Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 121 / Monday, June 25, 2007 / Notices 34737 

14 Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) 

Part 150 is a local program, not a 

Federal program. The FAA does not 

substitute its judgment for that of the 

airport proprietor with respect to which 

measures should be recommended for 

action. The FAA’s approval or 

disapproval of 14 CFR Part 150 program 

recommendations is measured 

according to the standards expressed in 

Part 150 and the Act and is limited to 

the following determinations: 

a. The noise compatibility program 

was developed in accordance with the 

provisions and procedures of 14 CFR 

Part 150; 

b. Program measures are reasonably 

consistent with achieving the goals of 

reducing existing non-compatible land 

uses around the airport and preventing 

the introduction of additional noncompatible land uses; 

c. Program measures would not create 

an undue burden on interstate or foreign 

commerce, unjustly discriminate against 

types or classes of aeronautical uses, 

violate the terms of airport grant 

agreements, or intrude into areas 

preempted by the Federal Government; 

and 

d. Program measures relating to the 

use of flight procedures can be 

implemented within the period covered 

by the program without derogating 

safety, adversely affecting the efficient 

use and management of the navigable 

airspace and air traffic control systems, 

or adversely affecting other powers and 

responsibilities of the Administrator 

prescribed by law. 

Specific limitations with respect to 

FAA’s approval of an airport noise 

compatibility program are delineated in 

14 CFR part 150, § 150.5. Approval is 

not a determination concerning the 

acceptability of land uses under Federal, 

State, or local law. Approval does not by 

itself constitute an FAA implementing 

action. A request for Federal action or 

approval to implement specific noise 

compatibility measures may be 

required, and an FAA decision on the 

request may require an environmental 

assessment of the proposed action. 

Approval does not constitute a 

commitment by the FAA to financially 

assist in the implementation of the 

program nor a determination that all 

measures covered by the program are 

eligible for grant-in-aid funding from the 

FAA. Where Federal funding is sought, 

requests for project grants must be 

submitted to the FAA Seattle Airports 

District Office in Seattle, Washington. 

Portland International Airport 

submitted to the FAA on December 6, 

2006, the noise exposure maps, 

descriptions, and other documentation 

produced during the noise compatibility 

planning study conducted from 2001 

through 2006. The Portland 

International Airport noise exposure 

maps were determined 2001 through 

2006. The Portland International Airport 

noise exposure maps were determined 

by FAA to be in compliance with 

applicable requirements on December 

13, 2006. Notice of this determination 

was published in the Federal Register 

on December 20, 2006 (FR Volume 71, 

Number 244, pages 76420–76421). 

The Portland International Airport 

study contains a proposed noise 

compatibility program comprised of 

actions designed for phased 

implementation by airport management 

and adjacent jurisdictions. It was 

requested that the FAA evaluate and 

approve this material as a noise 

compatibility program as described in 

section 47504 of the Act. The Faa began 

its review of the program on December 

13, 2006, and was required by a 

provision of the Act to approve or 

disapprove the program within 180 days 

(other than the use of new or modified 

flight procedures for noise control). 

Failure to approve or disapprove such 

program within the 180-day period shall 

be deemed to be an approval of such 

program. 

The submitted program contained ten 

noise abatement measures, nine noise 

mitigation/land use compatibility 

measures, and eight administrative 

recommendations. The FAA completed 

its review and determined that the 

procedural and substantive 

requirements of the Act and FAR part 

150 have been satisfied. The overall 

program, therefore, was approved by the 

FAA effective June 7, 2007. 

Outright approval was granted for 24 

specific program elements. Pursuant to 

49 U.S.C. 47504(b), no action was 

required for Noise Abatement 

Recommendation 8—Reduced Use of 

Reverse Thrust on Landing. Noise 

Mitigation Recommendation 10—

Floating Home Sound Proofing was 

disapproved. The measure was 

disapproved because FAA is not aware 

of any published studies on the 

feasibility of sound attenuating floating 

homes, and Part 150 is not intended as 

a means to undertake new research. 

Administrative Measure 20—Propeller 

Retrofits was also disapproved because 

this measure called for the exploration 

of quiet technology and Part 150 is not 

intended as a means to undertake new 

research. Noise Mitigation Measure 12—

Investigate Possible Solutions to Reduce 

Noise Exposure for Residents of Mobile 

Homes was removed from further 

consideration by the Port of Portland. 

