[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 215 (Friday, November 6, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68893-68895]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-28336]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration


Office of Commercial Space Transportation; Notice of Intent To 
Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), Open a Public Scoping 
Period, and To Hold a Public Scoping Meeting in Camden County, Georgia

AGENCY: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the lead Federal 
agency. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration and National 
Park Service are cooperating agencies for this EIS.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS, open a public scoping 
period, and hold a public scoping meeting.

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SUMMARY: This Notice provides information to Federal, State, and local 
agencies; Native American tribes; and other interested persons 
regarding the FAA's intent to prepare an EIS to evaluate the potential 
environmental impacts of issuing a Launch Site Operator License to the 
Camden County Board of Commissioners for a proposed commercial space 
launch site (``Spaceport Camden''). The Camden County Board of 
Commissioners proposes to construct and operate Spaceport Camden in an 
unincorporated area of Woodbine, in Camden County, Georgia. The FAA 
will prepare the EIS in accordance with the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA; 42 United States Code 4321 et seq.), the 
Council on Environmental Quality Regulations for Implementing the 
Procedural Provisions of NEPA (40 Code of Federal Regulations parts 
1500-1508), and FAA Order 1050.1F, Environmental Impacts: Policies and

[[Page 68894]]

Procedures, as part of its licensing process. Concurrent with the NEPA 
process, the FAA is initiating National Historic Preservation Act 
Section 106 Consultation to determine the potential effects of the 
Proposed Action on historic properties. The FAA is also consulting with 
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) under Section 7 of the 
Endangered Species Act regarding potential impacts on federally-listed 
threatened and endangered species. Pursuant to the U.S. Department of 
Transportation Act of 1966, this EIS will comply with the requirements 
of Section 4(f) of the Act. Additional information is available online 
at: http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/environmental/nepa_docs/review/documents_progress/camden_spaceport/.

DATES: The FAA invites interested agencies, organizations, Native 
American tribes, and members of the public to submit comments or 
suggestions to assist in identifying significant environmental issues 
and in determining the appropriate scope of the EIS. The public scoping 
period starts with the publication of this Notice in the Federal 
Register. To ensure sufficient time to consider issues identified 
during the public scoping period, comments should be submitted to Ms. 
Stacey M. Zee, FAA Environmental Specialist, by one of the methods 
listed below no later than January 4, 2016. All comments will receive 
the same attention and consideration in the preparation of the EIS.

ADDRESSES: Comments, statements, or questions concerning scoping issues 
or the EIS process should be mailed to: Ms. Stacey M. Zee, FAA 
Environmental Specialist, Spaceport Camden County EIS c/o Leidos, 20201 
Century Boulevard, Suite 105, Germantown, MD 20874. Comments can also 
be sent by email to [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The FAA is preparing an EIS for the Camden County Board of 
Commissioners to construct and operate Spaceport Camden, a proposed 
commercial space launch site in an unincorporated area of Woodbine, in 
Camden County, Georgia. The County will be required to obtain a Launch 
Site Operator License from the FAA for the operation of the launch 
site. The EIS will consider the potential environmental impacts of the 
Proposed Action and the No Action Alternative; however, based on 
comments received during the scoping period, the FAA may analyze 
additional alternatives. The successful completion of the environmental 
review process does not guarantee that the FAA Office of Commercial 
Space Transportation would issue a Launch Site Operator License to the 
Camden County Board of Commissioners. The project must also meet all 
FAA requirements of a Launch Site Operator License. Individual launch 
operators proposing to launch from the site would be required to obtain 
a launch license.

