[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 218 (Thursday, November 10, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70118-70120]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-29119]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Navy


Notice of Public Meetings for the Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement for Basing of MV-22 and H-1 Aircraft in Support of III Marine 
Expeditionary Force Elements in Hawaii

AGENCY: Department of the Navy, DoD.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section (102)(2)(c) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, and regulations implemented by the Council 
on Environmental Quality (40 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] Parts 
1500-1508), Department of Navy (DoN) NEPA regulations (32 CFR part 
775), and U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) NEPA directives (Marine Corps Order 
P5090.2A, change 2), DoN has prepared and filed with the U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency a Draft Environmental Impact Statement 
(DEIS) that evaluates the potential environmental consequences that may 
result from the basing of Osprey tiltrotor (MV-22) and Cobra and Huey 
attack and utility (H-1) aircraft in support of III Marine 
Expeditionary Force (MEF) elements in Hawaii. The Department of the 
Army (DoA) is a cooperating agency for this DEIS because the proposed 
squadrons would train on land currently owned or controlled by the DoA.
    With the filing of the DEIS, the DoN is initiating a 45-day public 
comment period and has scheduled five public comment meetings to 
receive oral and written comments on the DEIS. Federal, state and local 
agencies and interested parties are encouraged to provide comments in 
person at any of the public comment meetings, or in writing anytime 
during the public comment period. This Notice announces the dates and 
locations of the public meetings and provides supplementary information 
about the environmental planning effort.
    Per 36 CFR part 800.8, the DoN is integrating the NEPA and National 
Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) public involvement processes. In 
addition to meeting NEPA public involvement requirements, the public 
meetings will provide opportunities for NHPA Section 106 input 
regarding the identification and treatment of historic properties.

DATES: The DEIS will be distributed to Federal, State, and local 
agencies, elected officials, and other interested parties on November 
10, 2011, initiating the public comment period, which will end on 
December 27, 2011. Each of the five public meetings will have specific 
times set aside for NHPA Section 106 public involvement and an 
informational open house. USMC and DoN representatives will be 
available to clarify information related to the DEIS. The public 
comment meetings will be held on the dates and at the times and 
locations indicated below:
    1. Wednesday, November 30, 2011, Waimea Elementary School 
Cafeteria, 67-1225 Mamalahoa Hwy, Kamuela, HI, 5:30-6:30 p.m.: NHPA 
Section 106 input, 6:30-8:30 p.m.: Open house.
    2. Thursday, December 1, 2011, Hilo Intermediate School Cafeteria, 
587 Waianuenue Avenue, Hilo, HI, 4:30-5:30 p.m.: NHPA Section 106 
input, 5:30-7:30 p.m.: Open house.
    3. Tuesday, December 6, 2011, Mililani Middle School Cafeteria, 95-
1140 Lehiwa Drive, Mililani, HI, 5:30-6:30 p.m.: NHPA Section 106 
input, 6:30-8:30 p.m.: Open house.
    4. Wednesday, December 7, 2011, Waimanalo Elementary & Intermediate 
School Cafeteria, 41-1330 Kalanianaole Highway, Waimanalo, HI, 5:30-
6:30 p.m.: NHPA Section 106 input, 6:30-8:30 p.m.: Open house.
    5. Thursday, December 8, 2011, Castle High School Cafeteria, 45-386 
Kaneohe Bay Drive, Kaneohe, HI, 5:30-6:30 p.m.: NHPA Section 106 input, 
6:30-9 p.m.: Open house.
    Attendees will be able to submit written comments at the public 
meetings. DEIS team members will be present to receive oral comments; 
however, to ensure the accuracy of the record, all statements should be 
submitted in writing. Equal weight will be given to oral and written 
statements. All statements submitted during the public review period 
will become part of the public record on the DEIS and will be addressed 
in the Final EIS. Comments may also be submitted by U.S. mail or 
electronically, as described below.
    The DEIS is available at the project Web site, www.mcbh.usmc.mil/mv22h1eis [please note: 1, before ``eis'' in the Web site address, is 
numeric], and at the libraries identified at the end of this notice.

ADDRESSES: Comments on the DEIS can be submitted via the project Web 
site or submitted in writing to: Department of the Navy, Naval 
Facilities Engineering Command, Pacific Division, Attn: EV21, MV-22/H-1 
EIS Project Manager, 258 Makalapa Drive, Suite 100, Pearl Harbor, HI 
96860-3134. Mailed comments must be postmarked no later than December 
27, 2011, and electronic comments must be submitted by midnight, 
December 27, 2011, to be considered in this environmental review 
process.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Naval Facilities Engineering Command, 
Pacific Division, Attn: EV21, MV-22/H-1 EIS Project Manager, 258 
Makalapa Drive, Suite 100, Pearl Harbor, HI 96860-3134.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A Notice of Intent for the EIS was published 
in the Federal Register on August 6, 2010 (Vol. 75, No. 151, pp. 47562-
47564).

