[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 19 (Friday, January 30, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5646-5648]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-2048]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE


Defense Representative Guam, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana 
Islands, Federated States of Micronesia and Republic of Palau; Notice 
of Public Hearings for the Mariana Islands Range Complex Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement/Overseas Environmental Impact Statement

AGENCY: Department of Defense Representative Guam, Commonwealth of the 
Northern Mariana Islands, Federated States of Micronesia and Republic 
of Palau.

ACTION: Notice.

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[[Page 5647]]

SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA); the Council of Environmental Quality (CEQ) 
Regulations for implementing the procedural provisions of NEPA (Title 
40 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] Parts 1500-1508); and Executive 
Order (EO) 12114, Environmental Effects Abroad of Major Federal 
Actions, on behalf of the Department of Defense Representative Guam, 
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Federated States of 
Micronesia and Republic of Palau (DoD REP), the U.S. Navy (Navy) has 
prepared and filed with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency a 
Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Overseas Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS/OEIS) for the Mariana Islands Range Complex (MIRC) for 
public release on January 30, 2009.
    The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), the U.S. Department 
of the Interior, Office of Insular Affairs, the Federal Aviation 
Administration, the United States Marine Corps, and the United States 
Air Force (USAF) are cooperating agencies in the preparation of this 
EIS/OEIS.
    The Draft EIS/OEIS evaluates the potential environmental impacts 
associated with the military readiness training; research, development, 
testing, and evaluation (RDT&E) activities; and associated range 
capabilities enhancements within the existing MIRC. A Notice of Intent 
for this Draft EIS/OEIS was published in the Federal Register on June 
1, 2007 (72 FR 30557).
    The Navy will conduct five public hearings to receive oral and 
written comments on the Draft EIS/OEIS. Federal agencies, state 
agencies, and local agencies and interested individuals are invited to 
be present or represented at the public hearings. This notice announces 
the dates and locations of the public hearings for this Draft EIS/OEIS.

