Cleveland-Hopkins International Airport (CLE)
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RECORD OF DECISION FOR PROPOSED REPLACEMENT RUNWAY, RUNWAY EXTENSION AND ASSOCIATED DEVELOPMENT AT CLEVELAND HOPKINS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT CLEVELAND, OHIO Date: November, 2000 DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION GREAT LAKES REGION CHICAGO, ILLINOIS NATIONAL AERONAUTIC AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION JOHN H. GLENN RESEARCH CENTER AT LEWIS FIELD DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION OHIO FEDERAL AID DIVISION Record of Decision TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page No. 1. Federal Agencies Decisions ............................................................................... 1 2. Background .......................................................................................................... 6 3. Agency Actions ................................................................................................. 18 4. Purpose and Need ............................................................................................. 21 5. Alternative Analysis .......................................................................................... 26 6. Major Impacts and Mitigation ........................................................................... 42 7. Public and FAA Involvement ............................................................................ 75 8. Related Planning Issues ................................................................................... 79 9. Environmental Issues Raised About the FEIS ................................................ 87 10. Federal Agency Findings ................................................................................ 100 11. Approval and FAA Order ................................................................................. 109 List of Abbreviations and Acronyms ............................................................. 114 Glossary of Terms ........................................................................................... 118 Appendices A. Comments and Responses to Comments on the Final EIS B. EPA Letter C. Memorandum of Agreement D. Programmatic Agreement E. Governor’s Air and Water Quality Certification F. Historic Reports G. NASA Land Coordinates H. Updated Tables 5.5-4, 5.5-7, and 5.5-9 in the FEIS Page ii Cleveland Hopkins International Airport Environmental Impact Statement November, 2000 Record of Decision LIST OF TABLES Table/Exhibit Page No. R-1 Proposed Development ................................................................................... 10 R-2 2006 Environmental Impact Summary Matrix .................................................. 60 LIST OF EXHIBITS R-1 Airfield Layout .................................................................................................... 8 R-2 Airport Layout Plan .......................................................................................... 13 R-3 NASA Land to be transferred .......................................................................... 20 R-4 Master Plan Alternatives Evaluation ................................................................ 32 Page iii Cleveland Hopkins International Airport Environmental Impact Statement November, 2000 Record of Decision 1. FEDERAL AGENCIES DECISIONS This Record of Decision (ROD) provides final agency determinations and approvals for those Federal actions by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and related actions by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). These actions are necessary to allow for the enhancements to safety, the reduction of aircraft delays, the increase in peak period capacity, and the enhancement of the human environment. The proposed development includes construction and operation of a replacement Runway 5L/23R1; construction of a 3,210-foot extension to Runway 5R/23L; development of associated ancillary facilities; and implementation of the air traffic actions for the proposed development as well as air traffic actions and land use mitigation actions recommended in the 2000 Final Part 150 Study Update at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE). This action will also allow for the transfer of land between NASA and the City of Cleveland for the construction of replacement Runway 5L/23R and allow the FHWA to relocate Brookpark Road to allow aircraft approaches in low visibility to replacement Runway 23R. This ROD approves the development of air traffic control and airspace management procedures designed to affect the safe and efficient movement of air traffic to and from the proposed replacement runway and the Runway 5R extension. Such actions would include, but not be limited to, the establishment or modification of flight procedures and the installation and/or relocation of navigational aids associated with both the replacement runway and the extended runway. The Federal actions, including air traffic actions, and associated airport development are described in detail in the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS), Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, dated June 2000. The agencies’ decisions are based on the information contained in the FEIS and all other applicable documents available to the agencies and considered by them, which constitute the administrative record. This ROD is issued in accordance with the requirements of the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), 40 CFR 1505.2. The principal features include: · A statement of the agencies’ decisions; · An identification of all alternatives considered by the FAA in reaching its decision, with a specification of the alternative or alternatives that are considered to be environmentally preferable; and 1 Runways 5L/23R and 5R/23L will be renumbered to Runways 6L/24R and 6R/24L, respectively. This change will not alter runway alignment, airfield configuration, or operation characteristics in any way. This change will be implemented to reflect the gradual shift in magnetic compass bearings resulting from changes in the earth’s magnetic field. For ease in reference, the current designations are used throughout the document. Page 1 Cleveland Hopkins International Airport Environmental Impact Statement November, 2000 Record of Decision · The means adopted (mitigation measures) to avoid or minimize environmental harm from the alternative selected. FAA DETERMINATION Based on a review of the FEIS approved on June 23, 2000 and all applicable information, it is the FAA’s final determination that the revised Airport Layout Plan (ALP), dated March 1999 and included herein, for proposed improvements to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE) is approved. This development is specifically described in Chapters 2, 4, and 5 of this ROD, and was identified in the FEIS as Alternative 6. In addition, this development is environmentally approved as being eligible for Federal financial assistance. These approvals of the ALP and eligibility for Federal funding constitute final approval. The FAA notes that the airport sponsor, the City of Cleveland, Department of Port Control, has agreed to the various conditions of this approval, in particular, the conditions requiring mitigation measures. In reaching this determination, consideration has been given to 49 U.S.C. 47101 (a)(7), which states that it is the policy of the United States “that airport construction and improvement projects that increase the capacity of facilities to accommodate passenger and cargo traffic be undertaken to the maximum feasible extent so that safety and efficiency increase and delays decrease.” Furthermore, the FAA has given careful consideration to: (a) the aviation safety and operational objectives of the project in light of the various aeronautical factors and judgments presented; (b) the needs of Cleveland Hopkins International Airport as part of the national air transportation system and the airport delay reduction/capacity enhancement needs through the year 2016; and (c) the anticipated environmental impacts of the project. The FAA has carefully considered all reasonable alternatives to the Proposed Action. Although Alternative 1, the “No-Build/No-Action Alternative” had fewer developmental and environmental impacts (streams, wetlands, and a National Historic Landmark) than the preferred alternative and is the “environmentally preferred alternative,” it failed to achieve the purposes and needs for this project. However, the Proposed Action will provide greater noise relief than the No-Build/No-Action Alternative over the Olmsted Falls Historic District. Alternatives 2 through 5 were examined in detail by the FAA and found to provide comparable levels of safety enhancement, delay reduction, and capacity benefits as compared to Alternative 6, at similar costs and with similar environmental impacts. However, only Alternatives 5 and 6 fully achieve the purposes and needs to provide sufficient runway length to accommodate current and reasonably anticipated air transportation demand. Of these two alternatives, Alternative 6 provides a greater reduction in noise impacts than Alternative 5. Alternative 6 also removes three additional historic homes from the 65 DNL noise contour. All other environmental impacts are the same for Alternatives 5 and 6. For the reasons summarized in this ROD and supported by detailed discussion in the FEIS, the FAA has determined that there is no possible, prudent, feasible, and practicable alternative to Alternative 6, which is the agency’s preferred alternative. Page 2 Cleveland Hopkins International Airport Environmental Impact Statement November, 2000 Record