Intent To Prepare Environmental Impact Statement, Proposed Terminal Doppler Weather Radar To Serve John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and LaGuardia Airport (LGA)

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

Intent To Prepare Environmental Impact Statement, Proposed

Terminal Doppler Weather Radar To Serve John F. Kennedy International

Airport (JFK) and LaGuardia Airport (LGA)

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) intends to prepare

an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to address the environmental

impact of a proposal to construct and operate a terminal Doppler

weather radar (TDWR) at a proposed site at Coast Guard Air Station

Brooklyn (CGASB), New York. The proposed TDWR would serve both JFK and

LGA Airports. The FAA has determined that it is critical to include the

New York metropolitan area in the nationwide campaign to improve

aviation safety. In addition to detecting wind shear for FAA reports to

pilots, the TDWR would provide weather data to the Coast Guard for

their search and rescue operations. The EIS will be prepared following

FAA procedures for implementing the National Environmental Policy Act

of 1969, as amended, (NEPA), 42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C), and consistent with

the FAA's policy to facilitate public understanding and scrutiny of

agency proposals. This notice of intent is published as required by the

President's Council on Environmental Quality regulations implementing

the provisions of NEPA, 40 CFR Parts 1500-1508.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA),

proposes to construct and operate a TDWR to serve both JFK and LGA

Airports. The preferred site for this FAA

[[Page 52725]]

facility is at Coast Guard Air Station Brooklyn (CGASB).

TDWR is an automated weather radar system developed by the FAA.

TDWR operates by sending out a radio frequency (RF) pulse. Then, the

TDWR detects pulses reflected by weather conditions. TDWR detects

conditions leading to hazardous wind shear at and in the vicinity of

the airport and reports this to air traffic controllers. The only sure

way to survive wind shear in the airport vicinity is to avoid it. With

the assistance of the information provided by the TDWR, the air traffic

controllers can then provide a timely warning to pilots. Improved wind

shear detection provided by the TDWR reduces loss of life, injuries,

property damage and air traffic delays that result from catastrophic

airplane accidents caused by wind shear. The proposed TDWR facility

would be part of a nationwide system of 47 radars strategically located

near major airports.

The FAA has determined that it is critical to include the New York

metropolitan area in the agency's efforts to improve aviation safety.

There are 380,105 commercial carrier operations per year at JFK and

373,395 operations per year at LGA (March 1994-March 1995). Wind shear

has been identified as a major cause of U.S. air carrier fatalities.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has recommended the

installation of TDWR as a result of several crashes nationwide. One of

the crashes was Eastern Airlines Flight 66 onto the Rockaway Parkway in

June 1975 where 112 people died. TDWR is considered by NTSB as the best

warning system for detecting wind shear conditions. In addition to

preventing crashes, it will reduce weather-related delays. At JFK, 45%

of delays are weather-related. At LaGuardia 39% of delays are weather-

related.

Siting the proposed TDWR at the Coast Guard, Department of

Transportation (DOT) property would be compatible with the continuing

history of aviation facilities at this location. Additionally, it would

be consistent with Coast Guard plans to install a weather radar for

search and rescue helicopter operations. The proposed TDWR with an

information feed to CGASB operations would satisfy this Coast Guard

need, and for this reason, the Coast Guard supports the proposal. This

would represent an important example of intermodal cooperation in

satisfying multi-mission needs within the DOT.

The FAA anticipates that construction and operation of the proposed

TDWR at CGASB would have little or no environmental impact. However,

the agency anticipates significant public controversy concerning the

perception of the potential adverse health effects of RF radiation. The

FAA will hold public scoping meetings to assist in defining the focus

of the EIS issues. A public notice issued at a later date will provide

the dates, times and places of the scoping meetings. Further, the FAA

will provide ample opportunity for public participation in defining the

issues to be addressed in the EIS and in reviewing and commenting on

the draft EIS.

The EIS will assess impacts and reasonable alternatives, including

the ``no action'' alternative, following the National Environmental

Policy Act of 1969 as amended, FAA Order 1050.1D, Policies and

Procedures for Considering Environmental Impacts, DOT Order 5610.1C,

Procedures for Considering Environmental Impacts, and the President's

Council on Environmental Quality regulations implementing the

provisions of NEPA, 40 CFR Parts 1500-1508. Previous Environmental

Assessments (EAs) for proposals to site individual TDWRs for JFK and

LGA considered reasonable alternatives. Copies of these EAs are

available by written request to the information contact designated

below. Siting constraints for reasonable alternatives include strict

siting criteria for radar coverage and the close proximity of densely

populated communities in the metropolitan New York area. The FAA will

address any reasonable alternatives presented during the scoping

process and subsequent comment periods.

The final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) for

the TDWR Site Determination Program issued in September 1991,

identified general conditions which might result in potentially

significant impacts. RF radiation was one of the many environmental

considerations addressed in this document. Copies of the PEIS may be

obtained by written request to the information contact designated

below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jerome D. Schwartz, Environmental

Specialist, Federal Aviation Administration, Wind Shear Products Team,

AND-420, 800 Independence Ave., SW., Washington, DC 20591. Telephone

(202) 358-4946.

Issued in Washington, DC on October 3, 1995.

Steve Zaidman,

Deputy Director of Communications, Navigation, and Surveillance

Systems, AND-2.

[FR Doc. 95-25056 Filed 10-6-95; 8:45 am]

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