Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 197 / Friday, October 10, 2014 / Notices 61369 

CONTACT section. Members of the public 

may present a written statement to the 

committee at any time. 

Issued in Washington, DC, on October 6th, 

2014. 

Mohannad Dawoud, 

Management Analyst, Business Operations 

Group, ANG–A12, Federal Aviation 

Administration. 

[FR Doc. 2014–24262 Filed 10–9–14; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

Noise Exposure Map Notice; Westover 

Metropolitan Airport, Chicopee, 

Massachusetts 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration, DOT. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA) announces its 

determination that the noise exposure 

map for Westover Metropolitan Airport, 

as submitted by the Westover 

Metropolitan Development Corporation 

under the provisions of Title I of the 

Aviation Safety and Noise Abatement 

Act of 1979, is in compliance with 

applicable requirements. The FAA also 

announces that it is reviewing a 

proposed noise compatibility program 

that was submitted for Westover 

Metropolitan Airport in conjunction 

with the noise exposure map, and that 

this program will be approved or 

disapproved on or before April 8, 2015. 

DATES: The effective date of the FAA’s 

determination on the noise exposure 

map and of the start of its review of the 

associated noise compatibility program 

is September 25, 2014. The public 

comment period ends on November 25, 

2014. 

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are 

invited to comment on the proposed 

program. All comments, other than 

those properly addressed to local land 

use authorities will be considered by the 

FAA to the extent practicable. 

Comments on the proposed noise 

compatibility program should also be 

submitted to the FAA office under the 

heading: FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

CONTACT. 

Copies of the noise exposure map, the 

FAA’s evaluation of the map, and the 

proposed noise compatibility program 

are available for examination at the 

following locations: 

Westover Metropolitan Airport, 

Chicopee, Massachusetts. 

Federal Aviation Administration, New 

England Region, Airports Division, 

ANE–600, 12 New England Executive 

Park, Burlington, Massachusetts 

01803. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Richard Doucette, Federal Aviation 

Administration, New England Region, 

Airports Division, ANE–600, 12 New 

England Executive Park, Burlington MA 

01803. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Authority: 49 U.S.C. 47501–47510; 14 CFR 

part 150. 

This notice announces that the FAA 

finds that the noise exposure map 

submitted for Westover Metropolitan 

Airport is in compliance with 

applicable requirements of Part 150, 

effective October 8, 2014. Further, FAA 

is reviewing a proposed noise 

compatibility program for that airport 

which will be approved or disapproved 

on or before April 8, 2015. This notice 

also announces the availability of this 

program for public review and 

comment. 

Under Section 103 of Title I of the 

Aviation Safety and Noise Abatement 

Act of 1979 (hereinafter referred to as 

‘‘the Act’’), codified at 49 U.S.C. 47503, 

an airport operator may submit to the 

FAA a noise exposure map which meets 

applicable regulations and which 

depicts non-compatible land uses as of 

the date of submission of such map, a 

description of projected aircraft 

operations, and the ways in which such 

operations will affect such map. The Act 

requires such map to be developed in 

consultation with interested and 

affected parties in the local community, 

government agencies, and persons using 

the airport. An airport operator who has 

submitted a noise exposure map that is 

found by FAA to be in compliance with 

the requirements of Federal Aviation 

Regulation (FAR) Part 150, promulgated 

pursuant to Title I of the Act, may 

submit a noise compatibility program 

for FAA approval which sets forth the 

measures the operator has taken, or 

proposes, for the introduction of 

additional non-compatible uses. 

The Westover Metropolitan 

Development Corporation submitted to 

the FAA, on October 8, 2014, a noise 

exposure map, descriptions, and other 

documentation that were produced 

during the Airport Noise Compatibility 

Planning (Part 150) study Westover 

Metropolitan Airport from August 2013 

to September 2014. It was requested that 

the FAA review this material as the 

noise exposure map, as described in 

Section 103(a)(1) of the Act, and that the 

noise mitigation measures, to be 

implemented jointly by the airport and 

surrounding communities, be approved 

as a noise compatibility program under 

Section 104 (b) of the Act. 

