[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 131 (Friday, July 8, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44599-44600]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-16188]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers


Intent To Prepare an Integrated Feasibility/Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Proposed Tinian Harbor Modifications Project, Island 
of Tinian, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands

AGENCY: Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), 
DoD.

ACTION: Notice of Intent.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the section 102(2) (C) of the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969; the U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), 
Municipality of Tinian (Municipality)/Commonwealth Ports Authority 
(CPA) gives notice that an Integrated Feasibility/Environmental Impact 
Statement (F/EIS) is being prepared for the Proposed Tinian Harbor 
Modifications Project, Island of Tinian, CNMI. This project is 
authorized under section 209 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1962 
(Pub. L. 87-874) and will consider the implementation of navigation 
improvements at Tinian Harbor.

DATES: In order to be considered in the Draft F/EIS, comments and 
suggestions should be received within 30 days after the last public 
scoping meeting. Two public scoping meetings will be held in Saipan and 
Tinian in mid/late July 2016. A separate notice will be published for 
meeting times and places.

ADDRESSES: Mail written comments concerning this notice to: Mr. Milton 
Yoshimoto, Project Manager, Civil and Public Works Branch, Honolulu 
District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Civil and Public Works Branch, 
Bldg 230, Fort Shafter, Hawaii 96858. Comment letters should include 
the commenter's physical mailing address and the project title in the 
subject line.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Milton Yoshimoto, Civil and Public 
Works Branch, Honolulu District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Bldg 
230, Fort Shafter, Hawaii 96858, (808) 835-4034, Email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with NEPA, the Corps intends 
to prepare an F/EIS report. The primary Federal actions under 
consideration are: (1) Navigation improvement measures that expand the 
turning basin; (2) surge reduction measures by constructing protective 
structures at both harbors; and (3) dredging harbor sediments to allow 
larger vessels access to the harbor. The F/EIS reports shall meet the 
requirements of NEPA, including all applicable federal regulations 
implementing those statutes.
    Evaluation will examine the costs and benefits of this project, as 
well as the environmental impacts of modifying the maintained 
dimensions of the existing harbor. The purpose of this effort is to 
conduct a study to assess the technical, environmental and economic 
feasibility in the implementation of navigation improvement at Tinian 
Harbor.
    Project Site and Background Information: Tinian Harbor is the sole 
commercial harbor servicing the island of Tinian, CNMI and is owned and 
maintained by the CPA. Due to its isolation, the harbor is extremely 
important for the continual flow and transit of goods and materials for 
the small island community. The CNMI is threatened annually by typhoons 
and tropical storms which has resulted in the deterioration of the 
protective breakwater and harbor facilities. Failure of the breakwater 
would result in complete closure of the harbor, requiring costly air 
transport as the only remaining option to deliver essential commodities 
to the island. The project will focus on the repair/reconfiguration of 
the breakwater and an incremental analysis of the harbor depth to 
assure safe and efficient operation of commercial vessels.
    Proposed Action(s): The study reports will assess the technical, 
environmental and economic feasibility in the implementation of 
navigation improvement. These include: (1) Navigation improvement 
measures that expand the federal turning basin; (2) surge reduction 
measures by constructing protective structures; and (3) expand and 
deepen the harbor basin and entrance channel to accommodate larger 
vessels by dredging.
    Issues: Potentially significant issues associated with the project 
may include: aesthetics/visual impacts, air quality emissions, 
biological resource impacts, environmental justice, hazards and 
hazardous materials, hydrology and water quality, noise, traffic and 
transportation, and cumulative impacts from past, present, and 
reasonably foreseeable future projects.
    Scoping Process: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is seeking 
participation and input of all interested federal, state, and local 
agencies, Native American groups, and other concerned private 
organizations or individuals on the scope of the F/EIS through this 
public notice. The purpose of the public scoping meeting is to solicit 
comments regarding the potential impacts, environmental issues, and 
alternatives associated with the proposed action to be considered in 
the study report. The meeting place, date, and time will be advertised 
in advance in local newspapers, and meeting announcement letters will 
be sent to interested parties. The draft F/EIS is expected to be 
available for public review and comment in the summer of 2017 and a 
public meeting will be held after its publication.


[[Page 44600]]


    Dated: July 1, 2016.
Christopher W. Crary,
Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army, District Engineer.
[FR Doc. 2016-16188 Filed 7-7-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3720-58-P