Airport Clear Zones

Information by State  Print version   Did You Know? HUD Environment Q & A Answers to frequently asked questions on Airport Clear Zones

Potential aircraft accident problems make some types of development incompatible for locations in the immediate vicinity of airports and airfields. If the proposed project is located near an airport or in the immediate area of the landing and approach zones, you need to obtain additional information to determine whether this issue is a concern and

if so, how to mitigate it. For guidance contact, consult the Environmental Contact, in your area, or Antointette Sebastian at HUD, Washington.

This section of the hazards discussion is concerned with two specific kinds of hazards which can result in significant risk to HUD-assisted or insured projects and their occupants. The first involves sites located near operations handling conventional fuels or chemicals of an explosive or flammable nature and the other involves sites located in Runway Clear Zones at civil airports and Clear Zones and Accident Potential Zones at military airfields. For both types of hazards, HUD has established standards for reducing the risk to persons and property.

Siting of HUD-Assisted Projects Near Hazardous
Operations Handling Petroleum Products or Chemicals of an Explosive or Flammable Nature

Both people and property are at significant risk to exposure from explosion and thermal radiation (fire) when projects are located too close to storage con- tainers of hazardous gas and liquids or chemicals of a flammable or explosive nature.

Is the property located within an airport runway clear zone at a civil airport or, within a clear zone or accident potential zone at a military airfield?

Threshold: HUD policy as described in 24 CFR 51, Subpart D, is that assistance for construction or major rehabilitation of any real property located on a clear zone site is prohibited for a project to be frequently used or occupied by people. For properties located within 2,500 feet of the end of a civil airport runway or 8,000 feet of the end of a military airfield runway, the airport operator should make a finding stating whether or not the property is located within a runway clear zone for civil airports or a clear zone or accident potential zone at a military airfield.

For a project not to be frequently used or occupied by people, HUD assistance may be approved only when written assurances are provided to HUD by the airport operator to the effect that there are no plans to purchase the land involved with such facilities as part of a Runway Clear Zone or Clear Zone acquisition program.

Definition: Rehabilitation (including conversion) is "major" or "substantial" when the estimated cost of the work is 75 percent or more of the property value after rehabilitation or, in the case of property in an Accident Potential Zone, when the work changes the use of the facility to a use that is not generally consistent with the recommendations in the Department of Defense "Land Use Compatibility Guidelines for Accident Potential Zones," significantly increases the density or number of people at the site, or introduces explosive, flammable or toxic materials to the area (24 CFR 51.302(b)(1), (2), and (3)).

HUD financial assistance in a clear zone is allowed for existing properties proposed for acquisition or lease (24 CFR 51.302(c)) with or without minor rehabilitation or repair. Upon HUD approval for acquisition of a property in a clear zone, (a) HUD will give advance written notice to the prospective property buyer in accord with 24 CFR 51.303(a)(3); and (b) a copy of the HUD notice signed by the prospective property buyer will be placed in the property file. The written notice informs the prospective property buyer of: (i) the potential hazards from airplane accidents which studies have shown more likely to occur within clear zones than in other areas around the airport/airfield; and (ii) the potential acquisition by airport or airfield operators, who may wish to purchase the property at some point in the future as part of a clear zone acquisition program. For properties located within the accident potential zone (APZ), HUD shall determine whether the use of the property is generally consistent with Department of Defense "Land Use Compatibility Guidelines for Accident Potential Zones."

Documentation: Grantees are to select A_ or B_ for the condition that best describes their project and document the source of the information.

A. For properties located within 2,500 feet of the end of a civil airport runway or 8,000 feet of the end of a military airfield runway, the grantee provides HUD with a finding from the airport operator stating whether or not the property is located within a runway clear zone at a civil airport, or a clear zone or accident potential zone at a military airfield. For properties that are located within a runway clear zone or a clear zone or accident potential zone, grantees who propose to rehabilitate such a property provide HUD with estimates of: (i) the cost of the proposed rehabilitation, and (ii) the property value after completion of the rehabilitation.

B. The grantee states that the property is not located within 2,500 feet of the end of a civil airport runway or 8,000 feet of the end of a military airfield runway.