[Federal Register: December 8, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 235)]
[Notices]
[Page 71097]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr08de04-148]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement and Hold
Scoping Meetings for a Replacement General Aviation Airport at
Mesquite, NV
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration, DOT.
ACTION: Notice to hold one (1) public scoping meeting and one (1)
Governmental/Public Agency scoping meeting.
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SUMMARY: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is issuing this
notice to advise the public that an Environmental Impact Statement will
be prepared for the proposed release of federal grant-in-aid
obligations for the existing Mesquite Airport and development of a
replacement general aviation airport for Mesquite, Nevada at another
site. To ensure that all significant issues related to the proposed
action are identified, one (1) public scoping meeting and one (1)
governmental and public agency scoping meeting will be held.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Barry Franklin, Environmental
Protection Specialist, San Francisco Airports District Office, Federal
Aviation Administration, Western-Pacific Region, 831 Mitten Road,
Burlingame, California, 94010; Telephone (650) 876-2778, extension 614.
Comments on the scope of the EIS should be submitted to the address
above and must be received no later than 5 p.m. Pacific Standard Time,
February 20, 2005.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
will prepare an Environmental Impact Stateament for proposed release of
federal grant-in-aid obligations at the existing Mesquite Airport and
development of a replacement general aviation airport. The need to
prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is based on the
procedures described in FAA Order 5050.4A, Airport Environmental
Handbook, information that indicates the site of the proposed
replacement airport may contain desert tortoise (a federal listed
species) and the proposed replacement airport development is likely to
be controversial on environmental grounds.
The city of Mesquite, as owner and operator of Mesquite Airport,
has determined I would like to use the existing airport site for
another land use and proposes to construct a replacement general
aviation airport on Mormon Mesa to continue to provide access to the
national air transportation system. The proposed federal actions are to
release the city from its federal grant-in-aid obligations at the
existing airport and approve the Airport Layout Plan for the
replacement airport. The existing Mesquite Airport was constructed in
1990. The city proposes to construct the replacement airport without
the use of federal funds and transfer the existing grant-in-aid
obligations in the replacement airport site. The land proposed for the
replacement airport has been made available to the city of Mesquite
through The Mesquite Lands Act of 1999, as amended. The Lead Agency for
the preparation of the EIS is the Federal Aviation Administration. The
FAA proposes to evalaute the following development alternatives and the
No Action Alternative in the EIS as described below.
Alternative One: Construct Replacement General Aviation Airport at
Mormon Mesa
Redevelop the existing airport site for a non-aviation
use.
Acquisition of approximately 2622 acres of land to
accommodate the proposed replacement airport, airport access road and
Runway Protection Zones.
Site preparation, grading and drainage for a replacement
airport including a new runway not less than 5,100 feet long by 75-feet
wide and associated parallel taxiway system and aircraft parking apron,
access road and other associated facilities.
Paving, lighting, and marking of the runway, taxiways,
aircraft parking apron, access road.
Installation of utilities necessary to operate the
airport.
Installation of navigational aids.
Development of appropriate instrument flight procedures
for the replacement airport.
Alternative Two: Construct the Replacement Airport in a Different
Location
This alternative includes all the features of Alternative 1.
Alternative Three: Expand the Existing Airport
Under this alternative, the existing airport, constructed on top of
a mesa, would be expanded to the fullest extent possible to accommodate
continued general aviation aircraft operations.
Alternative Four: No action Alternative
Under the alternative the existing airport would be retained with
no improvements. The city would not change the land use of the existing
airport and a replacement airport would not be constructed.
Comments and suggestions are invited from Federal, State and local
agencies, and other interested parties to ensure that the full range of
issues related to these proposed projects are addressed and all
significant issues are identified. Written comments and suggestions
concerning the scope of the EIS may be mailed to the FAA informational
contact listed above and must be received no later than 5 p.m. Pacific
Standard Time, February 20, 2005.
Public Scoping Meeting: The FAA will hold one (1) public and one
(1) governmental agency scoping meeting to solicit input from the
public and various Federal, State and local agencies having
jurisdiction by law or having specific expertise with respect to any
environmental impacts associated with the proposed projects. The public
scoping meeting will be held on Thursday, January 20, 2005, at the
Mesquite City Hall, 10 East Mesquite Boulevard, Mesquite, Nevada 89027.
The meeting will be held from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Pacific Standard Time
(PST). A scoping meeting will be held specifically for governmental and
public agencies the same day from 1 p.m. to 3 (PST) in the same
location as the public scoping meeting.
Issued in Hawthorne, California, on December 1, 2004.
Mark A. McClardy,
Manager, Airports Division, Western--Pacific Region, AWP-600.
[FR Doc. 04-26981 Filed 12-7-04; 8:45 am]
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