Airport and Federal Aviation Administration officials Wednesday said the first draft of a key study for a new runway should be released within a month.

        That would start the 30-day public comment process — which will include two public hearings sometime in March — over the proposed runway and extension of another runway at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.

        “We'll know what it says when everyone else does,” said airport deputy aviation director Dale Huber. “Then everybody will get to weigh in.”

        The final “record of decision” is expected by December.

        One public meeting would be in Northern Kentucky and the other in western Cincinnati. Both areas would be directly affected by increased noise from the new runway.

        FAA spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said Wednesday the meetings have not yet been scheduled but confirmed they were in the works.

        Airport officials are seeking permission to build a new 8,000-foot north-south runway located to the west of the current two north-south strips.

        In addition, the existing 10,000-foot east-west runway would be extended by 2,000 feet.

        Total project cost is estimated at $250 million, including the cost of adjacent land and soundproofing local homes and businesses. The project could be finished by 2005, depending on when the FAA gives approval.

        Mr. Huber also said a discrepancy that could have precluded several western Boone County homes from soundproofing has been cleared up. In approving the airport's Part 150 study on Dec. 5, the FAA said only homes in the Dartmouth Woods subdivision built before Oct. 1, 1998, would be eligible. Homes in the Deerfield and Orchard Estates subdivisions built before Dec. 5 are eligible.

        The FAA's Ms. Bergen said an addendum will be issued that includes all Dartmouth Woods homes built before Dec. 5.

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