[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 173 (Monday, September 8, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47222-47223]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-23654]


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NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

[Notice 97-131]


National Environmental Policy Act; Expansion of Launch Range 
Operations at Wallops Flight Facility

AGENCY: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

ACTION: Notice of availability of the Draft Environmental Assessment 
(EA)

[[Page 47223]]

for the expansion of launch range operations at Goddard Space Flight 
Center's Wallops Flight Facility (WFF).

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as 
amended (NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), the Council on Environmental 
Quality (CEQ) Regulations for Implementing the Procedural Provisions of 
NEPA (40 CFR Parts 1500-1508), and NASA policy and procedures (14 CFR 
Part 1216, Subpart 1216.3), NASA has prepared a Draft EA for the 
proposed expansion of launch range operations at Goddard Space Flight 
Center's WFF, Wallops Island, Virginia. NASA proposes to enhance 
national launch capabilities through improvements to infrastructure and 
the expansion of its launch range operations at WFF. The major actions 
proposed include: (1) establishment of a Federal Aviation 
Administration (FAA) licensed commercial launch site to operate from 
WFF under a Use Agreement with NASA; (2) improvements to real property 
necessary to support the expansion of launch operations; (3) expansion 
of operations at WFF to accommodate twelve orbital launches per year; 
and (4) restoration of the historical level and nature of operations on 
the WFF range. The improvements to infrastructure and the establishment 
of a licensed commercial launch site at WFF would increase the national 
capacity for the launching of commercial satellites and provide 
additional capacity for all launch operations from Wallops Island. If a 
decision were to be made to proceed with the proposed action, 
implementation would begin during the latter part of calendar year 
1997.

DATES: Comments on the Draft EA must be in writing and received by NASA 
on or before October 8, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be addressed to Mr. Keith Koehler, 
Public Affairs Office, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Wallops Flight 
Facility, Wallops Island, Virginia 23337. The Draft EA may be reviewed 
at the following locations:
    (a) NASA Headquarters, Library, Room 1J20, 300 E Street, SW, 
Washington, DC 20546 (202-358-0167).
    (b) NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center, Wallops Flight Facility, 
Public Affairs Office, Wallops Island, Virginia, 757-824-1579.
    (c) Eastern Shore Public Library, PO Box 360, Accomac, Virginia, 
23301 (757-787-3400).
    (d) Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Visitors Lobby, Building 249, 4800 
Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109 (818-354-5179).
    (e) Spaceport U.S.A., Room 2001, John F. Kennedy Space Center, FL 
32899. Please call Lisa Fowler Beforehand at 407-867-2497 so that 
arrangements can be made.
    In addition, the Draft EA may be reviewed at the following NASA 
locations by contacting the pertinent Freedom of Information Act 
Office.
    (f) NASA, Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035 (415-604-
4190).
    (g) NASA, Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, CA 93523 (805-
258-3448).
    (h) NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (301-
286-0730).
    (i) NASA, Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058 (281-483-8612).
    (j) NASA, Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA 23665 (757-864-
2497).
    (k) NASA, Lewis Research Center, 21000 Brookpark Road, Cleveland, 
OH 44135 (216-433-2222).
    (l) NASA, Marshall Space Flight Center, AL 35812 (205-544-0031).
    (m) NASA, Stennis Space Center, MS 39529 (601-688-2164).
    A limited number of copies of the Draft EA are available, on a 
first request basis, by contacting the Wallops Flight Facility Public 
Affairs Office at the address or telephone number indicated herein.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTACT: The Wallops Flight Facility, Public 
Affairs Office, Wallops Island, VA (757-824-1579).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of the proposed action is to 
enhance national launch capabilities through improvements to 
infrastructure and the expansion of launch range operations at WFF. An 
FAA licensed commercial launch site at WFF would be established to 
promote this expansion of launch capabilities. The licensed commercial 
launch site is necessary to further encourage, facilitate, and promote 
a competitive United States commercial launch site industry.
    This Draft EA identifies potential impacts that may occur during 
implementation of the proposed action. The Draft EA addresses 
environmental impacts associated both with construction of launch 
support facilities and launch operations. The expansion of launch 
operations is proposed to include up to 12 orbital launches per year, 
in addition to the historical level of launches conducted at the WFF 
launch range. The minimum proposed improvements to WFF's real property 
and infrastructure necessary to accomplish the proposed expansion 
include: (1) modifications to existing launch pad 0-A; (2) 
modifications to existing buildings for payload processing facilities; 
and (3) the construction of a new launch pad designated as pad 0-B. 
WFF's proposed launch range expansion would accommodate various solid 
and liquid (liquid oxygen-hydrogen, liquid oxygen-kerosene) rocket 
motor configurations.
    The following alternative locations are considered alternative 
sites to the proposed action: (1) Spaceport Florida, located adjacent 
to Cape Canaveral Air Station on the east coast of Florida; (2) 
California Spaceport, located at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California; 
(3) Kodiak Launch Complex, Kodiak, Alaska; (4) no action.
    Impacts to the human environment associated with the proposed 
action--proposed expansion of launch range operations at WFF--can be 
divided into short-term (construction phase) and long-term (operational 
phase) impacts. The construction phase would last approximately 12-15 
months. The Draft EA evaluates the environmental consequences 
including, but not limited to, air and water quality, noise, flora and 
fauna, threatened and endangered species, health and safety, solid and 
hazardous waste management, socioeconomics, land use, and wetlands and 
floodplain management. The proposed action would occur in a 100-year 
floodplain and result in the conversion of 1,280 square meters (about 
\1/3\ acre) of wetlands.
    After receipt and consideration of comments on the Draft EA, NASA 
will prepare and issue a Final EA for the proposed expansion of launch 
range operations at WFF. The Final EA will be used to determine whether 
a finding of no significant impact will be appropriate or whether there 
is a need to prepare an environmental impact statement.
Benita A. Cooper,
Associate Administrator for Management Systems and Facilities.
[FR Doc. 97-23654 Filed 9-5-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7510-01-M