Agency Completes Environmental Assessment And Finds 'No Significant Impact'

A planned expansion of the main FedEx hub in Memphis, TN has cleared an FAA hurdle with the issuance of an environmental assessment of the project.

The Commercial Appeal newspaper reports that the FAA's EAS for the project found that there would be "no significant impact" on the airport as the company plans to demolish as many as 24 outdated buildings and construct new facilities for moving and sorting packages and truck loading.

No cost has been estimated for the project, but FedEx has already pulled building permits estimated at more than $50 million at the Memphis airport. The company recently announced a $1.5 billion expansion at its No. 2 hub in Indianapolis, IN.

Some of the buildings that are slated for demolition are hangars that date back to WWII. The airport was used by both the Army Air Corps and the Tennessee Air National Guard over the years. The project will require an understanding between the FAA, Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority and Tennessee Historical Commission covering issues related to historic structures affected by the project, the FAA said, but added that work can begin on non-historical areas before the agreement is finalized.

The company says that the capital projects in Indianapolis and Memphis were made possible by the tax cuts announced by President Donald Trump in January.

(Image from file)

FMI: Original report