Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement Experimental Permits COMSTAC Stacey M. Zee October 25, 2006 Federal Aviation Administration

Programmatic Environmental Impact StatementExperimental Permits

COMSTAC

Stacey M. Zee

October 25, 2006

Federal AviationAdministration

2Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement - Experimental Permits

October 25, 2006

Federal AviationAdministration 2

Outline

• National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)• Programmatic Analyses• Development of PEIS• Input into scope of PEIS• How to submit comments


October 25, 2006


How Does NEPA apply to AST?

• Issuing licenses and permits are considered major Federal actions with the potential to significantly impact the quality of the human environment

• All such major Federal actions are subject to NEPA• 40 CFR Parts 1500 to 1508• FAA Order 1050.1E


October 25, 2006


Levels of NEPA Review

• Categorical Exclusion (CATEX) – action that does not, individually or cumulatively, have a significant impact on the quality of the human environment

• Environmental Assessment (EA) - analysis of proposed action and

reasonable alternatives that could result in preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement or Finding of No Significant Impact

• Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) - detailed analysis of environmental consequences of proposed action and alternatives, cumulative impacts, and mitigation actions


October 25, 2006


FAA Order 1050.1E: Issues Requiring Analysis

• Air Quality• Coastal Resources• Compatible Land Use• Construction Impacts• Department of Transportation

Section 4(f) Resources• Farmlands• Fish, Wildlife, and Plants• Floodplains• Hazardous Materials,

Pollution Prevention, and Solid Waste

• Historical, Architectural, Archeological, and Cultural Resources

• Natural Resources, Energy Supply, and Sustainable Design

• Noise• Secondary (Induced) Impacts• Socioeconomics,

Environmental Justice, and Children’s Health and Safety

• Visual Impacts• Water Quality• Wetlands• Wild and Scenic Rivers


October 25, 2006


Sample Laws and Regulations

• Endangered Species Act

• Executive Order (EO) 11988 – Floodplain Management

• Federal Coastal Zone Management Act

• Marine Mammal Protection Act• EO 12114 – Environmental

Effects Abroad of Major Federal Actions

• EO 13089 – Coral Reef Protection

• Section 4(f) of the Department of Transportation Act

• EO 11988 – Floodplain Management

• Clean Air Act• Clean Water Act

• Safe Drinking Water Act

• Wild and Scenic Rivers Act

• Oil Pollution Act• National Historic Preservation Act• American Indian Religious

Freedom Act• Native American Graves

Protection Act • EO 13007 – Indian Sacred Sites• Farmland Protection Policy Act• EO 12898 – Federal Actions to

Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations


October 25, 2006


Programmatic Analyses

• Provide analyses and documentation from which subsequent NEPA documents can be tiered

• Evaluate cumulative impacts

• Address mitigation parameters at broad level


October 25, 2006


Existing AST PEISs

• 2001 – PEIS for Licensing Launches• Analyzed environmental impacts of licensed launches of

vertical expendable and reusable launch vehicles

• 2005 – PEIS for Horizontal Launch and Reentries • Analyzed environmental impacts of licensed suborbital and

orbital launches of horizontal vehicles and reentry of reentry vehicles


October 25, 2006


PEIS for Experimental Permits

• Facilitate tiering of subsequent environmental assessments and environmental impact statements

• Allow the environmental analysis of an individual permit applicant to focus on the environmental effects specific to their permit application

• Develop future guidance to aid the permitting process

• Improve efficiency of acting on individual permit applications


October 25, 2006


Data Needs – Rocket Activities

• Types of propellants and propulsion systems

• Estimate of operations – • Number of launch and reentry events, or

• Duration of tests

• Types of launch and reentry events – tethered, static firings, hover

• Pre-flight and post-flight activities

• Locations for launch and reentry operations


October 25, 2006


Analysis of Sites

• Licensed Launch Sites• California Spaceport, CA

• Florida Spaceport, FL

• Kodiak Launch Complex, AK

• Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport, VA

• Mojave Airport, CA

• Oklahoma Spaceport, OK

• Proposed Launch Site• Spaceport America, NM

• Cecil Field, FL


October 25, 2006


Schedule

• Notice of Intent – March 2006

• Scoping – March - October 2006

• Release draft PEIS to public – Spring/Summer 2007

• Public review and comment period – Spring/Summer 2007

• Release final PEIS to public – Summer 2007

• Sign Record of Decision – Fall 2007


October 25, 2006


How to Submit Comments

• Provide written comments today

• Submit comments via e-mail or fax • E-mail: [email protected]

• Fax: 703-934-3951

• Mail:Stacey M. ZeeFAA Environmental SpecialistPEIS – Experimental Permitsc/o ICF International9300 Lee HighwayFairfax, VA 22031

Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement - Experimental Permits

October 25, 2006


To ensure that all comments are addressed inthe Final PEIS, the FAA requests that comments

are received no later thanOctober 31, 2006

Questions - contact Stacey M. Zee: 202-267-9305

[email protected]

Documents

Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement Experimental Permits COMSTAC Stacey M. Zee October 25, 2006 Federal Aviation Administration