[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 199 (Friday, October 14, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63909-63910]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-26579]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army


Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for 
Modernization of Training Infrastructure at P[omacr]hakuloa Training 
Area (PTA), Hawai`i

AGENCY: Department of the Army, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of Availability.

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SUMMARY: The United States Army Pacific and United States Army 
Garrison, Hawai`i propose to modernize training ranges, training 
support infrastructure (e.g., roads and utilities), and training 
support facilities in the cantonment area at PTA to meet the training 
requirements of military units in Hawai`i. This modernization would 
improve the quality of training, make more efficient use of facilities 
at PTA and reduce a current shortfall in collective (group) live-fire 
training capabilities for units stationed in Hawai`i. The shortfall has 
been created by ranges that do not meet current Army design standards 
or are otherwise not resourced to train platoon and company-sized units 
when they deploy with their battalions and brigades to PTA to conduct 
semiannual training. In addition, much of the training support 
facilities and training support infrastructure at PTA are old, are 
operating beyond their useful life and do not meet current DoD design 
standards as defined in the Military Standard 3007 Unified Facilities 
Criteria and Unified Facilities Guide Specifications.
    The Army provides a list of modernization projects that could be 
built in the reasonably foreseeable future within the Draft 
Programmatic EIS. The modernization list also includes requirements 
from the U.S. Marine Corps (another major user of PTA), with these 
projects being evaluated in the cumulative impacts section of the Draft 
Programmatic EIS. These projects are essential to support modernization 
of PTA, and to ensure that the Army and other users of PTA continue to 
have ready access to sustainable training ranges, training support 
infrastructure (e.g., roads and utilities), and training support 
facilities in the cantonment area.
    The Draft Programmatic EIS specifically addresses the requirement 
for an Infantry Platoon Battle Area (IPBA) at PTA that would include an 
Infantry Platoon Battle Course (IPBC), Live-fire Shoothouse, and 
Military Operations on Urban Terrain (MOUT) facility. Other projects on 
the modernization list are not fully mature because they are still in 
the planning process and are not yet ready for decision. The Army plans 
to tier from this Draft Programmatic EIS to address those projects at a 
time when design alternatives are ready for decision. The IPBA is the 
only modernization project ready for decision presently.

DATES: The public comment period will end 45 days after publication of 
the notice of availability in the Federal Register by the U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency.

ADDRESSES: Written comments may be addressed to PTA PEIS, P.O. Box 514, 
Honolulu, HI 96809; facsimiles may be sent to (808) 545-6808; and 
emails may be addressed to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: USAG-HI Public Affairs Office by phone 
at (808) 656-3152 Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. HST.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Army examined the potential 
environmental impacts from siting and operating the IPBA at either the 
Western Range Area of PTA (preferred alternative), Charlie's Circle, or 
near the southwest side of Range 20; or to not build and operate the 
IPBA at all.
    An IPBC is used to train and test infantry platoons, either mounted 
or dismounted, on the skills necessary to conduct tactical movement 
techniques, and to detect, identify, engage, and defeat stationary and 
moving infantry and armor targets in a tactical array. The Live-fire 
Shoothouse provides Army unit leaders with a facility to train and 
evaluate the unit during a live-fire exercise. The MOUT facility 
includes the construction or placement of approximately 24 modular 
structures to replicate small villages for units to complete training 
tasks in an urban/semi-urban operating environment.
    Each proposed IPBA location would be sited within the existing 
impact area at PTA. For all alternatives (with the exception of No 
Action), the IPBA would be available 242 training days per year.
    Some of the major potential impacts discussed for the proposed IPBA 
are associated with the possible effects to air quality, historic 
resources, and threatened and endangered species; encountering 
munitions and explosives of concern; and igniting wildfires. The Army 
is formally consulting with the Hawai`i State Historic Preservation 
Division and other consulting parties, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service to determine the extent of impacts to cultural and biological 
resources, respectively.
    The other range-related modernization projects would have impacts 
similar to the IPBA; and, in addition, adverse construction-related 
impacts are possible in the cantonment area related to air quality, 
stormwater, and noise. The Army will examine all of these potential 
impacts more thoroughly in future project-specific National 
Environmental Policy Act documents.
    Copies of the Draft Programmatic EIS are available at the following 
libraries:

[[Page 63910]]

Hilo Public Library, 300 Waianuenue Avenue, Hilo; Kailua-Kona Public 
Library, 75-138 Hualalai Road, Kailua-Kona; Thelma Parker Memorial 
Public and School Library, 67-1209 Mamalahoa Highway, Kamuela; and 
Hawai`i State Library, 478 South King Street, Honolulu. The Draft 
Programmatic EIS may also be accessed online at http://www.garrison.hawaii.army.mil/PTAPEIS/.
    Public hearings on the Draft Programmatic EIS will be held on the 
Hawai`i Island. Notification of the times and locations for the public 
hearings will be published in local newspapers.

Brenda S. Bowen,
Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2011-26579 Filed 10-13-11; 8:45 am]
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