Spaceport Camden Environmental Impact Statement Delayed
WASHINGTON (FAA Update) — This message provides an update on the status of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Spaceport Camden Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
The FAA is continuing to develop the Final EIS. As part of that process, the FAA has consulted with Federal and state agencies. Agency and public comments are being incorporated into the Final EIS. In addition, the FAA has completed a number of consultations including Section 4f of the Department of Transportation Act, Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act (with National Marine Fisheries and US Fish and Wildlife), and Essential Fish Habitat. The FAA is continuing to work with the Georgia State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) to complete the Section 106 process.
As previously announced, the FAA had planned to release the Final EIS in April 2021 and Record of Decision (ROD) in June 2021. However, due to discussions and consultation efforts with consulting parties, the FAA is announcing an update to the schedule. The FAA now plans to release the Final EIS in late May 2021 and ROD in late June 2021.
A notice will be sent to individuals and organizations on the project distribution list when the Final EIS and ROD are available. Updates on the Final EIS and ROD will also be provided via the project website: https://www.faa.gov/space/environmental/nepa_docs/#SCEIS.
2 responses to “Spaceport Camden Environmental Impact Statement Delayed”
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The FAA reports “the FAA has completed a number of consultations including Section 4(f) of the Department of Transportation Act.” The interesting thing about the Section 4(f) review is that on April 22, 2021 the National Park Service reported its position hasn’t changed from their December 10, 2020 comments, “NPS does not concur with the FAA’s Section 4(f) conclusions at this time.”
Allowing rockets over visitor/camper active Cumberland Island National Seashore would set the precedent to similarly allow launches over the public at Wallops, Vandenberg, and Kennedy. Even crazier, the FAA will require a Coast Guard Safety/Hazard Zone incorporating 30 square miles of the visitor-active portions of the Seashore. Boats on three sides of the island including the inter-coastal waterway and downrange will be restricted. Yet, the FAA says that residents and visitors on shore between the waterways and ocean can continue normal activities under the trajectory just 5 miles downrange from the launchpad. And incredibly, the FAA is using a Vector-R spec for the example rocket to prove that the spaceport can safely handle orbital launches.
Between the FAA’s abuse of NEPA at Boca Chica, and their nonsensical continuance of the Spaceport Camden application, it is obvious that the OMB got it right when they determined the FAA could not properly manage its dual mandates to protect the public and promote commercial space. It’s time for a Congressional review.
The privileged characters who engineered themselves a private National Seashore via political influence will, of course, resort to the same in order to keep the hoi polloi from launching rockets over their annointed heads. We’ll see how that turns out. My suspicion is that they will be adjudged excessively white by the exquisitely “woke” current regime and left to their fates.