[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 213 (Thursday, November 2, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65894-65895]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-28189]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration


Intent To Prepare a Joint Environmental Impact Statement/
Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) and Hold a Scoping Meeting for 
Santa Barbara Municipal Airport, Santa Barbara, CA

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration, DOT.

ACTION:  Notice to hold a public scoping meeting.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is issuing this 
notice to advise the public that a joint EIS/EIR will be prepared for 
development recommended by the Master Plan Update for Santa Barbara 
Municipal Airport, Santa Barbara, California. This is the second notice 
that the FAA has published on this document; the first notice was 
published on August 11, 1993 and a public scoping meeting was held on 
September 17, 1993. Portions of the baseline information and proposed 
project scope have since been updated, and the planning horizon has 
been extended, therefore, to ensure that all significant issues related 
to the proposed action are identified, another public scoping meeting 
is being scheduled.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Peter Ciesla, Airport Planner, AWP-
613.2, Federal Aviation Administration, Airports Division, Western-
Pacific Region, P.O. Box 92007, World Way Postal Center, Los Angeles, 
California 90009-2007, Telephone: 310/725-3628. Comments on the scope 
of the EIS should be submitted to the address above and must be 
received no later than Friday, December 15, 2000.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FAA in cooperation with the city of 
Santa Barbara, California, will prepare a joint EIS/EIR for further 
development recommendation at Santa Barbara Municipal Airport. The need 
to prepare an EIS is based on the procedures described in FAA Order 
5050.4A, Airport Environmental Handbook. The city of Santa Barbara is 
preparing an EIR to meet the state of California environmental review 
requirements.
    Preparation of the joint EIS/EIR for the proposed Santa Barbara 
Municipal Airport improvements were initially started in August 1993, 
with the first Notice of Intent being published for development 
recommended in the Draft Master Plan Update. At that time, the proposed 
improvements included the extension of Runway 7/25 to the west by 800 
feet, construction of runway safety areas at each end of Runway 7/25 in 
order to meet FAA standards, extension and widening of Runway 15R/33L, 
and for the Terminal Building expansion and terminal area improvements. 
The runway safety areas are required under FAA standards in order to 
reduce the risk of damage and passenger injury, if an aircraft leaves 
the runway pavement. The existing runway safety area for the east end 
Runway 7/25 is 500 feet wide and 215 feet long, and the west end is 500 
feet wide and 320 feet long. The current required dimensions for the 
runway safety area is an area that is 500 feet wide and 1,000 feet 
beyond the runway end. Since the original Notice of Intent, a number of 
studies were completed, which concluded that the existing 6,052 foot 
operational length of Runway 7/25 is satisfactory for current and 
foreseeable future airline flights. In order to achieve the runway 
safety areas, Runway 7/25 would need to be relocated approximately 800 
feet to the west. These studies formed the basis of the City's current 
Aviation Facilities Plan, which includes the required runway safety 
areas and retains the current runway length for aircraft operations.
    The proposed action is the adoption of the Santa Barbara Municipal 
Airport, Aviation Facilities Plan (AFP). The AFP recommends expanding 
the existing runway safety areas on both ends of Runway 7/25 in order 
to meet current FAA standards, expansion of the airline terminal and 
parking facility, construction of a new Taxiway M and construction of 
general aviation facilities.
    The federal actions being proposed are FAA approval of the Airport 
Layout Plan and approval of future processing of an application for 
federal funding assistance, for the proposed improvements. The airport 
is located in the vicinity of the Goleta Slough and there are potential 
impacts on wetlands and biotic communities from the disruption of 
stream flows and tidal circulation to the area around the airport. The 
land adjacent to the airport contains non-compatible land uses in terms 
of aircraft noise, and the proposed development is likely to be 
controversial.
    The city of Santa Barbara, pursuant to the California Environmental 
Quality Act of 1970 (CEQA) is preparing an Environmental Impact Report 
(EIR) for the proposed development. In an effort to eliminate 
unnecessary duplication and reduce delay, the document to be prepared, 
will be a joint EIS/EIR in accordance with the President's Council on 
Environmental Quality Regulations described in 40 Code of Federal 
Regulations Sections 1500.5 and 1506.2.
    The Joint Lead Agencies for the preparation of the EIS/EIR will be 
the Federal Aviation Administration and the city of Santa Barbara, 
California. Due to proximity of the Goleta Slough and other water 
courses on the airport, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is a 
cooperating agency in the preparation of the document.
    The development recommended in the AFP and which will be evaluated 
in the EIS/EIR is described below:

West Creek Realignment Alternative

    <bullet> Construction of a new runway safety area on each end of 
Runway 7/25, in order to meet FAA standards. The runway safety area on 
the east end of the runway would use an 800 foot portion of the 
existing runway.
    <bullet> Construction of an 800 foot western extension to Runway 7/
25 to maintain the existing 6,052 foot, Runway 7/25 length, and 
extension of the associated taxiway.

[[Page 65895]]

    <bullet> Terminal Building expansion, and expansion of the 
automobile parking area.
    <bullet> Construction of a new Taxiway M.
    <bullet> Construction of additional T-hangars and a new air cargo 
facility.
    <bullet> Realignment of Tecolotito Creek, 2,000 feet to west, to be 
rerouted around the new runway safety area and relocation of Carneros 
Creek.
    <bullet> Acquisition of Runway Protection Zones on each end of 
Runway 7/25.
    <bullet> Relocation of navigational aids at the airport.
    <bullet> Revisions to the standard instrument departure and arrival 
procedures at the airport.

West Creek Culvert Alternative

    <bullet> Same as Alternative 1, except that a culvert would be 
built for Tecolotito Creek to allow it to flow under the runway, 
taxiway and safety area.

No Action Alternative

    <bullet> No construction activities at the airport would occur 
under this alternative.
    Comments received during the first scoping meeting raised concerns 
about the potential emissions from air pollutants, impacts on 
biological resources, noise impacts to surrounding residential areas, 
potential disruption of archaeological or historic sites, 
incompatibility with existing land uses, traffic impacts on existing 
streets, and possible contamination of Goleta Slough or alterations of 
it's flow patterns.
    Comments and suggestions to this second Notice of Intent 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/EIR may be mailed to the FAA informational contact listed above 
and must be received no later than Friday, December 15, 2000.

Public Scoping Meeting

    The FAA will hold a public scoping meeting to solicit input from 
the public with respect to any environmental impacts associated with 
the proposed project. The public scoping meeting will be held at 1 p.m. 
on December 7, 2000, at the City Council Chambers, Santa Barbara City 
Hall, 735 Anacapa Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101.

    Issued in Hawthorne, California on Friday, October 20, 2000.
Mia Paredes Ratcliff,
Acting Manager, Airports Division, Western-Pacific Region, AWP-600.
[FR Doc. 00-28189 Filed 11-1-00; 8:45 am]
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