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

SUMMARY: On July 28, 1995, the FAA issued a Final Environmental Impact

Statement (FEIS) required under Section 9119 of the Aviation Safety and

Capacity Expansion Act of 1990 (ASCEA), Public Law 101-508. That

section directed the FAA to prepare an EIS pursuant to the National

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) on the effects of changes in aircraft

flight patterns over the State of New Jersey as a result of the

implementation of the Expanded East Coast Plan (EECP).

The proposed Federal action is to continue the current routes and

procedures that were implemented as part of the EECP in 1987 and 1988,

and modified to 1991. FAA has identified the continuation of current

routes and procedures, as modified to incorporate a mitigation measure

identified as the Solberg Mitigation Proposal, as both the preferred

alternative and the environmentally preferable alternative. The Solberg

Mitigation Proposal reduces aircraft noise in the Scotch Plains, and

Fanwood areas of Union County, New Jersey. This is one of the five

areas that experienced increased noise as a result of the

implementation of the EECP.

The FAA prepared the FEIS based upon the findings in the post-

scoping document issued in June 1991, the Draft EIS (DEIS) issued in

November 1992, and the Supplemental DEIS (SDEIS) issued in September

1994.

The SDEIS contained the analysis of the Solberg Mitigation

Proposal, the agency's analysis of the New Jersey Coalition Against

Aircraft Noise (NJCAAN) Ocean Routing Proposal, responses to comments

on the DEIS, Appendix F, and other new information. In response to the

large number of comments concerning noise impacts over particular

communities, the FAA included Appendix F, which provides the changes in

noise levels predicted for each census block in New Jersey with each

alternative, the mitigation proposal, and the NJCAAN ocean routing

proposal.

The FAA also carefully considered testimony from over 480 Federal,

state, and local elected and appointed officials and citizens and from

the 2800 written comments received at more than 30 public hearings and

meetings during the 515-day comment period.

After issuance of the Record of Decision and reporting to Congress

pursuant to Section 9119 of ASCEA concerning this EIS process, the FAA

intends to continue working with affected communities to identify and

develop new strategies to mitigate aircraft noise as part of a

``follow-on'' study. That study will be a follow-on study insofar as it

will address aeronautical and aircraft noise issues. It will be a

planning study independent of the statutory EIS requirement.

The following is a summary of key portions contained in the FEIS

and is not intended to duplicate or cover every aspect of the FEIS.

Alternatives

The FAA conducted an extensive scoping process to identify a

reasonable range of alternatives for study in the EIS. The scoping

process indicated that citizen concerns focused on arrivals and

departures at the three major airports in the New York metropolitan

area.

In the FEIS, the FAA analyzed the following alternatives based on

citizen input and independent evaluation:

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

EECP structure (Proposed Action and No Action).

Alternative B. Return to 1986 air traffic routes and

procedures using 1991 traffic (Rollback).

Alternative C2. Route Newark south flow departure traffic

over Raritan Bay to the ocean at night only (Oceanic/military routing

(nighttime only) for Newark departures).

Alternative D3. Spread aircraft departing Newark runways

22L and 22R to three different headings (Spreading or fanning).

Environmental Consequences

Twenty-one environmental categories were analyzed for environmental

consequences. The impact categories of chief concern were noise, air,

and water quality. Analysis revealed that none of the alternatives,

except Return to 1986 Routes and Procedures, would cause significant

impacts.

The following is a brief description of the noise impacts

associated with the alternatives and the Solberg Mitigation Proposal

contained in the FEIS. Other Environmental Consequences are summarized

in more detail in Section 1.7, Chapter 1 of the FEIS.

1. Alternative B, Return to 1986 Routes and Procedures

Noise analysis indicates that, in comparison to implementation of

the EECP, return to 1986 routes and procedures with 1991 traffic would

increase noise by DNL 5 dB or greater above DNL 45 dB for 1.45 million

people. Approximately 45,622 individuals would experience a reduction

in noise by DNL 5 dB or greater above DNL 45 dB. It would also increase

noise by 1.5 dB within the 65 DNL contour in one small area of Holgate,

New Jersey. The latter impact on Holgate appears to result solely from

the assumptions used to reconstruct and model this alternative.

2. Alternatives C2 and D3, Nighttime Use of Ocean Routing and Spreading

Nighttime Use of Ocean Routing and Spreading would provide marginal

noise relief. Nighttime Ocean Routing would increase noise by DNL 5 dB

or greater above DNL 45 dB for about 4,349 people and would not

decrease noise by a similar amount, while the Spreading alternative

would neither increase nor decrease noise impacts by DNL 5 dB or

greater above DNL 45 dB. Both the Nighttime Ocean Routing and Spreading

alternatives have potential impacts outside of New Jersey.

3. Solberg Mitigation Proposal

The Solberg Mitigation Proposal described below under the section

``Mitigation'' would reduce noise by DNL 5 dB or greater above DNL 45

dB for approximately 18,755 residents of the Scotch Plains and Fanwood

areas of Union County. This is one of the five areas that experienced

noise increases of DNL 5 dB or greater above DNL 45 dB as a result of

implementing the EECP. No increases by DNL 5 dB or greater above DNL 45

dB would occur in the study area. The Solberg Mitigation Proposal would

allow for unrestricted climb by Newark westbound departures and would

only shift, not lower, potentially conflicting arrivals to LaGuardia,

10 miles to the south.

