[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 238 (Monday, December 12, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 89568-89569]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-29639]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration


Noise Exposure Map Notice; Receipt of Noise Compatibility Program 
and Request for Review, Orlando Melbourne International Airport (MLB), 
Melbourne, FL

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Noise Exposure Map Notice and Receipt of Noise Compatibility 
Program and Request for Review.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announces its 
determination that the Noise Exposure Maps (NEM's) submitted by the 
Melbourne Airport Authority (Authority, Melbourne, FL) for the Orlando 
Melbourne International Airport (MLB), Melbourne, FL under the 
provisions of 40 U.S.C. 47501 et seq. (Aviation Safety and Noise 
Abatement Act) and 14 CFR 150 are in compliance with applicable 
requirements. The FAA also announces that it is reviewing a proposed 
Noise Compatibility Program (NCP) that was submitted for the Orlando 
Melbourne International Airport under Part 150 in conjunction with the 
Noise Exposure Maps, and that this program will be approved or 
disapproved on or before May 30, 2017.

DATES: Effective Date: The effective date of the FAA's determination on 
the Noise Exposure Maps and of the start of its review of the 
associated Noise Compatibility Program is December 1, 2016. The public 
comment period ends on January 30, 2017.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Allan Nagy at the Federal Aviation 
Administration, Orlando Airports District Office, 5950 Hazeltine 
National Drive, Orlando, FL, 32882, Telephone 407-813-6331.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This Notice announces that the FAA finds 
that the Noise Exposure Maps submitted for Orlando Melbourne 
International Airport are in compliance with applicable requirements of 
Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 150, effective December 
1, 2016. Furthermore, FAA is reviewing a proposed Noise Compatibility 
Program for MLB which will be approved or disapproved on or before May 
30, 2017. This notice also announces the availability of this Noise 
Compatibility Program for public review and comment.
    Under 49 U.S.C., Section 47503, Aviation Safety and Noise Abatement 
Act (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 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 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 Melbourne Airport Authority submitted to the FAA on September 
9, 2016 Noise Exposure Maps, descriptions and other documentation that 
were produced during the Orlando Melbourne International Airport Part

[[Page 89569]]

150 Study conducted between March 1, 2013 and September 9, 2016. It was 
requested that the FAA review this material as the Noise Exposure Maps, 
as described in Section 47503 of the Act, and that the noise mitigation 
measures, to be implemented jointly by the airport and surrounding 
communities, be approved as a Noise Compatibility Program under Section 
47504 of the Act.
    The FAA has completed its review of the Noise Exposure Maps and 
accompanying documentation submitted by the Melbourne Airport 
Authority. The documentation that constitutes the ``Noise Exposure 
Maps'' as defined in CFR Part 150 Section 150.7 includes: Chapter 2.0 
Airport Facilities and Local Airspace, Chapter 5.0 Noise Modeling, 
Chapter 6.0 Airport Operational Data, Chapter 7.0 Noise Exposure, 
Chapter 8.0 Noise Exposure Maps Certification, Figure 6-1 Modeled 
Flight Tracks--East Flow, Figure 6-2 Modeled Flight Tracks--West Flow, 
Figure 6-3 Modeled Flight Tracks--Touch and Go and Helicopter, Figure 
7-1 2016 Noise Exposure Map, Figure 7-2 Future Land Use, Figure 7-3 
2021 Noise Exposure Map, Table 6-1 2016 Annual Operations, Table 6-2 
2016 Annual-Average Day Fleet Mix (Itinerant Operations), Table 6-3 
2016 Annual-Average Day Fleet Mix (Local Operations), Table 6-4 2021 
Annual Operations, Table 6-5 2021 Annual-Average Day Fleet Mix 
(Itinerant Operations), Table 6-6 2021 Annual-Average Day Fleet Mix 
(Local Operations), Table 6-7 2016 and 2021 Stage Length Percentages, 
Table 6-8 2016 and 2021 Runway Use Percentages, Table 6-9 2016 and 2021 
Departure Flight Track Use Percentages, Table 6-10 2016 and 2021 
Arrival Flight Track Use Percentages, Table 6-11 2016 and 2021 Local 
and Helicopter Flight Track Use Percentages, Table 7-1 Land Use Acreage 
within Existing (2016) DNL Contours, Table 7-3 2021 DNL Contour Land 
Use Impacts. The FAA has determined that these noise exposure maps and 
accompanying documentation are in compliance with applicable 
requirements. This determination is effective on December 1, 2016.
    The 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 CFR Part 150. Such 
determination does not constitute approval of the airport operator's 
data, information or plans, or a commitment to approve a Noise 
Compatibility Program or to fund 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 exposure 
contours, or 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 maps depicting 
properties on the surface rests exclusively with the airport operator 
that submitted those maps, or 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 Part 150, that the statutorily required 
consultation has been accomplished.
    The FAA has formally received the Noise Compatibility Program for 
Orlando Melbourne International Airport, also effective on December 1, 
2016. Preliminary review of the submitted material indicates that it 
conforms to the requirements for the submittal of Noise Compatibility 
Programs, but that further review will be necessary prior to approval 
or disapproval of the program. The formal review period, limited by law 
to a maximum of 180 days, will be completed on or before May 30, 2017.
    The FAA's detailed evaluation will be conducted under the 
provisions of Part 150, Section 150.33. The primary considerations in 
the evaluation process are whether the proposed measures may reduce the 
level of aviation safety, create an undue burden on interstate or 
foreign commerce, or be reasonably consistent with obtaining the goal 
of reducing existing non-compatible land uses and preventing the 
introduction of additional non-compatible land uses. Interested persons 
are invited to comment on the proposed program with specific reference 
to these factors. All comments, other than those properly addressed to 
local land use authorities, will be considered by the FAA to the extent 
practicable.
    Copies of the full Noise Exposure Map documentation and the 
proposed Noise Compatibility Program are available for examination at 
the following locations:
Federal Aviation Administration, 5950 Hazeltine National Drive, Suite 
400, Orlando, FL 32882
Orlando Melbourne International Airport, One Air Terminal Parkway, 
Suite 220, Melbourne, FL 32901

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

    Issued in Orlando, Florida, on December 1, 2016.
Bart Vernace,
Manager, Orlando Airports District Office, Orlando, FL.
[FR Doc. 2016-29639 Filed 12-9-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-13-P