Suspension of Preparation of Environmental Impact Statement for the George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Houston, TX, 56653 [2010-22869]
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Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 179 / Thursday, September 16, 2010 / Notices
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
Suspension of Preparation of
Environmental Impact Statement for
the George Bush Intercontinental
Airport, Houston, TX
Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA), Department of
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice suspending preparation
of the Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS) for the George Bush
Intercontinental Airport (IAH).
AGENCY:
The FAA is issuing this notice
to advise federal, state, and local
government agencies and the public that
the FAA has suspended preparation of
the EIS for the proposed airport
improvements at IAH. The Houston
Airport System (HAS), the sponsor of
the proposed project, has advised the
FAA that significant changes in the
aviation industry and at IAH warrant
suspension of the on-going EIS in order
to reevaluate development needs for the
airport. HAS has determined that
reevaluation of the Airport Master Plan
(AMP) assumptions will provide the
most current and reliable information
on which to base decisions regarding
future proposals for airport
development.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
DOT/FAA, Southwest Region, Mr. Paul
Blackford, ASW–650, 2601 Meacham
Boulevard, Fort Worth, TX 76137, (817)
222–5607, or e-mail at
paul.blackford@faa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On April
9, 2009, the FAA issued a Notice of
Intent in the Federal Register (74 FR
16255–16256) to prepare an EIS for
proposed airfield improvements at IAH.
The purpose of these proposed
improvements is to increase airfield
capacity and to reduce projected delays.
Based on the results of the AMP, the
airfield improvements being analyzed in
the EIS included the proposed
construction of additional runway(s) at
IAH. Preparation of the EIS was
undertaken by the FAA in accordance
with the National Environmental Policy
Act of 1969, as amended.
The FAA received a letter from HAS
dated July 30, 2010 requesting that
preparation of the EIS be delayed. Based
on its letter, HAS believes that
additional planning work is necessary to
ensure that the assumptions used in the
AMP remain valid. The letter points to
the impacts of the potential UnitedContinental merger, the economic
downturn, potential changes to aircraft
fleet mix, and the need to update the
mstockstill on DSKH9S0YB1PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
VerDate Mar<15>2010
19:19 Sep 15, 2010
Jkt 220001
existing terminal concept as reasons
justifying their request to conduct
additional planning. The FAA will issue
another Federal Register notice when it
determines that preparation of the EIS
should resume.
Issued in Fort Worth, TX on September 3,
2010.
D. Cameron Bryan,
Acting Manager, Airports Division.
[FR Doc. 2010–22869 Filed 9–15–10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–13–M
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Surface Transportation Board
[Docket No. FD 35412]
Middletown & New Jersey Railroad,
LLC—Lease and Operation
Exemption–Norfolk Southern Railway
Company
Under 49 CFR 1011.7(b)(10), the
Director of the Office of Proceedings
(Director) is delegated the authority to
determine whether to issue notices of
exemption for lease transactions under
49 U.S.C. 10902. However, the Board
reserves to itself the consideration and
disposition of all matters involving
issues of general transportation
importance. 49 CFR 1011.2(a)(6).
Accordingly, the Board revokes the
delegation to the Director with respect
to the issuance of this notice of
exemption. The Board determines that
this notice of lease and operation
exemption should be issued, and does
so here.
Middletown & New Jersey Railroad,
LLC (M&NJ), a Class III rail carrier, has
filed a verified notice of exemption
under 49 CFR 1150.41 to lease certain
rail lines from Norfolk Southern
Railway Company (NSR). In conjunction
with the lease of the NSR rail lines,
M&NJ states that it will also sublease
connecting track owned by New York,
Susquehanna & Western Railway
(NYS&W) and receive incidental
trackage rights. Pursuant to the Lease
Agreement and other agreements, M&NJ
will lease the following rail lines from
NSR: (1) The Hudson Secondary located
between mileposts LX 2.1 and LX 20.6
(18.5 miles in length); (2) the Walden
Secondary located between mileposts
DJ5.0–DJ 10.5 and WI 29.1–WI 32.9 (9.3
miles in length); (3) the Maybrook
Industrial Track located between
mileposts RT 1.3 and RT 7.5 (6.2 miles
in length); (4) the Greycourt Industrial
Track located between mileposts IL 52.5
and IL 53.4 (1.0 mile in length); and (5)
the EL Connection Track located
between mileposts QK 0.0 and QK 0.8
PO 00000
Frm 00153
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
56653
(0.8 mile in length). In conjunction with
the lease of these lines, NSR is: (1)
Granting M&NJ incidental overhead
trackage rights over NSR’s rail line
located between mileposts JS 67.50 and
63.14 (4.36 miles in length); (2)
subleasing to M&NJ NSR’s lease
operations over the connecting track
owned by the NYS&W located between
milepost JS 63.14, at Hudson Jct., NY,
and milepost LX 2.1, at Hudson Jct.