Mitigation Measures

Opportunities for mitigation were explored although the levels of

noise increase and exposure resulting from implementation of the EECP

and its alternatives, with the exception of one area affected by

Alternative B, are well below the established thresholds at which FAA

considers compatible for residential land uses. The Solberg mitigation

measure would realign westbound departure routes from Newark

International Airport to the Solberg navigational aid in Readington,

[[Page 39091]]

New Jersey. It would reduce the noise impacts in the Scotch Plains and

Fanwood areas of Union County, areas that experienced increased noise

as a result of implementation of the EECP.

The Solberg mitigation measure and mitigation measures considered,

but not retained for detailed study, are discussed in detail in Chapter

6 of the FEIS.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. William J. Marx, Program Manager,

ATM-700, Federal Aviation Administration, 800 Independence Avenue,

Washington, D.C. 20591.

Any person may obtain a copy of the executive summary of the FEIS

or the entire FEIS by submitting a request to the FAA contact

identified above. Copies of the comments on the DEIS and SDEIS are

available for review in the FAA Docket, Numbers 26987 and 27649, also

at the above address. Appendix A of the FEIS contains responses to

public comments.

The FEIS will also be available for review at the following public

libraries:

Teaneck Public Library, 840 Teaneck Road, Teaneck, NJ 07868

Newark Public Library, 5 Washington Street, P.O. Box 630, Newark, NJ

01701-0830

Parsippany-Troy Hills Free Public Library, P.O. Box 5303, Parsippany,

NJ 07054

Piscataway Township Free Public Library, John F. Kennedy Memorial

Library, 500 Hoes Lane, Piscataway, NJ 08854

Cherry Hill Free Public Library, 100 Kings Highway North, Cherry Hill,

NJ 08034

Jersey City Public Library, 472 Jersey Ave., Jersey City, NJ 07302-

3499, Attn: Directors Office

Staten Island, New York Public Library, St. George Library Center, 5

Central Place, Staten Island, NY 10301

Camden Free Public Library, 616 Broadway, Camden, NJ 08103

Vineland Free Public Library, 1058 E. Landis Ave., Vineland, NJ 08360

Middletown Township Public Library, 55 New Monmouth Road, Middletown,

NJ 07748

Free Public Library of the City of Trenton, 120 Academy Street,

Trenton, NJ 08607-2448

Ridgewood Public Library, 125 North Maple Ave., Ridgewood, NJ 07450-

3288

Free Public Library of Woodbridge, George Frederick Plaza, Woodbridge,

NJ 07195, Attn: Reference Desk

Elizabeth Public Library, 11 S. Broad Street, Elizabeth, NJ 07201

Paterson Free Public Library, Danforth Memorial Library, 250 Broadway,

Paterson, NJ 07501

Cranford Public Library, 224 Walnut Ave., Cranford, NJ 07016

Rochelle Park Public Library, 405 Rochelle Ave., Rochelle Park, NJ

07882

Runnemede Public Library, Broadway & Black Horse Pike, P.O. Box 119,

Runnemede, NJ 08078

Tinton Falls Public Library, 684 Tinton Ave., Tinton Falls, NJ 07724

New Jersey State Library, Department of Education, 185 W. State Street,

Trenton, NJ 08825-0520

Joint Free Public Library of Morristown and Morris Township, 1 Miller

Road, Morristown, NJ 07960

Cape May County Library, Mechanic Street, Cape May Courthouse, NJ 08210

Ocean County Library, 101 Washington Street, Toms River, NJ 08753

Hunterdon County Library, Route 12, Flemington, NJ 08822

Sussex County Library, RD-3, Box 170, Route 655, Homestead Road,

Newton, NJ 07860

Warren County Library, Court House Annex, Belevedre, NJ 07823, Attn:

Reference Day Dept.

Atlantic city Library, 1 North Tennessee Ave., Atlantic City, NJ 08401

Gloucester County Library, 200 Holly Dell Drive, Sewell, NJ 08080

Somerset County Library, P.O. Box 6700, Bridgewater, NJ 08807

Salem Library, Broadway, Salem, NJ 08079

Burlington County Library, 1257 Westwoodlane Road, Mt. Holly, NJ 08060

Comment Period: Although the Council on Environmental Quality

regulations do not provide for a formal comment period after issuance

of a FEIS, due to the technical complexity of issues raised and to

maximize public participation FAA is soliciting comments on the FEIS

for a period of 45 days. These comments will be considered by the

decision maker in determining FAA's course of action and issuing the

Record of Decision. The opportunity to comment will extend from July

28, until September 11, 1995.

Written comments on the FEIS should be received at the following

address, in triplicate, by September 11, 1995: Headquarters Federal

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

Docket (AGC-10), Docket No. 28241, 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. Late-filed comments will be

considered to the extent practicable.

Issued in Washington, DC on July 28, 1995.

James H. Washington,

Deputy Director of Air Traffic.

[FR Doc. 95-18730 Filed 7-28-95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910-13-M