Integrating Planning & Environmental Assessment Processes : Strategies for Success

1. Integrating Planning & Environmental Assessment Processes:Strategies for Success Mark Clark - Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority Rick Lucas - McFarland Johnson Jeff Wood - McFarland Johnson Sue McDonald - Federal Aviation Administration

2. Planning & NEPA “The Silo Syndrome” FAA Consultants Airport Planning NEPA

3. What creates the Silo Syndrome & the end result? • Sponsors generate a project • Engineering designs the project • Sponsors hire a consultant to “Do NEPA” • What happens when it gets to the FAA? “But you said here” ”but I really meant here, ” The Result ? “FAA Why can’t you streamline your process? It is taking too long! FAAAirport +

4. The Solution? Topple Those Silos How is that done? Think about it? Adding common sense to a common problem = common sense solution

5. The Team Approach - “Hey, that’s just common sense” Ok Sponsors you go first! Start Your Plan

6. How to Start That Plan? • KnowYour Airport What is Really Needed • Make Your Projects Based on this Need • From there, Develop a Solid “Purpose & Need” • Understand Your Environmental Conditions • Plan on Letting Your FAA Know of Your Ideas • Plan on Choosing an Appropriate Consultant

7. Know My Airport? Sponsors Need to: • Know Your Airport • Know Your Airport’s True “Purpose & Need’s” • Know Your Environmental Constraints • Know Your Public • Know How to Choose the Right Consultant • Know Your FAA

8. Knowing Your Airport Do you understand your runways? Do you understand your environmental conditions like floodplains, wetlands, air quality or noise?

9. Knowing Your Airport Is your hanger space large enough or do you really need better access to it? Have you satisfied your RSA requirements, or is it a Part 77 Study or land acquisition you need? Can you get to and from your airport easily?

10. Knowing Your Airport’s Projects & Needs • Our Sustainable Master Plan Issues: • Traffic Flow • Inbound Baggage issues • Airfield & Snow Removal Facilities • Auto Parking

11. Do We Know our Public? Is public perception of the airport accurate? How will they react to controversy? Is there public trust in the airport?

12. Know How to Choose the Right Consultant for the Job AC 150/1500-14d: Architectural, Engineering, and Planning Consultant Services for Airport Grant Projects How the FAA requires you to evaluate & hire a consultant for FAA-funded projects • Choosing consultants should not be an afterthought • Choosing the right consultant for the project is crucial to success • Sponsor MUST identify early project expectations to potential consultants

13. Know Your FAA • Get to Know Your FAA • Network with them any time possible • Get to know what makes them tick • Understand their schedules • Does your ADO know your consultants • Let them get to know you

14. So We Now Know it All. Sponsors Next Step? Planning Our Projects with Purpose and Need Purpose: Something set up as an object or end to be attained Need: Necessary duty Purpose & Need: Build something that is necessary

15. Purpose and Need “Ask Yourself the Details” • Is your project(s) really needed and justifiable? • If it is, can we prove it? • Once a project is deemed viable and needed, Environmental impacts • must be considered as part of the planning as you begin to write up • your Purpose and Need. • If you have not considered environmental • impacts early enough, trouble is brewing so • “Here’s your sign” Mr. Airport, expect a bumpy ride.

16. How We did the Plan at BNIA Our “Language” as a condition in the RFP for our Master Plan • SECTION 6.0 INTEGRATION OF NEPA AND PLANNING • It is the intent of this Master Plan Update to integrate NEPA/SEQRA considerations into its planning process for the purpose of avoiding or minimizing environmental impacts on selected alternatives and general capital planning. • Environmental conditions will play a key role in airport development and must be considered during planning • and development stages of the Master Plan. • NEPA/SEQRA should not be considered the driving factor in planning direction of capital improvements, • but used more as a reference guidance aimed at producing NEPA compatible projects. • Proper integration shall assist in development of: • Projects that avoid extreme environmental conflicts • Projects that generate a strong Purpose and Need • Projects that will be compatible in “streamlining” the Environmental Assessment process • Projects that minimize public controversy

17. Plan is in Place – What’s Next? • Continue Team Coordination • “Time to get our Consultant on board with our plans”

18. Planner Perspective – Why NEPA Integration? • Planning & Engineering: • Client Service • Project Implementation Timeline • Internal Project Efficiencies • Planning & Environmental: • Client Service • Project Implementation Timeline • Internal Project Efficiencies • FAA Service • Public Service Better Projects!

