Draft EA - San Diego International Airport

SAN DIEGO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT – PROPOSED RUNWAY 9 DISPLACED THRESHOLD
(USDA). 2
The closest designated farmland to SDIA is unique farmland associated with Miramar Wholesale
Nurseries located over eight miles north of SDIA near the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. 3
Therefore, the
Proposed Action would not have an impact on prime or unique farmland, or farmland of statewide
importance. According to the Nationwide Rivers Inventory, no rivers federally classified as wild or scenic are
located in San Diego County. 4
The nearest river designated as wild and scenic is Bautista Creek located in
Riverside County approximately 50 miles northeast of SDIA (Bautista Creek is designated as Recreational). 5
Because there are no designated wild and scenic rivers near SDIA, the Proposed Action would have no impact
on wild and scenic rivers. Thus, farmlands and wild and scenic rivers are not discussed further in this EA.
4.1 Noise
FAA Orders 1050.1E and 5050.4B requirements for a noise analysis pertain to evaluating potential increases in
aviation-related noise from a proposed action. The Proposed Action would not affect (increase or decrease)
the number or type of existing aircraft operations at SDIA.
4.1.1 METHODOLOGY
Noise exposure maps (NEMs) for SDIA were completed in 2009 as part of the Part 150 Update. 6 The Part 150
Update generated CNEL contours for existing conditions (2009) and future conditions (2014). For purposes of
this EA, the 2014 NEM was used to analyze potential effects of the Proposed Action when compared to the No
Action alternative. Because the Proposed Action would not affect flight tracks or aircraft activity levels, the
analysis focused on the difference in noise exposure due to the relocation of the displaced threshold by 300
feet. The methodology utilized to create the NEM noise contours is described in Appendix B.
The 2014 noise contours were generated based on the low-growth forecasts for SDIA prepared in 2004. 7
A
comparison of those forecasts with forecasts prepared for SDIA in 2012 8 as part of the ADP indicate that the
aircraft activity levels utilized to develop the 2014 NEMs are approximately 15 percent higher than the 2016
forecasted activity level at SDIA. This means that the 2014 aircraft noise contours are based on a higher
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, "Soil Candidate Listing for Prime Farmland and Farmland of
Statewide Importance, San Diego County," Soil Survey of San Diego Area, California, December 1993.
California Dept. of Conservation, Division of Land Resource Protection, Farmland Mapping and Monitoring Program, “San Diego County
Important Farmland 2008,” October 2010, ftp://ftp.consrv.ca.gov/pub/dlrp/FMMP/pdf/2008/sdg08_west.pdf (accessed January 21, 2013).
U.S. Department of the Interior, National Parks Service, “Nationwide Rivers Inventory – California Segments,” National Center for
Recreation & Conservation, modified February 27, 2009, www.nps.gov/ncrc/programs/rtca/nri/states/ca.html (accessed: January 2, 2013).
National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, Nationwide Rivers Inventory, “California,” www.rivers.gov/rivers/california.php (accessed: January
2, 2013).
San Diego County Regional Airport Authority, San Diego International Airport Part 150 Update, Noise Exposure Maps, August 2009.
SH&E, Inc., San Diego International Airport Aviation Activity Forecasts, 2004.
LeighFisher, San Diego Regional Airport Authority, Airport Development Plan, San Diego International Airport, Technical Memorandum -
Aviation Demand Forecasts, March 2013.
Environmental Consequences
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Draft EA