[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 185 (Tuesday, September 24, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 77959-77960]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-21735]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration


Notice of Cancellation of Environmental Impact Statement for the 
West Virginia International Yeager Airport, Charleston, West Virginia

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of cancellation of preparation of environmental impact 
statement.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announces that it 
has discontinued preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) 
for the proposed Airfield, Safety, and Terminal Improvement Project at 
West Virginia International Yeager Airport (CRW) in Charleston, West 
Virginia. The FAA's discontinued preparation of the EIS is based on the 
need for additional planning studies to support the proposed 
development following changes to operations at CRW. The FAA originally 
placed the EIS on pause on March 27, 2024 and is now cancelling the EIS 
due to the additional time needed to conduct the necessary studies.

DATES: The effective date for cancellation of the EIS at West Virginia 
International Yeager Airport is September 18, 2024.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Andrew Brooks, Environmental 
Program Manager, Eastern Regional Office, AEA-610, Federal Aviation 
Administration, 1 Aviation Plaza, Jamaica, NY 11434. Telephone: 718-
553-2511.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FAA published a Notice of Intent (NOI) 
to prepare an EIS for CRW in the Federal Register on September 29, 2022 
(Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement, 
Initiate Section 106 Consultation, and Request for Scoping Comments, 87 
FR 59158-60, September 29, 2022). Two in-person public scoping meetings 
were held on November 2 and

[[Page 77960]]

3, 2022, at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Charleston Hotel in 
Charleston, West Virginia and a third public scoping meeting was held 
virtually on Zoom on November 7, 2022. A governmental agency scoping 
meeting was also held at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Charleston Hotel 
on November 3, 2022. In response to requests received during scoping, 
the FAA extended the end of the public comment period from November 17, 
2022, to November 29, 2022, via a notice published in the Federal 
Register (Notice of Extension to Public Comment Period--Notice of 
Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement, Initiate Section 
106 Consultation, and Request for Scoping Comments for the Proposed 
Airfield, Safety, and Terminal Improvement Project at West Virginia 
International Yeager Airport, Charleston, Kanawha County, West 
Virginia, 87 FR 68225-6, November 14, 2022).
    In 2023, the Central West Virginia Regional Airport Authority 
(CWVRAA), the sponsor and operator of CRW, notified the FAA of 
forthcoming changes in air carrier service and associated operations. 
One carrier stopped service in March 2023 and a new carrier initiated 
service in May 2023. The change in carriers resulted in different 
aircraft operating at CRW. Additionally, the new carrier provided 
different destinations from CRW and the CWVRAA was actively working to 
attract additional new carriers and markets during 2023. These changes 
in operation resulted in the re-examination of the project planning 
through the end of 2023 and early 2024 and CWVRAA identified a need to 
revisit the planning for the airfield components of the proposed 
project. Concurrently, CWVRAA decided to focus on the Terminal 
Development components of the proposed project and submitted a revised 
Terminal Design Concept for FAA review and approval. Given the changes 
in operations at CRW, the need for additional planning studies, and the 
focus on a revised Terminal Development concept, the FAA determined 
that the revised Terminal Development would have independent utility 
from the runway project. The revised Terminal Development would address 
an immediate Airport need that was mutually exclusive from the runway 
project and occurring at a different time than the runway components. 
Accordingly, the FAA announced that the EIS would be paused on the 
Federal Permitting Dashboard (www.permits.performance.gov) on March 27, 
2024.
    The FAA conducted two public meetings on July 9, 2024 at the 
Embassy Suites by Hilton Charleston Hotel in Charleston, West Virginia 
to inform the public on the reason for the pause to the EIS, present 
the revised Terminal Design Concept, discuss CWVRAA's change in 
approach to focus on the terminal, and present the results of 
environmental studies conducted on the EIS prior to the pause. The FAA 
accepted comments from the public on both the EIS pause and the revised 
Terminal Design Concept. The FAA completed environmental review of the 
revised Terminal Design Concept and issued a Categorical Exclusion on 
August 13, 2024.
    With the CWVRAA priority for the immediate future focused on the 
financing and construction of the airport terminal and marketing of new 
service, the necessary planning studies to support the originally 
proposed airfield development components of the EIS will take some time 
to complete. Accordingly, the FAA is terminating the EIS for the 
Airfield, Safety, and Terminal Improvement Project and withdrawing the 
NOI issued on September 29, 2022 as of the Effective Date of this 
Notice.

    Issued in Beaver, West Virginia, September 18, 2024.
Matthew Digiulian,
Manager, Beckley Airport Field Office, Airports Division, Eastern 
Region.
[FR Doc. 2024-21735 Filed 9-23-24; 8:45 am]
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