View all text of Subpart G [§ 217.60 - § 217.69]

§ 217.64 - Mitigation requirements.

(a) When conducting the activities identified in § 217.60(a) and (b), the mitigation measures contained in any LOA issued under § 216.106 of this chapter and § 217.66 or § 217.67 must be implemented. These mitigation measures include (but are not limited to):

(1) USSF must provide pupping information to launch proponents at the earliest possible stage in the launch planning process and direct launch proponents to, if practicable, avoid scheduling launches during pupping seasons on VSFB from 1 March to 30 April and on the Northern Channel Islands from 1 June-31 July. If practicable, rocket launches predicted to produce a sonic boom on the Northern Channel Islands >3 pounds per square foot (psf) from 1 June-31 July will be scheduled to coincide with tides in excess of +1.0 ft (0.3 m), with an objective to do so at least 50 percent of the time.

(2) For manned flight operations, aircraft must use approved routes for testing and evaluation. Manned aircraft must also remain outside of a 1,000-ft (305 m) buffer around pinniped rookeries and haul-out sites (except in emergencies such as law enforcement response or Search and Rescue operations, and with a reduced, 500-ft (152 m) buffer at Small Haul-out 1).

(3) Unscrewed aerial systems (UAS) classes 0-2 must maintain a minimum altitude of 300 ft (91 m) over all known marine mammal haulouts when marine mammals are present, except at take-off and landing. Class 3 must maintain a minimum altitude of 500 ft (152 m), except at take-off and landing. UAS classes 4 and 5 only operate from the VSFB airfield and must maintain a minimum altitude of 1,000 ft (305 m) over marine mammal haulouts except at take-off and landing. USSF must not fly class 4 or 5 UAS below 1,000 ft (305 m) over haulouts.

(b) [Reserved]