Printed from the St. George Public Web Site....

Background

The City of St. George

St. George, Utah, Washington County's largest city, lies along Interstate 15 with a host of smaller communities that make up an area often called "Utah's Dixie." Washington County is one of the nation's fastest growing counties, due in part to its location along I-15, which links Southern California with major points to the east.

The earliest settlers came to Washington County in 1852, and the City of St. George was founded in 1861. Mormon leader Brigham Young was among the area's earliest settlers. He sent a group of pioneers to the far-reaching corner of the Territory of Utah to grow cotton, establish vineyards, and harvest silk for export to the northern United States.

Washington County and St. George continue to experience positive growth today. The population of Washington County increased by 86% from 1990 to 2000. The City of St. George saw a population increase of 74% during the same time period. Residents enjoy a pleasant climate, scenic beauty, family atmosphere, and exciting job opportunities.

The nearby Zion National Park, approximately 26 miles away, located at the junction of the Colorado Plateau, Great Basin, and Mojave Desert provinces attracts many visitors each year with its 229 square miles of dramatic landscape, sculptured canyons, and soaring cliffs, as well as unusual plant and animal diversity.

Visit the City of St. George Web Site

Visit the Washington City Web Site

Visit the Washington County Web Site

Visit the National Park Service's Zion National Park Web Site

Existing Airport

St. George Municipal Airport (SGU) sits atop a mesa in the central portion of the City of St. George and consists of a single runway oriented north/south at 340 ° /160 ° . The runway is complemented by one full and one partial parallel taxiway to provide aircraft access to and from the runway. Commercial service is currently provided by SkyWest Airlines, which operates as both Delta Connection and United Express. United Express flights connect through Los Angeles, California, while Delta Connection flights connect through Salt Lake City, Utah.

Visit the St. George Municipal Airport Web Site

1998 Site Selection and Master Plan Study

The 1998 Site Selection and Master Plan Study was conducted by the City of St. George to determine the feasibility of continuing the use of the existing airport as compared to locating a site for the purpose of developing a replacement airport facility. The objective of the City was to provide an airport that would meet FAA design standards and accommodate, in a safe and efficient manner, forecast passenger travel demand. The Master Plan Study identified deficiencies at the existing airport, concluded that the airport could not accommodate forecasted future demand at its present site, and evaluated potential relocation sites in the St. George vicinity.

The Study identified six potential relocation sites in the area. After evaluation, three of those sites were removed from consideration. The remaining three sites were recommended for further evaluation and analysis as potential relocation sites for the airport.

2001 Environmental Assessment and Record of Decision (ROD)

After completion of the Site Selection and Master Plan Study, the City prepared an Environmental Assessment (EA), which evaluated fifteen potential airport relocation sites, including the six initial sites identified by the Site Selection and Master Plan Study.

A screening analysis reduced the list of potential sites to six. After further analysis, three of the six sites were removed from consideration because they were not capable of meeting safety standards required for the desired runway approach. The EA then cataloged the environmental conditions and evaluated potential environmental consequences of relocating the airport at each of the three alternative sites. This detailed evaluation concluded with the selection of an Environmentally Preferred Alternative Site.

The Draft EA was released on June 16, 2000 for public review and comment. A public hearing on the Draft EA was held in St. George on July 18, 2000. Comments on the Draft EA reflected a concern for several environmentally related issues, with a primary focus on potential noise impacts of the project on Zion National Park.

On January 30, 2001, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a Record of Decision (ROD) and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) document for the construction of a replacement airport at St. George, Utah. The Final Environmental Assessment addressed each area of public and agency concern through modifications to the text of the Draft EA or by specific responses to written comments submitted during the public comment period.

View:
2001 Final Environmental Assessment Record of Decision (ROD)

Petition for Review of FAA's ROD/FONSI

On April 2, 2001, the Grand Canyon Trust filed suit against the Federal Aviation Administration in the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, petitioning for review of the FAA decision to approve the federal actions necessary to allow the City of St. George to construct a replacement airport.

The Grand Canyon Trust challenged the adequacy of the Final EA and the FAA's conclusion that there would be no significant environmental impacts from the project. Focusing on the potential noise impacts on Zion National Park, the Grand Canyon Trust principally contended that the FAA failed to adequately consider the cumulative impact of the replacement airport on the natural quiet of Zion National Park in view of the other aircraft noise to which the Park was already exposed. Rather, the EA, they alleged, addressed only the incremental noise impact of the replacement airport.

On May 24, 2002, the court issued its decision, stating that the FAA must evaluate the cumulative impact of noise pollution on Zion National Park as a result of construction of the proposed replacement airport, in light of the following:

Air traffic near and over Zion National Park

Air tours near or in Zion National Park

Acoustical data collected by the National Park Service in Zion National Park in 1995 and 1998, which was mentioned in comments to the Draft Environmental Assessment (EA)

The court remanded the case to the FAA because it found that the record was insufficient for the court to determine whether an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was required.

View the full text of the Court's Decision