Chapter One PROJECT DESCRIPTION Environmental Impact Report Monterey Peninsula Airport 1.1 INTRODUCTION This Environmental Impact Report (EIR) analyzes and documents the potential environmental impacts resulting from proposed runway safety improvements at Monterey Peninsula Airport. The Lead Agency for this EIR, the Monterey Peninsula Airport District (MPAD), determined that the preparation of an EIR is warranted due to the presence of numerous environmental resources within the airport environs. The EIR process, as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) of 1970, as amended, requires the preparation of an objective, full-disclosure document to: Inform agency decision-makers and the general public of the potential direct and indirect environmental effects of a proposed action. Identify alternatives to the proposed project to reduce or lessen environmental impacts. Identify mitigation measures to reduce or eliminate any identified significant impacts. The MPAD has prepared this EIR to address the potential environmental impacts associated with proposed runway safety improvements at Monterey Peninsula Airport. In conformance with CEQA, this EIR addresses the potential individual and cumulative impacts of the proposed project. MPAD, as the lead agency, will review and consider the EIR in its decision to approve, revise, or deny the project. The MPAD was created in 1936 and is not incorporated into a city or the county, nor is it a public utility. The Airport District includes portions of Monterey, Pacific Grove, Del Monte Forest, Pebble Beach, Carmel-by-the-Sea, greater Carmel, Del Rey Oaks, Seaside, Sand City, the Monterey-Salinas Highway to Laureles Grade, and the west end of Carmel Valley. The District is governed by five publicly elected members to form a Board of Directors. 1-1
1.2 PROJECT LOCATION Monterey Peninsula Airport is a commercial service aviation facility located in the Monterey Bay Area approximately three miles east/southeast of downtown Monterey. The airport is located in Monterey County, approximately 100 miles south of San Francisco. Figure 1A depicts the airport in its regional setting. Figure 1B depicts the portions of the airport that are impacted by the proposed improvements. As discussed within the previous section, the airport is not incorporated into a city or a county, nor is it a public utility. The airport is bounded by the cities of Monterey and Del Rey Oaks as well as Monterey County. 1.3 PROJECT BACKGROUND The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has established design standards to ensure the safety, economy, efficiency, and longevity of an airport. These standards include criteria for runway safety areas (RSAs), which are defined as the surface surrounding the runway prepared or suitable for reducing the risk of damage to airplanes in the event of an aircraft landing short, landing long, or departing from the runway. Traditional RSAs consist of clear, graded, and grassed surfaces surrounding the perimeter of a runway. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, a series of aircraft accidents highlighted the need for airports to comply with RSA standards. These accidents, such as those in Little Rock, Arkansas and Chicago, Illinois, resulted in the loss of human life which stimulated the passage of H.R.3058, Transportation, Treasury, Housing and Urban Development, the Judiciary, the District of Columbia, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 2006 which states: That not later than December 31, 2015, the owner or operator of an airport certificated under 49 United States Code (U.S.C.) 44706 shall improve the airport's runway safety areas to comply with the Federal Aviation Administration design standards required by 14 CFR Part 139. As a certificated airport, Monterey Peninsula Airport is required by 14 CFR Part 139 to comply with RSA standards to the fullest extent practicable. In 2007, the Monterey Peninsula Airport undertook an RSA Study in response to H.R. 3058 and FAA Order 5200.8, Runway Safety Area Program, which became effective October 1, 1999. The objective of the RSA program is to ensure that all RSAs at federally obligated airports conform to standards contained in FAA Advisory Circular (AC) 150/5300-13, Airport Design, to the extent practicable. The purpose of the RSA study for Monterey Peninsula Airport was to first determine if the existing RSAs at the airport met FAA standards, and second, to examine the feasibility of meeting established RSA design standards for any runway end that does not meet FAA standards. The RSA study described the existing conditions regarding the runway safety areas for Runways 10L-28R and 10R-28L, and concluded that Runway 10L-28R meets RSA standards and Runway 10R-28L does not. By FAA standards, Runway 10R-28L requires an RSA that is 500 feet wide and extends 1,000 feet beyond the runway end for departures and 600 feet prior to the landing threshold for arrivals. 1 As depicted on Figure 1C, a limited, non-standard RSA is currently available for arrivals and departures on Runway 10R and for departures on Runway 28L. Arrivals to Runway 28L meet RSA standards due to 1 Refer to Appendix C for a description of the methodology used for defining the Airport Reference Code for Runway 10R-28L based on existing airport activity as well as forecasts prepared by the FAA. 1-2
