[Federal Register: April 27, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 81)]
[Notices]
[Page 24903-24908]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr27ap06-97]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
[Docket No. FAA-2006-24508]
Draft General Conformity Determination for Proposed Operations of
Southwest Airlines Co. at Denver International Airport, Denver, CO
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice of Draft General Conformity Determination.
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SUMMARY: The FAA is issuing this notice to advise the public that a
Draft General Conformity Determination (DGCD) for Proposed Operations
of Southwest Airlines Co. (Southwest) at Denver International Airport
(DEN) has been prepared. In accordance with Section 176(c) of the Clean
Air Act, FAA has assessed whether the emissions that would result from
FAA's action in approving the proposed operation specifications
(OpSpec) for Southwest's proposed operations at DEN conform with the
Colorado State Implementation Plan (SIP).
DATES: Submit comments on or before May 30, 2006.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by docket no. FAA-2006-
24508 by any of the following methods:
DOT docket Web site: Go to http://dms.dot.gov and follow
the instructions for sending your comments electronically.
Government-wide rulemaking Web site: Go to http://www.regulations.gov
and follow the instructions for sending your
comments electronically.
Mail: Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of
Transportation, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Nassif Building, Room PL-401,
Washington, DC 20591.
Fax: (202) 493-2251.
Hand delivery: Room PL-401 on the plaza level of the
Nassif Building, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC, between 9
a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
After all comments are reviewed and addressed, a notice of
availability of the Final General Conformity Determination will be
published.
Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name
and docket number or Regulatory Information Number (RIN).
For Technical Information Contact: Joan Seward, All Weather
Operations Program Manager, ASW-230.1, FAA SW Region Headquarters, 2601
Meacham Blvd., Fort Worth, TX 76137, telephone (817) 222-5278, e-mail:
Joan.M.Seward@faa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In December of 2005, Southwest announced its
intent to begin scheduled service at DEN commencing in January 2006. As
required by Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR)
119.51, Southwest applied to the FAA to amend Southwest's OpSpecs to
include DEN, thereby authorizing Southwest to conduct DEN service. The
request to the FAA detailed Southwest's startup plans, commencing on
January 3, 2006, with 13 daily landing/take-off cycles (LTO),\1\
equating to a total of 26 operations, and contained other information
for the FAA to conduct the environmental review required under the
regulations implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
(40 CFR 1500-1508), section 176(c) of the Clean Air Act (40 CFR 93.150
et seq.), and by FAA Order 1050.1E, Environmental Impacts: Policies and
Procedures. At that time Southwest indicated an interest in increasing
operations to as many as 50 or 60 daily operations at DEN, but agreed
to maintain operations at DEN below de minimis levels until a General
[[Page 24904]]
Conformity Determination could be completed.
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\1\ For clarification, the phrase ``one round trip'' is
synonymous with a landing/takeoff cycle (LTO). The LTO consists of
an aircraft taxiing from the terminal gate area to the runway,
taking off by accelerating down the runway until 1,000 feet off the
ground, climbing to the altitude of the local mixing height,
returning on approach by descending from the mixing height to the
runway, and finally completing the cycle by taxiing from the runway
to the gate. An aircraft operation is defined as either a landing or
a takeoff. Therefore, one LTO cycle is equal to two aircraft
operations.
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The FAA issued an OpSpec to Southwest for this initial level of
activity accompanied by an environmental categorical exclusion dated
December 14, 2005, determining that the daily 13 LTOs were below de
minimis emission levels and were not regionally significant. Therefore,
the no further determination was required under the General Conformity
rule.
Southwest subsequently announced a scheduled increase of service
planned for March 2006 with an additional 9 daily LTOs, bringing the
total expected daily LTOs to 22. This General Conformity Determination
addresses FAA's proposed Federal action to amend Southwest's OpSpecs to
accommodate future operations as high as 60 daily LTOs at DEN (hereto
known as the ``Proposed Action''). The information presented in this
DGCD demonstrates conformance with Colorado's SIPs and substantiates
that the net emissions resulting from Southwest's increased service at
DEN are not regionally significant.
