Notice of extension of scoping for the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for Licensing Launches of Horizontally Launched Vehicles and Reentr

[Federal Register: October 16, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 200)]
[Notices]
[Page 59676]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr16oc03-143]

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

Notice of Extension of Scoping

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Notice of extension of scoping for the Programmatic
Environmental Impact Statement for Licensing Launches of Horizontally
Launched Vehicles and Reentries of Reentry Vehicles.

SUMMARY: The FAA is preparing a Programmatic Environmental Impact
Statement (PEIS) in accordance with the National Environmental Policy
Act (NEPA) of 1969 and the Council on Environmental Quality
implementing regulations and is requesting comments in preparation of
the PEIS. The FAA has extended public scoping for the PEIS to ensure
that all interested government and private organizations, and the
general public have an opportunity to express their concerns and
identify topics that should be addressed in the PEIS. Scoping comments
will be accepted until October 31, 2003. This PEIS will assess
environmental impacts associated with the proposed action, reasonable
alternatives including those identified during scoping, the no action
alternative, and cumulative impacts. This PEIS will support decisions
made to meet the FAA’s responsibility to license commercial launch and
reentry operations and the operation of launch and reentry sites
consistent with public health and safety, safety of property, and the
national security and foreign policy interests of the United States.
Issuing a launch or reentry license is a Federal action and is
therefore subject to NEPA review.

Proposed Action and Possible Alternatives: The proposed action for
this PEIS is to license the launch and landing of horizontally launched
vehicles and the reentry of reentry vehicles. A reentry vehicle is
defined in 14 CFR 401.5 as “a vehicle designed to return from Earth
orbit or outer space to Earth substantially intact. A reusable launch
vehicle (RLV) that is designed to return from Earth orbit or outer
space to Earth substantially intact is a reentry vehicle.” Launch, as
defined in 14 CFR 401.5, means “to place or try to place a launch
vehicle or reentry vehicle and any payload from Earth in a suborbital
trajectory, in Earth orbit in outer space, or otherwise in outer space,
and includes activities involved in the preparation of a launch vehicle
for flight, when those activities take place at a launch site in the
United States. The term launch includes the flight of a launch vehicle
and pre-flight ground operations beginning with the arrival of a launch
vehicle or payload at a U.S. launch site. For purposes of an expendable
launch vehicle launch, flight ends after the licensee’s last exercise
of control over its launch vehicle. For purposes of an orbital RLV
launch, flight ends after deployment of a payload for an RLV having
payload deployment as a mission objective. For other orbital RLVs,
flight ends upon completion of the first sustained, steady-state orbit
of an RLV at its intended location.”

Alternatives to the proposed action may include activities such as
not licensing horizontal launches, not licensing vertical reentries,
not licensing horizontal reentries, not licensing powered reentries,
and not licensing unpowered reentries.

FAA exercises licensing authority in accordance with the Commercial
Space Launch Act and Commercial Space Transportation Licensing
Regulations, 14 CFR Ch.III, which authorize the FAA to license the
launch of a launch vehicle when conducted within the U.S. and those
operated by U.S. citizens abroad. The scope of the PEIS would include
launches on both orbital and suborbital trajectories.

In May 1992, the U.S. Department of Transportation issued the Final
Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for Commercial Reentry
Vehicles that assessed the environmental impacts of licensing the
unpowered reentry of reentry vehicles from space to Earth. This 1992
PEIS relied in part on the analysis in the Programmatic Environmental
Assessment of Commercial Expendable Launch Vehicle Programs, February
1986.

In May 2001, the FAA issued the Programmatic Environmental Impact
Statement for Licensing Launches, which assessed the environmental
impacts of licensing commercial launches. This 2001 PEIS updated and
replaced the 1986 Programmatic Environmental Assessment (EA).

The PEIS for Licensing Launches of Horizontally Launched Vehicles
and Reentries of Reentry Vehicles will update and replace the 1992 PEIS
and address the launch of horizontally launched vehicles and the
reentry of all reentry vehicles.

Scoping: Public scoping will be conducted as part of the PEIS
development process to ensure that all interested government and
private organizations, and the general public have an opportunity to
express their concerns and identify topics that should be addressed in
the PEIS. The FAA has developed a public participation Web site (http://ast.faa.gov/
), which provides information on the development of this
PEIS and provides the public an opportunity to submit comments
electronically. Materials on the web site include information about
licensing and the NEPA process; frequently asked questions, a fact
sheet on the PEIS; a comparison of the analysis of the previous
programmatic documents; and public comment forms. Scoping meetings may
be requested by organizations or individuals that feel their concerns
cannot be met through the online opportunity to comment. Information
regarding the development of the PEIS is available on the public
participation web site at http://ast.faa.gov/, under the “What’s new
on the AST Web site “ Announcements” section.

To Submit Comments: Written comments, statements, and/or questions
regarding scoping issues or the PEIS process should be addressed to Ms.
Michon Washington, FAA Environmental Specialist, FAA PEIS, c/o ICF
Consulting, 9300 Lee Highway, Fairfax, Virginia 22031; phone (703) 934-3950; fax (703) 934-3951; e-mail at FAA.PEIS@icfconsulting.com; or by
Web site http://ast.faa.gov/. Comments should clearly identify and
describe the specific issue(s) or topics to be included in the PEIS. To
ensure sufficient time to consider issues identified during public
scoping, comments should be submitted no later than October 31, 2003.

Charles Larsen,
(Acting) Manager, Space Systems Development Division.
[FR Doc. 03-26090 Filed 10-15-03; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910-13-P