Pursuant to provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), 42 U.S. Code 4321 et seq., implementing Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) Regulations, 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 1500-1508, and 32 CFR Part 989, Environmental Impact Analysis Process (EIAP), the U.S. Air Force (Air Force) conducted an assessment of the potential environmental consequences of accomplishing refurbishment of Space Launch Complex (SLC)-4W and launching the Falcon I vehicle from said facility on Vandenberg Air Force Base (AFB). Vandenberg AFB is headquarters to the 30th Space Wing, the Air Force Space Command unit that operates Vandenberg AFB and the Western Range. Vandenberg AFB operates as a missile test base and aerospace center, supporting west coast space launch activities for the Air Force, Department of Defense, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and commercial contractors. Vandenberg AFB is located on the south-central coast of California, approximately halfway between San Diego and San Francisco. The 99,099-acre base extends along approximately 35 miles of the Santa Barbara County coastline. In 2003, Space Exploration Technologies, Inc. (SpaceX) prepared a Final Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Falcon Launch Vehicle Program (Falcon Program), here forward referred to as the Falcon EA (SpaceX 2003), which assessed the potential environmental impacts resulting from the establishment and operation of the Falcon Program at SLC-3W, Vandenberg AFB. This EA, incorporated by reference in this finding, is intended to supplement and update the previous NEPA evaluation of implementing the Falcon Program as analyzed in the Falcon EA. This EA considers the potential impacts of the Proposed Action on the natural and human environments, both as a solitary action and in conjunction with other similar projects.
Final Supplemental Environmental Assessment: Falcon I Launch Vehicle Program from SLC-4W Vandenberg Air Force Base, California
2005
92 pages
Report
Keine Angabe
Englisch
Logistics, Military Facilities, & Supplies , Unmanned Spacecraft , Environmental Health & Safety , Air force facilities , Environmental assessment , Launch vehicles , Air quality , Cameras , Cultural resources , Generators , Hazardous materials , Hazardous wastes , Mounts , Natural resources , Pipes , Waste management , Water resources , Aboveground piping , Biological resources , Deluge water systems , Equipment racks , Falcon i launch vehicle program , Fonsi(finding of no significant impact) , Launch mounts , Launch pad power configuration , Launch pad support systems