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28 The research underlying the development of the Interactive Tool highlighted several impor- tant lessons for airport sponsors to bear in mind during the NEPA process. The two most commonly cited problems, incomplete/inadequate planning and poor knowledge of the FAAâs NEPA process, were mentioned by 80% of the FAA NEPA practitioners surveyed. Both of these concerns are best addressed before starting the NEPA process. Once the NEPA process has been initiated, the Interactive Tool can assist users by pointing out the need to think about all of the component parts of the project. In addition, the Interactive Tool and the contents of this report and can also assist the user in following the FAAâs NEPA process. On the other hand, establish- ing the necessary foundation and developing an understanding of the FAAâs NEPA process after the process has been initiated often results in substantial wasted effort. The research also shows that, depending upon the impacts of the project, meeting the require- ments of the special-purpose laws that fall under the NEPA umbrella can be complex and time consuming. This complexity is often unexpected by airport sponsors as they initiate the NEPA process. The FAA Airports Division SOP for CATEX Determinations (currently SOP 5.1) asks a series of specific questions related to special-purpose laws that the sponsor must answer to complete a documented CATEX application. Often, these questions require information about the environmental conditions on an airport that sponsors donât have. While the Interactive Tool will guide the user through these questions and provide information about data sources and procedures, the need to collect and analyze the necessary data and to complete any consultation requirements can involve time and effort that the sponsor does not anticipate. Within the limitations described above, use of the Interactive Tool and reviewing the con- tents of this report can provide substantial assistance to airport sponsors in completing the FAA NEPA process. Further research to help GA airport operators and staffs to avoid the most common problems in completing the FAA NEPA process could include the following efforts. 1. Updating the Interactive Tool Output to conform to the format of the FAA Airports Division SOP for CATEX Determinations. 2. Developing a tool for creating and updating environmental inventories to assist in airport planning. C H A P T E R 4 Conclusions and Suggested Research
