Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 235 / Wednesday, December 6, 2000 / Notices 76339

Municipal Airport and use the revenue

from a PFC at Killeen Municipal Airport

and Robert Gray Army Airfield under

the provisions of the Aviation Safety

and Capacity Expansion Act of 1990

(Title IX of the Omnibus Budget

Reconciliation Act of 1990) (Pub. L.

101–508) and Part 158 of the Federal

Aviation Regulations (14 CFR part 158).

DATES: Comments must be received on

or before January 5, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Comments on this

application may be mailed or delivered

in triplicate copies to the FAA at the

following address: Mr. G. Thomas

Wade, PFC Program Manager, Federal

Aviation Administration, Southwest

Region, Airports Division, Planning and

Programming Branch, ASW–611, Fort

Worth, Texas 76193–0610.

In addition, one copy of any

comments submitted to the FAA must

be mailed or delivered to Mr. Don O.

Christian, Manager of Killeen Municipal

Airport at the following address: Mr.

Don O. Christian, Director of Aviation,

Killeen Municipal Airport, 1525 Airport

Drive, Box A, Killeen, TX 76543–5536.

Air carriers and foreign air carriers

may submit copies of the written

comments previously provided to the

Airport under Section 158.23 of Part

158.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.

G. Thomas Wade, PFC Program

Manager, Federal Aviation

Administration, Southwest Region,

Airports Division, Planning and

Programming Branch, ASW–611, Fort

Worth, Texas 76193–0610.

The application may be reviewed in

person at this same location.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FAA

proposes to rule and invites public

comment on the application to impose

the revenue from a PFC at Killeen

Municipal Airport and use the revenue

at Killeen Municipal Airport (ILE) and

Robert Gray Army Airfield (GRK) under

the provisions of the Aviation Safety

and Capacity Expansion Act of 1990

(Title IX of the Omnibus Budget

Reconciliation Act of 1990) (Pub. L.

101–508) and Part 158 of the Federal

Aviation Regulations (14 CFR part 158).

On November 22, 2000, the FAA

determined that the application to

impose and use the revenue from a PFC

submitted by the Airport was

substantially complete within the

requirements of § 158.25 of part 158.

The FAA will approve or disapprove the

application, in whole or in part, no later

than February 24, 2001.

The following is a brief overview of

the application.

Level of the proposed PFC: $4.50

Proposed charge effective date: May 1,

2001.

Proposed charge expiration date: July

1, 2005.

Total estimated PFC revenue:

$2,570,000.

PFC application number: 01–05–C–

00–ILE.

Brief description of proposed

project(s):

Projects To Impose and Use PFC’s:

1. Construct Partial Parallel Taxiway

to Runway 15–33 (GRK).

2. Terminal Facilities Site Work,

Utilities and Access Road (GRK).

3. Construct Terminal Building and

Apron (GRK).

4. Acquire Additional Land for

Terminal (GRK).

5. Runway Safety Area Improvements

(ILE).

Proposed class or classes of air

carriers to be exempted from collecting

PFC’s: FAR Part 135 on demand air

Taxi/Commercial Operator (ATCO)

reporting on FAA Form 1800–31.

Any person may inspect the

application in person at the FAA office

listed above under FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT and at the FAA

regional Airports office located at:

Federal Aviation Administration,

Southwest Region, Airports Division,

Planning and Programming Branch,

ASW–610, 2601 Meacham Blvd., Fort

Worth, Texas 76137–4298.

In addition, any person may, upon

request, inspect the application, notice

and other documents germane to the

application in person at Killeen

Municipal Airport.

Issued in Forth Worth, Texas on November

22, 2000.

Naomi L. Saunders,

Manager, Airports Division.

[FR Doc. 00–31089 Filed 12–5–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–13–M

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

Air Traffic Noise Screen

AGENCY: Federal Aviation

Administration (FAA) DOT.

ACTION: Notice of change in air traffic

noise screen policy.

SUMMARY: This action changes the FAA

Air Traffic Noise Screen (ATNS) policy

to incorporate an administrative change

in the procedures to conduct the ATNS.