Air Quality Designations for the Denver Metropolitan Area
DEN is owned and operated by the City and County of Denver, and is
located within the Denver Metropolitan Area (DMA) for air quality
planning purposes. The DMA is designated as attainment for the criteria
pollutants sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide
(NO2), lead, and particulate matter with aerodynamic
diameter of 2.5 micrometers or less (PM2.5).
The DMA is an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) designated
attainment/maintenance area for the criteria pollutants carbon monoxide
(CO), particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter of 10 micrometers or
less (PM10), and the 1-hour ozone national ambient air
quality standard (NAAQS). In addition, DEN is located in an Early
Action Compact (EAC) area for the 8-hour ozone standard, which has a
deferred air quality designation date of December 31, 2006.
Pursuant to the Clean Air Act, Federal actions in nonattainment and
maintenance areas are required to conform with SIPs to either bring an
area into compliance with the NAAQS or maintain compliance with the
NAAQS.
FAA approval to amend Southwest's OpSpecs for DEN constitutes a
Federal action required to conform to Colorado's SIPs for CO,
PM10, and the EAC requirements for the 8-hour ozone
standard.
General Conformity Applicability Analysis
Section 176(c) of the Clean Air Act prohibits the Federal
government from engaging in, supporting, providing financial assistance
for, licensing, permitting, or approving any activity that does not
conform to an applicable implementation plan. A general conformity
determination may be required for each pollutant where the net direct
and indirect emissions in a nonattainment or maintenance area caused by
the action exceed de minimis levels (40 CFR 93.151(b)). In addition to
the de minimis applicability analysis, a conformity evaluation of
Federal actions must also demonstrate the Proposed Action does not
constitute a regionally significant action, which is defined as an
action that contributes 10 percent or more of total basin-wide
emissions.
DMA's pollutants of concern for general conformity purposes include
CO, PM10, and the precursors of ozone, namely volatile
organic compounds (VOCs) and oxides of nitrogen (NOX).\2\ An
analysis must be performed to determine if the net annual emissions of
these pollutants resulting from the Proposed Action exceed General
Conformity de minimis thresholds. For DMA, the General Conformity de
minimis thresholds are 100 tons per year for each pollutant of concern.
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\2\ Ozone is formed in the atmosphere rather than being directly
emitted from sources. Ozone forms as a result of volatile organic
compounds (VOCs) and oxides of nitrogen (NOX) reacting in
the presence of sunlight in the atmosphere. VOCs and NOX
are termed ``ozone precursors'' and their emissions are regulated in
order to control the creation of ozone. Aircraft engine emissions
data is in the form of ``total hydrocarbons'' or HC. For the
purposes of this analysis, HCs are conservatively assumed equivalent
to VOCs.
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Emissions Inventory
To determine the net effect of the proposed project, an emissions
inventory of reasonably foreseeable, direct, and indirect emissions
caused by the Federal action was performed to calculate the difference
between the Proposed Action scenario--Southwest's foreseeable maximum
activity level at DEN, and the No Action scenario--no service by
Southwest at DEN.\3\ The evaluation was performed using the FAA's
Emissions and Dispersion Modeling System (EDMS) version 4.4. Under the
Proposed Action, no facility improvements would required (e.g., new
parking facilities, aircraft gates, etc.) to accommodate the Proposed
Project. Therefore, the sources considered in the emissions inventory
were limited to aircraft operations and supporting equipment (ground
support equipment (GSE) and auxiliary power unit (APU)), surface
transportation, and parking lots.
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\3\ For the purposes of this analysis, FAA has taken the
conservative approach of considering the No Action scenario to
include no Southwest operations at DEN. Although Southwest began
initial operations at DEN in January of 2005, Southwest agreed to
limit operations to levels determined to be de minimis to
accommodate the preparation of a General Conformity Determination of
up to 60 LTO's per day.
