Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement; Effects of Changes in Aircraft Flight Patterns Over the State of New Jersey

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

[Docket No. 27649]

Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement; Effects of

Changes in Aircraft Flight Patterns Over the State of New Jersey

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Issuance of A Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement

(EIS) For Public Review and Comment.

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SUMMARY: The FAA has decided to prepare a supplement to the draft

environmental impact statement (DEIS) on the effects of changes in

aircraft flight patterns over the State of New Jersey caused by

implementation of the Expanded East Coast Plan (EECP). As a result of

the analysis phase of the comment period associated with the DEIS, new

information was developed by the FAA. Additionally, new information was

received from the public during the comment period. Since this

information is pertinent to the decision process leading to issuance of

a final EIS (FEIS), the public should have an opportunity to examine

the new material and comment on it prior to completion of the FEIS.

The supplemental DEIS (SDEIS) was prepared in accordance with the

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Copies have been mailed to

individuals that participated in the EIS process as well as to

libraries in select locations throughout New Jersey.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The following is a summary of key portions

of the SDEIS and major areas of concern identified by the public. It is

not intended to duplicate or cover every aspect of the SDEIS.

Substantive comments submitted to the FAA should address the SDEIS, not

this summary.

I. Summary of Key Portions of the SDEIS

A. Alternatives and Mitigation Under Consideration

The following alternatives were evaluated and are being considered

by the FAA:

(1) Alternative A. Maintain the current (as defined in 1991) EECP

structure. (Proposed action and no action)

(2) Alternative B. Return to 1986 air traffic routes and procedures

using 1991 traffic. (Rollback)

(3) Alternative C2. Route Newark south flow departure traffic from

over Raritan Bay to over the ocean (at night only) via a specific path

defined by the Solberg and Colts Neck navigational aids. (Nighttime

only oceanic/military routing)

Alternative D3. Spread aircraft departing Newark runways 22L and

22R to three different headings. (Spreading of fanning)

These alternatives are described in detail in Chapter 3 of the

SDEIS. Two mitigation measures were evaluated and are also being

considered:

(1) Routing some westbound departures from Newark to a new

departure gate in the vicinity of the Solberg navigational aid.

(2) Moving LaGuardia arrival traffic further south from its current

routing.

These mitigation measures are described in detail in Chapter 6 of

the SDEIS. These measures, if selected by the decision-maker for

implementation, would reduce noise by Day-Night Level (DNL) 5 dB or

greater for approximately 18,500 residents of the Scotch Plains and

Fanwood areas of Union County, New Jersey. These were two of the areas

that experienced some of the greatest increases in noise as a result of

implementation of the EECP.

B. Environmental Consequences

None of the alternatives would cause significant noise, air quality

or water quality impacts. (The one exception identified in the area of

noise results from the assumptions used in reconstructing and modeling

the return to 1986 routes and procedures.) Noise analysis indicates

that 1.45 million individuals would be impacted by noise increases of

DNL 5 dB or greater if the FAA returned to use of 1986 routes and

procedures, while approximately 45,000 individuals would experience

noise benefits of DNL 5 dB or greater. Fanning and nighttime use of

ocean routing would have marginal noise benefits. In response to the

volume of comments concerning noise impacts in particular communities,

Appendix F of the SDEIS provides the increases in noise level predicted

for each census block in New Jersey.

C. Public Participation

In preparing the SDEIS the FAA has carefully summarized and

addressed the comments received on the DEIS and made revisions to the

text as appropriate. There have been extensive opportunities for public

participation since the DEIS was made available on November 12, 1992.

In January, 1993, the FAA held public hearings in New Jersey to obtain

comments on the DEIS. In addition, two public meetings were held in

Staten Island, New York to address the DEIS and the New York

Metropolitan Area Aircraft Noise Mitigation Review, a study mandated by

Congress, which specifically addressed noise issues in the New York

metropolitan area, including parts of Connecticut and New Jersey,

separate from the EIS action. The comment period on the DEIS extended

from November 12, 1992 to November 23, 1993. This 369 day comment

period was well in excess on NEPA requirements.

II. Areas of Controversy

In addition to noise, air, and water quality impacts, the major

areas of controversy concerning this EIS were alternate use of ocean

routing, effects or aircraft noise on property values, and the scope of

the EIS.

A. Ocean Routing

Many commenters believed the alternative of using ocean routes 24

hours a day should be studied in detail as a reasonable alternative.

