is designed to provide an area 
clear of objects surrounding a runway.
     To enhance operational efficiency and maintain airfield 
utility while considering surrounding airspace and ORF's critical 
design aircraft.
     To provide a safe, efficient southern vehicular access, on 
Airport property, to the Airport's terminal area.
    The proposed project is needed to address the following four 
primary areas of deficiency at ORF:
     Runway 14/32 does not meet the FAA design standards 
discussed above for several reasons, including, but not limited to, the 
location of Robin Hood Road and Lake Whitehurst near the Runway 14 end.
     The current airfield configuration limits operational 
efficiency, safety and flexibility due to secondary runway length and 
challenges in taxiing from the airfield layout.
     Provide a flexible two-runway airfield system for aircraft 
operators and air traffic controllers. Incremental changes over time 
have severely decreased ORF's ability to remain flexible with 
increasing airspace conflicts from surrounding military facilities.
     Robin Hood Road, the secondary (southern) access to the 
Airport, has safety and functional deficiencies. Specifically, several 
curves in the on-airport section of Robin Hood Road can be improved 
through a redesign of the roadway.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Marcus Brundage, Project Manager, 
Federal Aviation Administration, Washington Airports District Office, 
23723 Air Freight Lane, Suite 210, Dulles, Virginia 20166.
    Telephone (703) 661-1365.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FAA, in consultation with the NAA, will 
prepare an EIS for the proposed project. The EIS will evaluate a range 
of alternatives to address FAA design standards for the secondary 
Runway 14/32. The alternatives to be considered will include the No 
Build Alternative and a variety of build alternatives, including NAA's 
proposed alternative as detailed in the 2008 Master Plan Update. The 
EIS would also evaluate any alternatives identified during the Scoping 
process to address the project need.
    The FAA intends to use the preparation of this EIS to comply with 
Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as 
amended, Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act, and Section 404 of 
the Clean Water Act, and any other applicable laws that include public 
involvement requirements.
    The FAA intends to conduct a Scoping process to gather input from 
all interested parties to help identify any issues of concern 
associated with the proposed project. In addition to this notice, 
Federal, state, and local agencies, that have legal jurisdiction and/or 
special expertise with respect to any potential environmental impacts 
associated with the proposed project, will be notified by letter of an 
Agency Scoping Meeting to be held on July 22, 2015 in Norfolk, 
Virginia.
    The general public will be notified of the Scoping process through 
a legal notice, describing the proposed project. The Notice will be 
placed in

[[Page 33583]]

newspapers that have general circulation in the project area. The 
newspaper notice will notify members of the public that open house 
style Scoping Meetings will be held to provide the opportunity for the 
public to offer its input concerning the proposed project. The Public 
Scoping Meetings are scheduled for the evenings of July 22 & 23, 2015 
from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the following locations in Southside Hampton 
Roads:
     July 22, 2015, 5 p.m.-8 p.m.: Bayside High School, 4960 
Haygood Road, Virginia Beach, VA
     July 23, 2015, 5 p.m.-8 p.m.: Holiday Inn Norfolk Airport, 
1570 N. Military Highway, Norfolk, Virginia
    The Public Scoping Meetings will be open house format with project 
information displayed and representatives from the FAA and the Airport 
available to answer questions. Written and oral comments will be 
accepted at each of the meetings. The public comment period on this 
Scoping phase of the EIS will end on August 3, 2015.
    The purpose of the Scoping Process, as stated above, is to receive 
input from the public, as well as from Federal, state, and local 
agencies, that have legal jurisdiction and/or special expertise with 
respect to any potential environmental impacts associated with the 
proposed project. During this process, questions regarding the scope 
and process related to the EIS will be answered. More information about 
the sponsor's proposed project and the scoping meetings can be found 
at: www.orf-eis.com.
    Comments should be addressed to the listed contact person, or by 
email to [email protected]. The Scoping comment period is from June 12, 
2015 through August 3, 2015.

    Issued in Jamaica, New York, June 4, 2015.
Eleanor Scorcia,
Acting Manager, Planning and Programming Branch, Airports Division, 
Eastern Region.
[FR Doc. 2015-14202 Filed 6-11-15; 8:45 am]
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