[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 235 (Wednesday, December 8, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Page 71097]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-26981]


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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

    <bullet> Redevelop the existing airport site for a non-aviation 
use.
    <bullet> Acquisition of approximately 2622 acres of land to 
accommodate the proposed replacement airport, airport access road and 
Runway Protection Zones.
    <bullet> 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.
    <bullet> Paving, lighting, and marking of the runway, taxiways, 
aircraft parking apron, access road.
    <bullet> Installation of utilities necessary to operate the 
airport.
    <bullet> Installation of navigational aids.
    <bullet> 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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