[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 69 (Monday, April 12, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17635-17636]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-8977]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Air Force


Notice of Intent To Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact 
Statement (SEIS) for the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) 
Program

    This notifies the public that the Department of the Air Force, 
through Space and Missile Systems Center's Evolved Expendable Launch 
Vehicle (EELV) System Program Office (SMC/MV), intends to supplement 
the EELV Final Environment Impact Statement (FEIS) and Record of 
Decision (ROD) dated June 8, 1998. The Air Force supplement will be 
prepared to further the purposes of the National Environmental Policy 
Act (NEPA) by inviting public involvement in the evaluation of a new, 
supplemental proposal to the action analyzed in the original NEPA 
document.
    The FEIS documented the impact of implementing the EELV program. At 
that time, two baseline vehicle configurations were evaluated: (1) A 
liquid-oxygen/liquid-hydrogen core booster (with the option of small, 
strap-on solid rocket motors), and (2) a liquid-oxygen/kerosene core 
booster. The Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) will 
evaluate the proposed use of some EELV vehicle variants using large, 
strap-on solid rocket motors to reduce launch costs, increase mission 
launch options, protect launch schedules, and improve mission 
responsiveness. These launches would take place at Cape Canaveral Air 
Station (CCAS) in Florida and Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB) in 
California.
    In 1994, a multi-agency Space Launch Modernization Plan was 
developed to evaluate national space launch systems and to improve 
United States launch capability. The current EELV program objectives 
evolved from the resulting study. The purpose of the development and 
deployment of the EELV is to meet the U.S. Government National Mission 
Model, both medium and heavy-lift, at a lower cost of launch to the 
nation than the present expendable launch systems (which consist 
primarily of Delta II, Atlas II, Titan II, and Titan IV). EELV is 
intended to launch national security, civil, and commercial payloads. 
No crew-rated or cargo-return missions are planned.
    On October 16, 1998, the EELV System Program Office awarded 
Development Agreements and Initial Launch Services contracts to two 
contractors, McDonnell Douglas Corporation (a wholly-owned subsidiary 
of the Boeing Company) and Lockheed Martin Astronautics. Furthermore, 
the Air Force is preparing to enter into real property agreements with 
both contractors to permit the use of Air Force facilities for 
deployment of EELV systems. These decisions were supported by the June 
8, 1998 ROD as premised upon in the EELV FEIS. Full descriptions of the 
previously analyzed EELV systems are available in the FEIS at the 
following Internet address: http://ax.laafb.af.mil/axf/EELV.htm.
    In accordance with the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations 
implementing NEPA, specifically 40 CFR 1502.9(c), ``an agency shall 
prepare supplements to either draft or final environmental impact 
statements when substantial changes in the proposed action are made 
relevant to environmental concerns.'' The proposed action to consider 
permitting the use of EELV vehicles using larger strap-on solid rocket 
motors may be considered a substantial change to the action

[[Page 17636]]

previously analyzed in the FEIS and would present different potential 
environmental impacts due to the use of different propellants. The size 
and number of solid rocket motors to be used on each launch vehicle 
will be proposed by the launch vehicle contractors, Lockheed Martin and 
the Boeing Company. The solid propellant to be used in the strap-on 
motors will most likely consist of ammonium perchlorate, aluminum, and 
organic binder. Details regarding propellant composition, propellant 
masses, and emissions impacts will be included in the SEIS. Because of 
the projected differences in the environmental impacts between the 
systems previously examined and the new alternative, the Department of 
the Air Force will prepare a supplement to the EELV FEIS.
    The SEIS will analyze the potential environmental impacts resulting 
from the use of solid rocket motors on EELV vehicles. Both government 
and commercial launches will be analyzed to assess cumulative effects. 
The total EELV launch rate including launches using solid rocket motors 
are not expected to exceed those addressed in the FEIS. The first 
launch of a solid rocket motor variant is anticipated in 2001 at CCAS 
and 2002 at VAFB. EELV launches using solid rocket motors are not 
expected to exceed 7 to 12 per year from VAFB and 14 to 21 launches per 
year from CCAS.
    The no-action alternative to the proposed action is to limit EELV 
launches from Air Force facilities to those launch vehicle variants 
previously analyzed in the FEIS. That is, the Government could choose 
not to permit the use of strap-on solid rocket motors. This would 
result in the use of only the systems considered in the June 1998 ROD.
    Environmental issues to be analyzed in the SEIS include, but are 
not limited to: air quality, hazardous materials processing, hazardous 
waste, stratospheric impacts, health and safety, launch debris, launch 
noise, sonic boom impacts, construction modifications due to program 
changes from FEIS, and effects of new launch variants on biological 
species, ground waters, and all other natural and cultural resources.
    The Air Force is soliciting public input and comments concerning 
the environmental aspects to be addressed in the SEIS. To ensure that 
the Air Force has sufficient time to fully consider public response, 
written comments need to be received no later than April 26, 1999. 
Comments should be mailed to: SMC/AXFV, Attn: Ted Krawczyk, 
Environmental Engineer, 2420 Vela Way, Suite 1467, El Segundo, CA 
90245-4659. Comments may also be sent via fax (310) 363-1503, and e-
mail: Theodore.K[email protected].
    The SEIS is expected to be available for public review in Summer 
1999. A notice of availability will be published in the Federal 
Register announcing issuance of the draft SEIS.
Carolyn A. Lunsford,
Air Force Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 99-8977 Filed 4-9-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5001-05-U