[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 31 (Friday, February 14, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Page 9031]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-03306]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration


Office of Commercial Space Transportation; Notice of Availability 
of the Supplemental Environmental Assessment (EA) and Finding of No 
Significant Impact (FONSI) for the Blue Origin West Texas Launch Site

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of availability of Supplemental EA and FONSI.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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 Supplemental EA and FONSI for the Blue Origin West 
Texas Launch Site.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Daniel Czelusniak, Environmental 
Specialist, Office of Commercial Space Transportation, Federal Aviation 
Administration, 800 Independence Avenue SW., Room 325, Washington, DC 
20591, telephone (202) 267-5924; email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Supplemental EA was prepared to analyze 
the potential environmental impacts of FAA's Proposed Action of issuing 
experimental permits and/or launch licenses to Blue Origin for 
operation of various suborbital reusable launch vehicles (RLVs) at Blue 
Origin's West Texas launch site. This Supplemental EA evaluates the 
potential environmental impacts of operation of the RLVs, construction 
of support infrastructure, ground operations (e.g., engine testing), 
and amateur launches. All construction activities related to the 
Proposed Action would occur within the Blue Origin property line.
    The FAA previously analyzed the potential environmental impacts of 
issuing one or more experimental permits and/or launch licenses to Blue 
Origin to operate suborbital RLVs in the August 2006 Final 
Environmental Assessment for the Blue Origin West Texas Commercial 
Launch Site (2006 EA). The 2006 EA evaluated the potential 
environmental impacts of construction and operation of a commercial 
launch site on privately-owned property in Culberson County, Texas, and 
assessed 52 annual launches of earlier RLV versions over a five-year 
period, from 2006 to 2010. The current Proposed Action falls outside 
the scope of the 2006 EA, because (1) the 2006 EA limited the 
environmental analysis to the years 2006-2010 and Blue Origin now 
proposes to continue RLV development operations through 2019; (2) the 
propellants and certain other characteristics of the proposed RLVs are 
different than the previous versions; and (3) Blue Origin proposes 
additional construction activities.
    The Blue Origin West Texas launch site is located approximately 25 
miles north of Van Horn, Texas. It lies within a larger, privately-
owned property known as the Corn Ranch. The Supplemental EA addresses 
the potential environmental impacts of implementing the Proposed Action 
and the No Action Alternative.
    Under the Proposed Action, the FAA would issue experimental permits 
and/or launch licenses for the operation of various suborbital RLVs at 
Blue Origin's West Texas launch site. The Proposed Action includes the 
activities that would be authorized by an experimental permit or launch 
license (i.e., the operation of the launch vehicles) as well as 
construction of support infrastructure required to support the proposed 
RLV activities, ground testing activities, and amateur launches that 
would occur at the launch site. Experimental permits would be valid for 
one year. Launch licenses could be valid for up to two years. The FAA 
could renew experimental permits and launch licenses if requested, by 
Blue Origin, in writing, at least 60 days before the permit expires, or 
at least 90 days before the license expires.
    For purposes of analyzing environmental impacts in the Supplemental 
EA, the FAA assumed a conservative number of launches of the various 
suborbital RLVs for each of the years analyzed (2014-2019). The FAA 
assumed a maximum of up to 54 annual launches between 2014 and 2019 of 
the largest contemplated vehicle configuration as the basis for 
assessing environmental impact.
    The only alternative to the Proposed Action analyzed in the 
Supplemental EA is the No Action Alternative. Under the No Action 
Alternative, the FAA would not issue experimental permits and/or launch 
licenses to Blue Origin for the operation of various suborbital RLVs at 
Blue Origin's West Texas launch site. Existing Blue Origin activities 
that do not require an FAA experimental permit or license could 
continue at the launch site, including but not limited to amateur 
rocketry operations, ground tests, and construction.
    The environmental impact categories considered in the Supplemental 
EA include air quality; construction impacts; fish, wildlife, and 
plants; hazardous materials, pollution prevention, and solid waste; 
historical, architectural, archaeological, and cultural resources; and 
noise. Potential cumulative impacts of the Proposed Action and No 
Action Alternative are also addressed in the Supplemental EA.
    The FAA has posted the Supplemental EA and FONSI on the Internet at 
http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/environmental/review/permits/.

    Issued in Washington, DC on: February 7, 2014.
Daniel Murray,
Manager, Space Transportation Development Division.
[FR Doc. 2014-03306 Filed 2-13-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P