80 FR 25001 - Notice of Availability for the Cal Black Memorial Airport Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (Draft SEIS) and Section 4(f) Evaluation

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 84 (May 1, 2015)

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA, 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and Council on Environmental Quality regulations (40 CFR part 1500-1508), the Federal Aviation Administration announces the availability of the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (Final SEIS) and Section 4(f) Evaluation for the Cal Black Memorial Airport. The Section 4(f) Evaluation was prepared pursuant to Section 4(f) of the Department of Transportation Act of 1966 (recodified at 49 U.S.C. 303(c)).

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 84 (Friday, May 1, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25001-25002]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-10240]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration


Notice of Availability for the Cal Black Memorial Airport Final 
Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (Draft SEIS) and Section 
4(f) Evaluation

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), U.S. National Park 
Service (NPS) and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) are cooperating 
agencies by virtue of their jurisdictional authority and/or resource 
management responsibilities.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969 (NEPA, 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and Council on Environmental 
Quality regulations (40 CFR part 1500-1508), the Federal Aviation 
Administration announces the availability of the Final Supplemental 
Environmental Impact Statement (Final SEIS) and Section 4(f) Evaluation 
for the Cal Black Memorial Airport. The Section 4(f) Evaluation was 
prepared pursuant to Section 4(f) of the Department of Transportation 
Act of 1966 (recodified at 49 U.S.C. 303(c)).

DATES: The Federal Aviation Administration will not issue a final 
decision on the Cal Black Memorial Airport project for a minimum of 30 
days after the date that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 
publishes its Notice of Availability in the Federal Register.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the Final SEIS may be viewed during regular 
business hours at the following locations:

1. Federal Aviation Administration Airports Division, Suite 315, 1601 
Lind Avenue SW., Renton, WA 98057
2. Federal Aviation Administration, Airports District Office, Suite 
224, 26805 East 68th Avenue, Denver, CO 80249
3. San Juan County Courthouse, County Executive Office, 117 S Main, 
Monticello, Utah 84535

[[Page 25002]]

4. Web site: http://halls.crossing.airportnetwork.com/.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Janell Barrilleaux, Environmental 
Program Manager, Federal Aviation Administration Airports Division, 
Northwest Mountain Region, 1601 Lind Avenue SW., Renton, WA 98057. Mrs. 
Barrilleaux may be contacted during business hours at (425) 227-2611 
(phone), (425) 227-1600 (fax), or via email at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Northwest Mountain Region of the Federal 
Aviation Administration (FAA) as lead agency and the National Park 
Service (NPS) and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) as cooperating 
agencies have prepared a Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact 
Statement (Draft SEIS) and Section 4(f) Evaluation to address issues 
arising from the 1993 Tenth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals Decision 
concerning the development of Cal Black Memorial Airport. This Draft 
SEIS and Section 4(f) Evaluation does not involve any new development 
or project at the airport. The Cal Black Memorial Airport opened in 
April 1992.
    Halls Crossing Airport was located within the boundary of the Glen 
Canyon National Recreation Area, a unit of the National Park Service 
(NPS). Due to safety issues with that airport, an Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) was prepared concerning the development of a 
replacement airport. In 1990, the FAA issued a Draft and Final EIS for 
the development of a replacement airport. In August 1990, the FAA 
issued a Record of Decision (ROD) approving the development of Cal 
Black Memorial Airport. The FAA determined in the ROD that the use of 
the BLM lands upon which the airport would be built was reasonably 
necessary for the project. Accordingly, the BLM issued a Patent for the 
airport land to San Juan County on September 25, 1990. In reaching its 
approval, the FAA determined that no significant impacts would result 
from the new airport to the recreational experience of visitors to the 
recreational area.
    In 1990, the National Parks and Conservation Association (NPCA), et 
al brought suit against the FAA concerning the adequacy of the EIS and 
the adequacy of the BLM Plan Amendment and land transfer process. In 
its July 7, 1993 decision, the Tenth Circuit of the U.S. Court of 
Appeals remanded the EIS back to the FAA and BLM for further 
environmental analysis of aircraft noise impacts to the recreational 
use of public lands and the BLM's plan amendment and transfer of land.
    On November 17, 2008 the BLM issued the Monticello Field Office 
Record of Decision and Approved Resource Management Plan. The document 
provides guidance for the management of Federal lands administered by 
the BLM in San Juan County and a small portion of Grant County in 
southeast Utah and includes provisions for the disposal of the Cal 
Black Memorial Airport property.
    FAA prepared a Draft SEIS and Section 4(f) Evaluation for the 
Replacement Airport at Halls Crossing to address the requirements of 
the U.S. Court of Appeals' findings. The scope of the Draft SEIS and 
Section 4(f) Evaluation included: (1) The measurement of actual 
aircraft noise levels in GCNRA and visitor survey, (2) an updated 
evaluation of existing and future aircraft noise levels; (3) a Section 
4(f) evaluation using the updated noise analysis; and (4) an analysis 
on potential cumulative effects. The Draft SEIS was made available for 
a 45-day public review and comment period on December 12, 2014. The 
comment period included an opportunity to request a public hearing; 
however, no requests for a hearing were received. Comments were 
received by various parties and an errata sheet was prepared to 
identify changes that were made to the Draft SEIS in response to the 
public input. Additionally, Appendix J was prepared to document each 
comment received as well as FAA's response to each comment. These 
additional documents, in combination with the Draft SEIS, constitute 
the Final SEIS for the Replacement Airport at Halls Crossing.

    Issued in Renton, Washington April 27, 2015.
Sarah P. Dalton,
Division Manager, Airports Division, Northwest Mountain Region.
[FR Doc. 2015-10240 Filed 4-30-15; 8:45 am]
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