[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 146 (Tuesday, August 1, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35767-35768]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-15939]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Navy


Notice of Intent To Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact 
Statement/Overseas Environmental Impact Statement for Mariana Islands 
Training and Testing

AGENCY: Department of the Navy, DOD.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 
1969 and regulations implemented by the Council on Environmental 
Quality, the Department of the Navy (DoN) announces its intent to 
prepare a supplement to the 2015 Final Mariana Islands Training and 
Testing (MITT) Environmental Impact Statement/Overseas Environmental 
Impact Statement (EIS/OEIS).

DATES: Public scoping meetings will not be held, but public comments 
will be accepted during the scoping period from August 1, 2017 to 
September 15, 2017.

ADDRESSES: The DoN invites scoping comments on the MITT Supplemental 
EIS/OEIS from all interested parties. Substantive comments may be 
provided by mail to the address below and through the project Web site 
at http://mitt-eis.com/. Comments must be postmarked or received by 
September 15, 2017, for consideration during the development of the 
Draft Supplemental EIS/OEIS.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Naval Facilities Engineering Command 
Pacific, Attention: MITT Supplemental EIS/OEIS Project Manager, 258 
Makalapa Drive, Suite 100, Pearl Harbor, HI 96860-3134.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Navy will assess the potential 
environmental impacts associated with ongoing and proposed military 
readiness activities conducted within the MITT EIS/OEIS Study Area 
(hereafter known as the ``Study Area''). The Supplement to the 2015 
Final EIS/OEIS is being prepared to support ongoing and future 
activities conducted at sea and on Farallon de Medinilla (FDM) within 
the Study Area beyond 2020. Military readiness activities include 
training and research, development, testing, and evaluation (hereafter 
known as ``testing''). The Supplemental EIS/OEIS will include an 
analysis of training and testing activities using new information 
available after the release of the 2015 Final MITT EIS/OEIS. New 
information includes an updated acoustic effects model, updated marine 
mammal density data, and other best available science. Proposed 
activities are generally consistent with those analyzed in the 2015 
Final MITT EIS/OEIS and are representative of training and testing 
activities the DoN has been conducting in the Study Area for decades.
    The Study Area remains unchanged since the 2015 Final MITT EIS/
OEIS. The Study Area includes the existing Mariana Islands Range 
Complex (MIRC); areas on the high seas to the north and west of the 
MIRC; a transit corridor between the MIRC and the Hawaii Range Complex, 
starting at the International Date Line; and Apra Harbor and select DoN 
pierside and harbor locations. The Study Area includes only the in-
water components of the range complex and FDM; land components 
associated with the range complex are not included in the Study Area.
    As part of this process the DoN will seek the issuance of 
regulatory permits and authorizations under the Marine Mammal 
Protection Act and Endangered Species Act to support training and 
testing requirements within the Study Area, beyond 2020, thereby 
ensuring critical Department of Defense requirements are met.
    Pursuant to 40 CFR 1501.6, the DoN will invite the National Marine 
Fisheries Service to be a cooperating agency in preparation of the 
Supplemental EIS/OEIS.

[[Page 35768]]

    The DoN's lead action proponent is Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet. 
Additional action proponents include Naval Sea Systems Command, Naval 
Air Systems Command, and the Office of Naval Research.
    The DoN's Proposed Action is to conduct military training and 
testing activities within the Study Area. Activities include the use of 
active sonar and explosives while employing appropriate marine species 
protective mitigation measures. The Proposed Action does not alter the 
DoN's original purpose and need as presented in the 2015 MITT Final 
EIS/OEIS.
    The purpose of the Proposed Action is to maintain a ready force, 
which is needed to ensure the military can accomplish its mission to 
maintain, train, and equip combat-ready naval forces capable of winning 
wars, deterring aggression, and maintaining freedom of the seas, 
consistent with Congressional direction in section 5062 of Title 10 of 
the U.S. Code. A Supplemental EIS/OEIS is considered the appropriate 
document, as there is recent scientific information including revised 
acoustic criteria to consider, in furtherance of NEPA, relevant to the 
environmental effects of the DoN's Proposed Action, and the analysis 
will support Marine Mammal Protection Act authorization requests.
    Proposed training and testing activities are generally consistent 
to those analyzed in the 2015 MITT Final EIS/OEIS. The Supplemental 
EIS/OEIS will propose changes to the tempo and types of training and 
testing activities, accounting for the introduction of new 
technologies, the evolving nature of international events, advances in 
war fighting doctrine and procedures, and changes in the organization 
of vessels, aircraft, weapon systems, and military personnel. The MITT 
Supplemental EIS/OEIS will reflect the compilation of training and 
testing activities required to fulfill the DoN's military readiness 
requirements beyond 2020, and therefore includes the analysis of newly 
proposed activities and changes to previously analyzed activities.
    In the Supplemental EIS/OEIS, the DoN will evaluate the potential 
environmental impacts of a No Action Alternative and action 
alternatives. Resources to be evaluated include, but are not limited 
to, marine mammals, sea turtles, essential fish habitat, and threatened 
and endangered species.
    The scoping process is used to identify public concerns and local 
issues to be considered during the development of the Draft 
Supplemental EIS/OEIS. Federal agencies, local agencies, the public, 
and interested persons are encouraged to provide substantive comments 
to the DoN on environmental resources and issue areas of concern the 
commenter believes the DoN should consider.
    Comments must be postmarked or received online by September 15, 
2017, for consideration during the development of the Draft 
Supplemental EIS/OEIS. Comments can be mailed to: Naval Facilities 
Engineering Command Pacific, Attention: MITT Supplemental EIS/OEIS 
Project Manager, 258 Makalapa Drive, Suite 100, Pearl Harbor, HI, 
96869-3134. Comments can be submitted online via the project Web site 
at http://mitt-eis.com/.

    Dated: July 20, 2017.
A.M. Nichols,
Lieutenant Commander, Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Navy, 
Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2017-15939 Filed 7-31-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3810-FF-P