[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 214 (Friday, November 6, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Page 57550]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-26781]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration


Office of Commercial Space Transportation; Notice of Availability 
of a Record of Decision (ROD) for Streamlining the Processing of 
Experimental Permit Applications

AGENCY: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of 
Transportation.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969, as amended (NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), Council on 
Environmental Quality NEPA implementing regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-
1508), and FAA Order 1050.1E, Change 1, the FAA is announcing the 
availability of the ROD for streamlining the environmental review of 
experimental permit applications for the launch and/or reentry of 
reusable suborbital rockets. The Federal action selected in the ROD is 
the FAA's issuance of experimental permits for the launch and reentry 
of reusable suborbital rockets from both FAA-licensed and non-licensed 
launch sites using the Final Programmatic Environmental Impact 
Statement for Streamlining the Processing of Experimental Permit 
Applications (PEIS), to the maximum extent feasible, as the basis for 
determining the environmental consequences of issuing the permits.
    The ROD provides a description of the Proposed Action, which was 
FAA's Preferred Alternative and the environmentally preferable 
alternative, and the No Action Alternative. It includes a discussion of 
environmental impacts associated with the Proposed Action for each 
resource area, as analyzed in the PEIS. The ROD does not propose site-
specific mitigation measures. Rather, launch operators would be 
expected to implement site-specific mitigation measures that are 
consistent with those currently employed by the eight launch facilities 
addressed in the PEIS. Additional site-specific mitigation measures 
could be developed and presented in the site-specific NEPA documents 
that would tier from the PEIS.
    The PEIS serves as the primary reference and basis for preparation 
of the ROD. The FAA prepared the PEIS with cooperation from the 
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the U.S. Air 
Force. The PEIS documents the analysis of the environmental 
consequences associated with the above referenced Proposed Action and 
No Action Alternative.
    The FAA has posted the ROD and PEIS on the FAA Web site at: http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/environmental/review/documents_completed/.
    Based on the potential environmental impacts identified in the 
PEIS, applicable regulatory requirements, public and agency comments, 
and the FAA's responsibilities to support the continued growth and 
expansion of the U.S. space transportation industry, the FAA has 
decided to implement the Proposed Action (Preferred Alternative) as 
presented in the PEIS.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Daniel Czelusniak, Environmental 
Specialist, FAA/AST-100, 800 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 
20591; telephone (202) 267-5924; or e-mail [email protected].

    Issued in Washington, DC on October 15, 2009.
Michael McElligott,
Manager, Space Systems Development Division.
[FR Doc. E9-26781 Filed 11-5-09; 8:45 am]
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