[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 107 (Monday, June 4, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30041-30042]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-13958]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration


Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation; 
Availability of a Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement 
(PEIS) for Licensing Launches

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Associate Administrator 
for Commercial Space Transportation (AST).

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with requirements of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969, as Amended, and FAA order 1050.1D--Policies and 
Procedures for Considering Environmental Impacts, the FAA announces the 
availability of a Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement 
(PEIS) for Licensing Launches.\1\ The Programmatic EIS analyzes the 
potential environmental impacts of the proposed action of licensing 
launches, which is also the preferred alternative. Potential impacts of 
the proposed action and alternatives were analyzed in three major 
categories, atmospheric impacts, noise impacts and other environmental 
impacts. The FAA examined the range of potential impacts by considering 
the environmental characteristics of six different ecosystems 
representing various existing and potential launch locations throughout 
the U.S. and abroad.
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    \1\ Please note that the term ``commercial launch'' as used 
throughout the Draft Programmatic EIS has been removed from the 
Final Programmatic EIS and replaced with the term ``licensed 
launch''. This change was made for clarification purposes and not in 
response to public comment. The change was made because the FAA 
licenses some launches that are not strictly commercial in nature. 
This change does not alter the description of the proposed action or 
alternatives, nor does it alter the analyses contained in the 
Programmatic EIS.
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    The PEIS covers licensed launches from both existing government 
launch facilities and non-federal sites. The PEIS will update and 
replace the FAA's 1986 Programmatic Environmental

[[Page 30042]]

Assessment (EA) for Commercial Expendable Launch Vehicle Programs, as 
announced in the Federal Register November 27, 1995 Notice of Intent. 
The PEIS assesses the potential environmental effects of launches from 
ignition, liftoff, and ascent through the atmosphere to orbit and the 
disposition of launch vehicle components down range. Any remaining 
launch processing (including vehicle assembly and payload preparation 
prior to liftoff, payload functioning during useful life, and payload 
reentry whether controlled or uncontrolled) are outside the scope of 
this PEIS. The scope is limited to the assessment of environmental 
consequences of the launch operations listed and does not include 
construction activities (e.g., development of new launch sites or 
modification of existing ones). The information in the PEIS is not 
intended to address all site-specific launch issues.
    The Final PEIS provides responses to comments on the Draft PEIS 
received in written form during the public review period for the Draft 
PEIS. The text and figures of the Draft PEIS have been revised as 
necessary to provide information and analyses requested by comments 
from the public. The Final PEIS is a comprehensive document containing 
the contents of the Draft PEIS, as revised, a summary of all comment 
letters received during the public review period and the FAA's official 
responses to those comments. A copy of the Final PEIS will be mailed to 
all parties who received the Draft PEIS directly from the FAA and 
additional parties who requested a copy of the document. The Final PEIS 
is available for review at FAA Headquarters in Washington, DC. A copy 
of the Final PEIS may be obtained from the FAA through request to the 
contact listed below.
    In accordance with regulations at 40 Code of Federal Regulations 
1506.10(b)(2), the FAA's decision on whether to proceed with the 
proposed action will not be made or recorded until the appropriate 
time. At the time such decision is made, the FAA will release a Record 
of Decision with that information.

DATES: Comments on the Final PEIS must be received within 30 days from 
publication of a Notice of Availability by the Environmental Protection 
Agency, expected June 8, 2001 and addressed to the FAA contact listed 
below. All substantive comments will be considered in the FAA Record of 
Decision (ROD) which will conclude the environmental process for this 
Federal action.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions about the proposed action 
and the Final PEIS may be addressed to Ms. Michon Washington, Office of 
the Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation, Space 
Systems Development Division, Suite 331/AST-100, 800 Independence 
Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20591; email [email protected] or 
phone 202-267-9305. Copies of the document are available on AST's web 
site http://ast.faa.gov.

    Dated: May 30, 2001.
Michon L. Washington,
Senior Environmental Specialist, Space Systems Development.
[FR Doc. 01-13958 Filed 6-1-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P