[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 164 (Thursday, August 23, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42755-42756]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-18251]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration


Office of Commercial Space Transportation: Notice of Availability 
of the Final Programmatic Environmental Assessment and Finding of No 
Significant Impact/Record of Decision for Front Range Airport Launch 
Site Operator License, Spaceport Colorado

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969, as amended (NEPA), Council on Environmental Quality NEPA 
implementing regulations, and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) 
Order 1050.1F, Environmental Impacts: Policies and Procedures, the FAA 
is announcing the availability of the Final Programmatic Environmental 
Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact/Record of Decision for 
Front Range Airport Launch Site

[[Page 42756]]

Operator License, Spaceport Colorado (Final PEA and FONSI/ROD).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Stacey Zee, Environmental Protection 
Specialist, Federal Aviation Administration, 800 Independence Avenue 
SW, Suite 325, Washington, DC 20591; phone (202) 267-9305; email 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Board of County Commissioners (the BOCC) 
of Adams County, Colorado proposes to operate a commercial space launch 
site, called ``Spaceport Colorado,'' at the Front Range Airport (FTG), 
in Watkins, Colorado. This would require the FAA to issue a launch site 
operator license to the BOCC. FTG is a 3,200-acre general aviation 
airport located in the northeast quadrant of the Denver metropolitan 
area, approximately 5 miles southeast of the Denver International 
Airport in Adams County, Colorado. Under the Proposed Action, the FAA 
would issue a launch site operator license to the BOCC, which would 
authorize the BOCC to offer Spaceport Colorado to commercial launch 
providers to conduct launch operations of horizontal take-off and 
horizontal landing reusable launch vehicles (RLVs). The FAA would also 
conditionally approve FTG's modified Airport Layout Plan (ALP) showing 
the launch site boundary. The Proposed Action does not include the 
approval of any launches. Any future application for a launch license 
would be subject to a separate environmental review, as explained in 
the Final PEA.
    The Final PEA evaluated the potential environmental impacts of 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 BOCC for the operation of Spaceport Colorado, FTG would not be 
available to potential RLV launch operators, and there would be no need 
for conditional approval of the FTG ALP.
    The FAA published a Draft PEA for public comment on April 18, 2018. 
In response to preliminary comments received on the Draft PEA, the FAA 
extended the comment period from May 25, 2018 to June 15, 2018. As a 
result of the comments received, the FAA made minor revisions to the 
PEA and developed three new appendices. Appendix I provides a summary 
of the comments received and FAA's responses. Appendix J provides a 
copy of correspondence with Congressional representatives and the FAA. 
Appendix K includes copies of the comments received from the public. 
The FAA has posted the Final PEA and FONSI/ROD on the FAA Office of 
Commercial Space Transportation website: https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/environmental/nepa_docs/review/documents_progress/front_range/.

     Issued in Washington, DC on: August 16, 2018.
Daniel Murray,
Manager, Space Transportation Development Division.
[FR Doc. 2018-18251 Filed 8-22-18; 8:45 am]
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