DATES AND ADDRESSES: An open house session will start before the 
scheduled public hearing at each of the locations listed below and will 
allow individuals to review the information presented in the MIRC Draft 
EIS/OEIS. DoD REP, Navy and USAF representatives will be available 
during the open house sessions to clarify information related to the 
Draft EIS/OEIS. All meetings will include an open house session from 5 
p.m. to 9 p.m. and a formal presentation and public comment period from 
7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Public hearings will be held on the following dates 
and at the following locations:
    1. Thursday, February 19, 2009, at the Jesus & Eugenia Leon 
Guerrero School of Business and Public Administration Building, The 
Anthony Leon Guerrero Multi-Purpose Room 129, University of Guam, 
Mangilao, Guam;
    2. Friday, February 20, 2009, at the Southern High School 
Cafeteria, 1 Jose Perez Leon Guerrero Drive, Santa Rita, Guam;
    3. Monday, February 23, 2009, at the Multi-Purpose Center in 
Susupe, Saipan;
    4. Tuesday, February 24, 2009, at the Tinian Elementary School 
Cafeteria, San Jose Village, Tinian;
    5. Thursday, February 26, 2009, at the Sinapolo Elementary School 
Cafeteria, Sinapolo, Rota.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mariana Islands Range Complex EIS, 258 
Makalapa Drive, Suite 100, Attn: EV2, Pearl Harbor, HI 96860-3134; e-
mail at: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The MIRC Study Area is located in the 
Western Pacific (WESTPAC) and consists of three primary components: 
ocean surface and undersea areas; special use airspace (SUA); and 
training land areas. For the purposes of this EIS/OEIS, the MIRC and 
the Study Area are the same geographical areas consisting of land areas 
and offshore areas off the coast of Guam and the Commonwealth of 
Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). The ocean surface and undersea areas 
of the MIRC extend from the international waters south of Guam to north 
of Pagan, CNMI, and from the Pacific Ocean east of the Mariana Islands 
to the middle of the Philippine Sea to the west, encompassing 501,873 
square nautical miles of open ocean and littorals (coastal areas).
    The MIRC Study Area does not include the sovereign territory 
(including waters out to 12 nautical miles) of the Federated States of 
Micronesia. Portions of the Marianas Trench Marine National Monument, 
which was established in January 2009 by Presidential Proclamation 
under the authority of the Antiquities Act (16 U.S.C. 431), lie within 
the Study Area. The range complex includes land ranges and training 
area/facilities on Guam, Rota, Tinian, Saipan, and Farallon de 
Medinilla (FDM), encompassing 64 square nautical miles of land. SUA 
consists of Warning Area 517 (W-517), restricted airspace over FDM (R-
7201), and Air Traffic Control Assigned Airspace encompassing 63,000 
square nautical miles of airspace.
    The MIRC is used to support tactical training by the U.S. Military 
Services (Services), including Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, 
Coast Guard, Army Reserves, and Guam National Guard, in the WESTPAC 
Theater. The proposed action does not involve extensive changes to MIRC 
facilities, operations, training, or RDT&E capacities. Rather, the 
proposed action would result in relatively small-scale but critical 
enhancements to the MIRC that are necessary if the Services are to 
maintain a state of military readiness commensurate with their national 
defense mission. The recommended range enhancements, as well as current 
and future training and testing operations, that have the potential to 
impact the environment, are the primary focus of the EIS/OEIS.
    The purpose for the Proposed Action is to achieve and maintain 
military readiness using the MIRC to support and conduct current, 
emerging, and future training and RDT&E activities while enhancing 
training resources through investment in the ranges.
    The need for the Proposed Action is to enable the Services to meet 
their statutory responsibility to organize, train, equip, and maintain 
combat-ready forces and to successfully fulfill their current and 
future global mission of winning wars, deterring aggression, and 
maintaining freedom of the seas. Activities involving RDT&E are an 
integral part of this readiness mandate. In this regard, the MIRC 
furthers the Services' execution of their Congressionally-mandated 
roles and responsibilities under Title 10 U.S.C. 5062.
    To implement this Congressional mandate, the Services need to: (1) 
Maintain mandated levels of military readiness training in the MIRC; 
(2) accommodate future increases in training tempo on existing ranges 
and adjacent air and ocean areas in the MIRC and support the rapid 
employment of military units or strike groups; (3) achieve and sustain 
readiness so that the Services can quickly surge required combat power 
in the event of a national crisis or contingency operation consistent 
with Service training requirements and airspace requirements for the 
deployment of future live fire ranges; (4) support the acquisition, 
testing, training, and fielding of advanced platforms and weapons 
systems into Service force structure; and, (5) maintain the long-term 
viability of the MIRC while protecting human health and the environment 
and enhancing the quality of training, communications and safety within 
the range complex.
    Alternatives in this EIS/OEIS were evaluated to ensure they met the 
purpose and need, giving due consideration to range complex attributes 
such as the capability to

[[Page 5648]]

