Final EA/EIR for the Boston-Logan International Airport Runway Safety Area Improvements Project

494 Pages·2011·16.78 MB·English

FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT/
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT
EOEEA #14442
JANUARY 2011
BOSTON-LOGAN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
Runway Safety Area
IMPROVEMENTS
PROJECT
PREPARED FOR PREPARED BY
Massachusetts Port Authority Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.
East Boston, Massachusetts
January 31, 2011

Secretary Richard K. Sullivan
Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs
100 Cambridge Street, Suite 900
Boston, Massachusetts 02114

Director Alicia Barton McDevitt
Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs
100 Cambridge Street, Suite 900
Boston, Massachusetts 02114

Richard Doucette
Federal Aviation Administration
New England Region
ANE-600
12 New England Executive Park
Burlington, MA 01803

Re: Boston-Logan International Airport Runway Safety Area Improvements Project
Final Environmental Assessment/Environmental Impact Report (EEA File #14442)

Dear Secretary Sullivan, Director McDevitt and Mr. Doucette:

On behalf of the Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport), I am pleased to submit the Final Environmental
Assessment/Environmental Impact Report (Draft EA/EIR) for the Boston-Logan International Airport Runway
Safety Area Improvements Project for public review in accordance with the MEPA regulations. This document
responds to all of the requirements of the Certificate issued after MEPA review of the Draft Environmental
Assessment/Environmental Impact Report (EA/EIR). As was outlined in the ENF and the Draft EA/EIR, Massport
has a continuing program of improving airfield safety at all of its airports. One of the major Boston-Logan
International Airport (“Logan”) initiatives is the enhancement of the runway safety areas (RSAs) at the ends of
Runway 33L and Runway 22R. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) policy requires that Massport modify the
RSAs, to the extent feasible, to be consistent with the current FAA airport design criteria for RSAs and to improve
rescue access in the event of an emergency. RSAs are safety features and do not extend runways or have any effect
on normal runway operations, runway capacity, or types of aircraft that can use the existing runways.

Because of Logan’s location on Boston Harbor, the runway-end safety improvement at these runway end locations
requires work in the intertidal and subtidal areas. Massport has worked closely with FAA to advance a design of the
proposed safety improvements that avoids and minimizes impacts to the maximum extent practicable. However,
there are no feasible alternatives that both meet FAA safety requirements and fully avoid marine resource impacts.

The Draft EA/EIR fully described the purpose of and need for the proposed safety improvements, the alternatives
considered, the potential environmental impacts and outlined mitigation concepts for the proposed safety
enhancements at both runway-ends. The Draft EA/EIR is provided on the enclosed CD. Through the efforts of
interagency working groups composed of local, state and federal environmental resource agencies specially
convened for this project, the Final EA/EIR is able to present detailed mitigation plans for the unavoidable impacts
to salt marsh, eelgrass and shellfish. As the project proceeds through final design and permitting, with FAA input,
Massport will continue to look for opportunities to further reduce construction-phase and long-tem impacts to
project area coastal resources.

At Runway-End 22R, a graded transition to mean low water, known as an Inclined Safety Area (ISA), is proposed.
The ISA design will closely mirror the ISA permitted and constructed at Runway-End 22L in the early 1990s. The
22R ISA will affect salt marsh and a coastal beach/mud flat area supporting shellfish. These impacts will be offset
by restoring nearly 3 acres of salt marsh and mudflat at Rumney Marsh in Saugus. As part of the project review
Secretary Richard K. Sullivan
Director Alicia Barton McDevitt
Richard Doucette
January 31, 2011
Page 2

with the MA Division of Marine Fisheries, Massport has also committed to funding of enhancements to local
shellfish resources. Shellfishers that are authorized to harvest regulated areas at Logan Airport will have the
opportunity to provide additional input into this program before it is finalized.

At Runway-End 33L, an extension to the existing Engineered Materials Arresting System (EMAS) is proposed. The
design criteria of the safety improvements included careful consideration of avoidance and minimization of
environmental impacts. Notably, to avoid harbor filling, the RSA extension at 33L is proposed as a 470-foot
pile-supported deck incorporating EMAS, rather than the construction of FAA’s more conventional 1,000-foot long
filled structure. Furthermore, because of the unique environmental setting and the extraordinary cost of the type of
structure proposed, the FAA has approved narrowing the RSA from 500-feet wide to no less than 300-feet wide.
Even with these significant steps to avoid and minimize impacts, the project will affect an area of eelgrass at this
runway-end. As outlined in Chapter 5 of the Final EA/EIR, to mitigate this impact, Massport will harvest existing
eelgrass from within the project footprint and relocate those plants to two areas in Boston Harbor to reestablish
eelgrass in those areas. This effort is expected to be another significant step in re-establishing eelgrass in Boston
Harbor.

