Notice of Availability, Notice of Public Comment Period, Notice of Public Meeting, and Request for Comment on the Draft Environmental Assessment for the Titusville-Cocoa Airport Authority Launch Site Operator License

Citation84 FR 69813
Record Number2019-27419
Published date19 December 2019
SectionNotices
CourtFederal Aviation Administration,Transportation Department
Federal Register, Volume 84 Issue 244 (Thursday, December 19, 2019)
[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 244 (Thursday, December 19, 2019)]
                [Notices]
                [Page 69813]
                From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
                [FR Doc No: 2019-27419]
                [[Page 69813]]
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                DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
                Federal Aviation Administration
                Notice of Availability, Notice of Public Comment Period, Notice
                of Public Meeting, and Request for Comment on the Draft Environmental
                Assessment for the Titusville-Cocoa Airport Authority Launch Site
                Operator License
                AGENCY: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of
                Transportation (DOT) is the lead agency. The National Aeronautics and
                Space Administration (NASA) and the U.S. Air Force are cooperating
                agencies for this Environmental Assessment (EA).
                ACTION: Notice of availability, notice of public comment period, notice
                of public meeting, and request for comment.
                -----------------------------------------------------------------------
                SUMMARY: The FAA is announcing the availability of and requesting
                comments on the Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Titusville-
                Cocoa Airport Authority (TCAA) Launch Site Operator License. The FAA
                has prepared the Draft EA to evaluate the potential environmental
                impacts of the FAA issuing a Launch Site Operator License to TCAA for
                the operation of a commercial space launch site at the Space Coast
                Regional Airport (TIX). Under the proposed action, TCAA would operate a
                commercial space launch site at TIX to offer the site for launches of
                horizontal takeoff and horizontal landing launch vehicles from TIX.
                TCAA would also construct facilities related to the proposed launch
                site. The Draft EA considers the potential environmental impacts of the
                Proposed Action and the No Action Alternative.
                DATES: Comments on the Draft EA must be received on or before January
                17, 2020.
                 The FAA will hold a public meeting on January 8th, 2020, from 5:00
                to 8:00 p.m. During this meeting, FAA representatives will have the
                chance to answer questions about the Draft EA. Members of the public
                will have the chance to provide written and/or oral comments at the
                meeting. We invite all interested parties to attend the meeting.
                ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held at the Ralph Poppell Airport
                Administration Building at Space Coast Regional Airport, 355 Golden
                Knights Boulevard, Titusville, Florida 32780.
                 Please submit comments or questions regarding the Draft EA to ICF,
                Attention: FAA TIX EA, 9300 Lee Highway, Fairfax, VA 22031. Comments
                may also be submitted by email to [email protected].
                FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Stacey M. Zee, Environmental
                Protection Specialist, Federal Aviation Administration, 800
                Independence Avenue SW, Suite 325, Washington, DC 20591; email
                [email protected].
                SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FAA has prepared the Draft EA in
                accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA; 42
                United States Code 4321 et seq.), the Council on Environmental Quality
                Regulations for Implementing the Procedural Provisions of NEPA (40 Code
                of Federal Regulations parts 1500-1508), and FAA Order 1050.1F,
                Environmental Impacts: Policies and Procedures, as part of its
                licensing process. Concurrent with the NEPA process and to determine
                the potential effects of the Proposed Action on historic and cultural
                properties, the FAA has initiated Section 106 Consultation with the
                Florida State Historic Preservation Office and the following Native
                America tribes: The Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida, the
                Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, the
                Poarch Band of Creek Indians, the Seminole Tribe of Florida, and the
                Seminole Nation of Oklahoma. Through consultation, the Mississippi Band
                of Choctaw Indians requested to be removed from the list of tribes
                consulted for this project. Pursuant to the U.S. Department of
                Transportation Act of 1966, this EA will comply with the requirements
                of Section 4(f) of the Act.
                 An electronic version of the Draft EA is available on the FAA
                Office of Commercial Space Transportation website at: https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/environmental/nepa_docs/review/documents_progress/space_coast/.
                 The FAA encourages all interested agencies, organizations, Native
                American tribes, and members of the public to submit comments
                concerning the analysis presented in the Draft EA by January 17, 2020.
                Comments should be as specific as possible and address the analysis of
                potential environmental impacts. Reviewers should organize their
                participation so that it is meaningful and makes the agency aware of
                the viewer's interests and concerns using quotations and other specific
                references to the text of the Draft EA and related documents. Matters
                that could have been raised with specificity during the comment period
                on the Draft EA may not be considered if they are raised for the first
                time later in the decision process. This comment procedure is intended
                to ensure that substantive comments and concerns are made available to
                the FAA in a timely manner so that the FAA has an opportunity to
                address them.
                 Before including your address, phone number, email address, or
                other personal identifying information in your comment, be advised that
                your entire comment--including your personal identifying information--
                may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in
                your comment to withhold from the public review your personal
                identifying information, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do
                so.
                 The FAA has prepared the Draft EA to evaluate the potential
                environmental impacts of the construction and operation of TIX as a
                launch location for horizontally launched and landed launch vehicles
                and issuing a Launch Site Operator License to TCAA at TIX. The EA
                considers the potential environmental impacts of the Proposed Action
                and the No Action Alternative. The successful completion of the
                environmental review process does not guarantee that the FAA Office of
                Commercial Space Transportation would issue a Launch Site Operator
                License to TCAA. The project must also meet all FAA requirements of a
                Launch Site Operator License. Individual launch operators proposing to
                launch from the site would be required to obtain a separate launch
                operator license.
                 Issued in Washington, DC, on December 10, 2019.
                Daniel Murray,
                Manager, Space Transportation Development Division.
                [FR Doc. 2019-27419 Filed 12-18-19; 8:45 am]
                 BILLING CODE 4910-13-P
                

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