[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 120 (Thursday, June 23, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Page 37546]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-13396]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Assessment and
Finding of No Significant Impact/Record of Decision for the Huntsville
International Airport Reentry Site Operator License and Sierra Space
Corporation Vehicle Operator License
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), Council on Environmental Quality NEPA
implementing regulations, and FAA Order 1050.1F, Environmental Impacts:
Policies and Procedures, the FAA is announcing the availability of the
Final Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact/
Record of Decision for the Huntsville International Airport Reentry
Site Operator License and Sierra Space Corporation Vehicle Operator
License (Final EA and FONSI/ROD).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Amy Hanson, Environmental Protection
Specialist, Federal Aviation Administration, 800 Independence Avenue
SW, Suite 325, Washington, DC 20591; email [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FAA is the lead agency responsible for
completing the EA. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration
(NASA) and U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) are cooperating agencies for the EA
for the Huntsville International Airport Reentry Site Operator License
and Sierra Space Corporation Vehicle Operator License due to their
special expertise and jurisdictions. The FAA evaluated (1) the
Huntsville-Madison County Airport Authority's (Authority) proposal to
operate a commercial reentry site at Huntsville International Airport,
which would require the FAA to issue a Reentry Site Operator License,
and (2) Sierra Space Corporation's (Sierra Space) proposal to land the
Dream Chaser at Huntsville International Airport, which would require
the FAA to issue a Vehicle Operator License. Issuing a Reentry Site
Operator License and Vehicle Operator License are considered Federal
actions subject to environmental review under NEPA. Under the Proposed
Action, the FAA would issue a Reentry Site Operator License to the
Authority and a Vehicle Operator License to Sierra Space to land the
Dream Chaser at Huntsville International Airport.
The Final EA 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 Reentry Site Operator License to
the Authority, nor would the FAA issue a Vehicle Operator License to
Sierra Space for landing the Dream Chaser at Huntsville International
Airport. Sierra Space's Dream Chaser reentry operations would not occur
at Huntsville International Airport and Huntsville International
Airport would not offer its site for commercial space reentries.
The FAA published a Draft EA for public review and comment on
November 12, 2021 through December 22, 2021. The FAA received 40 public
comments on the Draft EA. The FAA posted the Final EA and FONSI/ROD on
the FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation website on May 12,
2022, linked here: https://www.faa.gov/space/stakeholder_engagement/huntsville_reentry/.
The FAA's ROD contains the agency's decision to approve the
Proposed Action, and includes numerous finding and determinations
pursuant to Executive Orders and special purpose laws, including the
Department of Transportation Act, the National Historic Preservation
Act, the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and the Endangered Species
Act.
Issued in Washington, DC, on: June 15, 2022.
Stacey Molinich Zee,
Manager, Operations Support Branch, Office of Commercial Space
Transportation.
[FR Doc. 2022-13396 Filed 6-22-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P