the 1,033-foot displaced threshold. The Runway 28L departure and Runway 10R arrival and departure RSAs do not meet FAA standards. In instances where RSA standards are not met, FAA Order 5200.8 describes a series of alternatives that can be evaluated. As part of the Monterey Peninsula Airport RSA Study, initial alternatives were developed and potentially reasonable solutions intended to meet RSA standards were evaluated. The alternatives developed during the RSA study have since been refined, with input from the FAA, and a preferred development alternative has been selected. 1.4 PROJECT OBJECTIVE The objective of the proposed airport improvements is to enhance safety at Monterey Peninsula Airport by providing an aviation facility that complies with FAA RSA design standards. By law, FAA s highest aviation priority is the safe operation of the airport and the airway system. 2 As previously discussed, Runway 10R-28L does not meet FAA RSA design standards which were developed by the FAA to help protect lives and property, both in the air and on the ground. The need for the RSA improvements is supported by federal law, specifically P.L. 109-115, Transportation, Treasury, Housing and Urban Development, the Judiciary, the District of Columbia, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 2006. The need for the improvements is further supported due to the airport s role within the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems 2008-2012 (NPIAS) as a primary commercial service airport. The airport s designation as a commercial service airport translates to the airport s level of importance within the national aviation system. Forecasts and facility requirements contained within the NPIAS assume that the airport will continue to fulfill this defined role. In order to allow this, the airport needs to be able to accommodate the needs of the aviation community by providing a safe operating environment for all aircraft. 1.5 PROJECT DESCRIPTION The Monterey Peninsula Airport District is proposing improvements to Monterey Peninsula Airport that fully meet FAA RSA design standards. The development concept described in the following paragraphs is based on a refined version of Alternative 5 from the recently completed RSA study and is referred to in this study as the Project. The various components of the proposed development concept are depicted on Figure 1D and briefly described in the following paragraphs. The Project takes into account the various development constraints located beyond the existing runway ends and provides needed RSA while maximizing runway length. Development constraints beyond the existing runway ends include steep slopes off each runway end, numerous federal and state protected plant and animal species, and a Section 4(f) property (the U.S. Navy s Monterey Pines Golf Course) 3. 2 Refer to 49 USC Section 47101(a). 3 Section 4(f) of the Department of Transportation (DOT) Act, which was recodified and renumbered as Section 303(c) of 49 USC, provides that the Secretary of Transportation will not approve any program or project that requires the use of any publicly owned land from a historic site, public parks, recreation areas, or waterfowl and wildlife refuges of national, state, regional, or local importance unless there is no feasible and prudent alternative to the use of such land, and the project includes all possible planning to minimize harm resulting from the use. 1-3
Property acquisition in the vicinity of the airport is not feasible due to high acquisition costs. Taking into account these constraints, the sponsor-proposed action minimizes environmental impacts while maximizing the runway/rsa development area through the construction of two retaining walls. Construction of the retaining walls maximizes the runway/rsa development platform. (Locations of the retaining wall on the east end were determined through geotechnical analyses which provided the maximum wall height in this portion of airport property. The retaining wall on the west end of the runway was placed in a location which would allow the RSA improvements to remain on airport property.) As depicted on Figure 1D, improvements on the east end of the runway include the construction of a retaining wall approximately 250 feet beyond the existing Runway 28L end 4. The retaining walls will be staggered due to its height and geologic conditions in the area. Earthen fill will be placed behind the retaining wall to create a level surface that meets RSA slope requirements. A 390-foot engineered materials arresting system (EMAS) bed will be installed at the eastern end of the level surface. This EMAS bed length is considered equivalent to a 1,000-foot RSA when considering the types of aircraft which utilize Monterey Peninsula Airport. In lieu of a traditional graded RSA surface, EMAS has been used at numerous airports across the U.S. that are constrained by development, terrain, rivers, or other environmental features. The resistance provided by the EMAS system slows aircraft and allows them to come to a stop in a shorter distance. The EMAS bed is located 35 feet from the Runway 28L departure point to protect the EMAS bed from jet blast. Additional improvements on the east end of the runway relate to the relocation of the airport access road to the toe of the retaining wall, outside of the RSA. The retaining wall at the east end of the airport will be tiered and vegetated. The relocation of the access road provides added safety benefits as it removes the access road from the RSA and reduces the potential for runway incursions. FAA AC 50/5210-20, Ground Vehicle Operations on Airports, supports the segregation of vehicle and aircraft operations at an airport. Improvements on the west end of the runway also include the construction of a retaining wall, installation of EMAS, and the relocation of the airport s existing access road beyond the RSA. The retaining wall would be of a much smaller scale than the east end retaining wall and would be constructed approximately 180 feet from the existing runway end. The length of the west end retaining wall is approximately 650 feet and will be a vertical structure approximately 20 feet tall. Placement of the retaining wall in this location allows improvements to remain on airport property. The area inside the retaining wall will be graded and filled and will contain the relocated access road as well as the EMAS. The landing threshold for Runway 10R is shifted approximately 425 feet east to allow for the placement of the 390-foot EMAS bed. Two new connector taxiways will provide access from the north and south sides of the airfield to the new runway end. To maintain as much of the existing takeoff and landing lengths as possible, declared distances are used. Figure 1D depicts the resultant runway lengths available for takeoff and landing in each direction. The declared distances reflect the required 600-foot RSA prior to landing as well as the substitution of EMAS for the 1,000-foot departure RSA. Additional information regarding declared distances is contained in 4 It was determined that construction of the retaining wall in this location would balance RSA needs with cost and environmental impact. Pushing the wall further east would dramatically increase the cost of the retaining wall and result in additional impacts to federal and state listed plant species. 1-4