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Aircraft and Supporting Equipment Emissions
Under the No Action alternative, Southwest's operations would not
be introduced at DEN, therefore no emissions from aircraft operations
would occur. Similarly, no change in either APU emissions or (GSE)
emissions would occur. Although the extent and timing of potential
increases in Southwest's flight activity in the Proposed Project are
imprecise, the airline's business plan indicates that earliest possible
calendar year that the maximum foreseeable aircraft activity of 60
daily LTOs could be achieved is 2007. Under the Proposed Action
scenario, aircraft emissions were quantified based on this maximum
foreseeable level and conservatively assumed to occur every day of the
year for a total of 10,950 LTOs per year. To match Southwest's fleet
and registered engines, emissions were calculated from CFM56-3B1,
CFM56-3B2, CFM56-7B22, and CFM56-7B24 engines proportionately to the
number of aircraft/engine combinations registered in Southwest's
national fleet (see Table 1).
[[Page 24905]]
Table 1.--Southwest Aircraft Information and Potential Maximum Activity at DEN
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Percent of
National national Maximum Maximum
Aircraft type Engine quantity* fleet daily LTOs annual LTOs
(percent)
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B733/B735........................ CFM56-3B1................ 202 47.5 28 10,220
B733............................. CFM56-3B2................ 17 4.0 2 730
B737-700......................... CFM56-7B22............... 204 48.0 29 10,585
B737-700......................... CFM56-7B24............... 2 0.5 1 365
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Totals....................... ......................... 425 100 60 21,900
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* BACK database, April 2005.
Southwest has indicated that it will use the available gate
electrification at DEN. Gate electrification supplies power to an
aircraft while parked at airport gates by enabling connection of the
aircraft's systems to 400hz electrical power. The result is that the
use of the aircraft's auxiliary power units (APUs) is reduced, which,
in turn, reduces the associated combustion pollutants. Typically, with
gate electrification, APU usage is minimized to approximately 8 minutes
per LTO. Southwest employs Allied Signal model GTCP85-129 APUs on their
B737-300s and Allied Signal model 1319B APUs on their B737-700s.
Southwest has identified the individual types and quantities of
ground support equipment (GSE), and time duration dedicated to each
aircraft LTO. Table 2 presents the GSE information that was used to
calculate emissions for the Proposed Action scenario.
Table 2.--Southwest GSE Fleet Information per LTO at DEN
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Minutes of
operation
GSE description Quantity Fuel per vehicle
per LTO
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Aircraft Tug................ 1 Diesel.......... 5
Baggage Tug................. 2 Electric........ 20
Lavatory Truck.............. 1 Diesel.......... 10
Baggage Belt Loader......... 2 Diesel.......... 20
Hydrant Fueling Truck....... 1 Diesel.......... 10
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Source: Southwest Airlines, 2005.
Surface Transportation Emissions
Under the No Action alternative, Southwest's operations would not
be introduced at DEN, therefore no additional emissions from increased
surface transportation to/from DEN would occur. As a result of the
Proposed Action, the employees of Southwest Airlines will induce new
origin and destination (O&D) traffic to and from DEN. Over the years,
the City and County of Denver has worked with the Denver Regional
Council of Governments (DRCOG), which is the metropolitan planning
organization (MPO) for the DMA, to include airport-related O&D traffic
and emissions in DRCOG's regional traffic and air quality models,
respectively. DRCOG estimates and forecasts vehicle miles traveled
(VMT) for the region by compiling traffic data, population data, and
employment data. Specifically, DRCOG estimates O&D traffic for DEN
based upon data supplied by the City and County of Denver. DRCOG then
models all traffic and associated emissions for transportation
conformity purposes. This General Conformity Determination does not
include emissions from Southwest Airlines employee traffic because
DRCOG and the City and County of Denver have already taken steps to
ensure that future employee traffic, such as Southwest's, and the
associated future emissions are included in the conforming regional
transportation plan for the DMA.
Parking Lot Emissions
In the No Action alternative, no additional parking lot emissions
would be generated from passengers or Southwest employees. The increase
in parking lot emissions resulting from the increased Southwest
employee vehicular traffic to DEN associated with the proposed action
was calculated using the assumption that each proposed Southwest
employee would arrive and depart DEN daily in the employee's own
vehicle.
