Contact
Dave Drachlis
Media Relations Department
(256) 544-0034
dave.drachlis@msfc.nasa.gov

Release: 01-379

NASA to hold public meeting Jan. 15
Marshall Center to issue environmental study for scheduled propulsion lab on Arsenal

Officials at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., will issue, on Sunday, Dec. 23, a study assessing the environmental impact of a proposed NASA research facility to be constructed in 2002.

The world-class Propulsion Research Laboratory complex -- a multi-million-dollar, state-of-the-art facility for advanced scientific study of propulsion concepts and technologies -- is scheduled to begin construction next April, pending the findings of the Environmental Assessment team.

The publication of the Environmental Assessment marks the start of a 30-day public comment period, which ends Jan. 22, 2002. The Marshall Center will host an open forum Jan. 15 to address the public's questions about the new facility.

"We encourage Huntsville and Madison County residents to review the document and attend the forum if they have questions," said Mike Reynolds, a Marshall Center environmental engineer. "We're confident the environmental assessment demonstrates that the new propulsion laboratory will be a safe, secure and environmentally friendly facility. It's designed as a home for cutting-edge research that benefits NASA's mission and continues to ensure America's leadership in space."

The public meeting will be held Jan. 15 at 6:30 p.m. in the main branch of the Huntsville Public Library on Monroe Street in downtown Huntsville. Citizens are welcome to attend.

The Environmental Assessment draft document will be available for review at all branches of the Huntsville Public Library. The public may obtain a copy by calling, writing or sending an e-mail to:

Shar Hendrick, Manager
Government & Community Affairs Department
Marshall Space Flight Center
Huntsville, AL 35812
(256) 544-2030
shar.hendrick@msfc.nasa.gov

Once the comment period has ended, a final version of the Environmental Assessment will be made available to the public in February.Like all government organizations, NASA conducts environmental assessment studies for any construction or building project or activity that may impact the environment or human communities in its vicinity.

More about the Propulsion Research Laboratory

The Propulsion Research Laboratory, to include 66,000 square feet of usable space, will be housed on a 21-acre site on Redstone Arsenal. The site is bordered by Marshall Road North, Neal Road, Morris Road, and a shared boundary with Redstone Arsenal property.

The facility, expected to be completed in April 2004, is vital for developing the advanced propulsion technologies needed to open up the space frontier, and will set the stage for research that could revolutionize space transportation for a broad range of applications. Research and sub-scale experiments supporting cheaper, more efficient and safer access to space will be conducted in a number of areas, including solar energy, advanced chemical propulsion technologies, and processes based on fission, fusion and antimatter.