19. NEPA Integration vs. Separate Process Have We Identified Environmental Features? What are Major Environmental Constraints? Political Considerations? What are Underlying Assumptions of the Forecasts? Future Fleet Mix? What is the justification? Project Timing? Were Environmental Constraints and Regulations Considered? Cost and Time Associated with Regulatory Compliance? Community Impacts? Does Preferred Alterative have the Least Impact? If Not, Why Not? Economic Benefits? Land Use Considerations Construction Impacts Can we get permits? What is the NEPA process? How long and when? Inventory Forecasts Facility Requirements Alternatives Recommended Plan Airport Layout Plan

20. Buffalo Niagara International (BNIA) Project Approach • Project Team • Multi-Discipline • Sustainable Foundation • Sponsor Established Goals and Objectives • Inventory • Share Vision with Stakeholders • Obtaining Buy-In • Alternatives Analysis • Incorporating NEPA into Evaluation Criteria

21. BNIA Stakeholder Involvement • Make the Meeting Environment “Green” • Sustainable Incorporation Recap with Every Stakeholder Meeting • Revisit Goals and Objectives • Gathering Data from Stakeholders • Sustainability Charrette • Think Green when Determining Facility Requirements • Going “Outside the Box” • Student/University Involvement • Bring Ideas Back to Stakeholders for Input

22. External Opportunities: Educational Outreach • BNIA Sustainable Master Plan • Erie Community College Collaboration • Defining Sustainability • Airport Tour • Sustainability Charrette / Project Visioning • FAA Design Competition • Binghamton Geothermal Apron • “Concept to Concrete”

23. BNIA Alternatives Analysis • Initial Screening • Major Impacts or Disruptions • Standard Evaluation Criteria • Safety, Standards, Facility Requirements Still Top Priority • NEPA Impacts and Action Evaluation • Identify Logical Groupings of Projects • Determine Associated NEPA Actions (Cat-Ex, EA, EIS) • Adding Sustainable Elements • “Icing on the Cake”

24. BNIA Alternatives Analysis Environmental Evaluation of Landside Access Alternatives • Minimal Natural Resource Concerns • Potential Air Quality Benefit • Socio-Economic Concerns

25. Adding Sustainable Elements Standard ARFF Station • More Daylight • Bays Rotated from Prevailing Winds • Snow Fence to Help Reduce Plowing in Front of Bays • Quicker Terminal Access

26. Airport Planning for NEPA Practitioners • Know the Basics and Key Issues • Critical Safety Infrastructure • Capacity vs. Delay • Economic Benefits • Get the User Perspective (Pilots, Operators, etc.) • Deicing Operations • Air Traffic Operations • Achieve Concurrence on Goals & Objectives in Facility Requirements • Shared Vision in Final Outcome

27. Know the Basics Purpose and Need (Build It and They Will Come?) Regulatory Schedule and Budget Impacts Identify Key Environmental Features Consider Environmental Constraints in Development of Alternatives Public Opinion Matters Capitalize on PR Opportunities Bundle Logically-Connected Projects NEPA for Airport Planners

28. Establish Baseline Conditions Early Understand the Setting • Natural Resources Constraints • Comprehensive • Consider all Impact Categories • Geo-Referenced

29. Establish Baseline Conditions Early Understand the Setting • Social and Economic • Role of Airport in Regional Economy • Regional Economic Conditions • Population Trends • Off-Airport Development • Political

30. Identify Key Issues • Critical Environmental, Economic, Social Impacts? • Schedule and Budget Drivers • NEPA Timeline • Permits • Mitigation • Technical Challenges • Regulatory and Political Perspectives

31. Alternatives Analysis • Evaluate Alternatives in Light of Known Environmental Constraints • Can Alternatives be Modified to Avoid or Minimize Impacts? • Will Mitigation be Required? • How/Where? • $$$$ • Public Opposition