Proposed Action

    The Proposed Action includes: (1) Basing and operating up to two 
Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadrons (VMM) and one Marine Light Attack 
Helicopter Squadron (HMLA) to service USMC operations in Hawaii, and 
(2) conducting aviation training, readiness, and special exercise 
operations to attain and maintain proficiency in the employment of the 
MV-22 and H-1 (AH-1 and UH-1) aircraft at training facilities 
statewide. Demolition, new construction, and renovation are proposed to 
develop basing facilities for the VMM and HMLA squadrons. Specific 
activities would include: Construction, demolition and renovation of 
hangars and other structures; taxiway and parking apron improvements; 
construction of additional bachelor enlisted quarters (BEQs); 
construction of Marine Aviation Group 24 headquarters and parking 
structure; and expansion of Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 24 
aircraft maintenance facilities. Existing facilities would be used to 
the extent possible.

Purpose and Need

    The purpose of the Proposed Action is to ensure that the Marine Air 
Ground

[[Page 70119]]

Task Force (MAGTF) is capable of supporting the needs of the III MEF 
operational commander to carry out legally mandated responsibilities in 
Hawaii. The need for the Proposed Action is to correct existing rotary-
wing deficiencies of the MAGTF in Hawaii and the need for ``work-
arounds'' through gap deployments from elsewhere (e.g., from the 
continental U.S.). The purpose and need described here support the 
goals stated in the FY2011 Aviation Plan: (1) Sustain wartime 
operational tempo while improving current readiness and effectiveness 
through efficient use of existing resources; (2) execute planned 
transition strategies from legacy equipment to advanced capabilities of 
the next generation of equipment; and (3) improve war-fighting 
integration between the air, ground, and logistic elements of the 
MAGTF.

