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Environmental Impact of NASA

NASA POLICIES – BOOKS – E-BOOKS – ARTICLES AND REPORTS – INTERNET RESOURCES

The best introduction to this complicated and occasionally controversial field may be this statement made by former NASA administrator Dan Goldin in 1994:

Environmental Excellence for the Twenty-First Century

Environmental Excellence is not a program nor can it be achieved through a policy statement. Environmental excellence is a way of life and must be ingrained as part of our culture. This strategic plan is an important first step to building global stewardship into everything NASA does. Whether it is designing and fabricating robotic spacecraft, launching shuttle, or conducting basic research, we must seek solutions which are environmentally benign. NASA must be a leader in reducing the use of ozone-depleting substances and continue to identify program and process revisions to reduce any adverse environmental impacts. Our Agency wide impact on the global environment must be able to withstand the scrutiny of the international community. No one person can do this alone, but working together, the entire NASA community –civil service and contractor alike– can make the vision a reality.

This bibliography covers the environmental impacts of NASA’s major programs and the steps NASA is taking to lessen them. The NASA HQ library also has many environmental impact statements. All items are available at the Headquarters Library, except as noted. NASA Headquarters employees and contractors: call (358-0172) or email Library@hq.nasa.gov for information on borrowing or in-library use of any of these items. Members of the public, contact your Local Library for the availability of these items. NASA Headquarters employees can request additional materials or research on this topic. The Library welcomes your comments or suggestions about this webpage.

NASA POLICIES

The following policies and procedural requirements can be accessed by anyone through the NASA Online Directives Information System:

  • NASA Policy Directive 8500.1B: NASA Environmental Management
  • NASA Procedural Requirements 8553.1B: NASA Environmental Management System
  • NASA Procedural Requirements 8570.1: Energy Efficiency and Water Conservation
  • NASA Procedural Requirements 8580.1: Implementing The National Environmental Policy Act And Executive Order 12114
  • NASA Procedural Requirements 8590.1: NASA Environmental Compliance and Restoration (ECR) Program
  • Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations: Protection of Environment
    The full text of this title is available from the Government Printing Office.

BOOKS

Lambright, W. Henry. NASA and the Environment: The Case of Ozone Depletion. Washington, DC: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA History Division, Office of External Affairs, 2005.
QC879.73 .C5 L36 2005 BOOKSTACKS 
Also available online at the NASA History Office.

Stephenson, John B. Perchlorate: EPA Does Not Systematically Track Incidents of Contamination: Testimony Before the Subcommittee on Environment and Hazardous Materials, House Committee on Energy and Commerce. Washington, DC: The Office, 2007.
TD1066 .P47 G68 2007 BOOKSTACKS
Also available online at the Government Accountability Office

United States. Congress. House. Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Subcommittee on Aviation. Aviation and the Environment: NexGen and Research and Development are Keys to Reducing Emissions and Their Impact on Health and Climate. Washington, DC: U.S. Govt. Accountability Office, 2008.
HE9797.4 .N6 D55 2008X BOOKSTACKS
Also available online at the Government Accountability Office

United States. Government Accountability Office. Aviation and the Environment: FAA’s and NASA’s Research and Development Plans for Noise Reduction are Aligned but the Prospects of Achieving Noise Reduction Goals are Uncertain. Washington, DC: The Office, 2008.
TD195 .A27 A953 2008 BOOKSTACKS
Also available online at the Government Accountability Office

__________. Chemical Assessments: Low Productivity and New Interagency Review Process Limit the Usefulness and Credibility of EPA’s Integrated Risk Information System: Report to the Chairman, Committee on Environment and Public Works, U.S. Senate. Washington, DC: The Office, 2008.
TD196 .C45 C446 2008 BOOKSTACKS
Also available online at the Government Accountability Office

__________. Environmental Cleanup: Transfer of Contaminated Federal Property and Recovery of Cleanup Costs. Washington, DC: The Office, 2005.
TD1066 .P47 G68 2005 BOOKSTACKS
Also available online at the Government Accountability Office

