[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 36 (Thursday, February 23, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Page 10139]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-4392]



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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Office of Commercial Space Transportation


Environmental Impact Statement; Sierra and Dona Ana Counties, NM

AGENCY: Office of Commercial Space Transportation (OCST), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Commercial Space Transportation (OCST) is 
issuing this notice to advise the public that an environmental impact 
statement (EIS) will be prepared and scoping meetings held on the 
proposed phased development of the Southwest Regional Spaceport in 
southern New Mexico.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sharon D.W. Boddie, Office of 
Commercial Space Transportation, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, 
DC 20590. Telephone: (202) 366-2929. Lucy Dunn, New Mexico Office of 
Space Commercialization, Department of Economic Development, 1990 E. 
Lohman Avenue, Atrium Suites 201, Las Cruces, New Mexico, 88001. 
Telephone: (505) 524-6829.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department of Transportation's (DOT) 
Office of Commercial Space Transportation (OCST), in cooperation with 
the State of New Mexico's Office of Space Commercialization (NMOSC) and 
Department of Economic Development, will prepare a joint Federal/State 
EIS for the proposed commercial Southwest Regional Spaceport in 
southern New Mexico. The operator of the spaceport will require a 
license from OCST in accordance with the Commercial Space Launch Act of 
1984, as recodified at 49 U.S.C. Subtitle IX, ch. 701--Commercial Space 
Launch Activities, 49 U.S.C. Secs. 70101-70119 (1994). An EIS is 
necessary for OCST to make a licensing determination and comply with 
the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 42 U.S.C. Sec. 4321 et 
seq.
    The State of New Mexico proposes the establishment of a commercial 
spaceport on lands located generally in the Sierra and Dona Ana 
Counties, between the cities of Truth Or Consequences and Las Cruces, 
New Mexico, as a key element of the State's efforts to bring regional 
assets together as a consortium to form the Southwest Space Complex. 
Other major elements of the Southwest Space Complex include the 
Department of Defense-owned White Sands Missile Range and the National 
Aeronautics and Space Administration-owned White Sands Test Facility. 
The New Mexico State University's Physical Sciences Laboratory, USAF 
Phillips Laboratory, and the Department of Energy's Sandia and Los 
Alamos National Laboratories are among the research and development or 
educational institutions that would be available for additional support 
as required.
    Development of the Southwest Regional Spaceport, and other elements 
of the Southwest Space Complex, will occur in phases over a number of 
years. The proposed action encompassed by the EIS includes the 
construction of launch and associated support facilities and the 
extension of roads and utilities necessary to parallel the phased 
development of single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) technology and to support 
other existing or developmental rocket systems, such as sounding 
rockets and expendable launch vehicles. Initial launch operations are 
anticipated to begin as early as mid-1996. The State of New Mexico 
anticipates a completed Southwest Regional Spaceport early in the next 
century.
    The purpose of the Southwest Regional Spaceport project is to 
provide launch, recovery, and associated support facilities to the 
developing commercial space industry. The State is proposing to locate 
the Southwest Regional Spaceport in southern New Mexico because it 
views the altitude, climatic, population density, and existing 
infrastructure conditions as highly favorable. The State anticipates 
that this project will enhance space-related economic development 
within the State of New Mexico generally and throughout the southwest, 
as well as increase the ability of the U.S. launch industry to 
recapture a share of the international satellite launch market.
    Alternatives to the proposed action include no action and 
alternative sites for launch and support facilities within the general 
area.
    Two public scoping meetings will be held in New Mexico to solicit 
comments on significant environmental issues associated with the 
proposed action. The specific dates and locations are:
    (1) March 22, 1995, 7:00-9:00 PM, City Council Chambers, 200 N. 
Church Street, Las Cruces, New Mexico.
    (2) March 23, 1995, 7:00-9:00 PM, Convention Center, 300 Daniel 
Street, Truth Or Consequences, New Mexico.
    Comments are solicited from Federal, State, and local agencies, 
private organizations and citizens who have previously expressed or are 
known to have an interest in this proposal. To ensure that the full 
range of issues related to this proposed action are addressed and all 
significant issues are identified, comments and suggestions are invited 
from all interested parties no later than March 27, 1995. Comments and 
questions concerning this proposed action should be directed to OCST in 
duplicate (i.e. two copies) at the address provided above.

    Issued in Washington, DC on February 16, 1995.
Frank C. Weaver,
Director, Office of Commercial Space Transportation.
[FR Doc. 95-4392 Filed 2-22-95; 8:45 am]
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