Draft Environmental Assessment Released for Entire Group of 31 Control Towers
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is asking for public comments on the environmental assessment to replace 31 outdated airport traffic control towers at smaller airports across the country. The FAA has set aside more than $500 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to support site evaluation, preparation, and early construction activities.
These would replace towers functioning beyond their intended design life. They will incorporate key sustainability elements such as all-electric building systems, materials and products free from chemicals known to pose health risks, a thermally efficient façade, high-recycled steel and metal products, renewable mass timber when usable, and ground-source heating and cooling in some environments. The towers, designed by Practice for Architecture and Urbanism (PAU) of New York, will range in height from 60 to 119 feet.
The draft Programmatic Environmental Assessment is available for public review here. In the report, the FAA considers the conditions and potential environmental impacts of replacing numerous FAA-owned control towers with modern facilities. It also analyzes the potential environmental impacts that may result from the construction and operation of the proposed new towers and decommissioning and removal of the existing towers.
Send comments identified by docket number FAA-2023-1368 to the Federal Regulations portal. The FAA is accepting written comments until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on July 31, 2023.
