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[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 88 (Monday, May 6, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20310-20311]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-11253]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

Noise Exposure Map Notice; Receipt of Noise Compatibility Program 
and Request for Review; Albany County Airport, Albany, New York

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 Albany 
County Airport Authority for the Albany County Airport under the 
provisions of Title I of the Aviation Safety and Noise Abatement Act of 
1979 (Pub. L. 96-193) and 14 CFR part 150 are in compliance with 
applicable requirements. The FAA also announces that it is reviewing a 
proposed noise compatibility program that was submitted for Albany 
County Airport under part 150 in conjunction with the noise exposure 
maps, and that this program will be approved or disapproved on or 
before October 28, 1996.

EFFECTIVE DATE: The effective date of the FAA's determination on the 
noise exposure maps and of the start of its review of the associated 
noise compatibility program is April 30, 1996. The public comment 
period ends July 1, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steven Urlass, Community Planner, 
FAA--Eastern Regional Office, Fitzgerald Federal Building, JFK 
International Airport, Jamaica, New York 11430; (718) 553-3353.
    Comments on the proposed noise compatibility program should also be 
submitted to the above office.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice announces that the FAA finds 
that the noise exposure maps submitted for Albany County Airport are in 
compliance with applicable requirements of part 150, effective April 
30, 1996.
    Further, FAA is reviewing a proposed noise compatibility program 
for that airport which will be approved or disapproved on or before 
October 28, 1996. This notice also announces the availability of this 
program for public review and comment.
    Under section 103 of Title I of the Aviation Safety and Noise 
Abatement Act of 1979 (hereinafter referred to as ``the Act''), an 
airport operator may submit to the FAA noise exposure maps which meet 
applicable regulations and which depict noncompatible 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 the FAA to be in compliance with the requirements of FAR part 
150, promulgated pursuant to Title I of the Act, may submit a noise 
compatibility program for FAA approval which sets forth the measures 
the operator has taken or proposes for the reduction of existing 
noncompatible uses and for the prevention of the introduction of 
additional noncompatible uses.
    The Albany County Airport Authority submitted to the FAA on May 2, 
1995, noise exposure maps, descriptions and other documentation which 
were produced during an airport noise compatibility planning study. It 
was requested that the FAA review this material as the noise exposure 
maps, as described in section 103(a)(1) of the Act, and that the noise 
mitigation measures, to be implemented jointly by the airport and 
surrounding communities, be approved as a noise compatibility program 
under section 104(b) of the Act.
    The FAA has completed its review of the noise exposure maps and 
related descriptions submitted by the Albany County Airport Authority. 
The specific maps under consideration are the noise exposure maps: 
Exhibit 1, Existing (1995) Noise Exposure Map (first page following 
page vi) and Exhibit 2, Future (2000) Noise Exposure Map (second page 
following page vi) of the May 1995 submission. The FAA has determined 
that these maps for Albany County Airport are in compliance with

[[Page 20311]]

applicable requirements. This determination is effective on April 30, 
1996. FAA's determination on an airport operator's noise exposure maps 
is limited to finding that the maps were developed in accordance with 
the procedures contained in Appendix A of FAR 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 the noise exposure maps submitted under section 103 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 in interpreting the noise maps to 
resolve questions concerning, for example, which properties should be 
covered by the provisions of section 107 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 which 
submitted those maps, or with those public agencies and planning 
agencies with which consultation is required under section 103 of the 
Act. The FAA has relied on the certification by the airport operator 
under Sec. 150.21 of Part 150, that the statutorily required 
consultation has been accomplished.
    The FAA formally received on March 15, 1996, the noise 
compatibility program for Albany County Airport, also effective April 
30, 1996. Preliminary review of the submitted material indicates that 
it conforms to the requirements for the submittal of noise 
compatibility programs, but that further review will be necessary prior 
to the approval or disapproval of the program. The formal review 
period, limited to law to a maximum of 180 days, will be completed on 
or before October 28, 1996.
    The FAA's detailed evaluation will be conducted under the 
provisions of 14 CFR 150.33. The primary considerations in the 
evaluation process are whether the proposed measures may reduce the 
level of aviation safety, create an undue burden on interstate or 
foreign commerce, or be reasonably consistent with obtaining the goal 
of reducing existing non-compatible land uses and preventing the 
introduction of additional non-compatible land uses.
    Interested persons are invited to comment on the proposed program 
with specific reference to the factors. All comments, other than those 
properly addressed to local land use authorities, will be considered by 
the FAA to the extent practical. The public comment period ends July 1, 
1996.
    Copies of the noise exposure maps, the FAA's evaluation of the 
maps, and the proposed noise compatibility program, are available for 
examination at the following locations:
FAA
Eastern Regional Office, Fitzgerald Federal Building, Airports 
Division, Room 337, JFK International Airport, Jamaica, New York 11430
FAA
New York Airports District Office, 600 Old Country Road, Suite 446, 
Garden City, New York 11530
Albany County Airport, Airport Director's Office, Albany County Airport 
Authority, ARFF Building, 2nd Floor, Albany, New York 12211
    Questions may be directed to the individual name above under the 
heading For Further Information Contact.

    Issued in Jamaica, New York on April 30, 1996
Anthony P. Spera,
Acting Manager, Airports Division, Eastern Region.
[FR Doc. 96-11253 Filed 5-3-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-M
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