FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT (FONSI)
U.S. Air Force atmospheric interceptor technology
Program
Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the PresidentÌs
Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations implementing the Act
(40 Code of Federal Regulations 1500_1508), Department of Defense (DoD)
Regulation 5000.2 and Air Force Instruction (AFI) 32_7061, which implements
these regulations through the Environmental Impact Analysis Process (EIAP),
the U.S. Air Force (USAF) has conducted an environmental assessment of the
potential environmental consequences of the USAF atmospheric interceptor
technology (ait) program. The No Action alternative was also
considered. This Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) summarizes the
results of the evaluation.
The USAF made its draft Environmental Assessment (EA) and draft FONSI
available for public review and comment from October 3, 1997 through November
2, 1997. As the result of comments received from the public and interested
government agencies with respect to the Draft EA (see Appendix E of
the Final USAF ait EA), additional information has been included
in the Final EA to address the concerns expressed in those comments.
Proposed Action and Alternatives: The attached Final EA is for
the USAF ait program, which consists of two proposed sub-orbital
missile launches. The United States Congress directed the Ballistic Missile
Defense Organization (BMDO) to provide funds to support the USAF National
Missile Defense (NMD) initiative. The USAF NMD initiative is to exploit
existing missile and radar capabilities in support of the effort to develop
a national missile defense system. The USAF plans to develop a target launch
capability to realistically simulate inbound missile threat trajectories
from potential Pacific Basin adversaries. In the interest of enhancing timely,
economical national defense, this capability will be used to evaluate the
performance and utility of existing radar systems to support potential low-cost,
low-risk NMD architectures.
Two existing USAF radar systems have high potential for NMD application.
The upgraded Precision Acquisition Vehicle Energy-Phased Array Warning System
(PAVE PAWS) radar located at Beale Air Force Base (AFB), California
is a wide-looking potential target detection element of a future NMD system.
The HAVE STARE tracking radar located at Vandenberg AFB, California represents
a candidate design to perform the narrow-looking target tracking radar role
of a future NMD system. To fully understand the utility of these radar systems
in an NMD role, the USAF plans to integrate and test these systems using
realistic threat scenarios. California is the only location where these
radars are close enough to be tested together. The PAVE PAWS radar initially
detects an incoming target and hands over specific tracking of the target
to the HAVE STARE.
The proposed USAF ait program will consist of the preparation
for and the launch of two sub_orbital test vehicles from the Kodiak Launch
Complex (KLC) on Kodiak Island, Alaska. KLC will be the Alaska Aerospace
Development Corporation (AADC) commercial launch site. Sub-orbital launches
from this site can be detected and tracked by the PAVE PAWS and HAVE
STARE radars in California. The USAF ait test vehicles consist of
deactivated Minuteman II second and third solid rocket motor stages that
have been modified to be used as boosters for the test launches. As part
of the USAF ait program, the test vehicles would carry an instrumentation
package. The two USAF ait sub_orbital launches are proposed for the
period between July 1, 1998 to September 15,1998 and in March 1999.
In addition to the proposed action, the USAF considered various other
alternatives for launching the USAF ait test vehicles. These alternatives
included sea and air launch systems; potential commercial launch sites;
existing DoD launch sites; and sites in Alaska other than Kodiak Island.
Based on the alternative selection criteria established by the USAF to meet
the mission objectives of the USAF ait program, none of the alternatives
meet all of the mission objectives. Therefore, the alternatives were eliminated
from further detailed analysis.
Under the No Action alternative, the USAF ait program would not
be conducted. Impacts associated with the processing and launch of the two
sub-orbital USAF ait test vehicles would not occur. However, if the
proposed action is not conducted, the existing operational, ground-based
radar systems will not be tested regarding their capabilities to realistically
detect, track, and evaluate simulated, inbound missile threat trajectories
from potential Pacific Basin adversaries.
Anticipated Environmental Effects: The EA evaluated potential
environmental impacts of the USAF ait test program. The two USAF
ait test vehicles would be launched from KLC. The construction and
operation of AADCÌs KLC site was the subject of an EA conducted by
the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The FAA EA analyzed an 18 month
construction period for the five KLC facilities. It also evaluated at least
20 years of subsequent launch operations, involving up to nine orbital launches
per year. The FAA EA was completed in June 1996 and a FONSI was signed by
the FAA in October 1996. The FAA EA has been reviewed regarding potential
impacts to the geology and soils, water, land use, socioeconomics, environmental
justice, recreation, visual and cultural resources of Kodiak Island and
the KLC site. The USAF adopts the analysis and conclusions of the FAA EA
for these topical areas. The FAA is a cooperating agency for the USAF ait
EA.
