[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 139 (Friday, July 23, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39097-39098]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-15704]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration


Availability of Record of Decision for the Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) for the Proposed LaGuardia Access Improvement Project 
at LaGuardia Airport (LGA), New York City, Queens County, New York

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of 
Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Notice of availability for Record of Decision.

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SUMMARY: This notice is intended to advise the public that on July 20, 
2021, the FAA issued a Record of Decision (ROD) for the federal actions 
reviewed in the Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the 
proposed LaGuardia Airport (LGA) Access Improvement Project and its 
connected actions (the Proposed Action). The ROD includes numerous 
environmental findings by the FAA, as well as environmental 
determinations related to funding opportunities that are subject to 
federal oversight.
    The Final EIS and ROD are available for download on the project 
website at https://www.lgaaccesseis.com.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Andrew Brooks, Environmental 
Program Manager, Eastern Regional Office, AEA-610, Federal Aviation 
Administration, 1 Aviation Plaza, Jamaica, NY 11434. Telephone: 718-
553-2511.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FAA, as lead agency, has completed and 
is publishing a ROD for proposed improvements identified at LGA. The 
ROD was prepared pursuant to Title 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 
1505.2.
    The Final EIS for the proposed LGA Access Improvement Project was 
published on the project website at www.lgaaccesseis.com on March 15, 
2021 and two Notices of Availability in the Federal Register were 
published; the first by the FAA on March 18, 2021 (86 FR 14796) and the 
second by the Environmental Protection Agency on March 19, 2021 (86 FR 
14908). The FAA prepared the Final EIS pursuant to: The National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, 42 United States Code (U.S.C.) 
4321 et seq.; the Council of Environmental Quality implementing 
regulations, 40 CFR parts 1500-1508; FAA Order 1050.1F; and FAA Order 
5050.4B. FAA assessed the potential environmental impacts of the 
Proposed Action, as well as the No Action Alternative.
    In the Final EIS, the FAA identified the Proposed Action as its 
preferred alternative in meeting the purpose and need of addressing 
unpredictable and increasing travel times to and from LGA and space 
constraints for employee parking. The Proposed Action includes:
    <bullet> Construction of an above ground fixed guideway automated 
people mover (APM) system approximately 2.3 miles in length that 
extends from the LGA Central Hall Building under construction to the 
Mets-Willets Point Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) and New York City 
Transit Subway Flushing Line (7 Line) Stations;
    <bullet> construction of two on-Airport APM stations (Central Hall 
APM Station and East APM Station) and one off-Airport APM station at 
Willets Point (Willets Point APM Station) that provides connections to 
the Mets-Willets Point LIRR and 7 Line stations;
    <bullet> construction of passenger walkway systems to connect the 
APM stations to the passenger terminals, parking garages, and ground 
transportation facilities;
    <bullet> construction of a multi-level APM operations, maintenance, 
and storage facility (OMSF) that includes up to 1,000 parking spaces 
(500 for airport employees, 250 for Metropolitan Transportation 
Authority (MTA) employees, 50 for APM employees, and 200 for 
replacement Citi Field parking);
    <bullet> construction of three traction power substations to 
provide power to the APM guideway: One located at the on-Airport East 
Station, another at-grade west of the proposed Willets Point Station 
just south of Roosevelt Avenue, and the third at the OMSF;
    <bullet> construction of a 27kV main substation located adjacent to 
the OMSF structure on MTA property;
    <bullet> construction of utilities infrastructure, both new and 
modified, as needed, to support the Proposed Action, including a 
permanent stormwater outfall into Flushing Creek and a temporary 
stormwater outfall into Flushing Creek; and
    <bullet> acquisition of temporary and permanent easements; no 
private property will be acquired.
    The Proposed Action also includes various connected actions, 
including: Utility relocation and demolition of certain existing 
facilities; a temporary MTA bus storage/parking facility; relocation of 
up to 200 Citi Field parking spaces; demolition and replacement of the 
Passerelle Bridge; temporary walkway to maintain access between the 
transit stations and Flushing Meadows-Corona Park; modifications to the 
Mets-Willets Point LIRR Station, including new shuttle service on the 
LIRR Port Washington Line; and the relocation of several World's Fair 
Marina facilities, including a boat lift, finger piers and connected 
timber floating dock, Marina office and boatyard facility, boat storage 
and parking, and operations shed.
    The ROD includes FAA's favorable environmental findings and 
determinations needed for the Port Authority to pursue future funding 
subject to FAA oversight pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 47106 and 47107 and 49 
U.S.C. 40117. The findings included in the ROD are:
    <bullet> The Proposed Action will conform with the Clean Air Act of 
1970, as amended (42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.);
    <bullet> The Proposed Action includes all practicable measures to 
minimize harm to endangered species as much as such harm may result 
from implementation of the Proposed Action (Endangered Species Act of 
1974, U.S.C. 1531, as amended);
    <bullet> There is no prudent and feasible alternative to use of 
lands containing publicly owned parks, recreation areas, national 
wildlife refuges, or significant historic sites protected under Section

[[Page 39098]]

4(f) of the DOT Act, and the Proposed Action includes all possible 
planning to minimize harm to resources protected under Section 4(f) of 
the DOT Act (49 U.S.C. 303(c) and Section 106, National Historic 
Preservation Act);
    <bullet> Relocation assistance, if any, will be provided in 
accordance with 42 U.S.C. 460, Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real 
Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970;
    <bullet> Further mitigation measures or alternatives that would 
avoid or reduce the disproportionately high and adverse effects to 
minority environmental justice populations are not practicable (DOT 
Order 5610.2B and E.O. 12989);
    <bullet> The Proposed Action would conform to all applicable state 
and/or local floodplain protection standards (E.O. 11988);
    <bullet> The Proposed Action complies with the enforceable policies 
of New York State's approved coastal management program and will be 
conducted in a manner consistent with such program;
    <bullet> The Proposed Action conforms to the Avoidance, 
Minimization and/or Compensation of Harm to Wetlands in Accordance with 
E.O. 11990 and the Clean Water Act;
    <bullet> The Proposed Action includes all practicable means to 
avoid or minimize harm from the alternative selected (40 CFR 
1505.2(a)(3)); and
    <bullet> The FAA has given this proposal the independent and 
objective evaluation required by the CEQ (40 CFR 1506.5).
    The determinations included in the ROD are:
    <bullet> The Proposed Action is reasonably consistent with existing 
plans of public agencies for development of areas surrounding the 
airport (49 U.S.C. 47106(a)(1)), and E.O. 12372;
    <bullet> Appropriate action, including the adoption of zoning laws, 
has been or will be taken as reasonable to restrict the land use next 
to or near the airport to uses that are compatible with airport 
operations (49 U.S.C. 47107(a)(10)); and
    <bullet> The interest of the communities in or near where the 
Proposed Action may be located were given fair consideration (49 U.S.C. 
47106(b)(2)).
    This ROD also presents the decision of the NPS, as cooperating 
agency in the Final EIS, to approve a partial conversion of 0.5 acres 
of parklands subject to the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) Act 
in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, as well as to approve a Temporary Non-
Conforming Use (TNCU) of 1.2 acres of parkland subject to the LWCF Act.
    A copy of the ROD is available for public review at FAA's website: 
https://www.faa.gov/airports/environmental/records_decision; and the 
LGA Access Improvement Project EIS website: http://www.LGAaccessEIS.com.

    Issued in Jamaica, New York, July 20, 2021.
Patricia Henn,
Manager, Planning and Programming Branch, Airports Division, Eastern 
Region.
[FR Doc. 2021-15704 Filed 7-22-21; 8:45 am]
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