[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 69 (Wednesday, April 12, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17718-17719]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-07377]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration


Notice of Availability of Purpose, Need, and Alternatives Working 
Paper for the Proposed Airfield Safety Enhancement Project and Real 
Property Transactions, Tucson International Airport, Tucson, Pima 
County, Arizona

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of Purpose, Need, and Alternatives 
Working Paper.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has prepared the 
Purpose, Need, and Alternatives Working Paper for the Proposed Airfield 
Safety Enhancement Project (ASEP) including real property transactions 
at Tucson International Airport (TUS), Pima County, Arizona.
    The FAA initiated preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) in response to a proposal by the Tucson Airport Authority (TAA). 
The FAA is issuing this notice to advise the public that the Purpose, 
Need, and Alternatives Working Paper will be made available for public 
comment as part of a continued effort to engage the public in the 
scoping process for this project. FAA is seeking comments on the 
Working Paper.
    The FAA is the lead Federal agency for preparation of the EIS and 
will do so in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA) of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and Council on 
Environmental Quality (CEQ) Regulations for Implementing the Procedural 
Provisions of NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500-15080).
    The preparation of the EIS will follow FAA regulations and policies 
for implementing NEPA published in FAA Order 1050.1F, Environmental 
Impacts: Policies and Procedures, and FAA Order 5050.4B, National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Implementing Instructions for Airport 
Actions. The U.S. Air Force (USAF) and the National Guard Bureau (NGB) 
are cooperating agencies under 40 CFR 1501.6.
    This Purpose, Need, and Alternatives Working Paper provides 
background information on TUS, a description of the Proposed Action, 
and the Purpose and Need to which the FAA, USAF, and NGB are responding 
in evaluating the Proposed Action and various reasonable alternatives 
to the Proposed Action. In whole or in summary, the Purpose, Need, and 
Alternatives Working Paper will become part of the EIS. The FAA is not 
making a decision regarding the Proposed Action in this Working Paper.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David B. Kessler, M.A., AICP, Regional 
Environmental Protection Specialist, AWP-610.1, Airports Division, 
Federal Aviation Administration, Western-Pacific Region. Mailing 
address: 15000, Aviation Boulevard, Lawndale, California 90261. 
Telephone: 310-725-3615.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FAA as Lead Agency, along with the USAF 
and the NGB, as Cooperating Agencies, are preparing a Draft EIS for the 
proposed ASEP including real property transactions at TUS. The TAA is 
the owner and operator of TUS and has depicted the Proposed Action on 
the Airport Layout Plan (ALP) for TUS. Pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 
47107(a)(16), the FAA must decide whether to approve the proposed 
project as depicted on the ALP. FAA approval of the ALP is a Federal 
action that must comply with NEPA requirements.
    The proposed project includes construction of a new center parallel 
and connecting taxiway system; a replacement Runway 11R/29L (proposed 
to be 11,000 feet long by 150

[[Page 17719]]

feet wide); acquisition of land for the runway object-free area, 
taxiway object-free area, runway safety area, and the runway protection 
zone from Air Force Plant 44 (AFP 44). The Proposed Action includes 
relocation of navigational aids and development and/or modification of 
associated arrival and departure procedures for the relocated runway. 
The Proposed Action also includes demolition of 12 Earth Covered 
Magazines (ECMs) on AFP 44 and their replacement elsewhere on AFP 44. 
The Proposed Action also includes both connected and similar land 
transfer actions from TAA ultimately to the USAF for land at AFP-44, 
and another parcel of airport land, on behalf of the NGB, for 
construction of a Munitions Storage Area to include EMCs and an access 
road, for the 162nd Wing at the Arizona Air National Guard Base.
    Copies of the Working Paper are available for public review at the 
following locations during normal business hours:

U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, 
Western-Pacific Region, Office of the Airports Division, Room 3012. 
Physical address: 15000 Aviation Boulevard, Hawthorne, California 90261
U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, 
Phoenix Airports District Office, 3800 North Central Avenue, Suite 
1025, 10th Floor, Phoenix, Arizona 85012.

    The document is also available for public review at the following 
libraries and other locations and at http://www.airportprojects.net/tus-eis.

Tucson International Airport Administrative Offices, 7005 South Plumer 
Avenue, Tucson, Arizona 85756
Joel D. Valdez Main Library, 101 North Stone Avenue, Tucson, Arizona 
85701
Murphy-Wilmot Library, 530 North Wilmot Road, Tucson, Arizona 85711
Dusenberry-River Library, 5605 East River Road, Suite 105, Tucson, 
Arizona 85750
Mission Public Library, 3770 South Mission Road, Tucson, Arizona 85713
El Pueblo Library, 101 West Irvington Road, Tucson, Arizona 85706
Valencia Library, 202 West Valencia Road, Tucson, Arizona 85706
El Rio Library, 1390 W Speedway Blvd., Tucson, AZ 85745
Santa Rosa Library, 1075 S 10th Ave, Tucson, AZ 85701
Quincie Douglas library, 1585 East 36th Street, Tucson, Arizona 85713
Eckstrom-Columbus Library, 4350 East 22nd Street, Tucson, AZ 85711
Sam Lena-South Tucson Library, 1607 South 6th Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85713
Himmel Park Library, Himmel Park, 1035 North Treat Avenue, Tucson, AZ 
85716
Martha Cooper Library, 1377 North Catalina Avenue, Tucson, Arizona 
85712
Woods Memorial Library, 3455 North 1st Avenue, Tucson, Arizona 85719
University of Arizona Main Library, 1510 East University Boulevard, 
Tucson, Arizona 85721
    The Purpose, Need, and Alternatives Working Paper will be available 
for public comment for 30 days. Written comments on the Working Paper 
should be submitted to the address above under the heading ``For 
Further Information Contact'' and must be received no later than 5:00 
p.m. Pacific Daylight Time, May 15, 2017.
    By including your name, address and telephone number, email or 
other personal identifying information in your comment, be advised that 
your entire comment, including your personal identifying information, 
may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in 
your comment to withhold from public review your personal identifying 
information, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.

    Issued in Hawthorne, California on March 31, 2017.
Mark A. McClardy,
Director, Office of Airports, Western--Pacific Region, AWP-600.
[FR Doc. 2017-07377 Filed 4-11-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-13-P