[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 33 (Wednesday, February 19, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Page 7440]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-4061]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Air Force
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement;
Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle Program
The Department of the Air Force, through Space and Missile Systems
Center (SMC/MV), is considering development and deployment of an
Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) to meet the U.S. Government's
requirements for unmanned space launches. The EELV Program Office at
Los Angeles Air Force Base (AFB), California, is managing program
activities and intends to study the environmental issues associated
with the EELV program. To this end, the Air Force Center for
Environmental Excellence (AFCEE) will prepare an environmental impact
statement (EIS) for use in the decision-making process.
The EELV would be an unmanned, expendable space launch vehicle
evolved from existing systems capable of launching Department of
Defense (DOD), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA),
other government, and civil satellites, including payloads up to 45,000
pounds. It is intended to meet the requirements of the National Mission
Model, both medium and heavy lift, at a lower cost than the present
expendable systems. EELV would be DOD's sole source of expendable
medium and heavy spacelift transportation to orbit through 2020. EELV
would replace current Titan II, Titan IV, Atlas II, and Delta II launch
vehicles.
EELV launch activities would occur at Cape Canaveral Air Station
(AS), Florida, and Vandenberg AFB, California, from existing space
launch complexes that would be modified to meet program requirements.
The EELV program decision to be made is whether EELV should proceed
into the Engineering and Manufacturing Development Phase on through
Production and Launch Operations. The EIS will examine continuing use
of existing launch systems and facilities as alternatives to the
continued development of EELV and its associated facilities.
Scoping will be conducted to identify environmental concerns and
issues that need to be addressed in the EIS. Two public scoping
meetings will be held as part of the process (one each in Cape
Canaveral, Florida and Lompoc, California) to determine the
environmental issues and concerns that should be addressed. The
schedule for the scoping meetings is as follows:
1. Radisson Resort at the Port, 8701 Astronaut Blvd, Cape
Canaveral, Florida, March 11, 1997, 7:00--10:00 p.m.
2. Lompoc City Council Chambers, 100 Civic Center Plaza, Lompoc,
California, March 13, 1997, 7:00--10:00 p.m.
Public input and comments are solicited concerning the
environmental aspects of the proposed program. To assure the Air Force
will have sufficient time to fully consider public inputs on issues,
written comments should be mailed to ensure receipt no later than April
11, 1997.
Comments concerning the proposed project or the EIS should be
addressed to: Jonathan D. Farthing, Chief, Environmental Analysis
Division, HQ AFCEE/ECA, 3207 North Road, Brooks Air Force Base, Texas
78235-5363, (210) 536-3668.
Carolyn A. Lunsford,
Air Force Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 97-4061 Filed 2-18-97; 8:45 am]
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