[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 88 (Monday, May 6, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20310-20311]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-11253]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
Noise Exposure Map Notice; Receipt of Noise Compatibility Program
and Request for Review; Albany County Airport, Albany, New York
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration, DOT.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announces its
determination that the noise exposure maps submitted by the Albany
County Airport Authority for the Albany County Airport under the
provisions of Title I of the Aviation Safety and Noise Abatement Act of
1979 (Pub. L. 96-193) and 14 CFR part 150 are in compliance with
applicable requirements. The FAA also announces that it is reviewing a
proposed noise compatibility program that was submitted for Albany
County Airport under part 150 in conjunction with the noise exposure
maps, and that this program will be approved or disapproved on or
before October 28, 1996.
EFFECTIVE DATE: The effective date of the FAA's determination on the
noise exposure maps and of the start of its review of the associated
noise compatibility program is April 30, 1996. The public comment
period ends July 1, 1996.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steven Urlass, Community Planner,
FAA--Eastern Regional Office, Fitzgerald Federal Building, JFK
International Airport, Jamaica, New York 11430; (718) 553-3353.
Comments on the proposed noise compatibility program should also be
submitted to the above office.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice announces that the FAA finds
that the noise exposure maps submitted for Albany County Airport are in
compliance with applicable requirements of part 150, effective April
30, 1996.
Further, FAA is reviewing a proposed noise compatibility program
for that airport which will be approved or disapproved on or before
October 28, 1996. This notice also announces the availability of this
program for public review and comment.
Under section 103 of Title I of the Aviation Safety and Noise
Abatement Act of 1979 (hereinafter referred to as ``the Act''), an
airport operator may submit to the FAA noise exposure maps which meet
applicable regulations and which depict noncompatible land uses as of
the date of submission of such maps, a description of projected
aircraft operations, and the ways in which such operations will affect
such maps. The Act requires such maps to be developed in consultation
with interested and affected parties in the local community, government
agencies and persons using the airport.
An airport operator who has submitted noise exposure maps that are
found by the FAA to be in compliance with the requirements of FAR part
150, promulgated pursuant to Title I of the Act, may submit a noise
compatibility program for FAA approval which sets forth the measures
the operator has taken or proposes for the reduction of existing
noncompatible uses and for the prevention of the introduction of
additional noncompatible uses.
The Albany County Airport Authority submitted to the FAA on May 2,
1995, noise exposure maps, descriptions and other documentation which
were produced during an airport noise compatibility planning study. It
was requested that the FAA review this material as the noise exposure
maps, as described in section 103(a)(1) of the Act, and that the noise
mitigation measures, to be implemented jointly by the airport and
surrounding communities, be approved as a noise compatibility program
under section 104(b) of the Act.
The FAA has completed its review of the noise exposure maps and
related descriptions submitted by the Albany County Airport Authority.
The specific maps under consideration are the noise exposure maps:
Exhibit 1, Existing (1995) Noise Exposure Map (first page following
page vi) and Exhibit 2, Future (2000) Noise Exposure Map (second page
following page vi) of the May 1995 submission. The FAA has determined
that these maps for Albany County Airport are in compliance with
[[Page 20311]]
applicable requirements. This determination is effective on April 30,
1996. FAA's determination on an airport operator's noise exposure maps
is limited to finding that the maps were developed in accordance with
the procedures contained in Appendix A of FAR part 150. Such
determination does not constitute approval of the applicant's data,
information or plans, or a commitment to approve a noise compatibility
program or to fund the implementation of that program.
If questions arise concerning the precise relationship of specific
properties to the noise exposure maps submitted under section 103 of
the Act, it should be noted that the FAA is not involved in any way in
determining the relative locations of specific properties with regard
to the depicted noise contours, or in interpreting the noise maps to
resolve questions concerning, for example, which properties should be
covered by the provisions of section 107 of the Act. These functions
are inseparable from the ultimate land use control and planning
responsibilities of local government. These local responsibilities are
not changed in any way under part 150 or through FAA's review of noise
exposure maps. Therefore, the responsibility for the detailed
overlaying of noise exposure contours onto the map depicting properties
on the surface rests exclusively with the airport operator which
submitted those maps, or with those public agencies and planning
agencies with which consultation is required under section 103 of the
Act. The FAA has relied on the certification by the airport operator
under Sec. 150.21 of Part 150, that the statutorily required
consultation has been accomplished.
The FAA formally received on March 15, 1996, the noise
compatibility program for Albany County Airport, also effective April
30, 1996. Preliminary review of the submitted material indicates that
it conforms to the requirements for the submittal of noise
compatibility programs, but that further review will be necessary prior
to the approval or disapproval of the program. The formal review
period, limited to law to a maximum of 180 days, will be completed on
or before October 28, 1996.
The FAA's detailed evaluation will be conducted under the
provisions of 14 CFR 150.33. The primary considerations in the
evaluation process are whether the proposed measures may reduce the
level of aviation safety, create an undue burden on interstate or
foreign commerce, or be reasonably consistent with obtaining the goal
of reducing existing non-compatible land uses and preventing the
introduction of additional non-compatible land uses.
Interested persons are invited to comment on the proposed program
with specific reference to the factors. All comments, other than those
properly addressed to local land use authorities, will be considered by
the FAA to the extent practical. The public comment period ends July 1,
1996.
Copies of the noise exposure maps, the FAA's evaluation of the
maps, and the proposed noise compatibility program, are available for
examination at the following locations:
FAA
Eastern Regional Office, Fitzgerald Federal Building, Airports
Division, Room 337, JFK International Airport, Jamaica, New York 11430
FAA
New York Airports District Office, 600 Old Country Road, Suite 446,
Garden City, New York 11530
Albany County Airport, Airport Director's Office, Albany County Airport
Authority, ARFF Building, 2nd Floor, Albany, New York 12211
Questions may be directed to the individual name above under the
heading For Further Information Contact.
Issued in Jamaica, New York on April 30, 1996
Anthony P. Spera,
Acting Manager, Airports Division, Eastern Region.
[FR Doc. 96-11253 Filed 5-3-96; 8:45 am]
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