This action is issued as a Final Notice

without prior notice because this change

is administrative and/or required by

statute. Also, the current adoption of the

policy change is in the public interest.

DATES: Effective January 5, 2001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

William J. Marx, Environmental

Programs Division, Office of Air Traffic

Airspace Management, Federal Aviation

Administration, 800 Independence

Ave., SW., Washington, DC 20591;

Telephone: (202) 267–3705.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

In 1987 the Federal Aviation

Administration (FAA) implemented the

Expanded East Coast Plan (EECP). At

that time air traffic proposed actions

above 3,000 feet above ground level

(AGL) were considered noncontroversial by nature and were

categorically excluded from further

environmental review under the

National Environmental Policy Act of

1969. When the EECP was categorically

excluded from further environmental

review, populations in New Jersey

reacted strongly. The action became

highly controversial, and Congress

mandated that an Environmental Impact

Statement (EIS) be completed by the

FAA. At that time, there was no

precedence for analyzing noise effects

from aircraft above 3,000 feet AGL.

In 1991 Air Traffic Services began the

Congressionally mandated EIS of air

traffic procedural actions associated

with the EECP. Populations in the study

area were analyzed for noticeable

changes (± 5 decibels on an average

annual basis) in their exposure to

aircraft noise due to the EECP.

The FAA chose to model predicted

change in noise exposure up to 18,000

feet AGL to insure that communities

with predicted 45 decibel (dB) Day

Night Level (DNL) (average aircraft

noise level over a 24 hour period

averaged over the course of a year) noise

footprints were included in the study

area. The resulting Air Traffic Noise

Screen (ATNS) was created to address

airspace changes that may cause

controversy on environmental grounds

at altitudes between 3,000 feet AGL and

18,000 feet AGL. It was a factor to be

considered in determining whether

actions normally categorically excluded

from further environmental review

should be reviewed as part of an

environmental assessment because of

the potential for community annoyance

and reaction.

Since the EECP EIS, Air Traffic

Services has used 18,000 feet AGL as

the altitude ceiling when screening for

potentially controversial noise

exposures that could be expected from

proposed air traffic actions. In 1999 the

FAA’s Office of Air Traffic Airspace

Management initiated a scientific study

76340 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 235 / Wednesday, December 6, 2000 / Notices

of the ATNS to rigorously analyze

predicted noise exposures using

different altitude ceilings. Using a

research and development tool, FAA

analyzed data from a major airspace

project and proposed alternative that

reflected the largest proposed changes to

the current area airspace design. The

science-based study provided analysis

on the difference in noise screening

results by comparing results using an

18,000 feet AGL altitude ceiling with

results using 10,000, 12,000, 14,000, and

16,000 feet AGL. Completed in July

1999, the results revealed equivalent

predicted noise exposure values using a

10,000 feet ceiling as were predicted

using a 18,000 feet ceiling. In addition,

since the ATNS was implemented,

proposals to change air traffic

procedures have not identified 5 decibel

or greater changes at altitudes above

10,000 feet AGL.

The results of this analysis confirm

that an altitude cut-off of 10,000 feet

AGL has materially the same predictive

capability as the ATNS run to 18,000

feet AGL. The FAA has determined that

the public interest is served by this

action. The policy change enables the

Air Traffic Service to avoid

unproductive agency resource use;

further, the policy change enables

resource allocation to more timely

analysis of environmental conditions for

proposed airspace projects without

changing environmental protection and

consideration to affected communities.

Air Traffic Noise Screen Policy

Beyond the airport environs, aircraft

following air traffic routes and

procedures normally do not

significantly influence the noise

environment of underlying land uses.

Air traffic procedures for operations

over 3,000 feet AGL are normally

categorically excluded from

environmental assessment requirements

delineated in FAA Order 1050.1,

Environmental Impacts: Policies and

Procedures.

At the same time, in recognition that

some actions that are normally

categorically excluded can be highly

controversial on environmental

grounds, the FAA has developed the

ATNS which allows air traffic

specialists and planners to evaluate

potential noise impacts from proposed

air traffic changes. The ATNS is a

computerized noise screening procedure

that provides guidance to air traffic

managers in identifying air traffic

changes that will increase aircraft noise

exposure, and the possible need for an

environmental assessment.

