Notice of Availability of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Notice of Public Workshops and Hearings for the Proposed LaGuardia Access Improvement Project at LaGuardia Airport (LGA), New York City, Queens County, New York, 51142-51144 [2020-18163]

Agencies

• Federal Aviation Administration
• DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 161 (Wednesday, August 19, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51142-51144]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-18163]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration


Notice of Availability of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) and Notice of Public Workshops and Hearings for the Proposed 
LaGuardia Access Improvement Project at LaGuardia Airport (LGA), New 
York City, Queens County, New York

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of 
Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Notice of Availability of a Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement and Notice of Public Workshops and Hearings.

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SUMMARY: The FAA is issuing this notice under the provisions of the 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended, to 
announce the availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) for the proposed LaGuardia Airport (LGA) Access Improvement 
Project and its connected actions (the Proposed Action). The Proposed 
Action would provide direct access between LGA and the Metropolitan 
Transportation Authority (MTA) Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) Mets-
Willets Point Station and the New York City Transit (NYCT) 7 Line Mets-
Willets Point Station. FAA is the lead federal agency in the 
preparation of the EIS, with cooperating agencies including U.S. Army 
Corps of Engineers, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, New York 
State Department of Environmental Conservation, New York State 
Department of Transportation, and New York State Office of Parks, 
Recreation and Historic Preservation. The Draft EIS was prepared to 
disclose the potential environmental impacts resulting from the 
Proposed Action, including real property transactions under the New 
York State Eminent Domain Procedures Law. This notice announces the 
beginning of public comment period to solicit public comments on the 
Draft EIS. FAA plans to hold two public meetings and three public 
hearings concerning the Proposed Action and information contained in 
the Draft EIS.

DATES: The public comment period on the Draft EIS starts on August 21, 
2020 and ends on October 5, 2020. All comments must be received by no 
later than 5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, Monday, October 5, 2020.
    As part of the EIS public participation process, FAA will hold two 
public workshops via Zoom where information will be presented and 
interested members of the public can participate in a moderated 
question and answer session on the Proposed Action and information 
contained in the Draft EIS with the FAA and the EIS Team:
     September 22, 2020 from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
     September 23, 2020 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
    FAA will also hold three public hearings via Zoom where interested 
members of the public can provide and listen to oral comments 
concerning the Proposed Action and information contained in the Draft 
EIS:
     September 22, 2020 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
     September 23, 2020 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
     September 24, 2020 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
    All speakers who register to give oral comments will be given up to 
3 minutes to allow everyone the opportunity to provide oral comments, 
if they choose to do so. Written comments will also be accepted, as 
specified below.
    Due to the ongoing public health emergency associated with COVID-19

[[Page 51143]]

and FAA's responsibility to protect the health and safety of the 
community, all workshops and hearings will be virtual. Registration and 
instructions for the public workshops and hearings is available on the 
project website at https://www.lgaaccesseis.com/. Translation services, 
including sign language interpretation, can be made available during 
the public workshops and hearings, if requested 10 calendar days before 
the sessions, via the online registration process.

