Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement; Changes in Aircraft Flight Patterns Over the State of New Jersey; Reopening of the Comment Period and Public Hearings

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

[Docket No. 27649]

Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement; Changes in

Aircraft Flight Patterns Over the State of New Jersey; Reopening of the

Comment Period and Public Hearings

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration [FAA], DOT.

ACTION: Reopening of comment period and notice of public hearings.

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SUMMARY: On November 12, 1992, the FAA issued a Draft Environmental

Impact Statement (DEIS) to assess the impact of changes in aircraft

flight patterns caused by implementation of the Expanded East Coast

Plan over the State of New Jersey. The comment period on the DEIS

closed on November 23, 1993. On September 30, 1994, the FAA issued a

Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement (SDEIS) to afford the

public an opportunity to review and comment on (1) a proposed

mitigation measure, (2) analysis of the proposal by the New Jersey

Coalition Against Aircraft Noise (NJCAAN) to route aircraft departing

Newark International Airport over the ocean twenty four hours a day,

and (3) other new and updated information developed in response to

comments on the DEIS. The SDEIS was issued for public comment for 60

days, on September 30, 1994.

In response to requests from several members of the New Jersey

congressional delegation, the FAA is reopening the comment period on

the SDEIS on December 12, for an additional 60 days. This will afford

the New Jersey Citizens for Environmental Research additional time to

review data and documentation concerning the SDEIS provided between

early September and October 28 and provide comments on behalf of the

NJCAAN.

Because the comment period is being extended, the FAA will now be

able to conduct additional hearings in Morris and Bergen Counties as

requested by several members of Congress. Additional hearings will

facilitate comments by citizens potentially affected by the Solberg

mitigation proposal.

DATES: Comment period: The comment period is reopened on December 12,

1994, to extend until February 9, 1995. The following is a listing of

the dates, times, and locations of the additional hearings:

Dates, Time/Location

January 18, 1995--1-4 pm and 7-10 pm, Parsippany-Holiday Inn, Route 45

East, Parsippany, NJ

January 19, 1995--1-4 pm and 7-10 pm, Rochelle Park-Ramada, 375 W.

Passaic Street, Rochelle Park, NJ

Registration of speakers will begin approximately \1/2\ hour before

the start of each session. The afternoon and evening sessions will

begin at 1 pm and 4 pm, respectively, and will continue until all

scheduled speakers have testified or until 4 pm and 10 pm,

respectively. All persons wishing to make oral presentations are

strongly encouraged to provide a written copy of their statement at the

hearing or at the FAA address provided in the paragraph below.

ADDRESSES: Written comments, in triplicate, should be addressed to:

Federal Aviation Administration, Office of the Chief Counsel: Docket

Number 27649, 800 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20591.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The most useful comments are those which are

as specific as possible and provide facts and analysis to support the

reviewer's recommendations or conclusions. Reviewers should structure

their participation so that it is meaningful and alerts the FAA to the

reviewer's position and contentions. This ensures that substantive

comments are made available to the FAA in a timely manner so that the

FAA can respond to them. Objections not raised at this stage may be

waived.

The FAA will consider comments received after the close of the

comment period to the extent practicable. The FAA will issue a Final

EIS that includes corrections, clarifications, and responses to

comments on the SDEIS.

Issued in Washington, DC on December 6, 1994.

John D. Canoles,

Acting Deputy Associate Administrator for Air Traffic.

[FR Doc. 94-30455 Filed 12-9-94; 8:45 am]

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