81 FR 94425 - National Environmental Policy Act: Kennedy Space Center-Center Master Plan

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION (NASA)

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 247 (December 23, 2016)

NASA has prepared and issued a Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (FPEIS) for implementation of the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Center Master Plan (CMP). The purpose of the CMP is to provide overall management guidance for KSC from 2016 to 2032. Implementation of the CMP will facilitate a two-decade transformation from a single, government-user launch complex to a multi-user spaceport. This multi-user spaceport will be developed in concert with NASA's programmatic missions and requirements to explore destinations outside of low Earth orbit. The need for the action is to update KSC's CMP in a manner that supports achievement of NASA's programmatic mission objectives, at the same time as maximizing the provision of excess capabilities and assets in support of non-NASA access to space.

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 247 (Friday, December 23, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 94425-94426]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-30907]


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

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION (NASA)

[Notice (16-091)]


National Environmental Policy Act: Kennedy Space Center--Center 
Master Plan

AGENCY: National Aeronautics and Space Administration

ACTION: Notice of Availability (NOA)

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

SUMMARY: NASA has prepared and issued a Final Programmatic 
Environmental Impact Statement (FPEIS) for implementation of the 
Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Center Master Plan (CMP). The purpose of the 
CMP is to provide overall management guidance for KSC from 2016 to 
2032. Implementation of the CMP will facilitate a two-decade 
transformation from a single, government-user launch complex to a 
multi-user spaceport. This multi-user spaceport will be developed in 
concert with NASA's programmatic missions and requirements to explore 
destinations outside of low Earth orbit. The need for the action is to 
update KSC's CMP in a manner that supports achievement of NASA's 
programmatic mission objectives, at the same time as maximizing the 
provision of excess capabilities and assets in support of non-NASA 
access to space.

DATES: NASA will issue a Record of Decision (ROD) for the FPEIS on the 
proposed KSC CMP either by December 19, 2016, or after 30 days from the 
date of publication of the NOA for the PFEIS in the Federal Register by 
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), whichever is later.

ADDRESSES: The FPEIS may be reviewed at the NASA Headquarters Library 
(Washington, DC), as well as public libraries in Florida including New 
Smyrna Beach, Cocoa Beach, Merritt Island, Port St. John, Cape 
Canaveral and Titusville. Limited hard copies of the PFEIS are 
available and may be requested by contacting Mr. Donald Dankert at the 
address, telephone number, or electronic mail address indicated below. 
The PFEIS is available electronically to download and read at http://environmental.ksc.nasa.gov/projects/peis.htm. NASA's ROD will also be 
placed on this Web site when it is issued. Anyone who desires a hard 
copy of NASA's ROD when it is issued should contact Mr. Dankert.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Donald Dankert, Environmental 
Management Branch, NASA Kennedy Space Center, Mail Code: TA-A4C, 
Kennedy Space Center, FL 32899, Email: [email protected], 
Telephone: (321) 861-1196.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to the National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as Amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), the 
Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) Regulations for Implementing the 
Procedural Provisions of NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), and NASA NEPA 
regulations (14 CFR part 1216 subpart 1216.3), NASA has prepared and 
issued a PFEIS for implementation of the CMP.
    Overall, KSC is transitioning to a re-focused mission that 
redefines its relationship with industry and leverages the potential of 
partnerships. Amid the challenges of an aging and unsustainable asset 
base, as well as a highly constrained federal budget, NASA must adopt 
and implement strategies that preserve the institutional infrastructure 
needed to support its purpose and programs.
    This FPEIS is a programmatic document. In keeping with guidance 
from CEQ, the FPEIS outlines and broadly describes actions associated 
with KSC's proposed programs in the

[[Page 94426]]

limited detail with which they are known at present. Three programmatic 
alternatives are described--No Action, Proposed Action, and Alternative 
1--and their potential environmental effects are assessed in fairly 
general terms. At such time as a given specific project of detailed 
dimensions and scale is proposed at a specific location, and is in the 
process of being reviewed and approved, the FPEIS can serve as a master 
NEPA document to which future NEPA compliance documents may be 
``tiered''. That is, having already been addressed at a programmatic 
level, the action or project can incorporate discussion from the 
broader FPEIS by reference and focus on the issues specific to the 
subsequent tiered proposal. Ideally, this will serve to expedite the 
environmental review process and facilitate project approval, funding, 
and implementation. The FPEIS provides an overview of the affected 
environment at and near the Kennedy Space Center and the potential 
environmental consequences associated with the Proposed Action and 
alternatives. There would be a number of direct and indirect adverse 
impacts but none that are considered to be significantly adverse. 
Beneficial impacts would also occur. Under each of the three 
alternatives evaluated, NASA would continue to work closely with its 
partners, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park 
Service, Federal Aviation Administration, Space Florida, Cape Canaveral 
Air Force Station, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and state agencies.
    Of the three alternatives considered in the FPEIS, NASA prefers 
Alternative 1. This alternative would allow for implementation of the 
CMP while at the same time protecting natural resources and the 
environment to a greater extent than the Proposed Action.
    As a result of comments received during internal and external 
(public) scoping, NASA developed three alternatives that are assessed 
in this FPEIS. Under the first of these, the Proposed Action, KSC would 
transition to a multi-user spaceport. A number of new land uses are 
proposed, including two seaports and horizontal and vertical launch and 
landing facilities. There would be changes in the acreage of existing 
designated land use categories at KSC. Alternative 1 was crafted as a 
direct response to concerns expressed in comments received during the 
PEIS public scoping period in June 2014, as well as other observations 
and data acquired from stakeholders and other agencies during the 
scoping process. Alternative 1 is similar to the Proposed Action in 
many regards, but is differentiated in several key respects, primarily, 
differences in the siting and size of vertical and horizontal launch 
and landing facilities. Also, the two new seaports would not be 
constructed.
    In the No Action Alternative, KSC management would continue its 
emphasis on dedicated NASA Programs and would not transition in the 
coming years towards a multi-user spaceport. Rather, each NASA Program 
would continue to be operated as an independent entity to a significant 
degree, to be funded separately, and to manage activities and buildings 
in support of its own program. There would continue to be a limited 
non-NASA presence at KSC. Under the three PEIS alternatives, there 
would be differences in the sizes of the areas of designated land uses 
at KSC. These varying acreages are a function of the different 
emphases, priorities, and projects of the three PEIS alternatives. Only 
in the recreation and water categories are the acreages identical in 
all three alternatives.
    The PFEIS assesses potential environmental impacts for all three 
alternatives under the topics of soils and geology, water resources, 
hazardous materials and waste, air quality, climate change, noise, 
biological resources, cultural resources, land use, transportation, 
utilities, socioeconomics, recreation, environmental justice, and 
protection of children.

Cheryl E. Parker,
Federal Register Liaison Officer, Mission Support Directorate.
[FR Doc. 2016-30907 Filed 12-22-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 7510-13-P