[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 27 (Wednesday, February 10, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7186-7187]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-02668]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration


Noise Exposure Map Notice for San Francisco International 
Airport, San Francisco, California

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announces its 
determination that the noise exposure maps submitted by the City and 
County of San Francisco for San Francisco International Airport under 
the provisions of 49 U.S.C. 47501 et. seq (Aviation Safety and Noise 
Abatement Act) and 14 CFR part 150 are in compliance with applicable 
requirements.

DATES: Effective date: The effective date of the FAA's determination on 
the noise exposure maps is February 10, 2016 and applicable January 29, 
2016.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Camille Garibaldi, Federal Aviation 
Administration, San Francisco Airports District Office, 1000 Marina 
Boulevard, Suite 220, Brisbane, California 94005-1835; or telephone 
number: (650) 827-7613.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice announces that the FAA finds 
that the noise exposure maps submitted for San Francisco International 
Airport are in compliance with applicable requirements of 14 Code of 
Federal Regulations (CFR) part 150 (hereinafter referred to as ``part 
150''), effective January 29, 2016. Under 49 U.S.C. 47503 of the 
Aviation Safety and Noise Abatement Act (hereinafter referred to as 
``the Act''), an airport operator may submit to the FAA noise exposure 
maps which meet applicable regulations and which depict non-compatible 
land uses as of the date of submission of such maps, a description of 
projected aircraft operations, and the ways in which such operations 
will affect such maps. The Act requires such maps 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 noise exposure maps that are found 
by FAA to be in compliance with the requirements of part 150, 
promulgated pursuant to the Act, may submit a noise compatibility 
program for FAA approval which sets forth the measures the operator has 
taken or proposes to take to reduce existing non-compatible uses and 
prevent the introduction of additional non-compatible uses.
    The FAA has completed its review of the noise exposure maps and 
accompanying documentation submitted by City and County of San 
Francisco. The documentation that constitutes the ``Noise Exposure 
Maps'' as defined in section 150.7 of part 150 includes: Exhibit 5-1-
2014 Noise Exposure Map--San Francisco International Airport [existing 
condition] and Exhibit 5-2-2019 Noise Exposure Map--San Francisco 
International Airport [5-year forecast condition]. The Noise Exposure 
Maps contain current and forecast information including the depiction 
of the airport and its boundary; the runway configurations, land uses 
such as residential, commercial, industrial, and open space/
recreational land use; locations of noise sensitive public buildings 
(such as schools, hospitals, and historic properties on or eligible for 
the National Register of Historic Places); and the Community Noise 
Equivalent Level (CNEL) 65, 70, and 75 decibel airport noise contours 
resulting from existing and forecast airport operations. The frequency 
of airport operations is described in section 4.6 of the Noise Exposure 
Map Update report. Flight tracks associated with San Francisco 
International Airport are depicted in Exhibits 4-3 through 4-10a. The 
San Francisco International Airport noise monitoring system is 
described in section 4.7 and monitoring locations are shown on Exhibit 
4-11 of the report. Estimates of the number of people residing within 
the CNEL contours is located in section 5.5 of the Noise Exposure Map 
Update report. The FAA has determined that these noise exposure maps 
and accompanying documentation are in compliance with applicable 
requirements. This determination is effective on January 29, 2016.
    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 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 47503 
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

[[Page 7187]]

in interpreting the noise exposure maps to resolve questions 
concerning, for example, which properties should be covered by the 
provisions of section 47506 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 noise exposure maps. 
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 those maps, 
or with those public agencies and planning agencies with which 
consultation is required under section 47503 of the Act. The FAA has 
relied on the certification by the airport operator, under section 
150.21 of part 150, that the statutorily required consultation has been 
accomplished.
    Copies of the full noise exposure map documentation and of the 
FAA's evaluation of the maps are available for examination at the 
following locations:

Federal Aviation Administration, Western-Pacific Region, Airports 
Division, 15000 Aviation Boulevard, Room 3012, Hawthorne, California 
90261.
Federal Aviation Administration, San Francisco Airports District 
Office, 1000 Marina Boulevard, Suite 220, Brisbane, California 94005-
1835.
San Francisco International Airport, Bureau of Planning and 
Environmental Affairs, Attention: Audrey Park, Senior Environmental 
Planner, 710 North McDonnell Road, 3rd Floor, San Francisco, California 
94128.

    Questions may be directed to the individual named above under the 
heading FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

    Issued in Hawthorne, California on January 29, 2016.
Mark A. McClardy,
Manager, Airports Division, AWP-600, Western-Pacific Region.
[FR Doc. 2016-02668 Filed 2-9-16; 8:45 am]
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