[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 178 (Monday, September 15, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Page 55064]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-21905]



[[Page 55064]]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration


Office of Commercial Space Transportation; Notice of Availability 
of the Final Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Midland 
International Air and Space Port, City of Midland, Midland County, 
Texas, and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI)

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

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 Final EA for the Midland International Air and 
Space Port, City of Midland, Midland County, Texas, and FONSI.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Daniel Czelusniak, Federal 
Aviation Administration, 800 Independence Avenue SW., Suite 325, 
Washington, DC 20591; email [email protected]; or phone (202) 
267-5924.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Final EA was prepared to analyze the 
potential environmental impacts of the City of Midland's proposal to 
operate a commercial space launch site at the Midland International 
Airport (MAF) in Midland County, Texas and offer the site to XCOR 
Aerospace, Inc. (XCOR) for the operation of the Lynx horizontal take-
off and horizontal landing reusable launch vehicle (RLV) and engine 
testing. To operate a commercial space launch site, the City of Midland 
must obtain a commercial space launch site operator license from the 
FAA. Under the Proposed Action addressed in the EA, the FAA would: (1) 
Issue a launch site operator license to the City of Midland for the 
operation of a commercial space launch site at MAF, (2) issue 
experimental permits and/or launch licenses to XCOR that would allow 
XCOR to conduct launches of the Lynx RLV from MAF, and (3) provide 
approval to modify the existing Airport Layout Plan (ALP) to reflect 
the designation of a launch site boundary, installation of aboveground 
propellant storage tanks, and construction of a concrete pad for engine 
testing. Proposed launch operations would begin in 2014 and continue 
through 2018. The frequency of launch operations would initially be one 
launch per week, eventually increasing to two launches per day, five 
days a week. Fifty-two annual launch operations are proposed in 2014. 
The total number of annual launch operations would increase each year 
until 2018 when 520 annual launch operations are proposed.
    The Final EA addresses the potential environmental impacts of 
implementing the Proposed Action and the No Action Alternative. Under 
the No Action Alternative, the FAA would not issue a launch site 
operator license to the City of Midland and thus would not issue 
experimental permits and/or launch licenses to XCOR for operation of 
the Lynx RLV at MAF. Also, there would be no need to update the ALP for 
MAF, and thus there would be no approval of a revised ALP. Existing 
commercial aviation and military operations would continue at MAF.
    The impact categories considered in the Final EA include air 
quality; compatible land use; Department of Transportation Act: Section 
4(f); fish, wildlife, and plants; floodplains; hazardous materials, 
pollution prevention, and solid waste; historical, architectural, 
archaeological, and cultural resources; natural resources and energy 
supply; noise; socioeconomic impacts, environmental justice, and 
children's environmental health and safety risks; water quality; and 
wetlands. The Final EA also considers the potential cumulative 
environmental impacts.
    The FAA has posted the Final EA and FONSI on the FAA Web site at 
http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/environmental/nepa_docs/review/operator/.
    The FAA published a Notice of Availability of the Draft EA in the 
Federal Register on March 24, 2014. A Notice of Availability of the 
Draft EA was also published in the Midland Reporter-Telegram, Odessa 
American, and Big Spring Herald on March 30, 2014 and in the Big Lake 
Wildcat on April 3, 2014. The FAA mailed copies of the Draft EA to the 
following agencies: Texas Historical Commission (State Historic 
Preservation Officer), Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, and U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service. An electronic version of the Draft EA was 
also made available on the FAA Web site. In addition, the FAA printed 
and mailed a copy of the Draft EA to the following libraries: Midland 
County Library, Ector County Library, and Reagan County Library. The 
FAA held an open house public meeting on April 8, 2014 from 5:30 p.m. 
to 8:30 p.m. at the University of Texas of the Permian Basin, Center 
for Energy and Economic Diversification. The public comment period 
ended on April 24, 2014. The FAA received two public comments on the 
Draft EA, both in support of the Proposed Action. No substantive 
changes were made to this Final EA.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on September 9, 2014.
 Daniel Murray,
Manager, Space Transportation Development Division.
[FR Doc. 2014-21905 Filed 9-12-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P