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Charles McDermott
cmcdermott@cscos.com
(877) CS-SOLVE

Environmental Planning

On April 28, 2006, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) published an update to FAA Order 5050.4, National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Implementing Instructions for Airport Actions. The intent of the new order is to make certain that federal employees, airport sponsors and consultants have clear instructions to address potential environmental affects resulting from airport-related projects (known as federal actions).

What is noteworthy about the new order is the importance placed on early coordination among planners and environmental specialists to identify potential environmental impacts and concerns early in the planning phase. Planning with NEPA in mind is essential for ultimate project success. According to the order, delays in the NEPA process occur when physical planning is not done in collaboration with environmental planning. Delays in the NEPA process translate into delays in getting a project built. Ensuring that environmental specialists are brought to the table early in the process allows for better planning decisions to be made. This step is crucial because when planners fail to take into consideration potential environmental impacts, the result is likely to be time-consuming and costly changes to adequately address environmental issues or concerns not clearly identified early in the planning phase.

C&S is a leader in best practice approaches. We fully understand the correlation of physical planning and environmental planning. We have won awards for developing streamlined GIS/Web applications and procedures that minimize time-consuming environmental preparation and review of airport development projects. Our interdisciplinary professionals prepare environmental studies to meet all requirements outlined in FAA Order 5050.4B.

C&S approaches every airport project with the goal of enhancing value to the social, environmental, economic, and political life of the community. Our environmental specialists have expertise in integrated airport/community planning, environmental quality analysis and management, wetlands/ecological studies and wildlife hazard plans, mitigation design and implementation, environmental management systems, and GIS/Web applications.