Chapter Two, Section 2.1.1. The alternative Project results in the airport maximizing the remaining runway length while providing an RSA that meets FAA RSA standards. 1.6 PROJECT SETTING As shown on Figure 1A, Monterey Peninsula Airport is located in Monterey County, California, adjacent to the cities of Monterey and Del Rey Oaks. The airport is located approximately 100 miles south of San Francisco, California. The following sections contain a description of the airport features. A description of the airport s environmental setting is contained within Chapter Three. Facilities at the airport can be divided into two distinct categories: airside facilities and landside facilities. Airside facilities include those directly associated with aircraft operations. Landside facilities include those necessary to provide an interface between surface and air transportation, and support aircraft servicing, storage, maintenance, and operational safety. Airside Facilities Airside facilities generally include, but are not limited to, runways, taxiways, connecting taxiways, airfield lighting, and navigational aids. As depicted on Figure 1E, Monterey Peninsula Airport is served by two runways. The primary runway, Runway 10R/28L, is 7,616 feet long and 150 feet wide and constructed of grooved asphalt. This runway is predominantly used by the commercial service and business jet activity at the airport. As stated in the table, Runway 28L has a displaced threshold of 1,000 feet. A displaced threshold is located at a point on the runway, other than the designated beginning of the runway, for landings. The portion of the runway behind the threshold is available for takeoffs in both directions and landings from the opposite direction. The parallel runway, Runway 10L/28R, is 3,513 feet long and 60 feet wide. In addition to the runways, there is also an extensive taxiway system to provide access to the various facilities at the airport. Table 1A summarizes the basic runway data for Monterey Peninsula Airport. Landside Facilities Landside facilities are essential to the daily operation of the airport and consist primarily of those facilities required to accommodate aircraft, pilots, and passengers while they are at the airport. Landside facilities at Monterey Peninsula Airport are depicted on Figure 1E. The airport terminal building houses Monterey Peninsula Airport District administrative offices and services for commercial airline service passengers. Passenger facilities include airline ticketing desks, baggage return area, rental car agents, a full service restaurant, departure area café and a gift shop. 1-5
TABLE 1A Runway Data Monterey Peninsula Airport Length (feet) Width (feet) Surface Material Pavement Strength (lbs.) Single Wheel Double Wheel Double Tandem Approach Aids EXISTING RUNWAYS 10R 28L 10L 28R 7,616 3,513 150 60 Asphalt, Grooved Asphalt 100,000 160,000 300,000 12,500 N/A N/A VASI REIL None None MALSR PAPI Instrument Approach Procedures ILS/DME LOC/DME None None Displaced Threshold (feet) 0 1,000 0 0 Fixed Wing Aircraft Traffic Pattern Left Right Left Right MALSR Medium Intensity Approach Light System with Runway Alignment Indicator Lights PAPI Precision Approach Path Indicator VASI Visual Approach Slope Indicator Lights REIL Runway End Identifier Lights Source: Airport/Facility Directory, U.S. Department of Transportation, December 2009 Three fixed base operators (FBOs), each providing a wide range of aviation-related services are located at Monterey Peninsula Airport. The current FBOs include Del Monte and Monterey Jet Center, located west of the terminal building, and Monterey Bay Aviation, located on the north side of the airport. Fuel, avionics repair, aircraft maintenance, flight instruction, aircraft rental, and aircraft parking services are available from these tenants. Additionally, the airport has an airport rescue and firefighting (ARFF) station located on-site to provide fire suppression services in case of an emergency. 1.7 REQUIRED APPROVALS The following agencies will issue approvals and/or clearances for the proposed airport development projects. Monterey Peninsula Airport District. As the lead agency under CEQA, the Monterey Peninsula Airport District will certify the EIR. Federal Aviation Administration. The FAA will provide the following: clearance through under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and grant funding through the Airport Improvement Program (AIP). U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). USFWS will assist with Federal Endangered Species Act Compliance and compliance with the requirements of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act during construction. California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG). CDFG will oversee California Endangered Species Act Compliance. California Department of Transportation (CalTRANS). CalTRANS will issue an encroachment permit for the access road connection with Highway 68. 1-6
1.8 PROJECT OUTREACH This EIR was conducted parallel to an Environmental Assessment (EA) which was prepared in accordance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969. The FAA was the lead agency for the preparation of the EA and a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) was issued for the EA in August 2010. Agency outreach for the EA and EIR began with the submittal of a Notice of Preparation (NOP) to the State Clearinghouse in July 2009. Appendix B contains copies of the NOP transmittal materials to the State Clearinghouse and resource agencies. Public outreach for the documents consisted of a series of public workshops and maintenance of a project website. Public workshops were held on December 4, 2008 and June 25, 2009. The project website was kept up to date with the uploading of workshop materials and maintenance of a project schedule. Additionally, periodic updates were provided to the Monterey Peninsula Airport Board during the preparation of the EA and EIR. 1-7