Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 109 / Friday, June 6, 2014 / Notices 32805 

Council, requests expert review of the 

draft World Ocean Assessment. 

The United Nations (UN) has 

embarked on a regular process for global 

reporting on, and assessment of, the 

state of the marine environment, 

including socioeconomic aspects, the 

product of which is called the World 

Ocean Assessment (WOA). The 

projected completion date for the first 

WOA is December 2014. Subsequent 

WOAs are expected to be generated 

every five years in order to document 

trends in the state of the marine 

environment. The WOA includes more 

than fifty subjects grouped within four 

main themes: marine environment and 

understanding of the ocean’s role in the 

global integrated Earth system; food 

security and food safety; human 

activities that influence the ocean or are 

influenced by the ocean; and marine 

biological diversity. A scientific and 

technical summary will integrate 

content to show linkages through 

interdisciplinary subjects such as 

human impacts, ecosystem services, and 

habitats. More information regarding the 

evolution and methodology of the WOA 

can be found at 

www.worldoceanassessment.org. 

This fall, UN Member States will have 

an opportunity to review the draft 

WOA, which is expected to be 

comprised of 50 chapters 

(approximately 15 pages each) and a 70- 

page technical summary; the outline 

illustrates the very wide range of 

expertise needed for such review. The 

Department of State invites experts in 

relevant fields of expertise to participate 

in the U.S. Government review of the 

draft WOA. Beginning on 1 August 

2014, experts may register to review the 

draft WOA at review.globalchange.gov, a 

Web-based review and comment system. 

Registered experts will have access to 

the draft WOA on 2 September 2014 and 

will have until midnight 30 September 

2014 to submit their review comments 

using the Web-based review and 

comment system. Detailed instructions 

for review and submission of comments 

are available at review.globalchange.gov. 

A Review Coordination Team 

comprised of Federal scientists and 

program managers will develop a 

consolidated U.S. Government review 

submission. Only comments received 

via the Web-based review and comment 

system within the comment period will 

be considered by the Review 

Coordination Team for inclusion in the 

U.S. Government review submission. 

This certification will be published in 

the Federal Register. 

Dated: June 2, 2014. 

Evan T. Bloom, 

Director, Office of Ocean and Polar Affairs, 

U.S. Department of State. 

[FR Doc. 2014–13224 Filed 6–5–14; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4710–09–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

Office of Commercial Space 

Transportation; Notice of Availability 

of the Final Environmental Impact 

Statement for the SpaceX Texas 

Launch Site 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), Department of 

Transportation (DOT). 

ACTION: Notice of Availability. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

National Environmental Policy Act of 

1969, as amended (NEPA; 42 United 

States Code [U.S.C.] 4321 et seq.), 

Council on Environmental Quality 

NEPA implementing regulations (40 

Code of Federal Regulations parts 1500 

to 1508), and FAA Order 1050.1E, 

Change 1, the FAA, Office of 

Commercial Space Transportation is 

announcing the availability of the Final 

Environmental Impact Statement for the 

SpaceX Texas Launch Site (Final EIS). 

This Final EIS is also submitted 

pursuant to the following public law 

requirements: Section 4(f) of the 

Department of Transportation Act (49 

U.S.C. Section 303); Section 106 of the 

National Historic Preservation Act (16 

U.S.C. 470); Executive Order 11988, 

Floodplain Management; DOT Order 

5650.2, Floodplain Management and 

Protection; Executive Order 11990, 

Protection of Wetlands; and DOT Order 

5660.1A, Preservation of the Nation’s 

Wetlands. This Final EIS includes the 

FAA’s determination of de minimis 

impacts to Section 4(f) property under 

23 CFR 771.135. The Proposed Action 

would include a significant 

encroachment on floodplains per DOT 

Order 5650.2, Floodplain Management 

and Protection. 

The FAA submitted the Final EIS to 

the U.S. Environmental Protection 

Agency (EPA). The EPA will post a 

separate notification in the Federal 

Register announcing the availability of 

the Final EIS. The FAA will issue a 

Record of Decision no sooner than 30 

days following EPA’s notice in the 

Federal Register. The Record of 

Decision will be published in the 

Federal Register. 