32. Case Study - ELM Elmira Corning Regional Airport (ELM) MPU Identified Need for 400’ Added Takeoff Distance for RW 6-24 No Opportunity to Extend RW 6 Presence of I-86 Airspace Constraints MPU Identified 2 Build Alternatives for RW 24 Extension Extend 400’ w/ Standard RSA Extend 400’ w/ EMAS MPU SOW and Funding Did Not Provide for Detailed Analysis of Environmental Constraints

33. Case Study - ELM

34. Case Study - ELM Field View Planning View

35. Case Study - ELM NEPA Process Extensive Public Involvement Advisory Committee Public Meetings Private Meetings w/ Neighbors Focus on “Selling It” Strong Political, Regulatory and Public Opposition to MPU Preferred Alternative Results in New Preferred Alternative Opposition Dissolved Airport Needs Met NEPA Conclusion Delayed

36. Mitigation Look for Win-Win Scenarios Partner with Non-Profits Consider Alternative Delivery Methods Involve Stakeholders Early Public Education Opportunities Don’t Shortchange the Effort Capitalize on PR Benefit

37. Mitigation Airports are Uniquely Positioned • On-Site Options Limited / Not Desirable • Here for the Long Haul • Land Use Control • FAA Involvement – a Two-Edged Sword

38. Regulatory Agencies • Agencies are Stakeholders • Integrate into Planning Process • Build Support through Early Communication • Understand Implementing Regulations • Do’s and Don’ts • Timeframes • Unwritten Policies • Swamp and Pavement Tours • Builds Understanding of Airport Operations • Relationships

39. Public Involvement • Stakeholders Meetings • Regulatory Agencies • Interest Groups • Concerned Citizens • Public Meetings • What is the Message? • Key Issues • Why • Clear and Concise Presentation of Data and Findings • Appropriate Expertise • The Airport Was Here First!!

40. Best Practices • Multi-Disciplinary Team Approach • Consider Environmental Issues Early and Often • Focus on Key Issues • Identify Mitigation Opportunities Early • Partner with Environmental Stakeholders • Consider Regulatory Agencies as Stakeholders

41. Now the Final Frontier…The FAA’s Involvement 41

42. FAA – Planning & NEPA • National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) was Passed in 1969 • Requires Federal Agencies to Evaluate the Environmental Impacts of their Actions • CEQ Developed Implementing Regulations • FAA Developed Orders Agency Compliance • Order 1050.1E, Change 1 – Applies to all Lines of Business • Order 5050.4B & Desk Reference – Airports • Integrate Planning and NEPA at the Earliest Possible Time 42

43. How Planning & NEPA Relate • Master Plan • Project Definition and • Justification • Inventory • Forecast Developed • Alternatives - On-Airport • Environmental Document • Purpose and Need Statement • Baseline for comparison • Forecast and Fleet Mix Evaluated • Reasonable range of Alternatives 43

44. Justification • A strong purpose and need • A clear justification • Reasonable alternatives considered • In order to move into the environmental phase! 44

45. Project Coordination • Coordination with key state and federal resource agencies during the Master Plan can help pave the way for a cleaner EA. • Provide these agencies with the opportunity to comment on a Master Plan when resources within their jurisdiction are identified for possible impacts. • Form a strong team: Sponsor, Consultant, ADO Planner, ADO Environmental Specialist, ADO Project Manager. • If you wait for the EA, then some of the work and expectations coming out of the Master Plan, will likely need to be redone. 45

46. Avoiding Pitfalls • Unexpected Projects / Quick Turnaround • Insufficient Justification for Projects Not Listed as CatExs • Insufficient Information About the Project and/or its Impacts • Lack of Input from Jurisdictional Agency Avoid potential headaches in the future by completing a thorough review now! 46

47. Where’s My Approval ??? • NEPA Documents = FAA Documents, Not the Sponsors • Documents Must be Clear, Concise, Supported, Defensible, and Fully Coordinated 47

48. Things To Remember • Communicate with your Local ADO • Coordinate with Agencies • Know your Consultant • NEPA Documents are Decision-Making, Disclosure Documents • Provide Training within your Organization to Ensure that Management, Engineers, Maintenance Folks, Property Management, etc. Know about NEPA - Why We Do It, and When 48

49. Questions? This is How the Process Came Full Circle and the Airports get What They Need 49