Noise Mitigation Measure 18—Noise 

Disclosures for Prospective Purchasers 

at or above the 55 DNL Noise Contour 

was also removed from further 

consideration by the Port of Portland. 

These determinations are set forth, in 

detail, in a Record of Approval signed 

by the Airports Division Manager, 

Northwest Mountain Region on June 7, 

2007. The Record of Approval, as well 

as other evaluation materials and the 

documents comprising the submittal, 

including response to public comments, 

are available for review at the FAA 

office listed above and at the 

administrative offices of the Portland 

International Airport. The Record of 

Approval also will be available on-line 

at http://www.faa.gov/arp/ 

enviromental/14cfr150/index14.cfm. 

Issued in Renton, Washington on June 11, 

2007. 

Donna P. Taylor, 

Manager, Airports Division, Northwest 

Mountain Region. 

[FR Doc. 07–3070 Filed 6–22–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–M 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

Notice of Intent To Rule on Request To 

Release Airport Property at the Pueblo 

Memorial Airport, Pueblo, CO 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Notice of request to release 

airport property 

SUMMARY: The FAA proposes to rule and 

invite public comment on the release of 

land at the Pueblo Memorial Airport 

under the provisions of Section 125 of 

the Wendell H. Ford Aviation 

Investment Reform Act for the 21st 

Century (AIR 21) 

DATES: Comments must be received on 

or before July 25, 2007. 

ADDRESSES: Comments on this 

application may be mailed or delivered 

to the FAA at the following address: Mr. 

Craig A. Sparks, Manager, Federal 

Aviation Administration, Northwest 

Mountain Region, Airports Division, 

Denver Airports District Office, 26805 E. 

68th Ave., Suite 224, Denver, Colorado 

80249. 

In addition, one copy of any 

comments submitted to the FAA must 

be mailed or delivered to Mr. Jerry 

Brienza, Airport Manager of Operations 

and Maintenance, Pueblo Memorial 

Airport, 31201 Bryan Circle, Pueblo, 

Colorado 81001. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. 

Chris Schaffer, Project Manager, Federal 

Aviation Administration, Northwest 

Mountain Region, Airports Division, 


sroberts on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES
34738 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 121 / Monday, June 25, 2007 / Notices 

1Texas Transportation Institute (TTIl, 2005 

Urban Mobility Report, May 2005 (http:// 

ttiltamu.edu/documents/mobility_report_2005.pdf), 

Tables 1 and 2. 

2TTI, 2005 Urban Mobility Report, p. 1. 

Denver Airports District Office, 26805 E. 

68th Ave., Suite 224, Denver, Colorado 

80249. 

The request to release property may 

be reviewed in person at this same 

location. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FAA 

invites public comment on the request 

to release property at the Pueblo 

Memorial Airport under the provisions 

of the AIR 21. 

On May 30, 2007, the FAA 

determined that the request to release 

property at the Pueblo Memorial Airport 

submitted by the City of Pueblo, 

Colorado met the procedural 

requirements of the Federal Aviation 

Regulations, Part 155. The FAA may 

approve the request, in whole or in part, 

no later than July 27, 2007. 

The following is a brief overview of 

the request: 

The Pueblo Memorial Airport requests 

the release of 18.69 acres of nonaeronautical airport property, otherwise 

known as lot 8 of the Pueblo Memorial 

Industrial Park Subdivision, to the City 

of Pueblo, Colorado. The purpose of this 

release is to allow the City to sell the 

subject land that no longer serves any 

aeronautical purpose at the airport. The 

sale of this parcel will provide funds for 

airport improvements. 

Any person may inspect the request 

by appointment at the FAA office listed 

above under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

CONTACT. 

In addition, any person may, inspect 

the application, notice and other 

documents germane to the application 

in person at the Pueblo Memorial 

Airport, 31201 Bryan Circle, Pueblo, 

Colorado 81001. 

Issued in Denver, Colorado on June 25, 

2007. 

Craig A. Sparks, 

Manager, Denver Airports District Office. 

