NASA is seeking comments on the Draft Marsh Fiber Project Environmental Assessment (EA) for installation of a new fiber optic cable between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) Wallops Island National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) and the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Airstrip on NASA’s Wallops Island in Accomack County, Virginia.
The Draft EA is being prepared to satisfy NASA’s obligations under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) and will also serve as a means for ensuring compliance with a variety of other Federal statutes, including the Endangered Species Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act, Clean Water Act, National Historic Preservation Act, Coastal Zone Management Act, and the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.
Because a portion of the proposed marsh fiber path would be installed in the Wallops Island NWR, the USFWS is a cooperating agency on this EA, and, as such, has assisted NASA in preparing the EA and has participated in all regulatory consultations during the NEPA process.
The Draft EA evaluates the environmental consequences of a range of reasonable alternatives that meet NASA’s needs. Currently, a single fiber optic cable system along Atlantic Road provides communications and command data from the Wallops Main Base to Wallops Island. Damage or failure of the single cable system would put NASA, its tenants, and the public at risk for disruptions to launch command and information technology services.
The project is needed to provide a redundant, geographically diverse, and reliable means of high speed fiber optic communications for NASA, Department of Defense, and commercial systems on Wallops Island. The existing cable system would remain in operation to complete the communications loop between the Main Base, Mainland, and Wallops Island. NASA proposes to use a combination of horizontal directional drilling and vibratory trenching methods to install the fiber optic cable under waterways and across the saltmarsh. The Draft EA evaluates the environmental consequences of the Proposed Action and No Action Alternative.
An electronic version of the Draft EA, video presentation of the project, and additional project information are available on the project website at:
This EA is tiered from the May 2019 NASA WFF Site-wide Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS). In the Site-wide PEIS, NASA evaluated the potential environmental effects from various alternatives, including upgrades or replacement of utility infrastructure. The Site-wide PEIS available at https://code200-external.gsfc.nasa.gov/250-wff/site-wide_eis.
Written comments on the Draft EA should be received by May 18, 2020. Comments should be as specific as possible and should address distinct aspects of the Draft EA document including alternatives or the adequacy of the environmental analysis. All comments received will be considered in preparing the Final EA. All comments and questions should be submitted via one of the following options:
Mail: Ms. Shari Miller
NASA Wallops Flight Facility
Mailstop: 250.W
Wallops Island, VA 23337
Phone: (757) 824-2327
Email: shari.a.miller@nasa.gov
Online comment form: https://code200-external.gsfc.nasa.gov/250-WFF/Marsh_Fiber_EA
Due to the current situation with COVID19, Governor Northam’s resulting Temporary Stay at Home Order (Executive Order 55), and in the interest of public safety, there will not be a public meeting for this Draft EA. However, a presentation of the project is available at the project website.
Keith Koehler
NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility