[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 33 (Wednesday, February 19, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Page 7440]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-4061]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Air Force


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement; 
Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle Program

    The Department of the Air Force, through Space and Missile Systems 
Center (SMC/MV), is considering development and deployment of an 
Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) to meet the U.S. Government's 
requirements for unmanned space launches. The EELV Program Office at 
Los Angeles Air Force Base (AFB), California, is managing program 
activities and intends to study the environmental issues associated 
with the EELV program. To this end, the Air Force Center for 
Environmental Excellence (AFCEE) will prepare an environmental impact 
statement (EIS) for use in the decision-making process.
    The EELV would be an unmanned, expendable space launch vehicle 
evolved from existing systems capable of launching Department of 
Defense (DOD), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), 
other government, and civil satellites, including payloads up to 45,000 
pounds. It is intended to meet the requirements of the National Mission 
Model, both medium and heavy lift, at a lower cost than the present 
expendable systems. EELV would be DOD's sole source of expendable 
medium and heavy spacelift transportation to orbit through 2020. EELV 
would replace current Titan II, Titan IV, Atlas II, and Delta II launch 
vehicles.
    EELV launch activities would occur at Cape Canaveral Air Station 
(AS), Florida, and Vandenberg AFB, California, from existing space 
launch complexes that would be modified to meet program requirements.
    The EELV program decision to be made is whether EELV should proceed 
into the Engineering and Manufacturing Development Phase on through 
Production and Launch Operations. The EIS will examine continuing use 
of existing launch systems and facilities as alternatives to the 
continued development of EELV and its associated facilities.
    Scoping will be conducted to identify environmental concerns and 
issues that need to be addressed in the EIS. Two public scoping 
meetings will be held as part of the process (one each in Cape 
Canaveral, Florida and Lompoc, California) to determine the 
environmental issues and concerns that should be addressed. The 
schedule for the scoping meetings is as follows:
    1. Radisson Resort at the Port, 8701 Astronaut Blvd, Cape 
Canaveral, Florida, March 11, 1997, 7:00--10:00 p.m.
    2. Lompoc City Council Chambers, 100 Civic Center Plaza, Lompoc, 
California, March 13, 1997, 7:00--10:00 p.m.
    Public input and comments are solicited concerning the 
environmental aspects of the proposed program. To assure the Air Force 
will have sufficient time to fully consider public inputs on issues, 
written comments should be mailed to ensure receipt no later than April 
11, 1997.
    Comments concerning the proposed project or the EIS should be 
addressed to: Jonathan D. Farthing, Chief, Environmental Analysis 
Division, HQ AFCEE/ECA, 3207 North Road, Brooks Air Force Base, Texas 
78235-5363, (210) 536-3668.
Carolyn A. Lunsford,
Air Force Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 97-4061 Filed 2-18-97; 8:45 am]
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