[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 158 (Wednesday, August 16, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42639-42640]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-20264]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
Notice of Intent (NOI) To Prepare a Programmatic Environmental
Assessment (EA) and Four Site-Specific Environmental Assessments (EAs)
for the Proposed National Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS)
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA , Department of
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare a Programmatic EA for four site-
specific EAs.
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SUMMARY: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announces its intent
to prepare a programmatic environmental assessment (EA) and four site-
specific environmental assessments (EAs) for the proposed construction
and operation of the following:
(1) A nationwide system of hardware and software, and
(2) Four antenna sites, called ground earth stations (GESs),
collectively known as the Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS). The
WAAS will receive, process, correct data from Global Positioning System
(GPS) satellites, and transmit navigation corrections to communication
satellites. An aircraft equipped with a WAAS receiver will navigate
using the signals from the communication satellites. This satellite-
based navigation system will provide better navigation information to
aircraft, thus enhancing safety. Senate Report 103-310 of the Committee
on Appropriations, Department of Transportation and Related Agencies
Appropriations, fiscal year 1995, stated that the WAAS schedule
``should be accelerated to enable a quicker realization of what
promises to be significant benefits to aviation system users.''
The FAA is conducting a scoping process for the programmatic EA and
the four GES EAs. The scoping process will consist of a 30-day period
for written comments.
DATES: Written comments on the scope of the programmatic EA will be
accepted at the address below until September 29, 1995. Comments
submitted after the September 29 deadline will be considered to the
extent practicable.
ADDRESSES: Written comments on the scope of the programmatic EA may be
sent to the FAA at the following address: Federal Aviation
Administration, Satellite Program Office, ATTN: Ms. Susan Burmester,
AND-510, 800 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC 20591.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Ms. Susan Burmester, Federal Aviation Administration, (202) 358-5408.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FAA's WAAS is a system consisting of
equipment and software which will augment the existing U.S. Department
of Defense (DoD)-provided GPS Standard Positioning System (SPS). The
WAAS will provide a signal to aircraft to support more precise
navigation and landing capabilities.
The GPS satellite data will be received and processed at widely
dispersed sites, referred to as Wide Area Reference Stations (WRSs).
The WRS will transmit these data via existing communication links to
central data processing sites, referred to as Wide Area Master Stations
(WMSs). The WMSs will determine the integrity, differential
corrections, residual errors, and ionospheric information for each
monitored GPS satellite. Then, these calculations will be sent to the
GESs.
[[Page 42640]]
The GESs will transmit this information to communications satellites.
The communication satellites will rebroadcast the data for navigational
use by aircraft.
Generally, a WRS will be composed of computer processors, time
synchronization equipment, and GPS receivers. It will require no more
than 50 square feet within an existing FAA facility. Additionally,
three GPS antennas will be installed on the roof of the facility. These
antennas will be similar in size to existing roof mounted antennas, but
will include a small dome approximately 18 inches in diameter.
A WMS will be composed of a WRS and communication equipment that
will connect all of the WRSs and GESs to the WMSs. This equipment will
require no more than 150 square feet within an existing FAA facility.
The proposed WAAS would be composed of 29 sites at existing FAA
facilities and 4 GES sites. Five of these 29 sites will constitute the
Functional Verification System (FVS): Atlantic City, NJ; Bangor, ME;
Dayton, OH; Oklahoma City, OK; and Wilmington, NC. The FVS will be the
testbed for the WAAS. All sites are WRSs with the exception of Atlantic
City and Oklahoma City, which are WMSs. Listed below are the remaining
24 sites that would compose the initial operational system for the
WAAS. All sites are WRSs with the exception of Nashua and Palmdale,
which are WMSs:
Albuquerque, NM
Anchorage, AK
Auburn, WA
Aurora, IL
Billings, MT
Farmington, MN
Forth Worth, TX
Fremont, CA
Hampton, GA
Honolulu, HI
Houston, TX
Indianapolis, IN
Jacksonville, FL
Leesburg, VA
Longmont, CO
Memphis, TN
Miami, FL
Nashua, NH
Oberlin, OH
Olathe, KS
Palmdale, CA
Ronkonkoma, NY
Salt Lake City, UT
San Juan, PR
The four proposed WAAS GES sites would be located on the east and
west coasts of the continental United States. Two of the proposed GES
sites would be located at existing facilities in: Whitinsville, MA and
Brewster, WA. Two of the proposed GES sites will be developed in the
vicinity of Hampton, GA and in the vicinity of Palmdale-Rosamond, CA.
The programmatic EA will include a discussion of the proposed
action and alternatives, the affected environment, potential impacts or
consequences of the proposed action, and potential mitigation measures.
Alternatives
In addition to the proposed action, the following alternatives will
be considered in the programmatic EA: (1) enhancement of the existing
navigation system, (2) the no action alternative under which the
existing navigation system would be maintained.
Public Scoping
The FAA is conducting a scoping process for the programmatic EA and
the four GES EAs. The national scoping meeting for the programmatic EA
will address the overall WAAS architecture. This meeting will be held
in the vicinity of Washington, DC on or about Tuesday, September 19.
Further information regarding the programmatic EA and the four GES EAs
will be announced in national and local newspapers of general
circulation.
Issued in Washington, DC on August 11, 1995.
James C. Johns,
WAAS Project Manager, Satellite Program Office, AND-510, FAA
Headquarters.
[FR Doc. 95-20264 Filed 8-15-95; 8:45 am]
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