[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 35 (Wednesday, February 21, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13050-13051]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-03554]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Air Force


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
SpaceX Starship-Super Heavy Operations at Cape Canaveral Space Force 
Station

AGENCY: Department of the Air Force, Department of Defense; Federal 
Aviation Administration; National Aeronautics and Space Administration; 
and United States Coast Guard.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The Department of the Air Force is the lead agency for this 
notice. The Federal Aviation Administration is a cooperating agency and 
the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and U.S. Coast Guard 
were invited to be cooperating agencies for this action. The Department 
of the Air Force (DAF) is issuing this Notice of Intent (NOI) to 
prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) to evaluate the 
potential environmental impacts associated with (1) the execution of a 
real property agreement between the United States Space Force (USSF) 
and Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX), which would enable 
SpaceX to develop a launch site to support Starship-Super Heavy 
operations, including launch and landing at Cape Canaveral Space Force 
Station (CCSFS), and (2) the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) 
issuance of a vehicle operator license at the selected launch site and 
approval of related airspace closures.

DATES: A public scoping period will take place starting from the date 
of this NOI publication in the Federal Register and will last for 30 
days. Comments will be accepted at any time during the environmental 
impact analysis process; however, to ensure the DAF has sufficient time 
to consider public scoping comments during preparation of the Draft 
EIS, please submit comments within the 30-day scoping period.
    The DAF invites the public, stakeholders, and other interested 
parties to attend one or more of the three in-person public scoping 
meetings or the virtual public scoping meeting. In-person meetings will 
be held March 5 at Catherine Schweinsberg Rood Central Library, 308 
Forrest Ave., Cocoa, FL 32922; March 6 at Titusville Civic Center, 4220 
S Hopkins Ave., Titusville, FL 32780; and March 7 at Radisson Resort At 
The Port, 8701 Astronaut Blvd., Cape Canaveral, FL 32920. Each in-
person scoping meeting will take place from 4 to 7 p.m. A virtual 
meeting is scheduled for March 12 at 6 p.m. Information on how to 
attend the virtual meeting is available on the project website 
(SpaceForceStarshipEIS.com). The meetings will provide an opportunity 
for attendees to learn more about the Proposed Action and Alternatives 
and provide an early and open process to assist the DAF and its 
Cooperating Agencies in determining the scope of issues for analysis in 
the EIS, including identifying significant environmental issues and 
eliminating from further study non-significant issues. Scope consists 
of the range of actions, alternatives, and impacts to be considered in 
the EIS. Project team members will be available to answer questions and 
there will also be an opportunity to provide oral and written comments. 
Scoping meeting materials will be provided in English and Spanish.
    The Notice of Availability (NOA) of the Draft EIS is anticipated in 
December 2024 and the NOA for the Final EIS is anticipated in September 
2025. A decision could be made no earlier than 30 days after the Final 
EIS.

ADDRESSES: The project website (SpaceForceStarshipEIS.com) provides 
information related to the EIS, such as environmental documents, 
schedule, and project details, as well as a comment form. Comments may 
be submitted via the website comment form, emailed to 
SpaceForceStarshipEIS.com">ContactUs@SpaceForceStarshipEIS.com, or mailed to CCSFS Starship EIS c/
o Jacobs, 5401 W Kennedy Blvd., Suite 300, Tampa, Florida 33609. 
Members of the public who want to receive future mailings informing 
them of the availability of the Draft EIS and Final EIS are encouraged 
to submit a comment that includes their name and email or postal 
mailing

[[Page 13051]]

address. For other inquiries, please contact Ms. Molly Thrash, NEPA 
Project Manager at SpaceForceStarshipEIS.com">ContactUs@SpaceForceStarshipEIS.com or 1-813-954-
5608.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose for the DAF's Proposed Action is 
to advance U.S. space capabilities and provide launch and landing 
infrastructure in furtherance of U.S. policy to ensure capabilities 
necessary to launch and insert national security payloads into space 
(United States Code [U.S.C.] Title 10, Section 2273, ``Policy regarding 
assured access to space: national security payloads'').
    The need for the DAF's Proposed Action is to ensure National 
Security Space Launch Assured Access to Space without compromising 
current launch capabilities and fulfill (in part) U.S. Congress's grant 
of authority to the Secretary of Defense, pursuant to 10 U.S.C. 
2276(a), ``Commercial space launch cooperation,'' that the Secretary of 
Defense is permitted to take action to maximize the use of the capacity 
of the space transportation infrastructure of the Department of Defense 
(DOD) by the private sector in the U.S.; maximize the effectiveness and 
efficiency of the space transportation infrastructure of the DOD; 
reduce the cost of services provided by the DOD related to space 
transportation infrastructure at launch support facilities and space 
recovery support facilities; encourage commercial space activities by 
enabling investment by covered entities in the space transportation 
infrastructure of the DOD; and foster cooperation between DOD and 
covered entities.
    The DAF has identified a Proposed Action alternative, one 
reasonable action alternative (Alternative 1), and the No Action 
Alternative to be carried forward for analysis in the EIS. Under the 
Proposed Action, SpaceX would modify, reuse, or demolish the existing 
Space Launch Complex (SLC)-37 infrastructure at CCSFS to support 
Starship-Super Heavy launch and landing operations. Under Alternative 
1, leasing SLC-50 at CCSFS, SpaceX would construct infrastructure to 
support Starship-Super Heavy launch and landing operations on a site 
that is currently undeveloped. Under the No Action Alternative, USSF 
would not enter into a real property agreement with SpaceX, SpaceX 
would not develop a launch and landing site in support of Starship-
Super Heavy launches, and SpaceX would not apply for an FAA vehicle 
operator license for Starship-Super Heavy launches at either of the 
alternative SLCs under consideration.
    Potential impacts may include noise, air quality, and hazardous 
material effects associated with operations and construction, as well 
as effects on biological and cultural resources because of ground 
disturbance and operational noise and vibrations. Implementation of the 
Proposed Action would potentially impact wetlands and/or floodplains, 
therefore this NOI initiates early public review as required per 
Executive Order 11988 ``Floodplain Management.'' and Executive Order 
11990 ``Protection of Wetlands.''
    A Federal Coastal Zone Management Act determination will be 
conducted and coordinated with the Florida State Clearinghouse to 
determine consistency of the action with the Florida Coastal Management 
Program. SpaceX would be required to obtain an FAA Vehicle Operator 
License for the Starship-Super Heavy launch vehicle at CCSFS, which 
could include launch, reentry, or both. A Clean Air Act Title V 
operating permit may be required, as well as a Clean Water Act Section 
404 permit and National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit.
    Scoping and Agency Coordination: Consultation will include, but not 
necessarily be limited to, consultation under Section 7 of the 
Endangered Species Act and consultation under Section 106 of the NHPA, 
to include consultation with federally recognized Native American 
Tribes. Regulatory agencies with special expertise in wetlands and 
floodplains, such as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, will be 
contacted and asked to comment. The DAF and Cooperating Agencies will 
determine the scope of the analysis by soliciting comments from 
interested local, state, and federally elected officials and agencies, 
federally recognized Native American tribes, as well as interested 
members of the public. Comments are requested on identification of 
potential alternatives, information, and analyses relevant to the 
Proposed Action.

Tommy W. Lee,
Acting Air Force Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2024-03554 Filed 2-20-24; 8:45 am]
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