George Bush Intercontinental Airport Environmental Impact Statement

The airport sponsor identifies a problem and proposes a project to solve the problem.  The airport sponsor requests FAA funding or Airport Layout Plan (ALP) approval for the proposed project.  In order to comply with NEPA, the FAA must evaluate and disclose the environmental consequences of the proposed project prior to approving the ALP or funding the proposed project.

The FAA must announce their intent to prepare an EIS by publishing a Notice of Intent (NOI) in the Federal Register.  The NOI briefly describes the proposed project and the scoping process.

The purpose of scoping is to determine which environmental issues are of concern and which are not, establish the extent of the Study Area, and identify alternatives. Federal, state and local agencies, and the public are invited to participate in scoping.

After the scoping comments are reviewed, the FAA and its consultants conduct necessary environmental analysis and prepare the Draft EIS.  Coordination with interested agencies and the public continues.

The Draft EIS is made available for public and agency review and comment.  A Notice of Availability (NOA) is filed with the EPA and published in the Federal Register and local papers.  Copies of the Draft EIS are sent to interested federal, state, and local agencies.  A postcard/newsletter advises the public that the Draft EIS is available on the project Web site and at local public libraries.

A public hearing is held no sooner than 30 days after the Draft EIS is available to the public.

All comments on the Draft EIS including those received at the public hearing are reviewed and responses to the substantive comments are developed.  These responses and any required edits to the Draft EIS are incorporated into the Final EIS.

The Final EIS is published and distributed.  A NOA is placed in the Federal Register, local papers and filed with the EPA.

Not earlier than 30 days after the Final EIS NOA, the FAA may issue a Record of Decision (ROD).  The ROD includes the FAA’s preferred alternative and associated mitigation. The FAA may decide to respond to comments received on the Final EIS in the ROD.  A NOA for the ROD will be published in local papers and potentially in the Federal Register.

Upon publication of the ROD NOA, the implementation of the alternative selected by the FAA may begin.