Several different proposals were considered in the DEIS, but eliminated

due to concerns about operational feasibility and potential

environmental impacts. In June 1993, the New Jersey Citizens for

Environmental Research (NJCER), on behalf of the New Jersey Coalition

Against Aircraft Noise, submitted a proposal to route all Newark

Airport departures south, down the Arthur Kill and over Raritan Bay to

the ocean. This study was analyzed operationally and modeled to

determine its noise impacts within the scope of this EIS.

Operational examination indicates this proposal would cause about 5

points of conflicting traffic within New Jersey, require tunneling of

traffic from Newark under traffic from other airports, and cause

substantial delays at Newark.

Noise analysis indicates this proposal would have net benefits of

DNL 5 dB or greater for approximately 228,000 New Jersey residents

(690,000 residents would benefit while 462,000 residents would

experience increased noise of DNL 5 dB or greater). In addition there

appear to be potentially significant adverse noise impacts in areas

south of Newark that would be overflown by aircraft at altitudes below

3,000 above ground level (AGL) feet as well as in New York and

Connecticut. Additional environmental review would be required to

examine these impacts, which are beyond the scope of this EIS. This

proposal is described in detail in Chapter 1 of the SDEIS.

B. Effect of Noise on Property Values

Another area of concern was the effect of noise increases on real

property values. There is insufficient scientific data to support a

reasonable conclusion about whether the noise levels associated with

implementation of the EECP have, or its alternatives would have,

depressed property values in New Jersey. The economic studies of the

effects of airport noise on house values to date, which have found a

slight devaluation, have involved properties in or near urban areas

surrounding major airports at noise exposure levels exceeding those in

this EIS. This is discussed in detail in Section 5.2.1 of the SDEIS.

C. Scope of the EIS

Another controversial issue was the scope of the EIS. The legal and

policy reasons supporting the decision to limit the scope of the EIS to

New Jersey and to air traffic changes above 3,000 AGL feet are fully

explained in Chapter 2 of the SDEIS and Appendix A. Briefly, the FAA

adhered strictly to the congressional mandate to study New Jersey

because of the complexity of an expanded study, the difficulty of

identifying objective criteria for excluding portions of the other 18

States and the District of Columbia that were also potentially affected

by the EECP, and the time constraints on the EIS process. The EIS

examines changes above 3,000 AGL feet because that was the scope of the

EECP. To assure compliance with NEPA, no alternative will be selected

for implementation until all applicable environmental review

requirements have been satisfied.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

For further information contact Mr. William J. Marx, FAA Office of Air

Traffic System Management, Environmental Issues Program Office, ATM-

700, Washington, DC 20591, telephone (202) 267-7900.

Any person may obtain a copy of the SDEIS by submitting a request

to the Federal Aviation Administration, Office of Public Affairs,

Attention: Public Inquiry Center, APA-230, 800 Independence Avenue SW.,

Washington, DC 20591, or by calling FAA's toll-free Consumer Hotline:

1-800-FAA-SURE between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through

Friday, excluding Federal holidays.

COMMENT PERIOD: The public will be afforded a 60-day period to comment

upon release of the SDEIS. The opportunity to comment will extend from

September 30, until November 30, 1994. Comments will be considered in

preparing the FEIS. Late-filed comments will be considered to the

extend practicable.

Written comments on the SDEIS should be received at the following

address, in triplicate, by November 30, 1994: Headquarters Federal

Aviation Administration, Office of the Chief Counsel, Attn: Rules

Docket (AGC-10), Docket No. 27649, 800 Independence Avenue SW.,

Washington, DC 20591. Comments may be delivered or inspected at Room

915G in FAA headquarters between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through

Friday, excluding Federal holidays.

Additionally, the FAA intends to conduct hearings and a meeting to

gather comments on the SDEIS. The FAA will conduct public hearings in

Cranford, Bernardsville and Tinton Falls, New Jersey to solicit both

written and oral comments. A public meeting will also be held in Staten

Island, New York. All persons wishing to make oral presentations at the

public hearings and the public meeting are strongly urged to provide a

written copy of their statements at the hearing/meeting or at the FAA

address provided in the above paragraph. The exact dates, times and

locations of the hearings in New Jersey and the meeting in Staten

Island will be published in a subsequent Federal Register Notice and

through the Press when arrangements are finalized.

Issued in Washington, DC on September 28, 1994.

Bill F. Jeffers,

Acting Associate Administrator for Air Traffic.

[FR Doc. 94-24368 Filed 9-30-94; 8:45 am]

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