The FAA has completed its review of 

the noise exposure maps and related 

descriptions submitted by the Westover 

Metropolitan Development Corporation. 

The specific maps under consideration 

were: 

—Existing (2014) Conditions Noise 

Exposure Map NEM–1 

—Future (2019) Conditions Noise 

Exposure Map NEM–2 

The FAA has determined that the 

maps for Westover Metropolitan Airport 

are in compliance with applicable 

requirements. This determination is 

effective on October 8, 2014. 

FAA’s determination on an airport 

operator’s noise exposure maps is 

limited to a finding that the maps were 

developed in accordance with the 

procedures contained in Appendix A of 

FAR Part 150. Such determination does 

not constitute approval of the 

applicant’s data, information or plans, 

or a commitment to approve a noise 

compatibility program or to fund the 

implementation of that program. If 

questions arise concerning the precise 

relationship of specific properties to 

noise exposure contours depicted on a 

noise exposure map submitted under 

Section 103 of the Act, it should be 

noted that the FAA is not involved in 

any way in determining the relative 

locations of specific properties with 

regard to the depicted noise contours, or 

in interpreting the noise exposure map 

to resolve questions concerning, for 

example, which properties should be 

covered by the provisions of Section 107 

of the Act. These functions are 

inseparable from the ultimate land use 

control and planning responsibilities of 

local government. These local 

responsibilities are not changed in any 

way under Part 150 or through FAA’s 

review of a noise exposure map. 

Therefore, the responsibility for the 

detailed overlaying of noise exposure 

contours onto the map depicting 

properties on the surface rests 

exclusively with the airport operator 

that submitted the map, or with those 

public agencies and planning agencies 

with which consultation is required 

under Section 103 of the Act. The FAA 

has relied on the certification by the 

airport operator, under Section 150.21 

of FAR Part 150, that the statutorily 

required consultation has been 

accomplished. 

The FAA has formally received the 

noise compatibility program for 

Westover Metropolitan Airport, also 

effective on October 8, 2014. 

Preliminary review of the submitted 

material indicates that it conforms to the 

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61370 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 197 / Friday, October 10, 2014 / Notices 

requirements for the submittal of noise 

compatibility programs, but that further 

review will be necessary prior to 

approval or disapproval of the program. 

The formal review period, limited by 

law to a maximum of 180 days, will be 

completed on or before April 8, 2015. 

The FAA’s detailed evaluation will be 

conducted under the provisions of 14 

CFR part 150, Section 150.33. The 

primary considerations in the 

evaluation process are whether the 

proposed measures may reduce the level 

of aviation safety, create an undue 

burden on interstate or foreign 

commerce, or be reasonably consistent 

with obtaining the goal of reducing 

existing non compatible land uses and 

preventing the introduction of 

additional non-compatible land uses. 

Interested persons are invited to 

comment on the proposed program with 

specific reference to these factors. 

Questions may be directed to the 

individual named above under the 

heading: FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

CONTACT. 

Issued in Burlington, Massachusetts, on 

September 25, 2014. 

Mary T. Walsh, 

Manager, Airports Division. 

[FR Doc. 2014–23818 Filed 10–9–14; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Highway Administration 

[Docket No. FHWA–2014–0024] 

Application From the State of Texas 

Under the Surface Transportation 

Project Delivery Program and 

Proposed Memorandum of 

Understanding (MOU) Assigning 

FHWA’s Environmental Review 

Responsibilities to the State 

AGENCY: Federal Highway 

Administration (FHWA), DOT. 

ACTION: Notice of proposed MOU and 

request for comments. 

SUMMARY: This notice announces that 

the FHWA has received and reviewed 

an application from the Texas 

Department of Transportation (State) 

requesting participation in the Surface 

Transportation Project Delivery Program 

(Program). This Program allows for 

States to apply to assume, and for 

FHWA to assign, environmental review 

responsibilities under the National 

Environmental Policy Act of 1969 

(NEPA), and all or part of FHWA’s 

responsibilities for environmental 

reviews, consultations, or other actions 

required under any Federal 

environmental law with respect to one 

or more Federal highway projects 

within the State. The FHWA has 

determined the application to be 

complete, and developed a draft MOU 

with the State outlining how the State 

will implement the program, with 

FHWA oversight. The public and 

agencies are now invited to comment on 

the State’s request and the draft MOU. 