An electronic version of the Final EIS 

is available on the FAA Web site: http:// 

www.faa.gov/about/office_org/

headquarters_offices/ast/

environmental/nepa_docs/review/

documents_progress/spacex_texas_

launch_site_environmental_impact_

statement/. In addition, copies of the 

Final EIS were sent to persons and 

agencies on the distribution list (found 

in Chapter 11 of the Final EIS). A paper 

copy and an electronic version of the 

Final EIS may be reviewed during 

regular business hours at the following 

Brownsville, Texas, locations: 

• Brownsville Public Library Main 

Branch, 2600 Central Blvd. 

• Southmost Branch Library, 4320 

Southmost Blvd. 

• University of Texas at Brownsville, 

Oliveira Library, 80 Fort Brown St. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. 

Stacey M. Zee, Environmental 

Specialist, Federal Aviation 

Administration, Office of Commercial 

Space Transportation, 800 

Independence Avenue SW., Suite 325, 

Washington, DC 20591; email 

Stacey.Zee@faa.gov; or phone (202) 

267–9305. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Final 

EIS for the proposed Space Exploration 

Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) Texas 

Launch Site evaluates the potential 

environmental impacts that may result 

from the FAA Proposed Action of 

issuing launch licenses and/or 

experimental permits that would allow 

SpaceX to launch the Falcon 9, Falcon 

Heavy, and a variety of reusable 

suborbital launch vehicles from a 

launch site on privately owned property 

in Cameron County, Texas. SpaceX 

would be required to apply to the FAA 

for the appropriate launch licenses and/ 

or experimental permits. Under the 

Proposed Action, which is the Preferred 

Alternative, SpaceX proposes to 

construct a vertical launch area and a 

control center area to support up to 12 

commercial launch operations per year 

with a maximum of two Falcon Heavy 

launches. Launch operations include 

not only launches, but also pre-flight 

activities such as mission rehearsals and 

static fire engine tests. The 

environmental analysis in the EIS 

focuses on proposed construction and 

operational activities associated with 

the FAA’s Proposed Action (issuing 

launch licenses and/or experimental 

permits to SpaceX) and includes all 

related actions considered connected to 

the Proposed Action. Alternatives under 

consideration include the Proposed 

Action and the No Action Alternative. 

Under the No Action Alternative, the 

FAA would not issue licenses and/or 

experimental permits to SpaceX, and 

Space X would not construct the 


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32806 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 109 / Friday, June 6, 2014 / Notices 

proposed control center and vertical 

launch areas. 

As part of the Proposed Action, 

SpaceX plans to construct facilities, 

structures, and utility connections in 

order to support the launch of the 

Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launch 

vehicles. The facilities would be located 

in two areas: vertical launch area and 

control center area. The proposed 

vertical launch area site is currently 

undeveloped and is located directly 

adjacent to the eastern terminus of 

Texas State Highway 4 (Boca Chica 

Boulevard) and approximately 3 miles 

north of the Mexican border on the Gulf 

Coast. It is located approximately 5 

miles south of Port Isabel and South 

Padre Island. At the vertical launch 

area, the new facilities required would 

include an integration and processing 

hangar, a launch pad and stand with its 

associated flame duct, a water tower, a 

retention basin for deluge water, 

propellant storage and handling areas, a 

workshop and office area, and a 

warehouse for parts storage. 

The command and control functions 

for a launch are required to be 

conducted at a safe separation distance 

from the actual launch pad. The control 

center area would be located inland, 

approximately 2 miles west of the 

vertical launch area and would include 

control center buildings, payload 

processing facilities, a launch vehicle 

processing hangar, generators and diesel 

storage facilities, and a satellite fuels 

storage facility. All facilities would be 

constructed through private funding, on 

currently undeveloped private property 

that would be purchased or leased by 

SpaceX. New underground power lines 

would be installed in the State Highway 

4 Right-of-Way from the control center 

area to the vertical launch area. In 

addition, existing power lines that lead 

to Boca Chica Village would need to be 

upgraded. During this upgrade, the lines 

that are currently underground would 

remain underground, and lines that are 

currently aboveground would remain 

above ground. 

Operations would consist of up to 12 

launch operations per year with a 

maximum of two Falcon Heavy 

launches. All Falcon 9 and Falcon 

Heavy launches would be expected to 

have commercial payloads, including 

satellites or experimental payloads. In 

addition to standard payloads, the 

Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy may also 

carry a capsule, such as the SpaceX 

Dragon capsule. All launch trajectories 

would be to the east over the Gulf of 

Mexico. 