The ATNS will be used to evaluate

proposed changes in arrival procedures

between 3,000 feet and 7,000 feet and

departure procedures between 3,000

and 10,000 feet AGL, for large civil jet

aircraft weighing over 75,000 pounds.

Where a proposed change would cause

an increase in noise of 5 dB DNL or

greater, FAA considers whether there

are extraordinary circumstances in

accordance with Order 1050.1 that

warrant preparation of an

environmental assessment.

Issued in Washington, DC November 30,

2000.

Nancy B. Kalinowski,

Deputy Program Director for Air Traffic

Airspace Management, ATA–1.

[FR Doc. 00–31090 Filed 12–5–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–13–M

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

Pilot Program To Permit Cost-Sharing

of Air Traffic Modernization Projects

AGENCY: Federal Aviation

Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of final program

guidance; request for sponsors’

expressions of interest for air traffic

modernization cost-sharing projects for

fiscal years 2001, 2002, and 2003.

SUMMARY: On August 14, 2000, the FAA

issued proposed program guidance on

Section 304 of the Wendell H. Ford

Aviation and Investment Reform Act for

the 21st Century (AIR–21), which

authorizes a pilot program for costsharing of air traffic modernization

projects. The FAA is now issuing final

program guidance and is requesting

sponsors’ expressions of interest for

cost-sharing projects for fiscal years

2001, 2002, and 2003. The comments

that the FAA received on the proposed

guidelines and FAA’s responses can be

found below under the heading

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. The

purpose of Section 304 is to improve

aviation safety and enhance mobility by

encouraging non-Federal investment on

a pilot program basis in critical air

traffic control facilities and equipment.

Under the pilot program, the Secretary

of Transportation may make grants to

eligible project sponsors for not more

than ten eligible projects, with each

project limited to Federal funding of

$15,000,000 and a 33 percent Federal

cost share. A project sponsor may be a

public-use airport (or a group of publicuse airports), or a joint venture between

a public-use airport (and a group of

public-use airports) and one or more

U.S. air carriers.

DATES: Initial sponsors’ expressions of

interest should be received by the FAA’s

Air Traffic System Requirements

Service on or before January 19, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Sponsors’ expressions of

interest should be mailed or delivered,

in duplicate, to the Federal Aviation

Administration, Air Traffic System

Requirements Service (ARS–1), Room

8206, 400 7th Street, SW, Washington,

DC 20590. Electronic submissions of

expressions of interests will not be

accepted. Deliveries may be made

between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays,

except Federal holidays. An electronic

copy of this notice may be downloaded

using a modem and suitable

communications software from the FAA

regulations section of the FedWorld

electronic bulletin board service

(telephone: 703–321–3339) or the

Government Printing Office’s electronic

bulletin board service (telephone: 202–

512–1661).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Ward Keech (202–267–3312) or Charles

Monico (202–267–9527), Office of

Aviation Policy and Plans (APO),

Federal Aviation Administration, 800

Independence Avenue, SW,

Washington, DC 20590.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

1. Background

In performing its mission of providing

a safe and efficient air transportation

system, the FAA operates and maintains

a complex air traffic control system

infrastructure. Section 304 of the

Wendell H. Ford Aviation and

Investment Reform Act for the 21st

Century (AIR–21) authorizes a pilot

program to permit cost-sharing of air

traffic modernization projects, under

which airports and airport/airline joint

ventures may procure and install

facilities and equipment in cooperation

with the FAA. The purpose of Section

304 is to improve aviation safety and

enhance mobility in the air

transportation by encouraging nonFederal investment on a pilot program

basis in critical air traffic control

facilities and equipment. The pilot

program is intended to allow project

sponsors to achieve accelerated

deployment of eligible facilities or

equipment, and to help expand aviation

infrastructure.

This notice responds to congressional

direction that the FAA issue advisory

guidelines on implementation of the

pilot program.

2. Responses to Comments Requested in

August 14, 2000 Federal Register Notice

The August 14, 2000, notice requested

comments on FAA’s proposed program