Notice2025-15302
Notice of Availability; Federal Aviation Administration's Errata to the Environmental Assessment and Record of Decision for Settlement Agreement Departure Procedure Amendments at Bob Hope “Hollywood Burbank” Airport, Burbank, California
Primary source
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Published
August 12, 2025
Issuing agencies
Transportation DepartmentFederal Aviation Administration
Abstract
The FAA announces its decision to finalize its EA pertaining to the proposed settlement agreement departure procedure amendments at BUR.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 153 (Tuesday, August 12, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 153 (Tuesday, August 12, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38879-38880]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-15302]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
[Docket: FAA-2025-2256]
Notice of Availability; Federal Aviation Administration's Errata
to the Environmental Assessment and Record of Decision for Settlement
Agreement Departure Procedure Amendments at Bob Hope ``Hollywood
Burbank'' Airport, Burbank, California
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of
Transportation.
ACTION: Notice of availability (NOA) for the errata to the
environmental assessment (EA) and record of decision (ROD) for
settlement agreement departure procedure amendments at Bob Hope
``Hollywood Burbank'' Airport (BUR), Burbank, California.
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SUMMARY: The FAA announces its decision to finalize its EA pertaining
to the proposed settlement agreement departure procedure amendments at
BUR.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Joseph Bert, Federal Aviation
Administration, Team Manager, Environmental/Community Involvement/NAS
Analytics, Operations Support Group, Western Service Center [verbar],
email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#9cd6f3eff9ecf4b2d1b2def9eee8dcfafdfdb2fbf3ea"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="de94b1adbbaeb6f093f09cbbacaa9eb8bfbff0b9b1a8">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The FAA originally established satellite-based area navigation
(RNAV) departure procedures at BUR as a part of the 2016 Southern
California Metroplex project. Following the implementation of the
original procedures and beginning in 2018, the FAA received letters
from a wide range of officials, individuals, and community groups
related to noise at BUR. As the result of a lawsuit filed against the
FAA on October 24, 2016, the FAA entered into a settlement agreement
with the Benedict Hills Estates Association and Benedict Hills
Homeowners Association (Settlement Agreement) on March 3, 2018.
On March 25, 2019, based on public feedback, the FAA announced its
decision to prepare an environmental assessment (EA) to consider
proposed amendments to the OROSZ and SLAPP departure procedures at BUR
to fulfill its obligations under the Settlement Agreement. The FAA
noted in its announcement that it would not include a re-evaluation of
the Southern California Metroplex project. Informational briefings and
updates were posted to the FAA's community engagement website in July
2019. On October 4, 2019, the FAA announced that it had awarded a
contract to conduct the EA.
The FAA developed Alternative A in compliance with the initial
design outlined in the Settlement Agreement. The FAA presented, and
later posted, presentations and materials to the Southern San Fernando
Valley Airplane Noise Task Force (Task Force) on December 9, 2019,
describing Alternative A. The FAA encountered delays in completing the
EA that arose from the 2020 COVID-19 public health emergency. The
project was further delayed to appropriately consider recommendations
provided by the Task Force in May 2020. The FAA responded to each of
the recommendations set forth by the Task Force in a letter dated
September 1, 2020, and incorporated the recommendations that the FAA
deemed to be technically feasible in the development of alternatives
for the EA, which eventually became Alternative B.
The FAA continued to work on the EA from 2020 through 2023, and on
November 30, 2023, the FAA published a draft EA (DEA) entitled
``Proposed Settlement Agreement Departure Procedure Amendments for
Hollywood Burbank Airport.'' The DEA identified the environmental
effects associated with the potential implementation of Alternatives A
and B, which considered the adoption of new procedures for Runway 15
departures at BUR.
On December 11, 2023, the FAA published a notice of availability in
the Federal Register to announce the release of the DEA. The public
comment period was open for a total of 105 days, from December 11,
2023, through March 24, 2024. The DEA and supplemental information
provided during the public comment period were published on the FAA's
Community Engagement website.
[[Page 38880]]
The FAA received 1,116 comments during the DEA public comment period.
Findings and Decision
The FAA carefully weighed Alternative A, Alternative B, and the No
Action Alternative to identify potential impacts to the quality of the
environment that could arise from the implementation of each of the
alternatives considered. The No Action Alternative comprises the
current SLAPP TWO and OROSZ TWO departure procedures with no change to
baseline conditions.
While Alternative A satisfies the objectives of the Settlement
Agreement, it would result in significant noise impacts--including to a
public school, Luther Burbank Middle School-- compared to the No Action
Alternative. Based on these significant impacts, Alternative A is not
the preferred alternative.
Alternative B would: not meet the terms of the Settlement
Agreement, not achieve the Task Force's objectives of reducing BUR
noise impacts, require a waiver to design criteria, discriminate
economically, and reduce efficiency for air traffic control and pilots,
which could result in a detrimental effect on safety. For these
reasons, Alternative B is not the preferred alternative.
The Federal Aviation Act of 1958 gives the FAA administrator the
authority and responsibility to assign by order or regulation the use
of navigable airspace to ensure the safety of aircraft and the
efficient use of the airspace. Consistent with 49 U.S.C. 40103(b)(1),
the FAA shall develop plans and policies for the use of the navigable
airspace and assign the use of airspace necessary to ensure the safety
of aircraft and the efficient use of airspace. In the FAA's continuous
effort to ensure the safety of aircraft and improve the efficiency of
transit through the navigable local airspace, the FAA carefully weighed
the No Action Alternative with Alternative A and Alternative B.
After carefully considering the long-term environmental effects and
the safety considerations associated with proposed Alternatives A and
B, the FAA has determined that the preferred alternative is the No
Action Alternative. Therefore, the FAA has determined to proceed under
the No Action Alternative.
The FAA signed the ROD on August 5, 2025. The ROD is available on
the FAA website at: <a href="https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/community_engagement/bur">https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/community_engagement/bur</a>.
Issued in Des Moines, Washington, on August 8, 2025.
Byron Chew,
Group Manager, Operations Support Group, Western Service Center.
[FR Doc. 2025-15302 Filed 8-11-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P
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