[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 213 (Tuesday, November 3, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69634-69636]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-24357]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

[Docket No. USCG-2020-0311]


Notice of Availability of Record of Decision for the Final 
Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement/Supplemental Overseas 
Environmental Impact Statement for Mariana Islands Training and Testing

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is adopting portions of the Navy's Mariana 
Islands Training and Testing (MITT) Final 2020 Supplemental 
Environmental Impact Statement/Supplemental Overseas Environmental 
Impact Statement (SEIS/SOEIS), dated June 2020. The Coast Guard is 
doing this in its role as a cooperating agency to the lead agency, 
which is the Department of the Navy. The Coast Guard is issuing a 
Record of Decision to implement Alternative 2 to fully meet current and 
future training requirements.

DATES: The Coast Guard's Record of Decision is dated October 9, 2020.

ADDRESSES: To view the full text of the ROD or the Final SEIS/SOEIS, go 
to http://www.regulations.gov, insert MITT study area or USCG-2020-0311 
in the ``Keyword'' box, and then click

[[Page 69635]]

``Search.'' Project documents, including the 2020 Final SEIS/SOEIS, are 
also available on the ``2020 Mariana Islands Training and Testing Final 
Supplemental EIS/OEIS'' web page at https://mitt-eis.com/. The 2015 
Final EIS/OEIS can be accessed at https://mitt-eis.com/ as well at the 
``2015 Mariana Islands Training and Testing EIS/OEIS Documents'' web 
page.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information about this Record of 
Decision call or email Ms. Maile Norman, Office of Enforcement, U.S. 
Coast Guard; telephone 1-808-535-3264, email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Abbreviations

CFR Code of Federal Regulations
FR Federal Register
MIRC Mariana Islands Range Complex
MITT Mariana Islands Training and Testing
ROD Record of Decision
SEIS Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement
SOEIS Supplemental Overseas Environmental Impact Statement
U.S.C. United States Code

Background and Legal Basis

    This Coast Guard Record of Decision (ROD) adopts portions of the 
2020 Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement/Supplemental 
Overseas Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS/SOEIS). This is necessary 
because the Coast Guard plans to continue joint and independent 
training and testing in the Mariana Islands Training and Testing (MITT) 
study area with the Navy through at least December 31, 2027. The 
purpose and need for the Coast Guard action is to allow Coast Guard 
personnel to qualify and train, jointly with and independent of the 
Navy, in the effective and safe operational use of Coast Guard vessels, 
aircraft, and weapons under realistic conditions in the area where they 
would operate and to ensure our Nation's maritime safety and security.
    The Coast Guard has broad, multifaceted authority for management of 
activities over all waters subject to jurisdiction of the U.S. Coast 
Guard's law enforcement and national defense mission authority, which 
is based in 14 U.S.C. 102. This section requires the Coast Guard to:
    (1) Enforce federal law in waters of the U.S.;
    (2) Maintain maritime surveillance;
    (3) Enforce safety regulations; and
    (4) ``Maintain a state of readiness to function as a specialized 
service in the Navy in time of war, including the fulfillment of 
Maritime Defense Zone command responsibilities.''
    The Coast Guard conducts search and rescue missions under 
authorities in 14 U.S.C. 102, 502, and 701. These missions are achieved 
in part by conducting training and testing within the MITT study area 
to develop, sharpen, and maintain tactics, coordination, and personnel 
readiness.

Discussion

    The Navy solicited public comment on the Draft SEIS/SOEIS on 
February 1, 2019 (84 FR 1119), and extended the public comment period 
until April 17, 2019 (84 FR 12238). The Navy also scheduled and held 
public meetings (84 FR 8515). The Navy announced its final SEIS/SOEIS 
in the Federal Register on June 5, 2020.
    The MITT SEIS/SOEIS identified and examined the alternatives 
available to achieve the purposes of the training and testing, and 
assessed the potential environmental impact of each. Alternatives 
considered but eliminated were continuing actions at levels identified 
in the 2015 MITT Final EIS/OEIS and ROD, alternative training and 
testing locations, reduced training and testing, alternatives including 
geographic mitigation measures within the study area and simulated 
training and testing only.
    Three alternatives were examined in detail in the SEIS/SOEIS.
    (1) No Action Alternative: Under the no action alternative, the 
Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard would not conduct the proposed 
training and testing activities in the MITT study area. Other military 
activities not associated with either Alternatives 1 or 2 would 
continue to occur. For Farallon de Medinilla, the lease agreement 
between the U.S. Government and the Commonwealth of the Northern 
Mariana Islands would remain in place, and the island would continue to 
be maintained as a Navy range, although strike warfare would no longer 
continue on the island.
    (2) Alternative 1: Alternative 1 reflects a representative year of 
training and testing to account for the typical fluctuation of training 
cycles, testing programs, and deployment schedules that generally limit 
the maximum level of training and testing from occurring for the 
reasonably foreseeable future. Alternative 1 also reflects a level of 
testing activities to be conducted into the reasonably foreseeable 
future, with adjustments from the 2015 MITT Final EIS/OEIS that account 
for changes in the types and tempo (increases or decreases) of testing 
activities to meet current and future military readiness requirements.
    (3) Alternative 2 (Preferred Alternative): Alternative 2 includes 
the same types of training activities as Alternative 1 but also 
considers additional exercises and associated unit-level activities 
should unanticipated emergent world events require increased readiness 
levels. For example, Alternative 2 considers Joint Multi-Strike Group 
Exercises (i.e., Valiant Shield) occurring annually as compared to 
every other year under Alternative 1. Alternative 2 reflects the 
maximum number of training activities that could occur within a given 
year, and assumes that the maximum number of exercises would occur 
annually. Alternative 2 entails a level of testing activities to be 
conducted into the reasonably foreseeable future. Under Alternative 2, 
types and tempos of testing activities would increase compared to 
Alternative 1.
    Under Alternative 2, the Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard will be 
able to meet current and future Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard 
training and testing, including the use of aerial and vessel assets 
conducting anchoring and gunnery training within the MITT study area. 
These actions will allow joint and independent training and testing for 
Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard personnel to establish, maintain, and 
advance readiness in meeting statutory mission requirements. For Coast 
Guard, the MITT study area is composed of established sea-based (at-
sea) ranges along Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana 
Islands and operating areas and special use airspace in the regions of 
the Mariana Islands that are part of the Mariana Islands Range Complex 
(MIRC). The study area also includes a transit corridor that connects 
the MIRC and the Hawaiian Islands Range Complex. For the Navy and Air 
Force, the study area is the same as what is described for the Coast 
Guard but also includes land-based training areas in Guam and the 
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
    Alternative 2 was selected because it fulfills the purpose and need 
of the proposed action and, in combination with avoidance and 
mitigation measures, results in a minimum of environmental impacts.
    This notice is issued under authority of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969 (Section 102(2)(c)), as implemented by the Council 
on Environmental Quality regulations (40 CFR 1500-1508), U.S. Coast 
Guard Environmental Planning Policy (Coast Guard Commandant Instruction 
5090.1), law enforcement and national defense mission authority at 14 
U.S.C. 102, and search and rescue authority at 14 U.S.C. 102, 502, and 
701.


[[Page 69636]]


    Dated: October 22, 2020.
Craig M. O'Brien,
Captain, 14th District, U.S. Coast Guard, Chief of Response.
[FR Doc. 2020-24357 Filed 11-2-20; 8:45 am]
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