Environmental Prescreening Training Module 4 Environmental Screening Process Overview

Training Modules NEPA and CEQ FAA Order 1050 Air Traffic Environmental - Noise Review Environmental Screening Process Overview

Environmental Screening Process Overview Module 4 Environmental Screening Process Overview

Environmental Study Process What is Environmental Filtering? Low level data assessment of a potential for environmental impact Focuses on information and data collection What is Environmental Prescreening? Low level data assessment in the risk for a potential environmental impact Focuses on data assessment and various low level tests based on operational, procedural, and lateral changes What is Environmental Screening? Low fidelity data modeling which must be constructed with low risk of false-negative results Dramatic simplification of the of a detailed noise analysis What is Environmental Analysis? High fidelity data modeling used to determine the potential environmental impacts for multiple scenarios Detailed noise/environmental impact evaluation

CATEX EA/EIS Environmental Study Outcomes Possible Outcomes: Categorical Exclusion (CATEX) Environmental Assessment (EA) / Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) Environmental Filtering Environmental Prescreening Environmental Screening Environmental Analysis CATEX EA/EIS

Environmental Study Process Goals Consistent and streamlined process for investigating environmental impacts Follow National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requirements Capture key environmental issues early to prepare schedules and budgets accordingly Determine if procedure request can be CATEXed early in assessment process Exercise very low risk of false-negative impact results E.g. Actions which exceed noise change thresholds deemed as no/low level of impact

Environmental Study Process Workflow Step 1: Filtering Step 2: Prescreening Step 3: Screening Step 4: Full Analysis Primary Tool: Environmental Screening Filter Primary Tool: NST Prescreening Guidance Wizard Primary Tools: NIRS Screening Tool (NST) TARGETS Noise Plugin Area Equivalent Method (AEM) Primary Tools: Aviation Environmental Design Tool (AEDT) Integrated Noise Model (INM) Emissions and Dispersion Modeling System (EDMS) Legacy Tool(s): ATNS Legacy Tool: NIRS

Environmental Filtering Step 1 Environmental Filtering

Environmental Filtering - Overview Environmental Prescreening Environmental Screening Environmental Analysis Tool: Environmental Screening Filter The Environmental Screening Filter provides a standard streamlined audit process for stepping through the logic of the environmental process for a proposed procedure change. Purpose: The purpose of environmental filtering is to collect enough environmental information for the application of a categorical exclusion for a requested procedure approval. Expected Time Investment: Minimal Possible Outcomes: CATEX Environmental Prescreening (further review)

Environmental Filtering – Information Gathering Environmental Prescreening Environmental Screening Environmental Analysis The environmental filtering process requires the following information to be collected in order to properly assess the impact of a proposed action: Involves an Instrument Flight Procedure (IFP) service provider? Involves new or an existing Procedure? Involves procedure change(s) covered under 311k or 311i? Involves change(s) over major thoroughfare? Average daily helicopter operation count Involves change(s) over noise sensitive areas? E.g. park, wilderness, residential, educational, etc. Involves a procedure update? E.g. name change, increase in altitude, lines of minimum Lowest altitude in procedure request Average annual prop and jet operation counts

Environmental Prescreening Step 2 Environmental Prescreening

Environmental Prescreening - Overview Environmental Filtering Environmental Prescreening Environmental Screening Environmental Analysis Tool: NST – Prescreening Guidance Wizard Provides a standard streamlined audit process for determining if a proposed action poses a risk of exceeding a noise threshold. Requires acquisition of a minimal amount of data to analyze small degrees of change Determines if noise screening is needed through a series of questions and look up tables Supporting Documentation: MITRE – Guidance for Noise Screening Air Actions Expected Time Investment: Minimal Possible Outcomes: CATEX Environmental Screening (further review) NST Prescreening Guidance Wizard

Prescreening – Traffic Test Environmental Filtering Environmental Prescreening Environmental Screening Environmental Analysis Required Information: Avg. Daily Departure Operations Avg. Daily Arrival Operations Minimum Aircraft Procedure Altitude Purpose: Does the action affect enough jet traffic operations to exceed minimum noise exposure levels?

Prescreening – Lateral Test Environmental Filtering Environmental Prescreening Environmental Screening Environmental Analysis Required Information: Change in Lateral Distance Minimum Aircraft Procedure Altitude Purpose: Does the action move jet traffic far enough to potentially exceed a screening threshold? This test is only for actions where a route is moving laterally and there are no changes in the number of jet traffic operations or altitudes along the route?

Prescreening – Altitude / Operations Test Environmental Filtering Environmental Prescreening Environmental Screening Environmental Analysis Required Information: Change in Daily Jet Traffic Operations Change in Minimum Altitude of Jet Traffic Purpose: Does the action change the altitudes and/or amount of jet traffic on an existing route enough to potentially cause a 3 dB increase in noise exposure?

Environmental Screening Step 3 Environmental Screening

Environmental Screening - Overview Environmental Filtering Environmental Prescreening Environmental Screening Environmental Analysis What is Environmental Screening? Low fidelity data modeling which must be constructed with low risk of false-negative results A dramatic simplification of a detailed noise analysis Must be constructed with low risk of false-negative results Provides a simplified process which determines if further detailed noise analysis is necessary Provides a consistent streamlined approach for identifying potential noise issues early Tools: NIRS Screening Tool (NST) TARGETS Noise Screening Plug-in Expected Time Investment: Moderate Possible Outcomes: CATEX Environmental Analysis (further review) NIRS Screening Tool (NST)

Criteria for Determining Level of Impact Increased in Aircraft Noise Environmental Screening - Overview Environmental Filtering Environmental Prescreening Environmental Screening Environmental Analysis Criteria for Determining Level of Impact Increased in Aircraft Noise DNL Noise Exposure With Proposed Action Minimum Increase in DNL with Proposed Action Level of Impact DNL 65 dB or higher 1.5 dB (1) Significant DNL 60 to 65 dB 3.0 dB (2) “Reportable” DNL 45 to 60 dB 5.0 dB (3) Source: FAA Order 1050.1E, Appendix A, 14.3; Part 150, Sec. 150.21(2)(d); FICON 1992. FAA Order 1050.1E, Appendix A, 14.4c; FICON 1992 FAA Order 1050.1E, Appendix A, 14.5e.

Environmental Analysis Step 4 Environmental Analysis Environmental Filtering Environmental Prescreening Environmental Screening Environmental Analysis

Environmental Analysis - Overview Environmental Filtering Environmental Prescreening Environmental Screening Environmental Analysis What is Environmental Analysis? High fidelity data modeling process used to determine the potential environmental impacts for multiple scenarios Environmental analysis is the final stage of evaluation process for a proposed procedure request. When a proposed request cannot be CATEXed in any of the previous steps and has the potential risk of an environmental impact, a detailed analysis is required After the in depth analysis is complete, a record of decision is prepared stating the final decision of the review and identifies all alternatives considered in the decision Tools: Aviation Environmental Design Tool (AEDT) Integrated Noise Model (INM) Emissions and Dispersion Modeling System (EDMS) Legacy Tools: Noise Integrated Route System (NIRS) Expected Time Investment: Significant Possible Outcome: EA / EIS Aviation Environmental Design Tool (AEDT)

Aircraft Procedure Request Environmental Process The result will be one of two outcomes: identification of a possible CATEX or the need for additional environmental review. In both cases, the filter will create a summary of the proponent information entered. When the filter identifies a CATEX, it will also produce an unofficial CATEX Declaration.

Aircraft Procedure Environmental Pre-screening Filter After entering information concerning a proposed procedure into the filter, proponents will know whether a CATEX is identified and implemented, or whether further environmental review will be required.

Aircraft Procedure Process Perform Additional Environmental Review Complete/ Update Procedure Action Design Publish or Implement Procedure Complete Environmental Pre-screening Filter Review Environmental Submission Develop Procedure Need for New/Updated Aircraft Procedure YES NO Passed Environmental Review? No Changes or Changes within Environmental Parameters? New/Updated Procedure Published or Implemented Receive FAA Responsible Federal Official (RFO) Approval

Aircraft Procedure Environmental Pre-screening Filter The filter outputs will be emailed to the FAA for review. The FAA will determine whether the filter information is complete and complies with FAA Order 1050.1E paragraph 303C. If the filter information is not complete, it will be returned to the proponent for review. Perform Additional Environmental Review Complete/ Update Procedure Action Design Publish or Implement Procedure Complete Environmental Pre-screening Filter Review Environmental Submission Develop Procedure Need for New/Updated Aircraft Procedure YES NO Passed Environmental Review? No Changes or Changes within Environmental Parameters? New/Updated Procedure Published or Implemented Receive FAA Responsible Federal Official (RFO) Approval

Review of the Filter Results After the filter identifies a CATEX or the need for additional environmental review, the results will be sent via email to the FAA specialist coordinating the proposed procedure for review. The email will include the following attachments: A PDF of the questions and responses entered into the Filter by the proponent, and either an unofficial CATEX Declaration, or instructions for additional environmental review, Electronic satellite (such as Google) or land use map (if the proposed procedure directs traffic over a noise-sensitive area)

Aircraft Procedure Environmental Pre-screening Filter If the filter information is complete and meets all the environmental requirements and once the procedure package is complete it is sent forward for development Perform Additional Environmental Review Complete/ Update Procedure Action Design Publish or Implement Procedure Complete Environmental Pre-screening Filter Review Environmental Submission Develop Procedure Need for New/Updated Aircraft Procedure YES NO Passed Environmental Review? No Changes or Changes within Environmental Parameters? New/Updated Procedure Published or Implemented Receive FAA Responsible Federal Official (RFO) Approval

Operations Support Group (OSG) Flight Procedures Team (FPT) The OSG FPT will review the filter results, verify information and ensure the results comply with FAA Order 1050.1E paragraph 303C. The expected outcomes are to: Produce an approved CATEX declaration to be included in the procedure package Send a completed procedure package to AeroNav Products for development if the conditions for a CATEX are met, or Forward the procedure package to the OSG Environmental Specialist (ES) if a CATEX can not be applied Return the filter results to the proponent to determine next steps if information submitted is incomplete

OSG Environmental Specialists An OSG ES will use the filter results to verify whether the proposed procedure meets the conditions for: A CATEX declaration, An environmental assessment (EA), or An environmental impact statement (EIS). The OSG ES will send the results of the additional environmental review to OSG FPT for final processing.

OSG Environmental Specialists If the filter results indicate that additional environmental review is required, an OSG ES will conduct the review using the filter results as a starting point to determine the appropriate level of environmental documentation required for the action: CATEX, Environmental assessment (EA), or Environmental impact statement (EIS).

OSG Environmental Specialists Third Party Special IFPs An OSG ES will also review filter results for AFS third party IFP submittals Third party applications will be processed the same as others If further environmental review is required the OSG ES will conduct the review If further information is required to complete the environmental review the OSG ES will send the information request back to AFS to work with the applicant The OSG environmental specialist will send the results of the additional environmental review to AFS for final processing

Live Filter Demonstration

Overview However, the filter will never be used as a substitute for human expertise in the review process. In fact, human expertise will be essential in reviewing the output(s) of the filter. The FAA personnel who have been responsible for environmental review in the past will retain their roles as reviewers.

Works Cited Bankert, Fred B. (2009) “Guidance for Noise Screening Air Traffic Actions.” MITRE, McLean, VA

Module 1 Review National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Definition, Resources, Applicability The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) CEQ Regulations NEPA Process High level examination of the NEPA process

Module 2 Review 1050.1 Categorical Exclusions Purpose, intent, applicability Categorical Exclusions Definition, process, extraordinary circumstances, categories, examples Environmental Assessments Applicability, process, content, FONSI Environmental Impact Statements Purpose, applicability, content Impact Categories

Module 3 Review Noise Impact Categories Noise sensitive Areas What is noise? Metrics used Impact Categories What categories are examined for potential significant impacts? Noise sensitive Areas What are these areas? Why are they important?

Module 4 Review Environmental Screening Process Overview Environmental Study Process Environmental Filtering Environmental Prescreening Environmental Screening Environmental Analysis There are many tools that can streamline the environmental study process, that also meet NEPA regulations. Environmental Prescreening Filter Demo

Questions?