In particular, FHWA seeks comments on 

the proposed scope of the assignments 

and assumptions of responsibilities set 

out in the draft MOU for environmental 

reviews, consultations, and other 

activities to be assigned. 

DATES: Please submit comments by 

November 10, 2014. 

ADDRESSES: To ensure that you do not 

duplicate your docket submissions, 

please submit them by only one of the 

following means: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to 

http://www.regulations.gov and follow 

the online instructions for submitting 

comments. 

• Facsimile (Fax): 1–202–493–2251. 

• Mail: Docket Management Facility; 

U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 

New Jersey Ave. SE., West Building 

Ground, Floor Room W12–140, 

Washington, DC 20590–0001. 

• Hand Delivery: West Building 

Ground Floor, Room W12–140, 1200 

New Jersey Ave. SE., Washington, DC 

20590 between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. 

e.t., Monday through Friday, except 

Federal holidays. 

Instructions: You must include the 

agency name and docket number at the 

beginning of your comments. All 

comments received will be posted 

without change to http://

www.regulations.gov, including any 

personal information provided. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Michael T. Leary, Director of Planning 

and Program Development, Federal 

Highway Administration Texas 

Division, 300 E. 8 St., Room 826, 

Austin, TX 78701, 7:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. 

c.t., (512) 536–5940, michael.leary@

dot.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Electronic Access 

An electronic copy of this notice may 

be downloaded from the Federal 

Register’s home page at http://

www.archives.gov and the Government 

Printing Office’s database at http://

www.access.gpo.gov/nara. An electronic 

version of the application materials and 

proposed MOU may be downloaded by 

accessing the DOT DMS docket, as 

described above, at http://

www.regulations.gov/. 

Background 

Section 327 of title 23, United States 

Code (U.S.C.), allows for States to apply 

to assume, and for the Secretary of the 

USDOT (Secretary) to assign, the 

Secretary’s NEPA responsibilities and 

all or part of the Secretary’s 

responsibilities for environmental 

review, consultation, or other actions 

required under any other Federal 

environmental law with respect to one 

or more Federal highway projects. The 

FHWA is authorized to act on behalf of 

the Secretary with respect to these 

matters. 

The State has submitted application 

materials requesting to participate in 

this Program. The FHWA has reviewed 

these application materials, which 

include public and agency comments on 

the application and has determined 

them complete. The FHWA and the 

State have developed a draft MOU 

outlining how the State will implement 

the Program and how FHWA will 

oversee the State’s implementation as 

required by 23 U.S.C. 327. The FHWA 

now seeks public comments on the 

State’s request pursuant to 23 CFR 

773.111(a). 

Under the proposed MOU, FHWA 

would assign to the State the NEPA 

environmental review responsibilities 

for the following Federal highway 

projects: 

1. Projects requiring environmental 

impact statements (EIS), both on the 

State highway system (SHS) and local 

government projects off the SHS that 

FHWA funds or that require FHWA 

approvals, except the following EIS 

projects, which FHWA will not assign: 

Harbor Bridge, Trinity Parkway, and 

South Padre Island Causeway 2. 

2. Projects requiring environmental 

assessments, both on the SHS and local 

government projects off the SHS that 

FHWA funds or that require FHWA 

approvals. 

3. Projects qualifying for categorical 

exclusions (CE), both on the SHS and 

local government projects off the SHS 

that FHWA funds or that require FHWA 

approvals. The FHWA previously 

signed a MOU with the State assigning 

CE responsibility under the authority in 

23 U.S.C. 326. Upon execution of this 

MOU, the 23 U.S.C. 326 CE MOU 

between FHWA and the State will be 

terminated, and projects included under 

that MOU will be assumed under the 

Program. 

4. Highway projects within the State 

that other Federal agencies fund [or 

projects without any Federal funding] 

that also include FHWA funding or that 

require FHWA approvals. For these 

projects, the assigned environmental 

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