__________. Perchlorate: Occurrence is Widespread but at Varying Levels; Federal Agencies Have Taken Some Actions to Respond and Lessen Releases: Report to the Ranking Member, Committee on Environment and Public Works, U.S. Senate. Washington, DC: The Office, 2010.
TD427 .P33 G36 2010 BOOKSTACKS
Also available online at the Government Accountability Office

ARTICLES AND REPORTS

Anderson, B. Jeffrey, and Rebecca C. McCaleb. Toxic Gas Exposure Risks Associated With Potential Shuttle Catastrophic Failures. NASA/TP-2004-213284, Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL 2004.
(20040084663: (May 2005) NTRS)

Hinkle, C. Ross, and WM Knott III. A Summary of Environmental Effects of Space Shuttle Launches at John F. Kennedy Space Center, Florida After the First 24 Launches. NASA/CR-204372, in: 152nd Annual Meeting of the AAAS, Philadelphia, PA, May 25-30, 1985.
(19970032003: (May 1985) NTRS)

Kawa. S. Randolph, James. G. Anderson, et al. Assessment of the Effects of High-Speed Aircraft in the Stratosphere: 1998. NASA/TP-1999-209237, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, June 1999.
(19990054141: (June 1999) NTRS)

Lipsett-Ruiz, Teresa. “Learning New Techniques for Remediation of Contaminated Sites”, in: 2003 Research Reports: NASA/ASEE Fellowship Program, NASA/CR-2003-211527, Kennedy Space Center, FL, Dec. 15, 2003.
(20040121100: (June 2010) NTRS)

Malkin, MS. Environmental Impact Statement for the Space Shuttle Program. NASA/TM-82278, NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC, 1 April 1978.
(19810008106: (April 1978) NTRS)

Oddy, Donna M., et al. Environment Conditions and Threatened and Endangered Species Populations near the Titan, Atlas, and Delta Launch Complexes, Cape Canaveral Air Station. NASA/TM-2000-208553, Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral, FL, June 1999.
(20000019583: (May 2009) NTRS)

Owen, Samantha. An Overview of My Internship with the Ecological Program at John F. Kennedy Space Center. Kennedy Space Center, FL, 2010.
(20100036307: (Dec. 2010) NTRS)

Rowland, Martin A. “RFI to CMS: An Approach to Regulatory Acceptance of Site Remediation Technologies”, in: 2001 International Containment and Remediation Technology Conference, Orlando, FL, June 10-13, 2001.
(20010069268: (June 2008) NTRS)

Schmalzer, Paul A., et al. Monitoring Direct Effects of Delta, Atlas, and Titan Launches from Cape Canaveral Air Station. NASA/TM-1998-207912, Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral, FL, June 1998.
(19980235583: (June 1998) NTRS)

__________. Soil, Groundwater, Surface Water, and Sediments of Kennedy Space Center, Florida: Background Chemical and Physical Characteristics. NASA/TM-2000-208583, Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral, FL, June 2000.
(20000116077: (Aug. 2005) NTRS)

INTERNET RESOURCES

Carns, Jeffery. Environmental Management Division. Oct. 8, 2010 [Feb. 7, 2011].
https://www.nasa.gov/offices/emd/home/index.html

Lamb, Michelle. Technology Evaluation for Environmental Risk Mitigation (TEERM) Principal Center. Oct. 15, 2010. [Feb. 8, 2011].
https://www.nasa.gov/offices/emd/home/teerm.html

Walters, David. SSC’s Environmental Assurance Program. June 22, 2009 [Feb. 8, 2011].
http://www.ssc.nasa.gov/environmental/envman/envmiss/envmiss.html

Wilson, Jim. NASA and the National Environmental Policy Act. Oct. 8, 2010 [Feb. 7, 2011].
https://www.nasa.gov/green/nepa/index.html