[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 65 (Monday, April 6, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18385-18386]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-07729]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Navy


Notice of Availability and Notice of Public Meetings for the 
Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Overseas Environmental Impact 
Statement for Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Joint 
Military Training

AGENCY: Department of the Navy, Department of Defense.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969, and regulations implemented by the Council on 
Environmental Quality (40 Code of Federal Regulations parts 1500-1508), 
Presidential E. O. 12114, Department of the Navy Procedures for 
Implementing NEPA (32 CFR part 775), and United States (U.S.) Marine 
Corps NEPA implementing regulations (Marine Corps Order P5090.2A), the 
U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific (MARFORPAC) has prepared and filed 
with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency a Draft Environmental 
Impact Statement/Overseas Environmental Impact Statement (EIS/OEIS). 
The Draft EIS/OEIS evaluates the potential environmental impacts 
associated with the establishment of a series of live-fire ranges, 
training courses and maneuver areas in the Commonwealth of the Northern 
Mariana Islands (CNMI) to reduce existing joint service training 
deficiencies and meet U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM) Service Components' 
unfilled unit and combined level training requirements in the Western 
Pacific. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA); International 
Broadcasting Bureau (IBB); U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE); 
National Marine Fisheries Service; U.S. Air Force; and U.S. Department 
of Interior, Office of Insular Affairs are cooperating agencies for 
this Draft EIS/OEIS. MARFORPAC has also developed a Memorandum of 
Understanding with the PACOM Service Components regarding their support 
and engagement in the development of the EIS/OEIS.
    With the filing of the Draft EIS/OEIS, the Department of Defense 
(DoD) is initiating a 60-day public comment period and has scheduled 
three public comment meetings to receive oral and written comments on 
the Draft EIS/OEIS. 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.

DATES: Three public meetings will be held, each including an 
informational open house followed by a public hearing. Each meeting 
will begin with a two-hour open house session where the public can 
learn more about the proposed action and potential environmental 
impacts from project team members and subject matter experts. A public 
hearing will follow the open house. The public is encouraged to attend 
the meetings, which will be held on the following dates, times, and 
locations:
     Wednesday, April 29, 2015, 5:00p.m.-8:00p.m., Saipan 
Southern High School, Saipan
     Thursday, April 30, 2015, 5:00p.m.-8:00p.m., Tinian Junior 
Senior High School, Tinian
     Friday, May 1, 2015, 5:00p.m.-8:00p.m., Garapan Elementary 
School, Saipan
    Informational posters will be displayed and project team members 
and subject matter experts will be available during the open house 
portion of the meetings to discuss the proposed action, answer 
questions, and to accept written comments from the public. A Chamorro 
and Carolinian interpreter will be available. Oral comments will be 
recorded by a court reporter during the public hearing portion of the 
meetings. In the interest of available time, speakers at the public 
hearing will be limited to three (3) minutes to ensure all who wish to 
speak have an opportunity to do so. If a long statement is to be 
presented, it should be summarized at the public hearing and the full 
text submitted in writing. Full and equal consideration will be given 
to oral and written statements. Concurrent with the NEPA process, the 
DoD is conducting National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) section 106 
consultation regarding potential effects of the proposed action on 
historic properties. During each of the above meetings, the DoD will 
hold NHPA section 106 information sessions in a separate area where 
subject matter experts will explain the NHPA section 106 process and 
solicit public input on the effects of the proposed action on historic 
properties.
    Comments: Comments on the Draft EIS/OEIS may be submitted during 
the 60-day public comment period starting on April 3, 2015 Hawaii 
Standard Time (HST) (April 4, 2015 Chamorro Standard Time [ChST]). 
Comments should be postmarked or received by June 2, 2015 HST (June 3, 
2015 ChST). There are three ways to submit written comments: (1) 
providing comments at one of the public meetings; (2) submitting 
comments through the project Web site: 
www.CNMIJointMilitaryTrainingEIS.com; and (3) mailing comments to the 
following addresses: Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Pacific, 
Attn: 09PA, Public Affairs Office, 258 Makalapa Drive, Suite 100, 
JBPHH, HI 96860-3134.
    The Draft EIS/OEIS was distributed to federal and local agencies, 
elected officials, and other interested individuals and organizations. 
The Draft EIS/OEIS is available for public review

[[Page 18386]]

