Notice2022-12888
Notice of Availability of the Final Programmatic Environmental Assessment and Mitigated Finding of No Significant Impact/Record of Decision for the SpaceX Starship/Super Heavy Launch Vehicle Program at the SpaceX Boca Chica Launch Site in Cameron County, Texas
Primary source
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Published
June 15, 2022
Issuing agencies
Transportation DepartmentFederal Aviation Administration
Abstract
In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA), Council on Environmental Quality NEPA- implementing regulations, and FAA Order 1050.1F, Environmental Impacts: Policies and Procedures, the FAA is announcing the availability of the Final Programmatic Environmental Assessment and Mitigated Finding of No Significant Impact/Record of Decision for the SpaceX Starship/Super Heavy Launch Vehicle Program at the SpaceX Boca Chica Launch Site (Final PEA and Mitigated FONSI/ROD).
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 115 (Wednesday, June 15, 2022)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 115 (Wednesday, June 15, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Page 36199]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-12888]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
Notice of Availability of the Final Programmatic Environmental
Assessment and Mitigated Finding of No Significant Impact/Record of
Decision for the SpaceX Starship/Super Heavy Launch Vehicle Program at
the SpaceX Boca Chica Launch Site in Cameron County, Texas
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of
1969, as amended (NEPA), Council on Environmental Quality NEPA-
implementing regulations, and FAA Order 1050.1F, Environmental Impacts:
Policies and Procedures, the FAA is announcing the availability of the
Final Programmatic Environmental Assessment and Mitigated Finding of No
Significant Impact/Record of Decision for the SpaceX Starship/Super
Heavy Launch Vehicle Program at the SpaceX Boca Chica Launch Site
(Final PEA and Mitigated FONSI/ROD).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Amy Hanson, Environmental Protection
Specialist, Federal Aviation Administration, 800 Independence Avenue
SW, Suite 325, Washington, DC 20591; phone (202) 243-7609; email
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#0544687c2b4d646b766a6b456364642b626a73"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="0544687c2b4d646b766a6b456364642b626a73">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FAA is the lead agency. The National
Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Park Service, U.S. Coast
Guard, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
are cooperating agencies due to either their special expertise and/or
jurisdiction. The FAA is evaluating SpaceX's proposal to conduct
Starship/Super Heavy launch operations at its existing Boca Chica
Launch Site in Cameron County, Texas. The proposal requires SpaceX to
obtain an experimental permit and/or a vehicle operator license from
the FAA. Under the Proposed Action, the FAA would issue an experimental
permit(s) and/or vehicle operator license to SpaceX, which would
authorize SpaceX to conduct Starship/Super Heavy launch operations at
the Boca Chica Launch Site. Launch operations include launch vehicle
landings at the Boca Chica Launch Site, in the Gulf of Mexico, or in
the Pacific Ocean.
The Final PEA evaluated the potential environmental impacts of the
Proposed Action and the No Action Alternative. Under the No Action
Alternative, the FAA would not issue new experimental permits or
licenses to SpaceX for any test or launch operations at the Boca Chica
Launch Site. SpaceX's non-licensed production and manufacturing would
continue at its existing facilities and infrastructure would expand at
its production facility. Non-licensed testing operations, including
tank tests and static fire engine tests, would also continue at the
existing Vertical Launch Area. In addition, SpaceX could conduct
missions of the Starship prototype launch vehicle as authorized by the
current license (LRLO 20-119). The current license expires on May 27,
2023. This alternative provides the basis for comparing the
environmental consequences of the Proposed Action.
The FAA published a Draft PEA for public comment on September 17,
2021. The public comment period ended on November 1, 2021. The PEA was
revised based on public comments, and the Final PEA includes responses
to comments. The FAA has posted the Final PEA and Mitigated FONSI/ROD
on the FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation website: <a href="https://www.faa.gov/space/stakeholder_engagement/spacex_starship/">https://www.faa.gov/space/stakeholder_engagement/spacex_starship/</a>.
Issued in Washington, DC, on June 10, 2022.
Stacey M. Zee,
Manager, Operations Support Branch, Office of Commercial Space
Transportation.
[FR Doc. 2022-12888 Filed 6-14-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P
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