Federal Aviation Administration Environmental Prescreening Training Module 4 Environmental Screening Process Overview

Federal AviationAdministrationEnvironmental

Prescreening Training

Module 4

Environmental Screening Process Overview

2Federal AviationAdministration

Environmental Study Process OverviewJune 26, 2013

Training Modules1. NEPA and CEQ

2. FAA Order 1050

3. Air Traffic Environmental - Noise Review

4. Environmental Screening Process Overview



Module 4

Environmental Screening Process Overview



• 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

Environmental Study Process



• 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 Outcomes



• 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 Goals



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

Step 1: Filtering

Environmental Study Process Workflow



Step 1Environmental Filtering




• 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 - Overview






Environmental Filtering – Information Gathering

• 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






Step 2Environmental Prescreening




• 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

Environmental Prescreening - Overview



• 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 – Traffic Test






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 – Lateral Test






• 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?

Prescreening – Altitude / Operations Test






Step 3Environmental Screening




• 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)

Environmental Screening - Overview



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) “Reportable”

Source:1) FAA Order 1050.1E, Appendix A, 14.3; Part 150, Sec. 150.21(2)(d); FICON 1992.2) FAA Order 1050.1E, Appendix A, 14.4c; FICON 19923) FAA Order 1050.1E, Appendix A, 14.5e.

Criteria for Determining Level of Impact Increased in Aircraft Noise

Environmental Screening - Overview






Step 4







• 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)

Environmental Analysis - Overview



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 Request Environmental Process



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 Environmental Pre-screening Filter



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

YES

NO

NO

Passed Environmenta

l Review?

No Changes or Changes within Environmental Parameters?

New/Updated Procedure

Published or Implemented

Receive FAA Responsible

Federal Official (RFO) Approval



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


Complete/ Update




Filter


Submission

Develop Procedure


Aircraft Procedure

YES

YES

NO

NO

Passed Environmenta

l Review?








Review of the Filter ResultsAfter 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)



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


Complete/ Update




Filter


Submission

Develop Procedure


Aircraft Procedure

YES

YES

NO

NO

Passed Environmenta

l Review?








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.




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).




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.



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

Works Cited



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– 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– 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?

Documents

Federal Aviation Administration Environmental Prescreening Training Module 4 Environmental Screening Process Overview