Notice of Availability for the Written Re-Evaluation of the Final Programmatic Environmental Assessment and Mitigated Finding of No Significant Impact and Record of Decision for the SpaceX Starship/Super Heavy Launch Vehicle Program at the SpaceX Boca Chica Launch Site in Cameron County, Texas Regarding Vehicle Ocean Landings and Launch Pad Detonation Suppression System Water, 24462 [2023-08325]
Download as PDF
<![CDATA[
24462
Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 76 / Thursday, April 20, 2023 / Notices
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
Notice of Availability for the Written
Re-Evaluation of the Final
Programmatic Environmental
Assessment and Mitigated Finding of
No Significant Impact and Record of
Decision for the SpaceX Starship/
Super Heavy Launch Vehicle Program
at the SpaceX Boca Chica Launch Site
in Cameron County, Texas Regarding
Vehicle Ocean Landings and Launch
Pad Detonation Suppression System
Water
Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA), Department of
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice of availability.
AGENCY:
In accordance with the
National Environmental Policy Act of
1969, as amended, Council on
Environmental Quality NEPAimplementing regulations, and FAA
Order 1050.1F, Environmental Impacts:
Policies and Procedures, the FAA is
announcing the availability of the
Written Re-Evaluation for the Final
Programmatic Environmental
Assessment and Mitigated Finding of
No Significant Impact and Record of
Decision for the SpaceX Starship/Super
Heavy Launch Vehicle Program
regarding Vehicle Ocean Landings and
Launch Pad Detonation Suppression
System Water at the SpaceX Boca Chica
Launch Site in Cameron County, Texas.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Amy Hanson, FAA Environmental
Specialist, Federal Aviation
Administration, 800 Independence Ave.
SW, Suite 325, Washington, DC 20591;
phone 847–243–7609; email
Amy.Hanson@faa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
Written Re-Evaluation evaluated
whether supplemental environmental
analysis was needed to support the FAA
Office of Commercial Space
Transportation decision to issue a
vehicle operator license to SpaceX for
the operation of the Starship/Super
Heavy launch vehicle at its existing
Boca Chica Launch Site in Cameron
County, Texas. The affected
environment and environmental
impacts of Starship/Super Heavy
operations at the Boca Chica Launch
Site were analyzed in the 2022 Final
Programmatic Environmental
Assessment for the SpaceX Starship/
Super Heavy Launch Vehicle Program at
the SpaceX Boca Chica Launch Site in
Cameron County, Texas (2022 PEA).
The FAA issued a Mitigated Finding of
No Significant Impact and Record of
ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
20:01 Apr 19, 2023
Jkt 259001
Decision based on the 2022
Programmatic Environmental
Assessment on June 13, 2022.
The FAA prepared the 2022
Programmatic Environmental
Assessment to analyze the potential
environmental impacts of constructing
launch-related infrastructure and
operating the Starship/Super Heavy
launch vehicle at the Boca Chica
Launch Site. SpaceX’s proposed
operations include launches originating
from this site, as well as landings at this
site, in the Gulf of Mexico, or in the
Pacific Ocean off the coast of Hawaii.
SpaceX has applied to the FAA for a
license to conduct these operations with
its Starship/Super Heavy launch
vehicle. Prior to submitting a vehicle
operator license application to the FAA,
SpaceX provided the FAA with a launch
profile of proposed launch operations,
which was analyzed in the 2022
Programmatic Environmental
Assessment.
Since the 2022 Programmatic
Environmental Assessment, SpaceX
provided the FAA with additional
information regarding Starship’s
planned landing, Super Heavy’s
planned soft water landing, and the
Launch Pad Detonation Suppression
System. The FAA completed a Written
Re-Evaluation for the Final
Programmatic Environmental
Assessment and Mitigated Finding of
No Significant Impact and Record of
Decision for the SpaceX Starship/Super
Heavy Launch Vehicle Program
regarding Vehicle Ocean Landings and
the Launch Pad Detonation Suppression
System at the SpaceX Boca Chica
Launch Site in Cameron County, Texas.
The final Written Re-Evaluation is
available at: www.faa.gov/space/
stakeholder_engagement/spacex_
starship.
Based on the analysis within the
Written Re-Evaluation, the FAA
concluded that the issuance of a vehicle
operator license for Starship/Super
Heavy operations conforms to the prior
environmental documentation, that the
data contained in the 2022
Programmatic Environmental
Assessment remains substantially valid,
that there are no significant
environmental changes, and all
pertinent conditions and requirements
of the prior approval have been met or
will be met in the current action.
Therefore, the preparation of a
supplemental or new environmental
document is not necessary to support
the Proposed Action.
PO 00000
Frm 00081
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Issued in Washington, DC, on: April 14th,
2023.
Stacey Molinich Zee,
Manager, Operations Support Branch, Office
of Commercial Space Transportation.
[FR Doc. 2023–08325 Filed 4–19–23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–13–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
[Docket No. 2022–0176]
Agency Information Collection
Activities: Requests for Comments;
Clearance of Renewal Approval of
Information Collection 2120–0768, Part
107 Authorizations and Waivers Under
14 CFR Part 107
Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice and request for
comments.
