NASA issues draft of shuttle assessment

WASHINGTON, Feb. 25 (UPI) -- The U.S. space agency has issued a draft environmental assessment on potential impacts resulting from the space shuttle's retirement in 2010.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's assessment concludes that, because of the use of shuttle components and facilities by that program's successor, the Constellation project, potential environmental impacts from disposing of the shuttle program's property will be minimal to moderate, depending on the property disposition method.

Federal law requires agencies to consider the potential environmental consequences of their proposed actions before deciding whether and how to proceed.

Options for disposal of property include reuse by other NASA programs, storing for future NASA use, demolition or release to the General Services Administration for disposition.

NASA will accept public comments on the draft programmatic environmental assessment through March 28, with the final assessment expected to be completed this spring.

The draft assessment is available at http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/pea.html.