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

T.F. Green Airport Improvement ProgramEnvironmental Impact Statement and Final Section 4(f) Evaluationgoal of a Scoping Meeting is to define the purpose and need of the project, show consistency withFAA Order 1050.1E, FAA Order 5050.4B, and the NEPA process, and to solicit input from the public that will beused to prepare the EIS. The public was notified of the scoping meeting through several means. Newspaperadvertisements were run in the Providence Journal on January 20, 2005 and February 3, 2005, in the WarwickBeacon on January 27, 2005 and February 3, 2005, and the Cranston Herald on February 3, 2005. Posters weremailed to 29 locations for posting on community bulletin boards, cable advertisements ran daily fromJanuary 25 to February 3, 2005, and a public mailing was sent to over 90 individuals in the area.The February 8, 2005 Public Scoping Meeting included a video presentation that summarized the proposedprojects and described need for enhancements at T.F. Green Airport. Informational boards staffed by technicalexperts provided detailed technical data to interested attendees. A separate area was set aside where membersof the public could provide oral comment or could submit written comments to the FAA.During the scoping process over 260 comments in 44 individual letters, comment forms, or through oralcomment were submitted during the two week comment period. The majority of comments received related toalternatives considered, the purpose and need of the project, noise issues, air quality issues, social andcommunity effects, and economic impacts.8.2.2 Public Information Meetings and Public HearingDuring the DEIS preparation process, the FAA conducted four sets of Public Informational Meetings whichwere held in 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2009. The purpose of the first set of meetings (held in both Warwick andCranston) in 2005 was to discuss the purpose and need of the project with the public and explain the role ofgroups involved in the NEPA process. Approximately 90 members of the public attended these meetings. Thesecond set of meetings held in 2006 (also held in Warwick and Cranston) were attended by over 280 members ofthe public. The purpose of the second set of meetings was to provide an update on the status of the NEPAprocess and to discuss possible airport improvement program alternatives. The third meeting was held in 2007and was attended by approximately 400 members of the public. The purpose of the third meeting was to discussthe alternatives analysis screening process and to review the environmental impacts analysis associated with thealternatives. The most recent public meeting was held in June 2009. Approximately 650 members of the publicattended this meeting. The focus of the meeting was to discuss the proposed alternatives and to discuss possiblemitigation. Table 8-1 provides a list, in chronological order, of public information meetings and the publichearing held related to the T.F. Green Airport Improvement Program EIS.Notification to the public prior to public meetings was made through advertisements in the Warwick Beacon,Cranston Herald, and Providence Journal and through cable television. Over 1,300 individual mailings weresent to the public as were emails. Personal phone calls were made to stakeholders and posters were sent tocommunity organizations and were posted on community bulletin boards.According to section 47 106 (c)(1)(A)(i) of the 1982 Airports and Airway Improvement Act, the opportunity forpublic hearings needs to be offered for this project. 520, 521 The FAA scheduled a public hearing on the DEIS within520 1982 Airports and Airway Improvement Act, FAA, 49 USC section 47106 (c)(1)(A)(i).Chapter 8 - Coordination and Consultation 8-3 July 2011\\Mawatr\ev\09228.00\reports\FEIS_Final_July_2011\PVD_CH08_Consultation_JUL_2011.doc