AGENCY:
In accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, FAA
invites public comments about our
intention to request the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB)
approval to renew information
collection 2120–0768.
DATES: Written comments should be
submitted by May 22, 2023.
ADDRESSES: Written comments and
recommendations for the proposed
information collection should be sent
within 30 days of publication of this
notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/
PRAMain. Find this particular
information collection by selecting
‘‘Currently under 30-day Review—Open
for Public Comments’’ or by using the
search function.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Victoria Gallagher by email at:
Victoria.Gallagher@faa.gov; phone:
202–674–3826.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
Federal Register Notice with a 60-day
comment period soliciting comments on
the following collection of information
was published on January 6, 2023 (88
FR 91105). The FAA proposes renewal
of the collection of information related
to requests made under 14 CFR part 107
to operate small Unmanned Aircraft
Systems (UAS) in controlled airspace.
FAA will use the collected information
to make determinations whether to
authorize or deny the requested
operation of UAS in controlled airspace.
The proposed information collection is
necessary to issue such authorizations
or denials consistent with the FAA’s
mandate to ensure safe and efficient use
of national airspace. The FAA received
no comments to the 60-day notice.
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\20APN1.SGM
20APN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 76 (Thursday, April 20, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Page 24462]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-08325]
[[Page 24462]]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
Notice of Availability for the Written Re-Evaluation of the Final
Programmatic Environmental Assessment and Mitigated Finding of No
Significant Impact and Record of Decision for the SpaceX Starship/Super
Heavy Launch Vehicle Program at the SpaceX Boca Chica Launch Site in
Cameron County, Texas Regarding Vehicle Ocean Landings and Launch Pad
Detonation Suppression System Water
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice of availability.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of
1969, as amended, 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 Written Re-
Evaluation for the Final Programmatic Environmental Assessment and
Mitigated Finding of No Significant Impact and Record of Decision for
the SpaceX Starship/Super Heavy Launch Vehicle Program regarding
Vehicle Ocean Landings and Launch Pad Detonation Suppression System
Water at the SpaceX Boca Chica Launch Site in Cameron County, Texas.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Amy Hanson, FAA Environmental
Specialist, Federal Aviation Administration, 800 Independence Ave. SW,
Suite 325, Washington, DC 20591; phone 847-243-7609; email
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Written Re-Evaluation evaluated whether
supplemental environmental analysis was needed to support the FAA
Office of Commercial Space Transportation decision to issue a vehicle
operator license to SpaceX for the operation of the Starship/Super
Heavy launch vehicle at its existing Boca Chica Launch Site in Cameron
County, Texas. The affected environment and environmental impacts of
Starship/Super Heavy operations at the Boca Chica Launch Site were
analyzed in the 2022 Final Programmatic Environmental Assessment for
the SpaceX Starship/Super Heavy Launch Vehicle Program at the SpaceX
Boca Chica Launch Site in Cameron County, Texas (2022 PEA). The FAA
issued a Mitigated Finding of No Significant Impact and Record of
Decision based on the 2022 Programmatic Environmental Assessment on
June 13, 2022.
The FAA prepared the 2022 Programmatic Environmental Assessment to
analyze the potential environmental impacts of constructing launch-
related infrastructure and operating the Starship/Super Heavy launch
vehicle at the Boca Chica Launch Site. SpaceX's proposed operations
include launches originating from this site, as well as landings at
this site, in the Gulf of Mexico, or in the Pacific Ocean off the coast
of Hawaii. SpaceX has applied to the FAA for a license to conduct these
operations with its Starship/Super Heavy launch vehicle. Prior to
submitting a vehicle operator license application to the FAA, SpaceX
provided the FAA with a launch profile of proposed launch operations,
which was analyzed in the 2022 Programmatic Environmental Assessment.
Since the 2022 Programmatic Environmental Assessment, SpaceX
provided the FAA with additional information regarding Starship's
planned landing, Super Heavy's planned soft water landing, and the
Launch Pad Detonation Suppression System. The FAA completed a Written
Re-Evaluation for the Final Programmatic Environmental Assessment and
Mitigated Finding of No Significant Impact and Record of Decision for
the SpaceX Starship/Super Heavy Launch Vehicle Program regarding
Vehicle Ocean Landings and the Launch Pad Detonation Suppression System
at the SpaceX Boca Chica Launch Site in Cameron County, Texas. The
final Written Re-Evaluation is available at: www.faa.gov/space/stakeholder_engagement/spacex_starship.
Based on the analysis within the Written Re-Evaluation, the FAA
concluded that the issuance of a vehicle operator license for Starship/
Super Heavy operations conforms to the prior environmental
documentation, that the data contained in the 2022 Programmatic
Environmental Assessment remains substantially valid, that there are no
significant environmental changes, and all pertinent conditions and
requirements of the prior approval have been met or will be met in the
current action. Therefore, the preparation of a supplemental or new
environmental document is not necessary to support the Proposed Action.
Issued in Washington, DC, on: April 14th, 2023.
Stacey Molinich Zee,
Manager, Operations Support Branch, Office of Commercial Space
Transportation.
[FR Doc. 2023-08325 Filed 4-19-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P
