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Streamlining NEPA for Reusable Launch Vehicles

Streamlining NEPA for Reusable Launch Vehicles. Federal Aviation Administration Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation. May 2004. Perception of Environmental Review Process. Resource intensive Costs too much Takes too much time creating delays

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Streamlining NEPA for Reusable Launch Vehicles

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  1. Streamlining NEPA for Reusable Launch Vehicles Federal Aviation AdministrationAssociate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation May 2004

  2. Perception of Environmental Review Process • Resource intensive • Costs too much • Takes too much time creating delays • Not the primary mission of launch operators Inconvenient at best, burdensome at worst…however it is the law

  3. What Is NEPA? • The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) is the basic national charter for protection of the environment • Two basic objectives • Ensure that decision-makers consider the environment in planning projects • Prevent/minimize damage to the environment

  4. How Does NEPA Apply to AST? • Licensing launches and reentries and licensing the operation of launch and reentry sites are Federal actions • All Federal actions are subject to NEPA • Environmental determination MUST be complete before decisions are made and actions are taken (e.g., begin site construction) • In addition to NEPA, other Federal, state, and local environmental requirements may apply

  5. What is AST Doing to Ease the Burden? • AST is developing a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) to • Address horizontal launches and reentries of all reentry vehicles • Serve as a tiering document for subsequent site- and vehicle-specific analysis • AST is conducting a study to determine the feasibility of developing a CATEX for launches of suborbital launch vehicles

  6. Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement

  7. What are Programmatic Analyses? • Analyze a broad plan or action with multiple phases or activities • Cumulatively consider actions similar in scope, timing, or geography • Tiering documents for subsequent relevant NEPA analyses

  8. Why are Programmatic Analyses Useful? • Address program-wide impacts, providing a roadmap for analysis of future activities • Can be tiered from to support subsequent NEPA analyses of specific activities • Allow NEPA analyses to focus on unique impacts of a specific activity at a specific location

  9. AST’s Programmatic Analyses • February 1986 - Programmatic Environmental Assessment of Commercial Expendable Launch Vehicles • May 1992 - PEIS for Commercial Reentry Vehicles • May 2001 - PEIS for Licensing Launches • Under development - PEIS for Licensing Launches of Horizontally Launched Vehicles and Reentries of Reentry Vehicles

  10. AST’s New PEIS • Proposed Action • License launch of horizontally launched vehicles • License reentry of reentry vehicles • Alternatives to the Proposed Action • Licensing subsets of vehicle activities • No Action

  11. Categorical Exclusion

  12. CATEX • CATEXs are prepared for • Categories of actions that do not individually or cumulatively have a significant effect on the environment • Actions not requiring preparation of an Environmental Assessment (EA) or Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) • Extraordinary circumstances (defined in Agency regulations) can preclude use of a CATEX for a normally excluded action

  13. DOT and FAA CATEXs • DOT Order 5610.1C • Contains 6 CATEXs • FAA Order 1050.1D • Contains 10 CATEXs covering general actions and 53 CATEXs covering specific actions • Currently there are no CATEXs that cover launch activities

  14. Current CATEX Study • Considering applicability of CATEX for some classes of suborbital launch vehicles • Designed to help launch applicants avoid • Excessive cost from environmental reviews • Delays in schedule • Would primarily benefit launch operators; launch sites will still require a more extensive review

  15. CEQ Review and Approval Revise FAA 1050.1 to Include new CATEX CATEX Study Process Notify AGC, AEE DOT ICF Study Study Yes Report Prepare CATEX supporting CATEX More Study documents and Yes No Supported? Required? briefing package CATEX No Package DOT Review Revise As End End Req'd Revise As Legal Review Req'd - 620 AGC Disapproved Revise As AEE Review Req'd Release draft CATEX in Substantial federal register for 30 day No comment comment comment

  16. How Can You Get Involved? • Provide data or descriptions of proposed launch and reentry vehicles • Provide comments on the Draft PEIS, when available • Visit AST’s PEIS web site http://ast.faa.gov/lrra/PEIS__Site.htm

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