Notice of Availability of a Final Environmental Impact Statement on the Potomac Consolidated Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) Facility

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

Notice of Availability of a Final Environmental Impact Statement

on the Potomac Consolidated Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON)

Facility

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of availability of a Final Environmental Impact

Statement for the Potomac Consolidated TRACON.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has released a Final

Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for construction of a new

Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) facility in the Baltimore-

Washington area. The proposed action is to consolidate four stand-alone

TRACONs located at Baltimore-Washington International Airport, Ronald

Reagan Washington National Airport, and Washington Dulles International

Airport; and the FAA operated TRACON located at Andrews Air Force Base,

Maryland. The new Potomac Consolidated TRACON (PCT) would be located at

a site in Northern Virginia. The preferred site is at the former Vint

Hill Farms Station near Warrenton, VA.

DATES: Written comments on the FEIS will be accepted until June 1,

1999. Written comments may be sent to: FAA Potomac TRACON Project, c/o

Mr. Fred Bankert, PRC Inc., 12005 Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston, VA

20191-3423.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Joseph Champley, Project Support

Specialist, Federal Aviation Administration, (800) 762-9531,

Email:[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A TRACON facility provides radar air traffic

control services to aircraft operating on Instrument Flight Rules (IFR)

and Visual Flight Rules (VFR) procedures generally beyond 5 miles and

within 50 miles of the host airport at altitudes from the surface to

approximately 17,000 feet. These distances and altitudes may vary

depending on local conditions and infrastructural constraints such as

adequate radar and radio frequency coverage. The primary function of

the TRACON is to provide a variety of air traffic control services to

arrival, departure, and transient aircraft within its assigned

airspace. These services include aircraft separation, in flight traffic

advisories and navigational assistance. The four existing TRACON

facilities provide terminal radar air traffic control services to the

four major airports and a number of small reliever airports located

within the Baltimore-Washington area.

In accordance with regulations implementing the National

Environmental Policy Act, a range of alternatives is considered in the

FEIS including replacement or refurbishment of three of the four

existing TRACONs, partial consolidation, No Action and full

consolidation. The full consolidation alternative would not cause

significant environmental impact in any of the 23 impact categories

assessed.

Since there was minimal comment on the Draft Environmental Impact

Statement during the 45-day comment period, the entire document has not

been republished. Copies of the comments and responses are available

for review at major libraries in the study area. A summary of the FEIS

can be viewed on the Internet at http://www.faa.gov/ats/potomac.

Dated: April 19, 1999 in Washington, DC.

John Mayrhofer,

Director, TRACON Development Program.

[FR Doc. 99-10995 Filed 4-30-99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910-13-M