Massport has worked with the FAA and the MEPA Office to develop a concurrent MEPA and NEPA review for the
Final EA/EIR. The 30-day public comment period for the Final EA/EIR would begin on February 9, 2011, with the
publication of the next Environmental Monitor, and would conclude on March 11, 2011. This coordinated review
will also serve as the federal public review for the FAA’s draft Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) which is
included as Attachment 1 of the document. All parties on the distribution list are being sent a copy of the Final
EA/EIR or notice of availability and the document will be available for inspection at a number of public libraries
and on Massport’s website (www.massport.com).

We continue to appreciate that the schedule for the permitting of the Runway 33L critical safety improvements by
2013, and the Runway 22R ISA by 2015, is an aggressive one, but this is a very important project that must meet
FAA’s timetable for funding, commencement and completion. We greatly appreciate the time and attention that
local, state and federal members of our Eelgrass and Salt Marsh Working Group(s) have provided. Their technical
input and strategic guidance has significantly helped advance this safety project while at the same time developing a
valuable mitigation program.

Together with the FAA, Massport hopes that you and other reviewers of the Final EA/EIR find that the document
answers the questions raised during the Draft EA/EIR review and provides the basis for streamlining final
permitting. We look forward to your review and to close consultation with you and other reviewers in the coming
weeks.

Please feel free to contact me at [phone] if you have any questions.

Very truly yours,

Massachusetts Port Authority

Stewart Dalzell, Deputy Director
Environmental Planning and Permitting

cc: A. Canaday/MEPA
L. Richards/Massport
Boston-Logan International Airport
Runway Safety Area Improvements Project
Final Environmental Assessment/
Environmental Impact Report
EOEEA No. 14442

Prepared for Massachusetts Port Authority

Prepared by

January 2011

This Environmental Assessment becomes a Federal document when evaluated, signed, and dated by the
Responsible FAA Official.
January 31, 2011
Responsible FAA Official Date
Printed on recycled paper
Table of Contents
Summary ...................................................................................................................... S-1 
S.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................... S-1
S.2 Purpose and Need ................................................................................................... S-4 
S.3 Project Description ................................................................................................. S-4 
S.4 Environmental Impacts ............................................................................................. S-9 
S.5 Mitigation Measures ............................................................................................... S-21 
S.6 Permits and Approvals ............................................................................................ S-27 
S.7 DEIR Certificate Requirements .................................................................................. S-28 
1 Purpose and Need ...................................................................................................... 1-1  
1.1  Purpose of the Project ........................................................................................... 1-3 
1.2  FAA Design Criteria for Runway Safety Areas ................................................................. 1-3 
1.3 Need for the Project ............................................................................................. 1-6
2 Alternatives ............................................................................................................. 2-1
2.1 No-Action/No-Build Alternative ................................................................................ 2-1
2.2 Runway 33L ........................................................................................................ 2-1
2.3 Runway 22R ...................................................................................................... 2-22
2.4 Summary .......................................................................................................... 2-32
3 Affected Environment ................................................................................................. 3-1 
3.1  Introduction ........................................................................................................ 3-1 
3.2  Resources Categories Not Considered in the Analysis ....................................................... 3-1 
3.3  Environmental Setting ............................................................................................ 3-3 
3.4  Runway 33L Existing Environmental Conditions .............................................................. 3-8 
3.5  Runway 22R Existing Environmental Conditions ............................................................ 3-13 
4 Environmental Consequences ....................................................................................... 4-1 
4.1  Introduction ........................................................................................................ 4-1 
4.2  Runway 33L ........................................................................................................ 4-7 
4.3  Runway 22R ...................................................................................................... 4-53 
4.4  Cumulative Impacts ............................................................................................. 4-75 
4.5  Summary .......................................................................................................... 4-76 

Table of Contents i Final EA/EIR
5  Proposed Mitigation and Section 61 Findings .................................................................... 5-1 
5.1  Introduction ........................................................................................................ 5-1 
5.2  Project Mitigation Commitments ............................................................................... 5-2 
5.3  Construction-Period Mitigation Measures ................................................................... 5-38 
5.4  Proposed Section 61 Findings ................................................................................. 5-42 
6 Regulatory Compliance ............................................................................................... 6-1 
6.1  Introduction ........................................................................................................ 6-1 
6.2  Department of the Army Permit (Section 404 of the Clean Water Act
and Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act) ............................................................... 6-3 
6.3  National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit ................................................... 6-5 
6.4  Federal Consistency Review ..................................................................................... 6-5 
6.5  Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act – Order of Conditions ............................................ 6-8
6.6  Massachusetts Water Quality Certification (Section 401 of the Clean Water Act) .................... 6-23 
6.6  Massachusetts Public Waterfront Act - Chapter 91 ........................................................ 6-25 
6.7  Massachusetts Public Benefits Determination .............................................................. 6-30 
7 Public and Agency Involvement ..................................................................................... 7-1 
7.1  Introduction ........................................................................................................ 7-1 
7.2  Public Involvement ............................................................................................... 7-2 
7.3  Agency Consultation and Coordination ........................................................................ 7-4 
8 Distribution List ........................................................................................................ 8-1 
Appendices
Appendix 1 Draft Finding of No Significant Impact
Appendix 2 MEPA Documentation
Appendix 3 Response to Comments on the Draft EA/EIR
Appendix 4 Agency Correspondence

