70868 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 229 / Tuesday, November 28, 2000 / Notices

extent practicable. Letters describing the

proposed action and soliciting

comments have been sent to appropriate

federal, state, and local agencies, with

information describing this proposal

attached. Letters have also been sent to

organizations that are known to have an

interest in this proposal to provide them

the opportunity to comment.

Issued in Des Plaines, Illinois, on

November 16, 2000.

Pene’ A. Beversdorf,

Acting Manager, Chicago Airports District

Office, FAA, Great Lakes Region.

[FR Doc. 00–30253 Filed 11–27–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–13–M

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

Environmental Impact Statement: New

Orleans International Airport, New

Orleans, Louisiana

AGENCY: Federal Aviation

Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of Intent.

SUMMARY: The FAA is issuing this notice

to advise the public that an

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)

will be prepared and considered for a

proposed new air carrier runway and a

taxiway conversion to a general aviation

runway at New Orleans International

Airport. The existing north-south

Runway 1⁄19 does not provide full

instrument capabilities, nor is it feasible

to expand the runway to meet design

standards to provide these capabilities

because of its proximity to Airport

Access Road and the Interstate 10

overpass. While the proposed runway is

to provide the capacity to meet nearterm forecast peak-period demands

when the airport is experiencing low

visibility, it would also provide capacity

to meet longer-term demands during all

weather conditions. Some of the

alternatives being considered are the no

action; north/south parallel to existing

Runway 1⁄19; as well as an 8 degree

canted north/south alignment. The

conversion of the east-west Taxiway G

to a runway is intended to serve general

aviation (GA) aircraft using the recently

constructed northside facilities,

allowing air traffic controller separation

of lower-speed GA aircraft from higher

performance aircraft. The alternatives

being considered are the no action; the

proposed taxiway to runway

conversion, and others that will be

identified in the EIS study. Included in

the alternatives analysis will be the

consideration of a proposed new

Regional Airport.

Project History: In 1990, the FAA

began preparation of an EIS to address

construction of a new air carrier

runway. However, successful

completion of the 1990 draft EIS was

never accomplished. In 1998, the City of

New Orleans and the New Orleans

Aviation Board began moving forward

with the EIS for a new runway. The

FAA selected a consultant and

preparation of the EIS was begun in late

1999. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

is a cooperating agency with the FAA on

this EIS.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Joyce M. Porter, Environmental

Specialist, Federal Aviation

Administration, Southwest Regional

Office, Fort Worth, Texas 76193–0640.

Telephone (817) 222–5640.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FAA,

in cooperation with the City of New

Orleans and the New Orleans Aviation

Board, will prepare an EIS for the

proposed projects. The City of New

Orleans and the New Orleans Aviation

Board propose to construct a new air

carrier runway, 8,000 ft long and 150 ft

wide, and its associated taxiways;

convert a east/west taxiway into a

parallel Visual Flight Rule general

aviation runway, 6,731 ft long and 100

ft wide, and construct a new parallel

taxiway; and redesignate the existing

runway 6⁄24 to a taxiway. The FAA

intends to conduct a scoping process to

gather input from all interested parties

to help identify any issues of concern

associated with the proposed projects.

In addition to this notice, Federal, state,

and local agencies, which have

jurisdiction by law or have special

expertise with respect to any potential

environmental impacts associated with

the proposed projects, will be notified

by letter of an agency scoping meeting

to be held January 11, 2001 in the New

Orleans Aviation Board Room at the

airport from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

In order to notify the general public

of the scoping process, a notice will be

placed in a newspaper having general

circulation in the project area describing

the proposed projects. The newspaper

notice will notify the public that

scoping meetings will be held to gain

their input concerning the proposed

project. The scoping meetings are

scheduled for: January 8, 2001 at the

Jerusalem Temple, 1940 Ormond Blvd,

Destrehan, LA; January 9, 2001 at the

Pontchartrain Center, 4545 Williams

Blvd in Kenner, LA; and January 10,

2001 at the Delgado Community

College, Michael Williamson

Gymnasium, 615 City Park Avenue in

New Orleans, LA. Each of the three

meetings will consist of a public

workshop providing information about

the proposed projects from 4 p.m. to 7

p.m., followed by an Open Forum to

obtain public comments from 7 p.m. to

10 p.m. During the public workshops,

participants will be able to view project

related materials and speak with

representatives of the FAA and their

consulting team. The purpose of the

Open Forum is to receive comments

from the public and answer questions

regarding the scope and process related

to the EIS.

Issued on: November 17, 2000.

Naomi L. Saunders,

Manager, Airports Division.

[FR Doc. 00–30254 Filed 11–27–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–13–M

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

Aviation Security Advisory Committee;

Meeting

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of a

meeting of the Aviation Security

Advisory Committee.

DATES: The meeting will be held

December 7, 2000, from 10:00 a.m. to

1:00 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at

the Federal Aviation Administration,

800 Independence Avenue, SW., 10th

floor, MacCracken Room, Washington,

D.C. 20591, telephone 202–267–7622.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant

to section 10(a)(2) of the Federal

Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92–

463; 5 U.S.C. App. 11), notice is hereby

given of a meeting of the Aviation

Security Advisory Committee to be held

December 7, at the Federal Aviation

Administration, 800 Independence

Avenue, SW., 10th floor, MacCracken

Room, Washington, D.C. The agenda for

the meeting will include: The Airport

Security Improvement Act of 2000,

Electronic Fingerprints, Checkpoint

Security Screeners, Status of Work

Groups, and Security Initiatives. The

December 7 meeting is open to the

public but attendance is limited to space

available. Members of the public may

address the committee only with the

written permission of the chair, which

should be arranged in advance. The

chair may entertain public comment if,

in its judgment, doing so will not

disrupt the orderly progress of the

meeting and will not be unfair to any

other person. Members of the public are

welcome to present written material to

the committee at any time. Persons

wishing to present statements or obtain

information should contact the Office of