[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 94 (Wednesday, May 17, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22714-22715]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-09903]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration


Noise Exposure Map Notice for LaGuardia Airport, New York City, 
New York

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 Port 
Authority of New York and New Jersey for LaGuardia Airport under the 
Aviation Safety and Noise Abatement Act are in compliance with 
applicable requirements.

DATES: The effective date of the FAA's determination on the noise 
exposure maps is May 5, 2017.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Eastern Region Airports Division (AEA-
600), Andrew Brooks, Environmental Program Manager, Federal Aviation 
Administration, AEA-600, 1 Aviation Plaza, Jamaica, New York 11434, 
Telephone: (718) 553-3330.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice announces that the FAA finds 
that the noise exposure maps submitted for LaGuardia Airport are in 
compliance with applicable requirements of 14 CFR part 150, effective 
January 13, 2004. Under 49 U.S.C. Section 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 during a forecast period that is at least five (5) 
years in the future, 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 Port Authority of New York 
and New Jersey. The documentation that constitutes the ``Noise Exposure 
Maps'' (NEM) as defined in Section 150.7 of part 150 includes a 2016 
Base Year NEM, Figure 5-1, and a 2021 Future Year NEM, Figure 5-2, 
located in Chapter 5 of the NEM Report. Details of the NEM contours are 
provided by Runway end in Figures 5-3 through 5-6 of Chapter 5. The 
figures contained within Chapter 5 are scaled to fit within the report 
context; however, the official, to scale, 2016 Base Year NEM and 2021 
Future Year NEM are both located in Appendix M of the official NEM 
Report submittal. The Noise Exposure Maps contain current and forecast 
information

[[Page 22715]]

including the depiction of the airport and its boundaries, the runway 
configurations, land uses such as single and two-family residential; 
multi-family residential; mixed residential and commercial; commercial 
and office; industrial and manufacturing; transportation, parking and 
utilities; unclassified; vacant land; open space, cemetaries, and 
outdoor recreation; places of worship; schools; historic structures; 
and day care/assisted living facilities and those areas within the Day 
Night Average Sound Level (DNL) 65, 70 and 75 noise contours. Estimates 
for the area within these contours for the 2016 Base Year and 2021 
Future Year are shown in Table 5-1 and Table 5-4 in Chapter 5 of the 
NEM Report respectively. Estimates of the residential population within 
the 2016 Base Year and 2021 Future Year noise contours are also shown 
in Table 5-1 and Table 5-4 in Chapter 5 of the NEM Report respectively. 
Figure 4-12, in Chapter 4, displays the location of noise monitoring 
sites. Flight tracks are found in Figures 4-2 through 4-5 of Chapter 4 
and detailed in Appedices E and M. The type and frequency of aircraft 
operations (including nighttime operations) are found in Chapter 4, 
Tables 4-1 and 4-2.
    As discussed in Chapter 6 of the NEM Report, the Port Authority of 
New York and New Jersey provided the general public the opportunity to 
review and comment on the NEMs. This public comment period opened on 
September 22, 2016 and closed on October 24, 2016. A public workshop 
for the Draft NEMs was held on September 29, 2016. All comments 
received during the public comment period and throughout the 
development of the NEMs, as well as responses to these comments, are 
contained in Appendix L of the NEM Report.
    Following the closure of the public review period, on March 1, 
2017, Delta Air Lines announced that the airline would cease McDonnell 
Douglass 88 aircraft operations at LGA, effective March 2, 2017, using 
Airbus 320, Boeing 737, and McDonnell Douglass 90 aircraft instead. The 
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey reviewed the potential effect 
of this change to the Future Year 2021 fleet mix on the Future Year 
2021 NEM, as detailed in the Cover Letter of the NEM submittal package. 
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey determined that the 
change in fleet mix will not result in substantial, new noncompatible 
use nor would it significantly reduce noise over existing noncompatible 
uses contained within the 2021 DNL 65 contour area. However, due to 
anticipated changes to the limits of the Future Year 2021 DNL 65 
contour, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has committed to 
reflect any changes to the Future Year 2021 NEM associated with the 
change to Delta's fleet mix in the forthcoming Noise Compatibility Plan 
submittal as well as inform the public regarding this change via the 
project Web site at http://panynjpart150.com/LGA_homepage.asp. The FAA 
concurs with this approach.
    The FAA has determined that these noise exposure maps and 
accompanying documentation are in compliance with applicable 
requirements. This determination is effective on May 5, 2017.
    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 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, Eastern Region, Airports Division, 
AEA-600, 1 Aviation Plaza, Jamaica, New York 11434
Federal Aviation Administration, New York Airports District Office, 1 
Aviation Plaza, Jamaica, New York 11434
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Aviation Department, 4 
World Trade Center, 150 Greenwich Street, 18th Floor, New York, New 
York 10007

    Issued in Jamaica, NY, on May 9, 2017.
Steven M. Urlass,
Director, Airports Division, Eastern Region.
[FR Doc. 2017-09903 Filed 5-16-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P