Document ID: FAA-2011-0531-0001
Agency: faa
Document Type: Rule
Title: Environmental Impact Statements; Availability, etc.: Panama City-Bay County International Airport
Posted Date: 2011-05-19T04:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 97 (Thursday, May 19, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Page 29021]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-12359]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

Written Re-Evaluation and Record of Decision for the Final 
Environmental Impact Statement for the Relocation of the Panama City-
Bay County International Airport

AGENCY: FAA, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of availability of written re-evaluation and Record of 
Decision for the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the 
Relocation of the Panama City-Bay County International Airport (2006) 
Release and Disposal of the Panama City-Bay County International 
Airport.

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SUMMARY: In September 2006, the FAA issued a Record of Decision (ROD) 
for actions associated with the proposed relocation of the Panama City-
Bay County International Airport (PFN) in Bay County, Florida. The 
FAA's ROD was based on information and analysis contained in the FAA's 
2006 FEIS for the project. The new airport approved in the 2006 ROD was 
named the Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (ECP), and 
began operations at the new site in May 2010. The FAA noted in the 2006 
FEIS that further federal action would be necessary to decommission and 
dispose of the existing airport property from aeronautical use, and 
that additional environmental review would be necessary due to the 
preliminary nature of the redevelopment information. In April 2010, the 
Airport Sponsor requested full release of the old airport property from 
federal grant obligations. Subsequent to this request, the FAA 
published a notice in the Federal Register (FR) in August 2010, 
regarding the intent to rule on the Panama City-Bay County Airport and 
Industrial District (Airport Sponsor) request to release airport 
property at PFN. The Federal Action addressed in the written 
reevaluation is FAA approval of the disposal (closure) of the Panama 
City-Bay County International Airport (PFN) property and release of 
PFN's grant obligations. Based on the best information currently 
available regarding reuse of the PFN site, the written reevaluation 
assessed the continuing validity of the environmental analysis 
contained in the 2006 FEIS with regard to the disposal and release 
actions requested by the Airport Sponsor. After the written 
reevaluation was completed and based on information contained therein, 
the FAA signed a ROD environmentally approving disposal of the property 
and release of grant obligations on May 5, 2011. This is not, however, 
the final step in the disposal and release process. Upon FAA's final 
approval of the disposal of the property, the Airport Sponsor will be 
released from their grant obligations over the property known as PFN.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Virginia Lane, Environmental 
Protection Specialist, Federal Aviation Administration, Orlando 
Airports District Office, 5950 Hazeltine National Drive, Suite 400, 
Orlando, FL 32822-5024. 407-812-6331 Ext. 129.

    Issued in Orlando, Florida, on May 12, 2011.
W. Dean Stringer,
Manager, FAA Orlando Airports District Office.
[FR Doc. 2011-12359 Filed 5-18-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P