Instrumentation Tower on Wallops Island Final Environmental Assessment (FEA) (Entire Documents)
- Instrumentation Tower on Wallops Island FEA (full version, 38.2 MB)
- Instrumentation Tower on Wallops Island FEA NO APPENDICES (document only, 7.4 MB)
- Instrumentation Tower on Wallops Island FEA APPENDICES A-D (appendices only, 31.1 MB)
Instrumentation Tower on Wallops Island FEA Appendices (Download by Appendix)
- Appendix A – IICEP Correspondence (21.4 MB)
- Appendix B – Record of Air Analysis (1.5 MB)
- Appendix C – Avifauna and Protected Avian Species Information (1.7 MB)
- Appendix D – Technical Studies and Background Information (6.5 MB)
Final Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI)
Notice of Availability
Proposed Construction and Operation of Instrumentation Tower
Availability of Final Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact
The U.S. Air Force Materiel Command is pleased to announce the availability of a Final Environmental Assessment (FEA) and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the proposed construction and operation of an instrumentation tower at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility. The Final EA evaluates the environmental effects of building, operating, and maintaining a 750-foot tall, guyed instrumentation tower on Wallops Island for a period of approximately 20 years. The U.S. Air Force was the lead agency for preparing the Final EA. As the federal landowner, NASA was a cooperating agency on this action. Because other Department of Defense (DoD) agencies would also be conducting testing from the tower, the United States Navy also participated in development of the EA.
Public and agency comments on the Draft EA and Draft FONSI were accepted from July 7 to August 14, 2017. Comments received on the Draft EA and Draft FONSI were considered by the U.S. Air Force and participating agencies and are addressed in the FEA and Final FONSI. Based on the analyses presented in the FEA, the U.S. Air Force has determined that the proposed construction and operation of the instrumentation tower would not result in significant impacts on the quality of the human or natural environment. NASA, having reviewed the contents of the EA, has adopted the EA as its own and finds that the proposed decision to grant a land use agreement to the USAF for implementation of the Proposed Action Alternative will not have a significant impact on the natural or human environment. Therefore, both the USAF and NASA find that a FONSI is warranted and an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is not required for this action, and will not be prepared.
The Instrumentation Tower on Wallops Island FEA is available for review at the following locations:
Chincoteague Island Library, Chincoteague Island, VA
Eastern Shore Public Library, Accomac, VA
Wallops Flight Facility Visitor Center, VA Rt. 175 near Chincoteague Island, VA
A limited number of printed copies of the Final EA are available by contacting:
Shari Fort
Air Force Materiel Center, Tower Project
c/o URS Corp
12420 Milestone Center Drive, Suite 150 (4th floor)
Germantown, MD 20876
E-mail: tower.comments@aecom.com
Background
The United States Air Force, NASA, and Navy presented the proposed instrumentation tower project in conjunction with the Wallops Quarterly Public Open House on Wednesday, July 19, 2017, from 5:00pm to 7:00pm at the Wallops Visitor Center located at Building J-020, Route 175, Chincoteague Rd, Wallops Island, VA 23337.
The following information was presented at the Public Open House:
- Fact Sheet
- Purpose and Need, Proposed Action and Alternatives Poster
- Cooperating Agencies, Schedule, and Resources Analyzed Poster
- Summary of Impacts by Alternative Poster
Information regarding the Draft EA may be accessed here.
