[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 135 (Wednesday, July 15, 1998)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 38233]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-18833]
[[Page 38233]]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 93
[Docket No. 28902; Notice No. 97-6]
RIN 2120-AG38
Establishment of Corridors in the Grand Canyon National Park
Special Flight Rules Area
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM); withdrawal.
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SUMMARY: The FAA is withdrawing an NPRM that was published on May 15,
1997 (62 FR 26902), which proposed to amend two of the Flight-Free
Zones within the Grand Canyon National Park (GCNP) by establishing two
corridors through the Flight-free Zones (Notice No. 97-6). The first
corridor through the Bright Angel Flight-free Zone would have been an
incentive corridor to be used only by the most noise efficient
aircraft. The second corridor in the Torroweap/Shinumo Flight-free Zone
through the National Canyon area would create a viable air tour route
in the central section of the Park while addressing some concerns of
the Native Americans. The FAA, in consultation with the National Park
Service (NPS), is withdrawing this NPRM because the agencies have
determined not to proceed with an air tour route in the vicinity of
National Canyon and are presently considering alternatives to this
route. The FAA will addres all substantive comments filed in response
to Notice 97-6 in the near future.
DATES: The proposed rule at 62 FR 26902 is withdrawn July 10, 1998.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dave Metzbower, Office of Flight
Standards, Air Transporation Division (AFS-200), 800 Independence
Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC 20591, telephone (202) 267-3724.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
On December 31, 1996, the FAA published in the Federal Register
three concurrent actions a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (61 FR 69334),
a Notice of Availability of Proposed Commercial Air Tour Routes (61 FR
69356), and a Final Rule (61 FR 69302). These actions were part of an
overall strategy to reduce further the impact of aircraft noise on the
park environment and to assist the NPS in achieving the statutory
mandate imposed by Public Law 100-91.
Based on comments received during the comment period for the Notice
of Availability of Proposed Commercial Routes, the FAA received
valuable information from commenters, as well as suggestions for
alterations and refinements of the route structure from officials of
the GCNP and NPS that could potentially produce noise reduction
benefits. Furthermore, comments submitted by the air tour operators,
the environmentalists, and the Native Americans on the National Canyon
corridor in the NPRM led the FAA to conclude that the Natioal Canyon
air tour routes was not a viable option.
As a result of teh comments received on both notices, the FAA
issued a new proposed route structure concurrent with the issuance of a
second NPRM (Notice No. 97-6) (62 FR 26902; May 15, 1997), which
included a revised National Canyon corridor.
The revised National Canyon route proposed in Notice 97-6 was
designed to provide a viable air tour route through the center of the
canyon while at the same time providing mitigation of the effects of
noise over Havasupai cultural and sacred sites. Because it was designed
to be used only by the quietest technology aircraft for westbound
traffic after December 31, 2001, the Natioal Canyon route was found to
provide noise mitigation. The proposed Bright Angel Corridor for use by
quietest technology aircraft was crafted as an incentive for operators
to convert to quiet technology. The comment period for Notice No. 97-6
closed June 16, 1997, and approximaely 142 comments were received.
The FAA, in consultation with the NPS, has determined not to
proceed with the proposals set forth in Notice No. 97-6 at this time.
The agencies are presently considering alternatives to the National
Canyon area for air tour routes. Once the air tour route structure for
GCNP has been determined, the FAA will issue a Notice of Availability
of Proposed Routes and provide for notice and public comment on any
associated rulemaking. The FAA recogizes its responsibility to address
the comments filed in response to Notice 97-6 and will do so in the
near future. However, in order to faciliate the development of the air
tour route structure, the FAA is withdrawing the NPRM now and will
dispose of the comments in a separate document. In a companion document
to this NPRM withdrawal published elsewhere in this issue of the
Federal Register, the FAA has amended the proposed rule, Notice No. 96-
15, to remove the two sections that first proposed a National Canyon
corridor.
Environmental Review
In conjunction with Notice 97-6, the FAA reevaluated the December
1996 Final Environmental Assessment/Finding of No Significant Impact
(1996 Final EA/FONSI) for the Special Flight Rules in the Vicinity of
Grand Canyon National Park to determine whether the proposed changes in
NPRM 97-6 of the second Notice of Availability of Proposed Routes,
published concurrently, were substantial so as to warrant preparation
of additional environemntal documentation. The FAA determined that the
conclusions in the 1996 Final EA/FONSI were still substantially valid.
Once the air tour route structure is determined, the FAA will conduct
the appropriate environmental review and provide for notice and public
comment.
Witdrawal of Proposed Rule
Accodingly, Notice No. 97-6 published in the Federal Register on
May 15, 1997 (62 FR 26902) is withdrawn.
Issued in Washington, DC on July 10, 1998.
Richard O. Gordon,
Director, Flight Standards Service.
[FR Doc. 98-18833 Filed 7-10-98; 12:52 pm]
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