Appendix 12. Evaluating Air Traffic Impacts for Wind Turbine Farm Proposals
I. GENERAL
This appendix is for use by field Air Traffic facilities in analyzing Air Traffic operational impacts from items of concern identified by the FAA Obstruction Evaluation Group (OEG) package. The Air Traffic Objection or No Objection response will be used to issue an FAA Determination of Hazard to Air Navigation or an FAA Determination of No Hazard to Air Navigation back to the submitting proponent per 14 CFR part 77.
II. BACKGROUND
A National Wind Turbine Farm Safety Risk Management Document identified impacts wind turbine farms have on Air Traffic surveillance and navigation. One hazard was determined as a loss of air traffic control situational awareness from degradation and/or loss of primary radar services over wind turbine farms. Although wind turbines have great impacts on conventional Very-high-frequency Omni-directional Range (VOR) Navigational Aids (NAVAID), existing controls can be leveraged to eliminate this concern as a hazard.
III. POLICIES
When air traffic facilities receive a proposed wind turbine farm package from the OEG, the air traffic manager and NATCA facility representative (or their designees) need to analyze the items of concern as it relates to their local flight paths and operations. The following three (3) phases describe the process and responsibilities for the analysis when a sponsor proposes to build a new wind turbine farm. Only Phase 1 is required; subsequent phases are only to be followed based on response decisions as described.
IV. ACTIONS
Phase 1: (To be completed within 15 business days of receipt of OEG package.)
Air traffic facilities must analyze the effects contained in the OEG package for primary radar and NAVAID impacts along with their identified mitigations, and return a response based on the local operational impacts
(No Objection, Objection, or Has Concerns).
Contact your OEG Specialist with any comments, concerns or questions.
The air traffic manager, with the Director of Operations (DO)/Terminal District Manager (TDM) concurrence, returns one of the following responses to OEG:
1. No Objection: Air Traffic review process will be complete.
2. Objection: Provide supporting data to OEG. Air Traffic review process will be complete.
Note: Supporting data must include significant volume of activity per FAA Order JO 7400.2, paragraph 6-3-4.
3. Has Concerns: If package content doesn't provide enough data to determine impact, proceed to Phase 2.
Note: This response will be used to determine issuing a Notice of Presumed Hazard (NPH) to the sponsor/proponent.
Phase 2: (To be completed within 15 business days of receipt of Technical Operations (Tech Ops) In-depth Study.)
If the sponsor requests more information from the Notice of Presumed Hazard (NPH) issued by OEG, and an in-depth Tech Ops study is possible, OEG will notify the facility of expected date of completion. (expect 3-6 months for study to be completed).
Air Traffic facilities must analyze the in-depth Tech Ops study for primary radar impacts along with their identified mitigations.
Contact your OEG Specialist with any comments, concerns, or questions.
The air traffic manager, with the Director of Operations (DO)/Terminal District Manager's (TDM) concurrence, returns one of the following responses to OEG:
1. No Objection: Air Traffic review process will be complete.
2. Objection: Provide supporting data to OEG. Air Traffic review process will be complete.
Note: Supporting data must include significant volume of activity per FAA Order JO 7400.2, paragraph 6-3-4.
Phase 3: (To be completed 90 calendar days from completion of Phase 1 or Phase 2 as necessary.)
If unable to determine a response in Phase 1 or Phase 2, the air traffic facility may initiate the Safety Risk Management (SRM) process in order to determine the operational impact of any risk mitigation activities; specifically, those mitigations prescribed in the Tech Ops study, air traffic procedural mitigations, or other potential mitigations.
Contact your Service Center Quality Control Group (QCG) POC for guidance as necessary.
Note: Industry sponsors may present information for a limited time preceding the SRM Panel. They may not participate or observe the remainder of the panel.
1. An SRM document with or without hazards is completed and signed. The air traffic manager, with the Director of Operations (DO)/Terminal District Manager (TDM) concurrence, returns either an Objection or No Objection response with supporting data to OEG.
2. If the result is an SRM document with a high hazard:
a. AJT-0 will forward a response to OEG per the OEG process.
b. AJT-0 will forward the SRM document with Hazard to AJV-0 for review and processing per the ATO Safety Management System Manual.