Results of the Emissions Inventory
For determining general conformity applicability, the net increases
of each pollutant of concern, if any, is determined by calculating the
difference in emissions between the Proposed Action--taking into
account not only additional emissions resulting from the action itself,
but also any decreases in emissions which may result--and the No Action
alternative. Table 3 presents the total emissions increase from the
Proposed Action and the comparison to the General Conformity de minimis
thresholds. The Proposed Action exceeds the de minimis thresholds for
the pollutants of CO and NOX. As a result, a General
Conformity determination is required.\4\
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\4\ Although not required because emissions are above de
minimis, Table 4 provides the estimated emission contributions from
the Proposed Action in comparison to the regional budget levels from
the various SIP documents, both existing and future plans. The
common assumption in these values is that the annual tons of
emissions estimated from the Proposed Action are evenly distributed
across 365 days of the year. The FAA is aware that contribution of
emissions from the proposed Southwest activity will vary by day,
week, month, and season. However, the overall daily emission
contributions from the Proposed Action is so low relative to
regional inventories that further estimates of daily emission
contributions from the Proposed Action will not change the
determination. Therefore, the emissions from the Proposed Action are
not regionally significant.
[[Page 24906]]
Table 3.--Net Emission Increases From the Proposed Action and Comparison to De Minimis Thresholds
[Tons per year]
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Category CO VOC NOX SOX PM10/PM2.5
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Aircraft........................ 260.798 22.754 195.110 19.413.............. 2.199
APU............................. 3.999 0.269 2.052 0.358............... unavailable
GSE............................. 2.543 0.660 6.889 1.216............... 0.530
Parking......................... < 0.001 < 0.001 < 0.001 < 0.001.............. < 0.001
Total....................... 267.339 23.682 204.051 20.985.............. 2.728
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de minimis threshold............ 100 100 100 not applicable...... 100
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Source: FAA Emissions Dispersion Modeling System version 4.4.
Table 4.--Comparison of Proposed Action Emissions to the SIP Regional Inventories
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Is the
Daily Original SIP SIP proposed
Pollutants of concern Units emissions from maintenance maintenance action
proposed plan plan update regionally
action significant?
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CO........................................... (tons/day)............................... 0.732 1,125.4 to 1,736.9 to No.
1,203.3 1,864.9
PM10......................................... (tons/winter day)........................ 0.007 66.9 to 95.6 62.3 to 107.5 No.
VOC.......................................... (tons/summer day)........................ 0.065 459 to 507 NA No.
NOX.......................................... (tons/summer day)........................ 0.559 308 to 332 303.3 to No.
353.3*
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* Updated regional NOX values were listed in the PM10 Maintenance Plan Update.
General Conformity Determination
Under the General Conformity regulations, the FAA can utilize a
number of criteria for demonstrating conformity with SIPs. For this
determination, the FAA believes it is appropriate to utilize the
criterion of demonstrating that emissions for the Proposed Action are
specifically identified and accounted for in the SIP maintenance plans
under 40 CFR 93.158(a)(1). The FAA has reviewed specific SIP
maintenance plan documentation to affirm that the City and County of
Denver's airport emissions inventory for DEN was included in the SIP
maintenance plans by the State and regional air quality agencies. In a
letter dated April 5, 2006, the Colorado Department of Public Health
and Environment confirmed the emissions associated with the Proposed
Action are reasonably accounted for in the Colorado SIPs. The FAA
recognized that the SIP maintenance plans for the DMA include the
future aviation activity levels predicted for the airport. The aircraft
emissions included in the Technical Support Documents for the 2000 CO
Maintenance Plan, the 2001 PM10 Maintenance Plan, the 2001
1-hour Ozone Maintenance Plan, and the 2004 8-hour Ozone Action Plan
all rely on a Colorado Department of Aviation's aviation activity
forecast that was prepared in 1999. From the forecasted activity
levels, emissions were calculated and properly collaborated with the
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment for inclusion in
the budgets listed in DMA's SIP maintenance plans.
Figure 1 provides the historical aircraft activity and future
levels used to predict SIP emissions for future milestone maintenance
years. Note that the future aircraft activity levels for DEN are
extrapolated based on historical levels plus the addition of
Southwest's proposed activity. The resulting aircraft activity levels
are extrapolated forward to illustrate how the influence of the
Proposed Action compares to the future aircraft activity represented in
the SIP maintenance plans.