Proposed Action

    The Proposed Action is for the FAA to issue a Launch Site Operator 
License to the Camden County Board of Commissioners that would allow 
the Camden County Board of Commissioners to offer the commercial space 
launch site, Spaceport Camden, to commercial launch providers to 
conduct launch operations of liquid-fueled, medium-lift-class, orbital 
and suborbital vertical launch vehicles. Under the Proposed Action, the 
Camden County Board of Commissioners would construct and operate 
Spaceport Camden, which would include a vertical launch site, a landing 
zone, a control center complex, and a facility that includes visitor-
viewing areas. Spaceport Camden would accommodate up to 12 vertical 
launches and up to 12 associated launch vehicle first-stage landings 
per year. In addition, there would be up to 12 static fire engine tests 
and up to 12 wet dress rehearsals per year.
    The Camden County Board of Commissioners has signed an option to 
purchase approximately 4,000 acres of an approximately 12,000-acre 
industrial site on which to construct the spaceport, and is considering 
purchasing approximately another 7,800 acres of adjoining property in 
the same industrial complex. The proposed Spaceport Camden property is 
located in an unincorporated area of Woodbine, in Camden County, 
approximately 11.5 miles due east of the town of Woodbine, Georgia, in 
the extreme southeastern part of the state. Access to the site is at 
the eastern termination of Union Carbide Road, an extension of 
Harriett's Bluff Road (Exit 7 from I-95). The site is on the coast, 
surrounded by salt marshes to the east and south, and the Satilla River 
to the north. The property comprises uplands, salt marshes, and fresh 
water wetlands. Approximately 100 non-contiguous upland acres would be 
used for the launch pad, landing site, control center, and supporting 
facilities. Each of these facilities would be fenced to provide 
security and access control, as would the approximately 400 acres of 
uplands on which these facilities would be located. The remainder of 
the site, much of which is marshland, would be used as buffer.
    The vertical launch facility would be approximately 23 acres in 
size and would include a launch pad and stand with its associated flame 
duct; propellant storage and handling areas; vehicle and payload 
integration facility; storage tanks; lightning protection systems; 
deluge water systems for local sound and vibration suppression; and 
other launch-related facilities and systems. The landing area would be 
approximately 11 acres in size and include a proposed 400 foot by 400 
foot concrete pad located roughly in the center of the area, with fuel 
and oxidizer ``off load'' tanks, and related infrastructure. The 
control center complex would be located on the property at a safe 
distance from the launch and landing areas. The control center complex 
would house the site administration offices, a control room with 
related equipment, payload processing/check-out area, and a first-
responder facility. This complex would be situated in an area of 
approximately 2.75 acres, and would consist of two buildings with a 
parking lot between them. There would be a similar facility constructed 
near the main entrance of the property that would mirror the control 
center complex in size, design and facilities, but would also include 
provisions for visitors and viewing launches.
    Operations would consist of up to 12 launches and up to 12 
associated launch vehicle first-stage landings per year. In addition, 
other operations could occur, including up to 12 static fire engine 
tests and up to 12 wet dress rehearsals per year. All vehicles would 
launch to the east over the Atlantic Ocean. Under the Proposed Action, 
the first stage of the launch vehicle could return to and land at 
Spaceport Camden, or would land in the Atlantic Ocean, either in the 
water or on a barge.
    The potential environmental impacts of all proposed construction 
and operational activities, including those from launching orbital and 
suborbital vertical launch vehicles, will be analyzed in the EIS. The 
EIS will evaluate the potential environmental impacts associated with 
air quality; biological resources (including fish, wildlife, and 
plants); climate; coastal resources; Department of Transportation Act, 
Section 4(f); farmlands; hazardous materials, solid waste, and 
pollution prevention; historical, architectural, archeological and 
cultural resources;

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land use; natural resources and energy supply; noise and noise-
compatible land use; socioeconomics, environmental justice, and 
children's health and safety risks; visual effects; water resources 
(including wetlands, floodplains, surface waters, groundwater, and wild 
and scenic rivers). This analysis will include an evaluation of 
potential direct and indirect impacts, and will account for cumulative 
impacts from other relevant activities in the area of Camden County, 
Georgia.

Alternatives

    The alternatives under consideration include the Proposed Action 
and the No Action Alternative; however, based on comments received 
during the scoping period, the FAA may analyze additional alternatives. 
Under the No Action Alternative, the FAA would not issue a Launch Site 
Operator License to the Camden County Board of Commissioners.

Scoping Meeting

    A public scoping meeting will be held to solicit input from the 
public on potential issues that may need to be evaluated in the EIS. 
The scoping meeting will be held on Monday, December 7, 2015, from 5 
p.m. to 8 p.m., at the Camden County Public Services Authority 
Recreation Center Community Room, 1050 Wildcat Drive, Kingsland, 
Georgia 31548. The meeting format will include an open-house workshop 
from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. The FAA will provide an overview of the 
environmental process from 6:00 p.m. to 6:15 p.m., followed by a public 
comment period from 6:15 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. During the public comment 
period, members of the public may provide up to a 2-minute statement. 
The FAA will transcribe oral comments. Members of the public also may 
submit written or emailed comments. All comments received during the 
scoping period, whether provided in writing or verbally, will be given 
equal weight and will be taken into consideration in the preparation of 
the Draft EIS.
    More information on the proposed project and the NEPA process is 
available on the project Web site at: http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/environmental/nepa_docs/review/documents_progress/camden_spaceport/.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on: November 2, 2015.
Daniel Murray,
Manager, Space Transportation Development Division.
[FR Doc. 2015-28336 Filed 11-5-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P