# Presentation: 408842

## Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement

**Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement**
- Experimental Permits

- COMSTAC
- Stacey M. Zee
- October 25, 2006

**Notes:**
What are we here to do  - what is PEIS

## Outline

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

**Notes:**
Overview of talk

## 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

## 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

**Notes:**

EA – addresses environmental impacts that are not anticipated to cause significant impacts when no categorical exclusion exists.
Or evaluates actions that have potential effects that can be mitigated to less than significant levels. 

Currently no CATEX; therefore, the an EA or EIS must be prepared when considering the issuance of a permit. 

## 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

**Notes:**
Analyze impacts of rocket activities at various locations – must consider the following resource areas

## 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

## Programmatic Analyses

- Provide analyses and documentation from which subsequent NEPA documents can be tiered
- Evaluate cumulative impacts
- Address mitigation parameters at broad level

**Notes:**
Because this is a new program – the FAA is on developing a programmatic environmental impact statement to analyze the impacts from the experimental permit program.

What are programmatic analyses – yadda yadda 

## 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

**Notes:**
AST has two existing programmatic documents to analyze both vertical and horizonal launches, and reentires

This PEIS will be different in that it will analyze activities from specific locations.

## 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

**Notes:**
The FAA’s intent is to focus the scope of future environmental analyses and improve the efficiency of acting on individual permit applications. 

Facilitate the issuance of experimental permits for the launch and reentry of reusable suborbital rockets

The proposed action for this PEIS is to issue experimental permits for the launch and reentry of reusable suborbital rockets, develop the environmental criteria for issuing those permits, and prepare documentation that can be referenced or tiered from in future applications. 

The PEIS will provide information and analyses common to all reusable suborbital rockets,

## 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

## 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

**Notes:**
Current list of sites – however we can build on these sites or remove some sites for analysis if they won’t be used in next few years.

Document can always be updated later – now focus is to get usable document out in next year.

## 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

**Notes:**
Current schedule for document development

If you want to receive copy of Draft PEIS to comment on – sign in at registration table out front.

FAA issued a Notice of Intent in March 2006

Comment period has been extended to October 31, 2006

FAA will use comments to scope the analysis in the PEIS

## How to Submit Comments

- Provide written comments today
- Submit comments via e-mail or fax
- E-mail: PEIS-Experimental-Permits@icfi.com
- Fax: 703-934-3951
- Mail:Stacey M. ZeeFAA Environmental SpecialistPEIS – Experimental Permitsc/o ICF International9300 Lee HighwayFairfax, VA 22031

**Notes:**
How to submit comments

Comment forms available at desk outside doors of conference room

## To ensure that all comments are addressed inthe Final PEIS, the FAA requests that commentsare received no later thanOctober 31, 2006

- Questions - contact Stacey M. Zee:  202-267-9305
- Stacey.Zee@FAA.gov