Thursday, March 28, 2024

FAA North Texas Optimization of Airspace and Procedures in the Metroplex (OAPM) Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) Notice of Availability

UPDATE: 10/28/2013 – The City has learned from the FAA  the comment period has been extended to November 18, 2013.  

The City of Southlake will be participating in the public comment process of the FAA North Texas Optimization of Airspace and Procedures in the Metroplex (OAPM).  Residents who are interested in participating should submit their comments via email at:   mailto: 9-ASW-NorthTXOAPMcomment@faa.gov  (copy and paste address) or by U.S. Mail:

NTX OAPM EA
Ms. Daisy Mather – Environmental Specialist
FAA Central Service Center
Operations Support Group, AJV-C22
2601 Meacham Boulevard
Fort Worth, TX 76137

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the FAA is releasing and making available for public review and comment a Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) that has been prepared to consider the potential environmental impacts of the Proposed Action, implementation of its North Texas Optimization of Airspace and Procedures in the Metroplex (NTX OAPM) project.

A “metroplex” is a geographic area that includes several commercial and general aviation airports in close proximity serving a large metropolitan area. If approved, the NTX OAPM project would improve the efficiency of the national airspace system in the North Texas area metroplex by optimizing aircraft arrival and departure procedures at a number of airports, including Dallas/Fort Worth International (DFW), Dallas Love Field (DAL) and several satellite airports. Specifically, the FAA proposes to publish and implement optimized Area Navigation (RNAV) standard arrival and departure instrument procedures, serving air traffic flows into and out of airports in the NTX Metroplex. The project would involve changes in aircraft flight paths and altitudes in certain areas. However, it would not require any ground disturbance or increase the number of aircraft operations within the NTX Metroplex airspace area. The analysis of potential environmental impacts in the EA was conducted in accordance with FAA Order 1050.1E, Environmental Impacts: Policies and Procedures.

The FAA has established a 60 nautical mile radius project study area for the EA, centered on DFW Airport, which is the midpoint of the locally controlled airspace. The study area includes all or parts of the following 29 counties, 26 of which are in Texas and three (3) of which are in Oklahoma: Bosque, Collin, Cooke, Denton, Dallas, Ellis, Erath, Fannin, Grayson, Henderson, Hill, Hood, Hunt, Jack, Johnson, Kaufman, Montague, Navarro, Palo Pinto, Parker, Rains,
Rockwall, Somervell, Tarrant, Van Zandt, Wise, Bryan (OK), Love (OK), and Marshall (OK).

The Draft EA is available online at http://oapmenvironmental.com/ntx_metroplex/ntx_docs.html
and at a number of libraries throughout the study area.

Partial List of Libraries (see website for additional locations):

J. Erik Jonsson Central Library
1515 Young Street
Dallas, TX 75201

Ft. Worth Central Library
500 W. Third St.
Fort Worth, TX 76102

Highland Park Library
4700 Drexel Drive
Dallas, TX 75205

The FAA encourages the public and all interested parties to review the EA and to provide written comments during the public comment period, which ends on October 30, 2013. Comments may be submitted by mail or email. Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, please be advised that your entire comment – including your personal identifying information – may be made publicly available. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from  public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.