FAA cites impact of airport improvement to historic sites

The Federal Aviation Administration has alerted the Commonwealth Ports Authority against the possible impact the proposed improvement at the Saipan International Airport may have on adjacent historic sites, following a review of the draft environmental assessment.

This finding prompted FAA to require the ports authority to conduct an Environmental Impact Assessment for the proposed construction of taxiways and apron at the Saipan International Airport.

In his letter to CPA Executive Director Carlos H. Salas, Daniel S. Matsumoto, acting manager of FAA’s Airports District Office, said the Draft Environmental Assessment for the proposed project has identified three potential areas of significant impacts.

He mentioned impacts on historic preservation, endangered species, and a provision on the use of public lands under the United States Department of Transportation Act.

“The project will have an adverse significant impact under DOT Section 303, or public lands including historic sites. Hence, the requirement for an EIS. The historic site will be adversely impacted by its removal to accommodate the taxiway and apron,” Mr. Matsumoto said.

FAA also ordered the cancellation of ongoing consultations with the CNMI Historic Preservation Office and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the draft environmental assessment.

Mr. Matsumoto explained that the consultation will have to be discontinued since an Environmental Impact Statement will be required for the proposed airport improvement project.

He said consultation with the CNMI-HPO and the U.S.-FWS will be renewed when the Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed taxiway and apron at the Saipan International Airport is prepared.

The FAA earlier earmarked close to $200,000 for a project intended to convert existing asphalt concrete apron (ACP) at the Saipan International Airport to Portland cement concrete (PCC).

The conversion project will be funded 100 percent by the FAA which has already approved a total of $190,535 for the initial phase of Saipan International Airport improvement project.

The first bid proposal submitted for the project originally costs $214,707 but was scaled down to $190,535 following studies that some of the soil borings to be used can be provided from a previous geo-technical reports for the same area.

The CPA Board of Directors has unanimously awarded the Saipan International Airport asphalt conversion project to Winzler and Kelly, which has ranked the second highest company for all three pending infrastructure projects of the ports authority.

CPA has been crafting a long-term improvement plan for the Saipan International Airport that includes the expansion of its runway safety zone. While the current coverage of the Saipan International Airport runway’s safety zone meets standards set by the FAA, there may be a need to extend the safety zone in the future.

CPA’s efforts in drawing up plans aimed at improving the islands’ transit facilities have been prompted by problems relating to transportation which have long been identified to be major a major factor in the apparently stagnating economic activity in the CNMI.

The agency is also looking at expanding the runway of the Saipan International Airport from 8,600 feet to 10,600 feet since its current capacity restricts the facility from accommodating direct flights from the mainland United States, a government report said.

At present, the airport can only receive flights from the closer Asian cities. The facility hosts an air carrier apron that has parking position for six aircraft. With these, it can accommodate expected growth in the tourism industry in the near future even without expansion.