(approximately .35-miles in length); and
(3) partially assigning to M&NJ all of
NSR’s rights under the NYS&W
Trackage Rights Agreement for
NYS&W’s continued trackage rights
operations over the Hudson Secondary
track between Hudson Jct. and Warwick,
NY. The Lease Agreement will expire on
December 31, 2020. As required at 49
CFR 1150.43(h), M&NJ has disclosed
that the Lease Agreement contains a
provision that would provide for a
‘‘Lease Credit’’ whereby M&NJ may
reduce its annual lease payments by
receiving a credit for each car
interchanged with NSR. M&NJ notes
that NSR initially proposed a fixed
rental payment with no option to reduce
the rent, but M&NJ insisted on a lease
credit option to provide an opportunity
for M&NJ to earn a lower rental payment
so it would be able to invest in
improvements on the lease lines to
increase traffic levels. According to
M&NJ, the affected interchange point is
Campbell Hall, NY.
M&NJ certifies that the projected
annual revenues as a result of the
proposed transaction will not result in
M&NJ becoming a Class II or Class I rail
carrier, and that its projected annual
revenues will not exceed $5 million.
M&NJ states that it expects to
consummate the transaction on or
shortly after October 1, 2010, which is
subsequent to the effective date of the
exemption (30 days after the exemption
was filed).
If the verified notice contains false or
misleading information, the exemption
is void ab initio. Petitions to revoke the
exemption under 49 U.S.C. 10502(d)
may be filed at any time. The filing of
a petition to revoke will not
automatically stay the transaction.
Petitions for stay must be filed not later
than September 23, 2010 (at least 7 days
before the exemption becomes
effective).
An original and 10 copies of all
pleadings, referring to Docket No. FD
35412, must be filed with the Surface
Transportation Board, 395 E Street, SW.,
Washington, DC 20423–0001. In
addition, a copy of each pleading must
be served on Karl Morell, Ball Janik
LLP, 1455 F Street, NW., Suite 225,
Washington, DC 20005.
E:\FR\FM\16SEN1.SGM
16SEN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 179 (Thursday, September 16, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Page 56653]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-22869]
[[Page 56653]]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
Suspension of Preparation of Environmental Impact Statement for
the George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Houston, TX
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice suspending preparation of the Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) for the George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH).
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The FAA is issuing this notice to advise federal, state, and
local government agencies and the public that the FAA has suspended
preparation of the EIS for the proposed airport improvements at IAH.
The Houston Airport System (HAS), the sponsor of the proposed project,
has advised the FAA that significant changes in the aviation industry
and at IAH warrant suspension of the on-going EIS in order to
reevaluate development needs for the airport. HAS has determined that
reevaluation of the Airport Master Plan (AMP) assumptions will provide
the most current and reliable information on which to base decisions
regarding future proposals for airport development.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: DOT/FAA, Southwest Region, Mr. Paul
Blackford, ASW-650, 2601 Meacham Boulevard, Fort Worth, TX 76137, (817)
222-5607, or e-mail at paul.blackford@faa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On April 9, 2009, the FAA issued a Notice of
Intent in the Federal Register (74 FR 16255-16256) to prepare an EIS
for proposed airfield improvements at IAH. The purpose of these
proposed improvements is to increase airfield capacity and to reduce
projected delays. Based on the results of the AMP, the airfield
improvements being analyzed in the EIS included the proposed
construction of additional runway(s) at IAH. Preparation of the EIS was
undertaken by the FAA in accordance with the National Environmental
Policy Act of 1969, as amended.
The FAA received a letter from HAS dated July 30, 2010 requesting
that preparation of the EIS be delayed. Based on its letter, HAS
believes that additional planning work is necessary to ensure that the
assumptions used in the AMP remain valid. The letter points to the
impacts of the potential United-Continental merger, the economic
downturn, potential changes to aircraft fleet mix, and the need to
update the existing terminal concept as reasons justifying their
request to conduct additional planning. The FAA will issue another
Federal Register notice when it determines that preparation of the EIS
should resume.
Issued in Fort Worth, TX on September 3, 2010.
D. Cameron Bryan,
Acting Manager, Airports Division.
[FR Doc. 2010-22869 Filed 9-15-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-M
