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

T.F. Green Airport Improvement ProgramEnvironmental Impact Statement and Final Section 4(f) EvaluationEnd and the EMAS bed. Impacts to Wetlands A11 and A6 would be avoided by routing the Perimeter Road awayfrom the west side of relocated Taxiway C to the south of these wetlands along an existing trail in cleared uplands.During the preparation of this FEIS, impacts to Wetland A8 were further avoided by re-examining the locationof the Perimeter Road on the east side of Runway 34 along with the design requirements for the glide slopecritical area; a critical part of the system that allows aircraft to make instrument landings on the runway. Theimaging type glide slope, which is used at the other three runways at the Airport, has specific site requirementsreflected in the previous glide slope area grading design for Runway 34. The Runway 34 End has an end-firesystem, which is a non-image system, and is designed for use in areas where conformance to the imaging typeglide slope criteria is impractical. The use of an end-fire system at the Runway 34 End results in the completeavoidance of impact to Wetland A8 from the glide slope area.Alternative B2 would include the installation of new navigational aids at the Runway 34 End that would haveminor fill impacts within Wetland A10 and A13. Because Alternative B4 only shifts Runway 16-34 north by lessthan 100 feet, the existing navigational aids may continue to be used avoiding new impact to Wetland A10 alongBuckeye Brook below Warwick Pond.Runway 23There are five wetlands at the Runway 23 End (Wetlands A1, A2, A3, A4, and A5) including Upper and LowerBuckeye Brook, Spring Green Brook, Spring Green Inlet stream, and Spring Green Pond north of Runway 23.Impacts to wetlands at the Runway 23 End could be avoided if Runway 5-23 was shifted to the south(Alternative B4). The Alternative B2 Runway 5-23 extension avoids impacts to wetlands north of Airport Roadby shifting some of the Runway 5-23 extension south. Impacts to Wetland A5 cannot be avoided with theAlternative B2 configuration of Runway 5-23 because a glide slope critical area is required at the Runway 23End and the Perimeter Road and AMF access road must be kept outside of the ROFA.Relocating the AMF Access Road under Alternative B2 would impact Wetland A5. This road connects the AMFto the portion of existing Airport Road that would remain after the Runway 23 extension has been constructed.This impact would be avoided in Alternative B4.Under Alternative B2, there would be minor temporary impacts to Wetland A4, Upper Buckeye Brook, WetlandA2, and the Spring Green Inlet stream to install a navigational aid conduit. This temporary impact could beavoided if the conduit were installed using directional drilling or if it were jacked in beneath the wetland.Unlike Alternative B2, Alternative B4 would avoid all impacts to Buckeye Brook Wetlands (A1, A2, A3, A4, andA5) at the Runway 23 End. This would be achieved by realigning Main Avenue and maintaining the currentconfiguration of the Runway 23 End.Fully Relocated Airport RoadThe Fully Relocated Airport Road between Post Road and Warwick Avenue is necessary to allow Runway 5-23to be extended northward across existing Airport Road for Alternative B2. The alignment was developed toenhance east-west access in the City, meet highway safety standards, and align with Route 37 on the West andChapter 5 - Environmental Consequences 5-206 July 2011\\mawatr\ev\09228.00\reports\FEIS_Final_July_2011\PVD_CH05_Environmental_Cons_JUL_2011.doc