For Release: Nov. 14, 1996

June Malone
Office of Media Services
(205) 544-0034
june.malone@msfc.nasa.gov

RELEASE: 96-179

ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT AVAILABLE ON IMPACT OF PROPOSED NASA ENGINE TESTS FOR DEVELOPMENT OF FUTURE LAUNCH VEHICLES

NASA Thursday published in the Federal Register a Notice of Availability of the draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Engine Technology Support of NASAÌs Advanced Space Transportation Program. As part of the process, NASA plans to hold public meetings to explain the results and gather further comments on environmental issues of the proposed Engine Technology Support.

As it plans the development of future launch vehicles, NASA is considering a variety of liquid-fueled engines to meet propulsion requirements. The engine technology effort is likely to include testing of new and advanced engines and components for these vehicles. Therefore, the agency is proposing limited modification and improvements to government-owned facilities to support these test activities.

Sites being considered for new vehicle engine testing include NASAÌs Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala.; Stennis Space Center in Hancock County, Miss.; and Edwards Air Force Base near Lancaster, Calif. The tests would be similar to or smaller than those conducted for the Apollo space program in the 1960s.

Beginning in November 1994, NASA sought comment on the environmental impact of the proposed engine test support at public scoping meetings, as well as from federal, state and local agencies and organizations and the general public. Notice of the meetings appeared in the Federal Register, in newspaper advertisements and through direct mailings to interested parties.

The comments received from the affected agencies and the public have been addressed in NASAÌs draft Environmental Impact Statement.

Now, in the next step of the process, NASA is gathering public comments on the draft impact statement, which addresses the test sites and facilities being considered, fuel and engine alternatives and other related environmental concerns.

A public meeting will be held near the Marshall Center at the Huntsville-Madison County Public Library auditorium, 915 Monroe St., Huntsville, Ala., on Dec. 2, 1996, at 7 p.m. A similar public meeting will be held near the Stennis Center at Hancock County High School, 7984 Stennis Airport Drive, Bay St. Louis, Miss., on Dec. 11, 1996, at 7 p.m.

Comments on the engine technology support for the Advanced Space Transportation Program must be submitted in writing to NASA on or before Jan. 10, 1997.

Written comments should be mailed to:

Dr. Rebecca McCaleb, Director
Environmental Engineering and Management Office, Code AE01
Marshall Space Flight Center, AL 35812

The draft Environmental Impact Statement may be viewed at the following locations:

NASA Headquarters, Library Room 1J20, 300 E St. SW, Washington, D.C. 20546

NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Library, Building 4200, Huntsville, Ala. 35812

NASA Space Center, Library, Building 1100, Stennis Space Center, Miss. 39529

Huntsville-Madison County Public Library, 915 Monroe St., Huntsville, Ala. 35801

Huntsville-Madison County Public Library, Madison Branch, 181 Hughes Road, Suite 6, Madison, Ala. 35758

Triana Town Hall, 101 Main St., Triana, Ala. 35758

NASA Stennis Space Center, Maury Oceanographic Library, Building 1003, Stennis Space Center, Miss. 39529-6000

Hancock County Library, 312 Highway 90, Bay St. Louis, Miss. 39520

Margaret Reed Crosby Memorial Library, 900 Goodyear Blvd., Picayune, Miss. 39466

St. Tammany Parish Library, 555 Robert Ave., Slidell, La. 70458

Palmdale City Library, 700 East Palmdale Blvd., Palmdale, Calif. 93550

Lancaster County Library, Lancaster Branch, 1150 West Avenue J, Lancaster, Calif. 93534

In addition, the draft Environmental Impact Statement may be reviewed at the following locations by contacting the respective Freedom of Information Act Office:

NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Ala. 35812 (Telephone 205/544-5252).

NASA Stennis Space Center, Miss. 39529 (Telephone 601/688-2164).

NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif. 94035 (Telephone 415/604-4190).

NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif. 93523 (Telephone 805/258-3448).

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. 20771 (Telephone 301/286-0730).

Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Visitors Lobby, Building 249, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, Calif. 91109 (Telephone 818/354-5179).

NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, Tex. 77058 (Telephone 281/483-8612).

NASA Kennedy Space Center, Fla. 32899 (Telephone 407/867-2468).

NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va. 23665 (Telephone 804/864-6125).

NASA Lewis Research Center, 21000 Brookpark Road, Cleveland, Ohio 44135 (Telephone 216/433-2313).

Limited copies of the draft Environmental Impact Statement are available, on a first-request basis, from Dr. Rebecca McCaleb at her address.

Further information may be obtained by contacting June Malone, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Code CA01, Marshall Space Flight Center, Ala. 35812; telephone 205/544-0031; or Myron Webb, NASA Stennis Space Center, Code PA00, Stennis Space Center, Miss. 39529-6000.