Alternatives Considered in the DEIS

    The DEIS evaluates the following facility alternatives at Marine 
Corps Base (MCB) Hawaii Kaneohe Bay:
    Alternative A (preferred): Accommodate all aviation facilities on 
the southeast side of the runway.
    Alternative B: Accommodate MV-22 facilities on the northwest side 
of the runway at West Field, and accommodate all other aviation 
facilities on the southeast side of the runway; construct a runway 
underpass for access to West Field.
    No Action Alternative: The following elements would be the same 
under both action alternatives: Number and type of personnel added to 
MCB Hawaii Kaneohe Bay, types of basing facilities that are required, 
improvements at training areas, and type and tempo of training 
operations. Both action alternatives would involve demolition, new 
construction, replacement, and renovation of facilities at MCB Hawaii 
Kaneohe Bay, and include improvements to existing facilities at Marine 
Corps Training Area Bellows (MCTAB) on the island of Oahu, Pohakuloa 
Training Area (PTA) on the island of Hawaii, and Molokai Training 
Support Facility (MTSF) on the island of Molokai.
    Under either Alternative A or B, the VMM and HMLA squadrons would 
conduct training operations at: MCTAB; the DoA's Kahuku, Kawailoa, and 
Schofield Barracks East Range Training Areas and Dillingham Military 
Reservation on the island of Oahu; PTA and Upolu Airport on the island 
of Hawaii; Pacific Missile Range Facility on the island of Kauai; MTSF 
and Kalaupapa Airport on the island of Molokai; and the Hawaii Army 
National Guard Facility on the island of Maui.
    With the No Action Alternative, the VMM and HMLA squadrons would 
not be based in Hawaii, and no facilities would be constructed at MCB 
Hawaii Kaneohe Bay or at the training areas to accommodate them. The No 
Action Alternative does not meet the purpose and need for the proposed 
action, but is included to provide a baseline against which the action 
alternatives may be compared.
    Potential impacts are evaluated in the DEIS under all alternatives 
for the following resources/issues: Land use; airspace; air quality; 
noise; geology, soils, and topography; drainage, hydrology, and water 
quality; biological resources; cultural resources; safety and 
environmental health; socioeconomics; infrastructure; and energy use.
    The DEIS describes an array of conservation and construction 
measures and features of project design and planning that would avoid 
or minimize most potential impacts. The proposed action would fully 
comply with regulatory requirements for the protection of environmental 
resources.
    Implementing Alternative A or B would have construction impacts on 
cultural resources at MCB Hawaii Kaneohe Bay and at MCTAB, as well as 
potential impacts from MV-22 rotor downwash on archaeological sites in 
some of the training areas. Impacts on historic buildings and 
archaeological resources at MCB Hawaii Kaneohe Bay would vary between 
the two alternatives due to the placement of some facilities on 
different sides of the runway, as well as different options presented 
for BEQ demolition and construction. Impacts on archaeological 
resources at MCTAB would depend on the depth of ground-disturbing 
activities during construction. Impacts on archaeological features at 
certain landing zones (LZs) in the Kahuku and Kawailoa Training Areas 
on the island of Oahu and at PTA on the island of Hawaii cannot 
currently be assessed because archaeological surveys of those areas 
have not been completed. The extent of impacts due to MV-22 rotor 
downwash would depend on the location and depth of such features. 
Surveys of these areas will be completed and any impacts evaluated 
prior to use of the LZs by the MV-22 squadrons (VMM). Any required 
avoidance or mitigation measures for cultural resources impacts 
resulting from implementation of the proposed action would be 
documented in the Programmatic Agreement being prepared as part of the 
NHPA Section 106 process.
    With Alternative A or B, there is a potential for traffic impacts 
at MCB Hawaii Kaneohe Bay. These would be mitigated with improvements 
at three intersections and improvement of procedures at the entry gates 
for increased efficiency and capacity.
    Impacts on the endangered Hawaiian hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus 
semotus) are possible at the DoA training areas on Oahu and at PTA on 
the island of Hawaii. DoN has submitted a biological evaluation to the 
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service with a determination of ``may affect but 
not likely to adversely affect,'' in compliance with Section 7 of the 
Endangered Species Act. In addition, DoN has made ``no effect'' 
determinations for two endangered species at PTA, creeping mint 
(Stenogyne angustifolia) and nene or Hawaiian goose (Branta 
sandvicensis).
    Another possible impact during operations is erosion due to MV-22 
rotor downwash at unpaved LZs where soils have high erosion potential 
(Schofield Barracks East Range and parts of Kawailoa Training Area). 
Conditions would be monitored at these landing zones. Should field 
observations verify the occurrence of soil erosion, the USMC would work 
with the range manager to implement appropriate repairs or other 
management actions.
    Schedule: The Notice of Availability publication in the Federal 
Register and local print media starts the 45-day public comment period 
for the DEIS. The USMC will consider and respond to all written and 
electronic comments, including email, submitted as described above in 
preparing the Final EIS. DoN intends to issue the Final EIS in 2012, at 
which time a Notice of Availability will be published in the Federal 
Register and local media. A Record of Decision is expected in 2012.
    Copies of the DEIS are available for public review at the following 
libraries within the State of Hawaii:
    1. Island of Hawaii Libraries:
    Hilo: 300 Waianuenue Ave, Hilo, HI 96720.
    Hilo: UH Hilo, 200 W. Kawili St, Hilo, HI 96720.
    Kailua-Kona: 75-138 Hualalai Rd, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740.
    North Kohala: 54-3645 Akoni Pule Hwy, Kapaau, HI 96755.
    Thelma Parker: 67-1209 Mamalahoa Hwy, Kamuela, HI 96743.
    2. Island of Maui Libraries:
    Kahului: 90 School St, Kahului, HI 96732.
    Kahului: UH Maui College, 310 W. Kaahumanu Ave, Kahului, HI 96732.
    Kihei: 35 Waimahaihai St, Kihei, HI 96753.

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    Wailuku: 251 High St, Wailuku, HI 96793.
    3. Island of Kauai Libraries:
    Lihue: 4344 Hardy St, Lihue, HI 96766.
    Lihue: Kauai Community College, 3-1901 Kaumualii Hwy, Lihue, HI 
96766.
    Waimea: P.O. Box 397, Waimea, HI 96796.
    4. Island of Molokai Library:
    Kaunakakai: P.O. Box 395, Kaunakakai, HI 96748.
    5. Island of Oahu Libraries:
    Honolulu: Hawaii State Library, 478 S. King St, Honolulu, HI 96813.
    Honolulu: UH Manoa--Hamilton Library, 2550 McCarthy Mall, Honolulu, 
HI 96822.
    Kahuku: 56-490 Kamehameha Hwy, Kahuku, HI 96731.
    Kailua: 239 Kuulei Rd, Kailua, HI 96734.
    Kaneohe: 45-829 Kamehameha Hwy, Kaneohe, HI 96744.
    Kaneohe Windward Community College, 45-720 Keaahala Rd, Kaneohe, HI 
96744.
    Mililani: 95-450 Makaimoimo St, Mililani, HI 96789.
    Wahiawa: 820 California Ave, Wahiawa, HI 96786.
    Waialua: P.O. Box 684, Waialua, HI 96791.
    Waimanalo: 41-1320 Kalanianaole Hwy, Waimanalo, HI 96795.

    Dated: November 3, 2011.
L. M. Senay,
Lieutenant, Office of the Judge Advocate General, U.S. Navy, Alternate 
Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2011-29119 Filed 11-9-11; 8:45 am]
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