Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the Mars 2020

This page intentionally left blank. Abstract 1 DRAFT 2 SUPPLEMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT (SEIS) 3 FOR THE MARS 2020 MISSION 4 ABSTRACT 5 LEAD AGENCY: National Aeronautics and Space Administration 6 Washington, DC 20546 7 COOPERATING AGENCIES: U.S. Department of Energy 8 U.S. Air Force 9 POINT OF CONTACT: George Tahu 10 FOR INFORMATION: Planetary Science Division 11 Science Mission Directorate 12 NASA Headquarters 13 Washington, DC 20546 14 (202) 358-4800 15 DATE: October 2019 16 This Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) has been prepared by the National 17 Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in accordance with the National Environmental 18 Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended, to assist in the decision-making process for the Mars 19 2020 mission. This SEIS provides information related to updates to the potential environmental 20 impacts associated with the Mars 2020 mission as outlined in the Final Environmental Impact 21 Statement for the Mars 2020 Mission (the “2014 FEIS”) and associated NASA Record of 22 Decision (ROD) issued in January 2015. The ROD identified Alternative 1 as the chosen 23 alternative based on analysis presented in the 2014 FEIS. Alternative 1 involved deployment of 24 a rover using a radioisotope power system to conduct scientific work on the Mars surface. 25 The environmental analysis presented in the 2014 FEIS was based on the best available 26 information on mission-specific parameters and candidate expendable launch vehicles. 27 Since publication of the 2014 FEIS and issuance of the ROD in 2015, NASA has actively 28 advanced the mission. Investments have been made that constitute irrevocable commitment of 29 funds, resources, and decisions, including the Mars 2020 rover and payload design, power 30 system fueling, Mars landing site selection, selection of the launch vehicle, and selection of the 31 launch period. Additionally, NASA and DOE have completed a more detailed risk analysis that 32 incorporates new and updated information, which affected the risk estimate results as compared 33 to what was presented in the 2014 FEIS. Based on the new and updated information associated 34 with postulated launch vehicle accident scenarios, NASA determined that the purposes of NEPA 35 will be furthered by conducting this additional environmental analysis and documentation. 36 This SEIS therefore 1) identifies substantive changes in the affected environment since the 37 November 2014 FEIS, to include important regulatory and/or physical changes to resources 38 within the affected environment, and 2) analyzes potential radiological impacts to the updated 39 affected environment associated with launch vehicle–related accidents. - 1 - Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the Mars 2020 Mission This page intentionally left blank. - 2 - Table of Contents 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS 2 Section Page 3 1. PURPOSE AND NEED FOR THE ACTION .......................................................... 1-1 4 1.1 Background .................................................................................................. 1-1 5 1.2 Purpose of the Action ................................................................................... 1-8 6 1.3 Need for the Action ...................................................................................... 1-8 7 1.4 NEPA Planning and Scoping Activities ........................................................ 1-8 8 1.5 Results of Public Review of the EIS ............................................................. 1-8 9 1.6 Changes to the Draft SEIS ........................................................................... 1-9 10 2. DESCRIPTION AND COMPARISON OF ALTERNATIVES ................................. 2-1 11 2.1 Description of the Proposed Action .............................................................. 2-1 12 2.1.1 Mission Description .......................................................................... 2-1 13 2.1.2 Spacecraft Description ..................................................................... 2-1 14 2.1.3 Rover Electrical Power ..................................................................... 2-2 15 2.1.4 Operational Considerations .............................................................. 2-2 16 2.1.5 Spacecraft Processing ..................................................................... 2-2 17 2.1.6 Representative Launch Vehicle Configurations for the Mars 2020 18 Mission ............................................................................................. 2-2 19 2.1.7 Radiological Contingency Response Planning ................................. 2-4 20 2.2 Description of the No Action Alternative ....................................................... 2-4 21 2.3 Alternatives Considered But Not Evaluated Further ..................................... 2-4 22 2.4 Summary of Environmental Impacts from the Proposed Action – 2014 23 vs. 2019 ...................................................................................................... 2-4 24 2.4.1 Environmental Impacts of a Normal Launch .................................... 2-4 25 2.4.2 Environmental Impacts of Potential Launch Accident with No 26 Radiological Release ....................................................................... 2-5 27 2.4.3 Environmental Impacts of Potential Launch Accident with Radiological 28 Release ............................................................................................ 2-5 29 2.4.4 Summary Comparison of the Proposed Action and No Action 30 Alternative ...................................................................................... 2-15 31 3. AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES ........ 3-1 32 3.1 Introduction .................................................................................................. 3-1 33 3.2 Resources Considered But Not Carried Forward ......................................... 3-1 34 3.3 Incomplete or Unavailable Information ......................................................... 3-2 i Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the Mars 2020 Mission 1 3.4 Environmental Compliance at CCAFS ......................................................... 3-2 2 3.5 Health and Safety ......................................................................................... 3-2 3 3.5.1 Affected Environment ....................................................................... 3-3 4 3.5.2 Environmental Consequences ......................................................... 3-3 5 3.6 Land Use .................................................................................................... 3-20 6 3.6.1 Affected Environment ..................................................................... 3-20 7 3.6.2 Environmental Consequences ....................................................... 3-27 8 3.7 Air Resources ............................................................................................. 3-29 9 3.7.1 Affected Environment ..................................................................... 3-29 10 3.7.2 Environmental Consequences ....................................................... 3-33 11 3.8 Soils and Geology ...................................................................................... 3-34 12 3.8.1 Affected Environment ..................................................................... 3-34 13 3.8.2 Environmental Consequences ....................................................... 3-36 14 3.9 Water Resources ....................................................................................... 3-37 15 3.9.1 Affected Environment ..................................................................... 3-37 16 3.9.2 Environmental Consequences ....................................................... 3-39 17 3.10 Offshore Environment ................................................................................ 3-41 18 3.10.1 Affected Environment ..................................................................... 3-41 19 3.10.2 Environmental Consequences ....................................................... 3-41 20 3.11 Biological and Natural Resources .............................................................. 3-42 21 3.11.1 Affected Environment ..................................................................... 3-42 22 3.11.2 Environmental Consequences ....................................................... 3-49 23 3.12 Socioeconomics and Children’s Environmental Health and Safety ............ 3-53 24 3.12.1 Affected Environment ..................................................................... 3-53 25 3.12.2 Environmental Consequences ....................................................... 3-58 26 3.13 Environmental Justice ................................................................................ 3-60 27 3.13.1 Affected Environment ..................................................................... 3-60 28 3.13.2 Environmental Consequences ....................................................... 3-67 29 3.14 Cultural, Archaeological, and Historic Resources ...................................... 3-68 30 3.14.1 Affected Environment ..................................................................... 3-68 31 3.14.2 Environmental Consequences ....................................................... 3-69 32 3.15 Global Environment .................................................................................... 3-70 33 3.15.1 Affected Environment ....................................................................

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