The addition of Southwest's increased aircraft activity levels
directly affects the air carrier category at DEN. To better illustrate
the influence Southwest will have on this category as it was
represented in the SIP maintenance plans, Figure 2 isolates the air
carrier category. The additional operations have been added to the
actual trend line and compared to the future air carrier activity
levels for future milestone years to demonstrate that the expected
levels of operations are still below the air carrier aircraft activity
levels represented in the SIP maintenance plans.
The FAA demonstrates that the total of the actual aircraft
operations plus the proposed aircraft operations and associated
emissions for Southwest is below the SIP's forecasted values, and
therefore emissions attributed to flights by Southwest are already
accounted for in the SIP emissions inventories. The FAA believes, and
State representatives confirmed, that the total net emissions
associated with the Proposed Action (including the aircraft emissions)
are reasonably accounted for in the SIP maintenance plans. As a result,
the Proposed Action demonstrates a conformance to the existing and
updated SIP maintenance plans for the DMA.
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References
40 CFR part 93 subpart B--Determining Conformity of General
Federal Actions to State or Federal Implementation Plans.
EPA and FAA, General Conformity Guidance for Airports Questions
and Answers, September 25, 2002.
Carbon Monoxide References
Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment, Air
Pollution Control Division, Technical Support Document: Carbon
Monoxide Redesignation Request and Maintenance Plan for the Denver
Metropolitan Area, January 4, 2000.
Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment, Air
Pollution Control Division, Carbon Monoxide Redesignation Request
and Maintenance Plan for the Denver Metropolitan Area, January 10,
2000.
Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment, Air
Pollution Control Division, Technical Support Document: Carbon
Monoxide Maintenance Plan Revision for the Denver-Boulder Attainment
Area, June 2003.
Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment, Air
Pollution Control Division, Carbon Monoxide Maintenance Plan for the
Denver Metropolitan Area, June 19, 2003.
Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment, Air
Pollution Control Division, Technical Support Document: Carbon
Monoxide Maintenance Plan Revision for the Denver-Boulder Attainment
Area, September 2005.
Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment, Air
Pollution Control Division, Carbon Monoxide Maintenance Plan for the
Denver Metropolitan Area, December 15, 2005.
PM10 References
Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment, Air
Pollution Control Division, Technical Support Document: Colorado
State Implementation Plan for PM10, Denver Metropolitan
Nonattainment Area, Emissions Inventories and Dispersion Model
Results for the Maintenance Plan, Adopted April 19, 2001.
Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment, Air
Pollution Control Division, PM10 Redesignation Request
and Maintenance Plan for the Denver Metropolitan Area, Adopted April
19, 2001.
Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment, Air
Pollution Control Division, Revised Technical Support Document:
Colorado State Implementation Plan for PM10, Denver
Metropolitan Nonattainment Area, Emissions Inventories and
Dispersion Model Results for the Maintenance Plan, September, 2005.
Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment, Air
Pollution Control Division, PM10 Maintenance Plan for the
Denver Metropolitan Area, Approved by the Colorado Air Quality
Control Commission December 15, 2005.
Ozone References
Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment, Air
Pollution Control Division, Technical Support Document: Colorado
State Implementation Plan for Ozone, Denver Metropolitan
Nonattainment Area, Emissions Inventories for the Maintenance Plan
and Redesignation Request, Adopted January 11, 2001.
Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment, Air
Pollution Control Division, Ozone Redesignation Request and
Maintenance Plan for the Denver Metropolitan Area, Adopted January
11, 2001.
Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment, Air
Pollution Control Division, Technical Support Document: Colorado
State Implementation Plan for Ozone, Denver Metropolitan
Nonattainment Area, Appendix C--Emissions Inventories for the Ozone
State Implementation Plan, February 26, 2004.
Federal Register, USEPA approval of DMA's Ozone Action Plan, May
17, 2005.
Issued in Washington, DC, on April 20, 2006.
John M. Allen,
Deputy Director, Flight Standards Service.
[FR Doc. 06-3998 Filed 4-26-06; 8:45 am]
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