support current and emerging training and RDT&E requirements; the 
capability to support realistic, essential training at the level and 
frequency sufficient to support the Tactical Training Theater 
Assessment and Planning Program (TAP); and the capability to support 
training requirements while following Service Personnel Tempo of 
Operations guidelines.
    The three alternatives analyzed in this EIS/OEIS are: the No Action 
Alternative--Current training activities; Alternative 1--Increase 
training, modernization and upgrades; and Alternative 2--Increase major 
at-sea exercises and training.
    The No Action Alternative will continue training and RDT&E 
activities of the same types, and at the same levels of training 
intensity as currently conducted, without change in the nature or scope 
of military activities in the EIS/OEIS study area.
    Alternative 1, the Preferred Alternative, is a proposal designed to 
meet the Services' current and near-term operational training 
requirements. This is the Preferred Alternative, because it would meet 
all near-term training requirements by increasing training activities, 
as a result of upgrades and modernization of existing training areas, 
and increasing the number of exercises. This alternative also includes 
increased activities due to meeting new training and capability 
requirements for personnel and platforms.
    Implementation of Alternative 2 would include all the actions 
proposed for MIRC, including the No Action Alternative and Alternative 
1, and new activities related to additional major at-sea exercises.
    The decision to be made by the DoD REP is to determine which of the 
alternatives analyzed in the EIS/OEIS best meets the needs of the 
Services given that all reasonably foreseeable environmental impacts 
have been considered.
    The Draft EIS/OEIS addresses potential environmental impacts on 
multiple resources, including but not limited to: water resources; air 
quality; marine mammals; sea turtles; fish and essential fish habitat; 
seabirds and shorebirds; cultural resources; regional economy; and 
public health and safety. The Draft EIS/OEIS identifies aspects of the 
proposed action that could act as stressors to these resources. The 
stressors considered for analysis of potential environmental 
consequences include but are not limited to: Vessel movements; aircraft 
overflights; non-explosive practice munitions; sonar; and underwater 
detonations and high explosive ordnance.
    No significant impacts are identified for any resource area in any 
geographic location within the MIRC Study Area that cannot be 
mitigated, with the exception of exposure of marine mammals to 
underwater sound. The Navy has requested from NMFS a Letter of 
Authorization in accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act to 
authorize the incidental take of marine mammals that may result from 
the implementation of the activities analyzed in the MIRC Draft EIS/
OEIS. In accordance with section 7 of the Endangered Species Act, the 
Navy is consulting with NMFS and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for 
potential impacts to federally listed species.
    The MIRC Draft EIS/OEIS has been distributed to Federal, State, and 
local agencies, elected officials, and other interested individuals and 
organizations. In addition, copies of the Draft EIS/OEIS are available 
for public review at the following libraries: University of Guam Robert 
F. Kennedy Memorial Library, Government Documents Tan Siu Lin Building, 
UOG Station, Mangilao, GU 96923; Nieves M. Flores Memorial Library, 254 
Martyr Street, Hagatna, GU 96910; Rota Public Library, P.O. Box 879, 
Rota, MP 96951; Joeten-Kiyu Public Library, P.O. Box 501092, Saipan, MP 
96950; and Northern Marianas College Public Library, P.O. Box 459, 
Tinian, MP 96952.
    The Draft EIS/OEIS is also available for electronic public viewing 
or download at http://www.MarianasRangeComplexEIS.com. A paper copy of 
the Executive Summary or a single CD with the Draft EIS/OEIS will be 
made available upon written request by contacting Mariana Islands Range 
Complex EIS, 258 Makalapa Drive, Suite 100, Attn: EV2, Pearl Harbor, HI 
96860-3134; e-mail at: [email protected].
    Written comments can be submitted during the open house sessions. 
Oral statements will be heard and transcribed by a stenographer during 
the hearing sessions; however, to ensure the accuracy of the record, 
all statements should be submitted in writing. All statements, both 
oral and written, will become part of the public record on the Draft 
EIS/OEIS and will be addressed in the Final EIS/OEIS. Equal weight will 
be given to both oral and written statements. In the interest of 
available time, and to ensure all who wish to give an oral statement 
have the opportunity to do so, each speaker's comments will be limited 
to three (3) minutes.
    If a long statement is to be presented, it should be summarized at 
the public hearing with the full text submitted either in writing at 
the hearing; mailed to Mariana Islands Range Complex EIS, 258 Makalapa 
Drive, Suite 100, Attn: EV2, Pearl Harbor, HI 96860-3134; or e-mailed 
to [email protected]. In addition, comments may be submitted 
on-line at http://www.MarianasRangeComplexEIS.com during the comment 
period. All written comments must be postmarked by March 16, 2009, to 
ensure they become part of the official record. All timely comments 
will be addressed in the Final EIS/OEIS.

    Dated: January 16, 2009.
A.M. Vallandingham,
Lieutenant Commander, Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Navy, 
Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. E9-2048 Filed 1-29-09; 8:45 am]
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