The Final EIS evaluates the direct, 

indirect, and cumulative environmental 

effects of the Proposed Action and No 

Action Alternative on environmental 

impact categories, including compatible 

land use (including farmlands and 

coastal resources); Section 4(f) 

properties; noise; light emissions and 

visual impacts; historical, architectural, 

archaeological, and cultural resources; 

air quality; water resources (including 

wetlands, floodplains, surface waters, 

groundwater, and wild and scenic 

rivers); biological resources (fish, 

wildlife, and plants); hazardous 

materials, pollution prevention, and 

solid waste; socioeconomics, 

environmental justice, and children’s 

environmental health risks and safety 

risks; energy supply and natural 

resources; and secondary (induced) 

impacts. Additional resources were also 

considered including airspace, health 

and safety, and ground traffic and 

transportation. 

Issued in Washington, DC on May 27, 

2014. 

Daniel Murray, 

Manager, Space Transportation Development 

Division. 

[FR Doc. 2014–12985 Filed 6–5–14; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

[Summary Notice No. PE–2014–33 ] 

Petition for Exemption; Summary of 

Petition Received 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Notice of petition for exemption 

received. 

SUMMARY: This notice contains a 

summary of a petition seeking relief 

from specified requirements of Title 14, 

Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR). 

The purpose of this notice is to improve 

the public’s awareness of, and 

participation in, this aspect of the FAA’s 

regulatory activities. Neither publication 

of this notice nor the inclusion or 

omission of information in the summary 

is intended to affect the legal status of 

the petition or its final disposition. 

DATES: Comments on this petition must 

identify the petition docket number 

involved and must be received on or 

before June 26, 2014. 

ADDRESSES: You may send comments 

identified by docket number FAA– 

2014–0101 using any of the following 

methods: 

• Government-wide rulemaking Web 

site: Go to http://www.regulations.gov 

and follow the instructions for sending 

your comments digitally. 

• Mail: Send comments to the Docket 

Management Facility; U.S. Department 

of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue SE., West Building Ground 

Floor, Room W12–140, Washington, DC 

20590. 

• Fax: Fax comments to the Docket 

Management Facility at 202–493–2251. 

• Hand Delivery: Bring comments to 

the Docket Management Facility in 

Room W12–140 of the West Building 

Ground Floor at 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue SE., Washington, DC, between 9 

a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through 

Friday, except Federal holidays. 

Privacy: We will post all comments 

we receive, without change, to http://

www.regulations.gov, including any 

personal information you provide. 

Using the search function of our docket 

Web site, anyone can find and read the 

comments received into any of our 

dockets, including the name of the 

individual sending the comment (or 

signing the comment for an association, 

business, labor union, etc.). You may 

review the DOT’s complete Privacy Act 

Statement in the Federal Register 

published on April 11, 2000 (65 FR 

19477–78). 

Docket: To read background 

documents or comments received, go to 

http://www.regulations.gov at any time 

or to the Docket Management Facility in 

Room W12–140 of the West Building 

Ground Floor at 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue SE., Washington, DC, between 9 

a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through 

Friday, except Federal holidays. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Mark Forseth, ANM–113, Federal 

Aviation Administration, 1601 Lind 

Avenue SW., Renton, WA 98057–3356, 

email mark.forseth@faa.gov, phone 

(425) 227–2796; or Sandra Long, ARM– 

201, Office of Rulemaking, Federal 

Aviation Administration, 800 

Independence Avenue SW., 

Washington, DC 20591, email 

sandra.long@faa.gov, phone (202) 267– 

4714. 

This notice is published pursuant to 

14 CFR 11.85. 

Issued in Washington, DC, on June 3, 2014. 

Lirio Liu, 

Director, Office of Rulemaking. 

Petition for Exemption 

Docket No.: FAA–2014–0101 

Petitioner: FedEx Express 

Section of 14 CFR Affected 

§§ 25.785(j), 25.812(e), 25.857(e), and 

25.1447(c)(2)(i) 

Description of Relief Sought 

The petition seeks an exemption for relief 

to allow carriage of up to two (2) off-duty 

flightcrew members in a Crew Rest Module 


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