Table of Contents ii Final EA/EIR
Tables
Table No. Description Page
S-1 Runway 33L RSA Construction Options .....................................S-8
S-2 Proposed Massport Project Mitigation Commitments ................ S-22
S-3 Proposed Construction Mitigation Commitments ....................... S-25
S-4 Required Permits and Approvals .......................................... S-28
S-5 Draft EIR Certificate Requirements ...................................... S-28
1.2-1 FAA Design Criteria for Runway 33L and Runway 22R RSAs ............ 1-6
2.2-1 Runway 33L Construction Options ........................................ 2-10
2.2-2 Runway 33L Proposed Action: Estimated Construction Costs ........ 2-22
2.3-1 Runway 22R Proposed Action: Estimated Construction Costs ....... 2-32
3.4-1 Results of Water Quality Sampling Analysis, Runway 33L ............. 3-12
3.5-1 Results of Water Quality Sampling Analysis, Runway 22R ............ 3-16
4.1-1 FAA Order 1050.1E Impact Thresholds
for Significant Adverse Effects ............................................. 4-6
4.2-1 Runway 33L RSA Direct Wetland Impacts to
State-Regulated Wetland Resources ..................................... 4-23
4.2-2 Runway 33L RSA Direct Wetland Impacts to
Federally Regulated Wetland Resources ................................. 4-25
4.2-3 Runway 33L RSA Scour Impact (square feet) ............................ 4-28
4.2-4 Runway 33L RSA Modeled Sediment Deposition
from Construction ........................................................... 4-32
4.2-5 Runway 33L Impacts to Mussel Habitat .................................. 4-37
4.2-6 Proposed Runway 33L RSA Stormwater Management .................. 4-42
4.2-7 Runway 33L Sediment Sampling Physical Results ...................... 4-47
4.2-8 Runway 33L Sediment Sampling Chemical Results ..................... 4-47
4.2-7 Runway 33L RSA Predicted Suspended Sediment Plumes ............. 4-53
4.3-1 Runway 22R ISA Direct Wetland Impacts to
State-Regulated Wetland Resources ..................................... 4-59
4.3-2 Runway 22R ISA Direct Wetland Impacts to
Federally Regulated Wetland Resources ................................. 4-60
Table of Contents iii Final EA/EIR
Table No. Description Page
4.3-3 Runway 22R ISA Sediment Deposition .................................... 4-63
4.3-4 Runway 22R Sediment Sampling Physical Results ...................... 4-74
4.3-5 Runway 22R Sediment Sampling Chemical Results ..................... 4-74
4.4-1 Cumulative Direct and Indirect Impacts to Wetland
Resources (Loss or Impairment due to Project) ........................ 4-76
4.5-1 Runway 33L RSA Significant Impacts ..................................... 4-77
4.5-2 Runway 22R ISA Significant Impacts ...................................... 4-78
5.2-1 Runway 33L RSA Eelgrass Minimization Alternatives ................... 5-22
5.2-2 Runway 33L RSA Land Containing Shellfish Minimization ............ 5-35
5.2-3 Runway 22R ISA Land Containing Shellfish Minimization ............. 5-36
5.4-1 Required Permits and Approvals .......................................... 5-45
5.4-2 Proposed Massport Project Mitigation Commitments .................. 5-47
6.1-1 Required Permits and Approvals ........................................... 6-2
7.3-1 Agency Coordination Meetings ............................................. 7-6
Table of Contents iv Final EA/EIR
Figures
Figure No. Description Page
S-1 Location of Proposed Safety Improvements S-2
S-2 Existing Runway 33L End S-5
S-3 Existing Runway 22R End S-5
S-4 Runway 33L Proposed Action S-6
S-5 Runway 22R Proposed Action S-9
S-6 Existing Eelgrass Beds and Light Pier at the Runway 33L End S-13
S-7 Salt Marsh at the Runway 22R End S-18
1-1 Location of Proposed Safety Improvements 1-2
2-1 Existing Runway 33L RSA 2-4
2-2 Runway 33L Alternatives Screening Process 2-6
2-3 Runway 33L Proposed Runway Safety Area 2-7
2-4 Runway 33L Construction Options 2-11
2-5 Runway 33L Construction Options Cross Sections 2-13
2-6 Taxiway C1 Connector and Relocated Perimeter Road 2-17
2-7 Existing Runway 22R RSA 2-24
2-8 Runway 22R Proposed Inclined Safety Area 2-26
2-9 Runway 22R Inclined Safety Area Cross Section 2-29
3-1 Logan Airport Project Study Area 3-1
3-2 Priority and Estimated Habitat of State-listed Rare Species 3-2
3-3 Runway 33L Coastal Wetlands 3-9
3-4 Runway 33L Eelgrass Survey 3-11
3-5 Runway 22R Coastal Wetlands 3-14

Table of Contents v Final EA/EIR