at www.CNMIJointMilitaryTrainingEIS.com, and at the following 
libraries:
    1. Joeten Kiyu Public Library, Saipan.
    2. Northern Marianas College Olympio T. Borja Memorial Library, 
Saipan.
    3. Tinian Public Library, Tinian.
    4. Antonio C. Atalig Memorial Rota Public Library, Rota.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific issued 
its Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare the EIS/OEIS in March 2013 in the 
Federal Register (78 FR 16257, March 14, 2013).
    Proposed Action: The proposed action is to establish live-fire 
Range Training Areas (RTAs) within the CNMI to address the U.S. Pacific 
Command Service Components' unfilled unit level and combined level 
training requirements in the Western Pacific. To meet the purpose and 
need for the proposed action, the DoD proposes a unit level RTA on 
Tinian and a combined level RTA on Pagan.
    Purpose and Need: The purpose of the proposed action is to reduce 
joint training deficiencies for military services in the Western 
Pacific. Existing U.S. military live-fire, unit and combined level 
training ranges, training areas, and support facilities are 
insufficient to support U.S. Pacific Command Service Components' 
training requirements in the Western Pacific, specifically in the 
Mariana Islands. The proposed action is needed to enable U.S. Pacific 
Command forces to meet their U.S. Code title 10 (Armed Forces) 
requirements to maintain, equip, and train combat and humanitarian 
forces in the Western Pacific. The proposed action assists in 
correcting these training deficiencies by establishing live-fire unit 
and combined level RTAs in the CNMI. Establishing unit and combined 
level RTAs in the CNMI would support ongoing operational requirements, 
changes to U.S. force structure, geographic repositioning of forces and 
U.S. training relationships with allied nations.
    Alternatives Considered: The Draft EIS/OEIS evaluates the potential 
environmental impacts of three action alternatives on Tinian, two 
action alternatives on Pagan, and the No Action Alternative. The No 
Action Alternative would continue existing non-live-fire training 
activities on Tinian and Pagan, and construction and use of four live 
fire training ranges on Tinian as identified in the 2010 Record of 
Decision for the Guam Relocation EIS. For the action alternatives, a 
combination of one Tinian unit level alternative and one Pagan combined 
level alternative is required to meet the purpose and need for 
addressing unfilled training requirements in the Western Pacific. All 
Tinian action alternatives include common elements for unit level land, 
sea, and training operations that consist of ranges, training beaches, 
High Hazard Impact Areas and associated targets, infrastructure and 
facility construction; utilization of all DoD-leased land; and minimal 
real estate interest outside the Military Lease Area. Tinian 
Alternative 1 consists of a live-fire unit level RTA which includes a 
single Battle Area Complex and Convoy Course with some limitations on 
the range of weapons that can be employed due to the presence of the 
IBB facility. Tinian Alternative 2 (Preferred Alternative) consists of 
two Battle Area Complexes and a Convoy Course with a greater number of 
engagement zones than Tinian Alternative 1. Under Alternative 2, the 
IBB facility is absent, thus allowing for full range of weapons 
employment. Tinian Alternative 3 provides a similar level of training 
capability as Alternative 1, but with a single Battle Area Complex in a 
different location, and the same Convoy Course and range of weapons 
employment as Tinian Alternative 2. Both Pagan action alternatives 
include elements for combined level land, sea, and air training 
operations; infrastructure construction to support expeditionary 
military training; require the acquisition of real estate interest in 
Pagan; and allow for maneuvering and live-fire engagement. Pagan 
Alternative 1 consists of a live-fire combined level RTA to support 
proposed training and operations which includes two High Hazard Impact 
Areas, 11 landing zones, and 5 Mortar Range firing positions. Pagan 
Alternative 2 (Preferred Alternative) consists of a single, smaller 
High Hazard Impact Area, 13 landing zones, and 6 Mortar Firing 
Positions and provides greater ground maneuver flexibility as compared 
to Pagan Alternative 1.
    The Draft EIS/OEIS provides information on the affected environment 
and impacts of the proposed actions for 16 distinct resource areas. 
Resources evaluated include geology and soils, water resources, air 
quality, noise, airspace, land and submerged land use, recreation, 
terrestrial biology, marine biology, cultural resources, visual 
resources, transportation, utilities, socioeconomics and environmental 
justice, hazardous materials and waste, and public health and safety. 
In accordance with section 7 of the Endangered Species Act, the DoD is 
consulting with the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and the 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on the potential impacts of training 
activities on federally listed species. In accordance with the Marine 
Mammal Protection Act and Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act, the DoD is consulting with NMFS on federally managed 
species and their essential fish habitat.
    Preferred Alternative: Based on the analysis presented in this 
Draft EIS/OEIS, DoD has identified Tinian Alternative 2 and Pagan 
Alternative 2 as its preferred alternative. This combination of 
alternatives best fulfills DoD's statutory mission and 
responsibilities, giving consideration to economic, environmental, 
technical, and other factors. DoD considered military requirements, 
infrastructure and environmental impacts and constraints, and scoping 
input from the public, resource agencies, and the CNMI Government 
during the process of identifying a preferred alternative. The 
combination of alternatives best meets the minimum U.S. Pacific Command 
Service Components' unfilled unit level and combined level training 
requirements in the Western Pacific (size and layout), and maximizes 
the use of federal land on Tinian.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Please visit the project Web site 
(www.CNMIJointMilitaryTrainingEIS.com) or contact the CNMI Joint 
Military Training EIS/OEIS Project Manager by email via the project Web 
site. Please submit requests for special assistance, sign language 
interpretation for the hearing impaired, or other auxiliary aids needed 
at the public meeting directly to NAVFAC Pacific Public Affairs Office 
at 808-472-1007/472-1008 by April 16, 2015.

    Dated: March 31, 2015.
N. A. Hagerty-Ford,
Commander, Office of the Judge Advocate General, U.S. Navy, Federal 
Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2015-07729 Filed 4-3-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3810-FF-P