[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 185 (Monday, September 25, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Page 55820]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-8128]



[[Page 55820]]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration


Notice of the Availability of the Record of Decision (ROD) for 
the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) that Evaluated the 
Proposed Relocation of the Panama City-Bay County International 
Airport, Panama City, Florida, Published in May 2006

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of Availability for Record of Decision.

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SUMMARY: The FAA is issuing this notice to advise the public that it 
has issued a ROD for the FEIS that evaluated a proposal to relocate the 
existing Panama City-Bay County International Airport (PFN) to a new 
site in western Bay County, Florida. The ROD provides final agency 
determination and approvals for those federal actions by the FAA 
necessary for the proposed relocation of PFN.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FAA has completed and is publishing its 
Record of Decision for the proposed relocation of the Panama City-Bay 
County International Airport to a new site in western Bay County, 
Florida. The Environmental Protection Agency published FAA's notice of 
availability of the FEIS for this airport relocation project in the 
Federal Register on May 19, 2006. The FEIS was prepared in compliance 
with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) [42 U.S.C. 
Section 4321, et seq.], the implementing regulations of the Council on 
Environmental Quality (CEQ) [40 CFR Parts 1500-1508] and FAA directives 
[Order 1050.1E and Order 5050.4A], and assessed the potential impact of 
six development alternatives, as well as the No Action Alternative 
where the airport would be neither improved at the existing site nor 
relocated to a new site in western Bay County. The FAA accepted 
comments on the Final EIS and these comments, along with the FAA's 
responses, are included in Appendix B of the ROD.
    The FAA has identified the West Bay Site 8,400 foot Alternative, 
the Airport Sponsor's Proposed Project (Proposed Project), as its 
preferred alternative in the FEIS and selected alternative in the ROD. 
The Proposed Project consists of relocation of the existing PFN to a 
new site in Bay County, Florida, called the West Bay Site. The Proposed 
Project is identified as Phase 1 (initial development area), which 
encompasses approximately 1,378 acres of the 4,000-acre West Bay Site. 
The relocation of the airport includes, but is not limited to, 
construction of a primary air carrier runway 8,400 feet in length, a 
crosswind runway 5,000 feet in length, airside and landside facilities 
to support the runway operations (such as taxiways, aprons, a 
commercial passenger terminal, access roads and parking, fuel storage 
facilities, an Air Traffic Control Tower, etc.), general aviation and 
fixed base operator facilities, and navigation aids. The FAA is 
selecting and granting approval of a layout plan for the FAA's 
preferred alternative, the West Bay Site 8,400 foot Alternative, with 
conditions as noted in Section 12 of the ROD. Copies of the ROD and 
FEIS are available for public review at the following locations during 
normal business hours:
    Panama City-Bay County International Administration Office, 3173 
Airport Road, Panama City, Florida 32405, Telephone (850) 783-6751, Bay 
County Public Library, 25 West Government Street, Panama City, Florida 
32401, Telephone (850) 872-7500; Federal Aviation Administration, 
Orlando Airports District Office, 5950 Hazeltine National Drive, Suite 
400, Orlando, Florida 32822, Telephone (407) 812-6331; Federal Aviation 
Administration Southern Region Office, 1701 Columbia Avenue, College 
Park, GA, 30337, Telephone (404) 305-6700.
    The FEIS is available for review at http://www.pcairport.com. The 
ROD will also be available for review at this Web site by late 
September 2006.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Virginia Lane, Environmental 
Specialist, Federal Aviation Administration, Orlando Airports District 
Office, 5950 Hazeltine National Drive, Suite 400, Orlando, Florida 
32822, Telephone (407) 812-6331 Extension 129.

    Issued in Orlando, Florida on September 15, 2006.
Matthew J. Thys,
Acting Manager, Orlando Airports District Office.
[FR Doc. 06-8128 Filed 9-22-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-M