Notice2024-21735
Notice of Cancellation of Environmental Impact Statement for the West Virginia International Yeager Airport, Charleston, West Virginia
Primary source
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Published
September 24, 2024
Effective
September 18, 2024
Issuing agencies
Transportation DepartmentFederal Aviation Administration
Abstract
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announces that it has discontinued preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed Airfield, Safety, and Terminal Improvement Project at West Virginia International Yeager Airport (CRW) in Charleston, West Virginia. The FAA's discontinued preparation of the EIS is based on the need for additional planning studies to support the proposed development following changes to operations at CRW. The FAA originally placed the EIS on pause on March 27, 2024 and is now cancelling the EIS due to the additional time needed to conduct the necessary studies.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 185 (Tuesday, September 24, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 185 (Tuesday, September 24, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 77959-77960]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-21735]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
Notice of Cancellation of Environmental Impact Statement for the
West Virginia International Yeager Airport, Charleston, West Virginia
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of cancellation of preparation of environmental impact
statement.
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SUMMARY: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announces that it
has discontinued preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
for the proposed Airfield, Safety, and Terminal Improvement Project at
West Virginia International Yeager Airport (CRW) in Charleston, West
Virginia. The FAA's discontinued preparation of the EIS is based on the
need for additional planning studies to support the proposed
development following changes to operations at CRW. The FAA originally
placed the EIS on pause on March 27, 2024 and is now cancelling the EIS
due to the additional time needed to conduct the necessary studies.
DATES: The effective date for cancellation of the EIS at West Virginia
International Yeager Airport is September 18, 2024.
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: The FAA published a Notice of Intent (NOI)
to prepare an EIS for CRW in the Federal Register on September 29, 2022
(Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement,
Initiate Section 106 Consultation, and Request for Scoping Comments, 87
FR 59158-60, September 29, 2022). Two in-person public scoping meetings
were held on November 2 and
[[Page 77960]]
3, 2022, at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Charleston Hotel in
Charleston, West Virginia and a third public scoping meeting was held
virtually on Zoom on November 7, 2022. A governmental agency scoping
meeting was also held at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Charleston Hotel
on November 3, 2022. In response to requests received during scoping,
the FAA extended the end of the public comment period from November 17,
2022, to November 29, 2022, via a notice published in the Federal
Register (Notice of Extension to Public Comment Period--Notice of
Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement, Initiate Section
106 Consultation, and Request for Scoping Comments for the Proposed
Airfield, Safety, and Terminal Improvement Project at West Virginia
International Yeager Airport, Charleston, Kanawha County, West
Virginia, 87 FR 68225-6, November 14, 2022).
In 2023, the Central West Virginia Regional Airport Authority
(CWVRAA), the sponsor and operator of CRW, notified the FAA of
forthcoming changes in air carrier service and associated operations.
One carrier stopped service in March 2023 and a new carrier initiated
service in May 2023. The change in carriers resulted in different
aircraft operating at CRW. Additionally, the new carrier provided
different destinations from CRW and the CWVRAA was actively working to
attract additional new carriers and markets during 2023. These changes
in operation resulted in the re-examination of the project planning
through the end of 2023 and early 2024 and CWVRAA identified a need to
revisit the planning for the airfield components of the proposed
project. Concurrently, CWVRAA decided to focus on the Terminal
Development components of the proposed project and submitted a revised
Terminal Design Concept for FAA review and approval. Given the changes
in operations at CRW, the need for additional planning studies, and the
focus on a revised Terminal Development concept, the FAA determined
that the revised Terminal Development would have independent utility
from the runway project. The revised Terminal Development would address
an immediate Airport need that was mutually exclusive from the runway
project and occurring at a different time than the runway components.
Accordingly, the FAA announced that the EIS would be paused on the
Federal Permitting Dashboard (<a href="http://www.permits.performance.gov">www.permits.performance.gov</a>) on March 27,
2024.
The FAA conducted two public meetings on July 9, 2024 at the
Embassy Suites by Hilton Charleston Hotel in Charleston, West Virginia
to inform the public on the reason for the pause to the EIS, present
the revised Terminal Design Concept, discuss CWVRAA's change in
approach to focus on the terminal, and present the results of
environmental studies conducted on the EIS prior to the pause. The FAA
accepted comments from the public on both the EIS pause and the revised
Terminal Design Concept. The FAA completed environmental review of the
revised Terminal Design Concept and issued a Categorical Exclusion on
August 13, 2024.
With the CWVRAA priority for the immediate future focused on the
financing and construction of the airport terminal and marketing of new
service, the necessary planning studies to support the originally
proposed airfield development components of the EIS will take some time
to complete. Accordingly, the FAA is terminating the EIS for the
Airfield, Safety, and Terminal Improvement Project and withdrawing the
NOI issued on September 29, 2022 as of the Effective Date of this
Notice.
Issued in Beaver, West Virginia, September 18, 2024.
Matthew Digiulian,
Manager, Beckley Airport Field Office, Airports Division, Eastern
Region.
[FR Doc. 2024-21735 Filed 9-23-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P
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