EPA review for launch site???

[SpaceX76]

Yesterday I received news from are club that are monthly launches are suspended indefinitely until further notice. In the notification sent out we where told that during permit reactivation they where "questioning whether our permit has the proper compliance." Ok not big, some of the regulations have changed or whatever. Then it went on and said that it also needs to have a National Environmental Protection Act performed before they would reactivate are permit. I was kind of surprised about this because I have never heard of this happening before. Keep in mind that we launch on BLM land and also that they have been launching there for the past 10+ years with minimal to no issues with reactivation of the permit. Is this common when acquiring a new launch site or reactivating a BLM permit, or is this quite the unusual thing?

 

[dhbarr]

Presuming it's just an EA and not an EIS?

 

[Steve Shannon]

I haven't heard of it happening before. I'll be interested to see what you learn.

 

[heada]

EIS can take years to perform and cost millions.

I've never heard of any EPA concerns when talking about hobby launches.

 

[dhbarr]

It would appear to be a Special Recreation Permit for Organized Group Use? The minimum group size seems to be discretionary per-field-office

One of the following exceptions may or may not apply

3. A noncommercial, competitive event complies with land use plan decisions and
designations, does not award cash prizes, has no paid public advertising, poses no risk
for damage to public land or related water resource values, and requires no
management or monitoring. Examples include a fun run held on county roads and
crossing BLM-managed lands, where the participants do not leave the road ROW, or an
orienteering event in which one scout troop challenges another.
4. An organized group activity or event is not commercial, has no paid public advertising,
poses no appreciable risk for damage to public land or related water resource values,
and requires no specific management or monitoring. Examples include a family reunion
held in a non-fee BLM recreation site, a free bird watching outing on BLM- managed
lands sponsored by the local Audubon Society, or an environmental
education field trip conducted by a public elementary or secondary school. The BLM
may choose to issue a letter of agreement to document the determination that the
proposed activity does not require a permit. A letter of agreement is not an
authorization and is not binding for legal purposes in the same way as an SRP.

 

[sl98]

Federal agencies are required to consider possible environmental effects of actions they take and granting a permit is a federal action. This guide will give you some background info on NEPA and the NEPA process.

https://www.blm.gov/sites/blm.gov/files/A_Citizens_Guide_to_NEPA.pdf

 

[dhbarr]

https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/search?searchText=rocketry

 

[dhbarr]

Looks like SARA, Rocketry Organization of California, and Bay Area Rocketry have sought and obtained Categorical Exclusions

 

[MidOH]

Use cabbage for wadding, and you're as "zero trace" as can be.

If you want to use .gov land, you have to cut through .gov red tape. It's there to weed out the clubs that don't take things seriously. Being part of a city park was easy enough for us, but getting approval for improvements, even at our own cost, was tough.

 

[cwbullet]

They will give us a hard time, but that official will fly across the country in a private jet to confront you. I can't stand hypocrisy.