Office of Commercial Space Transportation; Availability of Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) and Record of Decision (ROD) for Actions Related to Environmental Assessment for the Expansion of the Wallops Flight Facility Launch Range

Résumé

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), 42 U.S.C. 4321-4347 (as amended), Council on Environmental Quality NEPA implementing regulations (40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) parts 1500 to 1508), and FAA Order 1050.1E, Change 1, the FAA is announcing the availability of a FONSI/ROD, based on the analysis and findings of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) August 2009 Environmental Assessment for the Expansion of the Wallops Flight Facility Launch Range (the EA). The FAA (Office of Commercial Space Transportation) participated as a cooperating agency with NASA in the preparation of the EA, which evaluates the potential environmental impacts of the proposed expansion of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Wallops Flight Facility (WFF). As the MARS expansion would require Federal actions (as defined in 40 CFR Section 1508.18) involving both NASA and the FAA, the EA was prepared to satisfy the NEPA obligations of both agencies. NASA, as the WFF property owner and lead agency, is responsible for ensuring overall compliance with applicable environmental statutes, including NEPA. The FAA s