ADDRESSES: Oral comments on the Draft EIS may be presented at the 
public hearings or by leaving a voicemail at (855) LGA-EIS9 or (855) 
542-3479. Written comments on the Draft EIS may be submitted via the 
following methods:
 Online on the project website at https://www.lgaaccesseis.com/formal-comment
 Email to [email protected]
 U.S. Mail to Mr. Andrew Brooks, Environmental Program Manager, 
Eastern Regional Office, AEA-610, Federal Aviation Administration, 1 
Aviation Plaza, Jamaica, NY 11434
Comments on the Draft EIS will help FAA arrive at the best possible 
informed decision about the proposal. If you choose to include your 
name, address and telephone number, email, or other personal 
identifying information in your comment, be advised that your entire 
comment--including your personal identifying information--may be made 
publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to 
withhold your personal identifying information, FAA cannot guarantee 
that we will be able to do so.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Andrew Brooks, Environmental 
Program Manager, Eastern Regional Office, AEA-610, Federal Aviation 
Administration, 1 Aviation Plaza, Jamaica, NY 11434. Telephone: 718-
553-2511.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice continues the EIS process 
announced in the Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) and Initiate Section 106 Consultation for the Proposed 
LaGuardia Access Improvement Project at LaGuardia Airport (LGA), New 
York City, Queens County, New York, 84 FR 19151, May 3, 2019, and 
follows meetings associated with the EIS announced in the Notice of 
Public Information Sessions on Alternatives Analysis for the Proposed 
LaGuardia Airport Access Improvement Project at LaGuardia Airport 
(LGA), New York City, Queens County, New York, 84 FR 66438, December 4, 
2019.
    This document was prepared in response to a proposal presented by 
the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (Port Authority). The 
Port Authority operates LGA under a lease agreement with the City of 
New York. FAA must decide whether to approve, pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 
47106 and 47107 relating to the eligibility of the Proposed Action for 
federal funding under the Airport Improvement Program (AIP) and/or 
under 49 U.S.C. 40117, as implemented by 14 CFR 158.25, to impose and 
use passenger facility charge (PFC) revenue collected for the Proposed 
Action to assist with construction of potentially eligible development 
items shown on the Airport Layout Plan (ALP). FAA approval of the 
eligibility for federal funding under AIP or to impose and use PFCs is 
a Federal action that must comply with NEPA requirements. FAA, as lead 
federal agency, invited the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency, New York State Department of 
Environmental Conservation, New York State Department of 
Transportation, and New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and 
Historic Preservation to participate as cooperating agencies, which 
they have accepted, as described under 40 CFR 1501.6(a)(1).
    The Draft EIS presents the purpose and need for the Proposed 
Action, analysis of reasonable alternatives, discussion of impacts for 
each reasonable alternative, and support appendices. Pursuant to 40 CFR 
1502.14(d), the No Action Alternative is also assessed in the Draft EIS 
as the baseline for comparison purposes. The Proposed Action includes:
     construction of an above ground fixed guideway automated 
people mover (APM) system approximately 2.3 miles in length that 
extends from the future LGA Central Hall Building to the Metropolitan 
Transportation Authority (MTA) Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) Mets-
Willets Point Station and the New York City Transit (NYCT) 7 Line Mets-
Willets Point Station;
     construction of two on-Airport APM stations (Central Hall 
APM Station and East APM Station) and one off-Airport APM station at 
Willets Point (Willets Point APM Station) that provides connections to 
the Mets-Willets Point LIRR and NYCT 7 Line stations;
     construction of passenger walkway systems to connect the 
APM stations to the passenger terminals, parking garages, and ground 
transportation facilities;
     construction of a multi-level APM operations, maintenance, 
and storage facility (OMSF) that includes up to 1,000 parking spaces 
(500 for airport employees, 250 for MTA employees, 50 for APM 
employees, and 200 for replacement Citi Field parking);
     construction of three traction power substations: One 
located at the on-Airport East Station, another at-grade west of the 
proposed Willets Point Station just south of Roosevelt Avenue, and the 
third at the OMSF to provide power to the APM guideway;
     construction of a 27kV main substation located adjacent to 
the OMSF structure on MTA property;
     construction of utilities infrastructure, both new and 
modified, as needed, to support the Proposed Action, including a 
permanent stormwater outfall into Flushing Creek and a temporary 
stormwater outfall into Flushing Creek; and
     acquisition of temporary and permanent easements.
    The Proposed Action also includes various connected actions, 
including: Utility relocation and demolition of certain existing 
facilities; a temporary MTA bus storage/parking facility; relocation of 
up to 200 Citi Field parking spaces; demolition and replacement of the 
Passerelle Bridge; temporary walkway to maintain access between the 
transit stations and Flushing Meadows-Corona Park; modifications to the 
MTA LIRR Mets-Willets Point Station, including service changes to the 
LIRR Port Washington Line; and the relocation of a boat lift, finger 
piers and connected timber floating dock, Marina office and boatyard 
facility, boat storage and parking, and operations shed, part of the 
World's Fair Marina.
    FAA provides the following notices:
     Pursuant to 36 CFR 800.8(c) that it is using the NEPA 
process to notify the public of FAA's finding that the proposed 
undertaking would adversely affect properties listed or eligible for 
listing on the National Register of Historic Places and is seeking 
public comment on the measures proposed to avoid, minimize, or mitigate 
such effects disclosed in the Draft EIS. A Draft Memorandum of 
Agreement to resolve adverse effects to historic properties is included 
in Appendix K.11 of the Draft EIS.
     Pursuant to Section 4(f) of the DOT Act, FAA has prepared 
a Draft Section 4(f) Evaluation (see Appendix I of the Draft EIS). The 
Proposed Action would have a significant impact on Section 4(f) 
resources and is seeking public comments on impacts and proposed 
mitigation disclosed in Chapter 3.8 of the Draft EIS.
     Pursuant to DOT Order 5610.2(a), DOT Actions to Address 
Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and

[[Page 51144]]

Low-Income Populations, the Proposed Action would have a significant 
impact on minority environmental justice populations and is seeking 
public comments on impacts and proposed mitigation disclosed in Chapter 
3.14 of the Draft EIS.
     Pursuant to Executive Order 11990, Protection of Wetlands, 
that the Proposed Action would temporarily affect less than 1 acre of 
jurisdictional wetlands in Flushing Creek and less than 1 acre of 
temporary and permanent impact in Flushing Bay. Impacts to these 
aquatic resources are disclosed in Chapter 3.16 of the Draft EIS.
     Pursuant to Executive Order 11988, Floodplain Management 
that the Proposed Action would not result in a significant encroachment 
on floodplains. Impacts to floodplains are disclosed in Chapter 3.16 of 
the Draft EIS.
    FAA encourages all interested parties to provide comments 
concerning the scope and content of the Draft EIS. Comments should be 
as specific as possible and address the analysis of potential 
environmental impacts and the adequacy of the assessment of the 
Proposed Action or merits of its alternatives and the mitigation being 
considered. Reviewers should organize their participation so that it is 
meaningful and makes the agency aware of the viewers' interests and 
concerns using quotations and other specific references to the Draft 
EIS and related documents. This commenting procedure is intended to 
ensure that substantive comments and concerns are available to FAA in a 
timely manner so that FAA has an opportunity to address them. Matters 
that could have been raised with specificity during the comment period 
on the Draft EIS may not be considered if they are raised for the first 
time later in the decision process.
    Following the public comment period, FAA will prepare a Final EIS 
and Record of Decision pursuant to 40 CFR 1503.4(c) [Council of 
Environmental Quality regulations] and FAA Orders 1050.1F and 5050.4B. 
FAA and the US Army Corps of Engineers will prepare a joint Record of 
Decision pursuant to Executive Order 13807.

    Issued in Jamaica, New York, August 14, 2020.
Evelyn Martinez,
Manager, New York Airport District Office, Airports Division, Eastern 
Region.
[FR Doc. 2020-18163 Filed 8-18-20; 8:45 am]
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