T.F. Green Airport Improvement Program - FEIS Chapters - PVD

T.F. Green Airport Improvement ProgramEnvironmental Impact Statement and Final Section 4(f) Evaluation3.9.4 The Preferred AlternativeThe FAA, as the lead agency responsible for preparing the EIS and assuring its adequacy, identifiedAlternative B4 as the Preferred Alternative. The FAA selects the alternative that fulfills the agency’s mission andresponsibilities, and that would meet the T.F. Green Airport Improvement Program’s Purpose and Need, givingconsideration to economic, environmental, technical, and other factors. As required by the CEQ (40 CFR section1502.14(e)), a lead agency must identify its Preferred Alternative in the FEIS, and must identify theEnvironmentally Preferable Alternative (40 CFR section 1505(.2)(b)) at the time of its decision (see Section 3.9.5,The Environmentally Preferable Alternative). RIAC has confirmed that Alternative B4 is its Proposed Action. Thissection includes a summary comparison of impacts of the FEIS evaluation of Alternatives B2 and B4 and theidentification of the Preferred Alternative. FAA has completed the appropriate environmental review and thenecessary steps in the NEPA process, including:• Careful consideration of the alternatives and the ability of the alternatives to satisfy the identified Purposeand Need for the T.F. Green Airport Improvement Program (40 CFR section 1502.14(e)); and• Evaluation of the potential impacts of the alternatives carried forward.Alternatives B2 and B4 would meet the Purpose and Need and provide the same aviation and communitybenefits. Alternative B2 aviation (safety) benefits would begin in 2015, and socioeconomic benefits would beginin 2020. However, Alternative B2 would have substantially greater impacts to community resources(i.e., disruption to community, mandatory land acquisition of businesses, and mandatory land acquisition ofresidences), and higher construction costs than Alternative B4. Alternative B4 would have greater noise impacts,but would have substantially less mandatory land acquisition for construction. 143 Alternative B4 would alsohave greater floodplain impacts, but fewer wetland impacts.Alternative B4 would meet the Purpose and Need for the T.F. Green Airport Improvement Program, providingthe same aviation and community benefits as Alternative B2; however socioeconomic benefits would begin in2015 with the extended Runway 5-23 coming on line. From a constructability perspective, Alternative B4 wouldalso be more feasible to construct than Alternative B2 because it would have lower construction costs by$77 million. The reduced construction cost is partially due to smaller wetland impacts and a lower wetlandmitigation cost when compared to Alternative B2. All significant impacts that would occur under Alternative B4could be mitigated (see Chapter 6, Mitigation). When compared to Alternative B2, Alternative B4 is preferablefor the following reasons:• Alternative B4 would result 80 percent greater economic gains between 2015 and the end of 2020 thanAlternative B2 because of the expedited construction schedule. Potential economic gains for Alternative B4between 2015 and the end of 2020 would total $680 million more for the State of Rhode Island than underAlternative B2.• Alternative B4 would require the acquisition of 97 fewer residential units, all of which are considered“affordable.”143 Many of the units impacted by noise in Alternative B4 would have otherwise been purchased under Alternative B2 for mandatory acquisition forconstruction.Chapter 3 – Alternatives Analysis 3-49 July 2011\\mawatr\ev\09228.00\reports\FEIS_Final_July_2011\PVD_CH03_Alternatives_JUL_2011.doc