To address potential impacts specific to the processing and launch of
the sub_orbital USAF ait test vehicle from KLC, the USAF ait
EA includes an analysis of air quality, biological resources, noise, health and
safety, and hazardous materials and waste. The USAF analysis focused on
those aspects of the USAF ait sub_orbital launch operations that
were not analyzed in the FAA EA. In addition, the USAF analyzed those circumstances
that have changed since the FAA EA was finalized in June 1996. These
include the reduction of the construction period from 18 months to 9 months,
the designation of the StellerÌs eider seabird as a Ïthreatened
species,Ó and the redesignation of the Steller sea lion from ÏthreatenedÓ
to Ïendangered.Ó The EA demonstrates that the USAF ait
test program would not result in significant impact relative to air quality,
biological resources, noise, health and safety, or hazardous materials and
waste.
Monitoring and Mitigation:
Impacts to the StellerÌs eider:
The StellerÌs eider, a seabird commonly found in this area during
the winter, was recently listed as a federal threatened species. In accordance
with the Endangered Species Act, the USAF has completed informal Section
7 consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) for the first
USAF ait launch. In a letter dated October 28, 1997, the USFWS concurred
with the USAF conclusion that the first proposed USAF ait launch
is not likely to adversely affect threatened or endangered species, and
stated that further consultation under Section 7 of the Endangered Species
Act is not required at this time. USFWSÌs concurrence is based upon
a proposed first launch date no earlier than July 01, 1998, and upon an
USFWS approved, fully funded, statistically valid USAF surrogate seabird
monitoring plan being in place prior to the first USAF ait launch.
The specific monitoring requirements are set forth in the October 28, 1997,
USFWS letter in Appendix D of the EA. Consultation pursuant to Section 7
of the Endangered Species Act will commence for the second launch (currently
proposed for March 1999) within 30 days of the first launch, and will be
based, in part, on the results of the monitoring efforts associated with
the first launch. If the first launch is delayed past September 15, 1998,
or if project plans change, additional information on listed or proposed
species become available or new species are listed that may be affected
by the project, the USAF will reinitiate consultation with the USFWS regarding
the first USAF ait launch. Without the completion of the required
additional consultation with, and approval by, the USFWS, the USAF will
not conduct the first launch between September 15, 1998 and April 01, 1999
to avoid the first launch occurring while the threatened StellerÌs
eiders are present. The second launch will be conducted in accordance with
the USFWS consultations regarding results of the monitoring that occurred
prior to, during and after the first launch, so as to avoid adversely affecting
threatened or endangered species.
Impacts to marine mammals, including Steller sea lions (a federally listed endangered species):
In a letter dated October 24, 1997, and in subsequent conversations,
the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) concurred with the USAFÌs
opinion that predicted launch and overflight noise from the USAF ait
launches will not have significant effects on marine mammals. However, because
this is based on predicted rather than measured noise levels, NMFS has requested
and the USAF has agreed to perform NMFS approved monitoring of Steller sea
lion haulout before, during and after the first USAF ait launch.
This monitoring will be similar to that described above with regard to the
StellerÌs eider. As with the StellerÌs eider, the second launch
will be conducted in accordance with consultation with NMFS regarding the
monitoring results from the first launch, so as to avoid adversely affecting
threatened or endangered marine mammals. In addition, the USAF will not
conduct either ait launch during the peak gray whale migrating periods
of April 01 through May 31 and November 01 through December 31without prior
consultation with, and approval by NMFS.
Finding: Following a review of the attached EA, I find that the
USAF ait program, including the mitigation measures described above,
will not result in significant environmental impacts. Therefore an Environmental
Impact Statement (EIS) is not required for the USAF ait program.
This document, and the supporting EA, fulfill the requirements of NEPA,
CEQ regulations, and AFI 32-7061.
Approved:
Helmut Hellwig, 19 Nov 97
HELMUT HELLWIG
Deputy Assistant Secretary
Science, Technology and Engineering
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