[FR Doc. 07–3071 Filed 6–22–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–M 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Highway Administration 

Surface Transportation Environment 

and Planning Cooperative Research 

Program (STEP) 

AGENCY: Federal Highway 

Administration (FHWA), DOT. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: Section 5207 of the Safe, 

Accountable, Flexible, Efficient 

Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for 

Users (SAFETEA–LU) established the 

Surface Transportation Environment 

and Planning Cooperative Research 

Program (STEP). The general objective 

of the STEP is to improve understanding 

of the complex relationship between 

surface transportation, planning and the 

environment. SAFETEA–LU provides 

$16.875 million per year for fiscal years 

(FY) 2006–2009 to implement this new 

cooperative research program. STEP is 

the primary source of funds to conduct 

all Federal Highway Administration 

(FHWA) research on planning and 

environmental issues. In addition, 

Congress mandated several special 

studies and STEP will be the funding 

source for those projects. STEP will also 

address priorities identified in the U.S. 

Department of Transportation Research 

and Development Strategic Plan (section 

508 of title 23 U.S.C.) including those 

related to highway safety benefits and 

congestion reduction. 

The purpose of this notice is to 

announce revisions to the STEP 

implementation strategy for FY 2008 

and to request suggested lines of 

research for the FY 2008 STEP via the 

STEP Web site at http:// 

www.fhwa.dot.gov/hep/step/index.htm. 

DATES: Suggestions for lines of research 

should be submitted to the STEP Web 

site on or before August 24, 2007. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Felicia Young, Office of Interstate and 

Border Planning, (202) 366–1263, 

Felicia.young@fhwa.dot.gov; or Grace 

Reidy, Office of the Chief Counsel, (202) 

366–6226; Federal Highway 

Administration, 400 Seventh Street, 

SW., Washington, DC 20590. Office 

hours are from 7:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., 

e.t., Monday through Friday, except 

Federal holidays. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Electronic Access 

An electronic copy of this notice may 

be downloaded from the Office of the 

Federal Register’s home page at http:// 

www.archives.gov and the Government 

Printing Office’s Web site at http:// 

www.access.gpo.gov. 

Background 

Section 5207 of the Safe, Accountable, 

Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity 

Act: A Legacy for Users (Pub. L. 109–59, 

Aug. 10. 2005), established the Surface 

Transportation Environment and 

Planning Cooperative Research Program. 

STEP is a new cooperative research 

program for environment and planning 

research created in section 507 of Title 

23, United States Code, Highways (23 

U.S.C. 507). The general objective of the 

STEP is to improve understanding of the 

complex relationship between surface 

transportation, planning, and the 

environment. 

Congestion reduction is an important 

element of the STEP. Transportation 

system congestion is one of the single 

largest threats to U.S. economic 

prosperity and the American way of life. 

In response to the challenges of 

congestion, in May 2006, the U.S. 

Department of Transportation (DOT) 

established the National Strategy to 

Reduce Congestion on America’s 

Transportation Network (the 

‘‘Congestion Initiative’’). The 

Congestion Initiative is a bold and 

comprehensive national program to 

reduce congestion on the Nation’s roads, 

rails, runways and waterways. 

Traffic congestion affects virtually 

every aspect of peoples’ lives—where 

people live, where they work, where 

they shop and how much they pay for 

goods and services. According to 2003 

figures, in certain metropolitan areas the 

average rush hour driver loses as many 

as 93 hours per year to travel delay—

equivalent to more than 2 weeks of 

work, amounting annually to a virtual 

‘‘congestion tax’’ as high as $1,598 per 

traveler in wasted time and fuel.1

Nationwide, congestion imposes costs 

on the economy of over $65 billion per 

year,2 a figure that has more than 

doubled since 1993, and that would be 

even higher if it accounted for the 

significant cost of unreliability to 

drivers and businesses, the 

environmental impacts of idle related 

auto emissions, or increase gasoline 

prices. 

The STEP directly addresses 

congestion reduction efforts as part of 

the Planning Focus Area. Other STEP 

emphasis areas include goals and 

objectives that relate to congestion 

reduction. These include: Congestion; 

Air Quality and Global Climate Change, 

Bicycle/Pedestrian and Health, 

Environmental Streamlining/ 

Stewardship; U.S./Canada and U.S. 

Mexico Border Planning; Safety 

Planning; Freight Planning; Travel 

Modeling, etc. In addition, STEP 

outreach efforts continue to seek 

partnerships that can leverage limited 

research funding with other 

stakeholders and partners in order to 

increase the total amount of funding 

available to meet the Nation’s surface 

transportation research needs including 

congestion reduction. 

SAFETEA–LU provides $16.875 

million per year for FY 2006–2009 to 

implement this new cooperative 

research program. Due to obligation 


sroberts on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES