[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 228 (Tuesday, November 28, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58602-58603]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-29003]



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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
Proposed Military Training in the Territory of Guam and Islands of 
Rota, Tinian, and Farallon de Medinilla, Commonwealth of the Northern 
Mariana Islands

AGENCY: U.S. Pacific Command, DOD.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as implemented by the Council on 
Environmental Quality regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), the U.S. 
Pacific Command announces its intent to prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) for proposed military training in the Territory of Guam 
on the Islands of Rota, Tinian, and Farallon de Medinilla, Commonwealth 
of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI).
    The actions to be covered in the EIS consist of training activities 
required to maintain military combat readiness. The EIS will analyze 
reasonable alternatives to meet this objective and assess their 
separate and cumulative environmental impacts. The U.S. Pacific Command 
will initiate a scoping process to identify significant related issues 
for study in the EIS and to identify and notify parties interested in 
and affected by the EIS.
    The meetings will open with a short presentation of the purpose of 
the proposed action and alternatives to be evaluated, followed by a 
period for public comment. It is important that interested agencies, 
individuals, and organizations take this opportunity to identify 
environmental concerns that should be addressed in the EIS. To allow 
time for all views to be shared, each speaker will be limited to five 
minutes for oral comments.
    Interested parties are also invited and encouraged to provide 
written comments in addition to, or in lieu of, oral comments at the 
public meetings. Scoping comments should clearly describe specific 
issues or topics that the EIS should address.

DATES: Three public scoping meetings will be held.

Guam: December 4, 1995, 7-10 pm.
Rota: December 6, 1995, 7-10 pm.
Tinian: December 7, 1995, 7-10 pm.

ADDRESSES: The scoping meetings will be held in the following 
locations:

Agana, Guam: Governor's Cabinet Room, Adelup Complex.
Sing Song Village, Rota, CNMI: The Round House.
San Jose, Tinian, CNMI: Tinian School Cafeteria.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Written statements and/or questions regarding the scoping process 
should be mailed no later than December 22, 1995 to Mr. Fred Minato 
(Code 238), Pacific Division, Naval Facilities Engineering Command, 
Pearl Harbor, HI 96860-7300; telephone (808) 471-9338; fax (808) 474-
4890.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed action consists of future 
military training activities in Guam and CNMI within existing military 
installations, public lands, and waters, including large-scale joint 
military exercises. Training will involve organizations from the U.S. 
Army, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army Reserve, 
Guam Army National Guard, and allied nations. Federal and Guamanian law 
enforcement agencies also train on these lands. The proposed training 
will take place on Tinian, primarily in the Military Lease Area, on 
Rota, primarily at Sand Island and the public airport, and on Guam, 
primarily at Andersen Air Force Base, Naval Activities Guam Ordnance 
Annex, and Apra Harbor. The proposed action also includes continued use 
of the island of Farallon de Medinilla for naval gunfire training and 
aerial bombardment.
    Proposed training activities include tactical maneuver on foot and 
by wheeled and tracked vehicles, beach landings with boats, air-
cushioned landing craft, and tracked amphibian vehicles, paradrops, 
fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft operations, underwater explosive 
ordnance training, military weapons and munitions training, and various 
logistical support activities.
    Alternatives consist of: (1) The no action alternative, (2) the 
limited training activities alternative, (3) the proposed training 
activities alternative, and (4) alternate training locations. The ``no 
action'' alternative consists of continuing present training activities 
under present conditions, with no adjustment to planned future military 
needs. The ``limited training activities'' alternative consists of a 
sub-set of proposed training activities, based on constraints including 
the limitation of certain activities to avoid significant impacts to 
the environment. The ``proposed training activities'' alternative 
consists of implementing all proposed activities at the designated 
training locations. The use of alternate training locations is not 
applicable to this project.
    Environmental issues to be addressed will include, but not be 
limited to, 

[[Page 58603]]
effects on cultural resources, terrestrial and aquatic habitats, 
threatened or endangered species, water quality, infrastructure, 
traffic, noise, and socioeconomic environment. Direct, indirect, and 
cumulative impacts will be analyzed, and mitigation measures will be 
developed as required.

    Dated: November 22, 1995.
L.M. Bynum,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 95-29003 Filed 11-27-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5000-04-M