[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 74 (Tuesday, April 20, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20487-20488]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-08054]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Air Force


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
Department of the Air Force Infrastructure Upgrades at Andersen Air 
Force Base, Guam

AGENCY: Department of the Air Force, Department of Defense.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The Department of the Air Force (DAF) and the U.S. Navy, 
acting as a Cooperating Agency, are issuing this Notice of Intent to 
prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to assess the potential 
social, economic, and environmental impacts associated with proposed 
Infrastructure Upgrades at Andersen Air Force Base (AFB), Guam. The EIS 
will analyze the potential impacts of constructing proposed 
infrastructure upgrades at Andersen AFB and using this infrastructure 
consistent with existing installation operations once construction is 
completed.

DATES: A public scoping period of 30 days will take place starting from 
the date of this NOI publication in the Federal Register. Comments will 
be accepted at any time during the environmental impact analysis 
process; however, to ensure the DAF has sufficient time to consider 
public scoping comments during preparation of the Draft EIS, please 
submit comments within the 30-day scoping period. The Draft EIS is 
anticipated in late 2021 or early 2022. The Final EIS and a decision on 
the Proposed Action are expected in mid to late 2022.

ADDRESSES: For EIS inquires or requests for printed or digital copies 
of scoping materials please contact Mr. Michael Noah, phone: (830) 358-
6798. The project website (www.AAFBInfrastructureEIS.com) provides 
additional information on the EIS and can be used to submit scoping 
comments. Scoping comments may also be submitted via email to 
[email protected], or via postal mail to 36th Civil 
Engineer Squadron, ATTN: CEV (AAFB Infrastructure EIS), Unit 14007, 
APO, AP 96543-4007. Please submit inquiries or requests for printed or 
digital copies of the scoping materials via the email or postal address 
above. For printed material requests, the standard U.S. Postal Service 
shipping timeline will apply. Please consider the environment before 
requesting printed material.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The DAF intends to prepare an EIS which will 
evaluate the potential impacts associated with the proposed 
construction of infrastructure upgrades at Andersen AFB, Guam, and to 
then use this infrastructure consistent with existing installation 
operations once construction is completed. The purpose of this Proposed 
Action is to enhance Andersen AFB's capability to support permanent and 
rotational forces within the Indo-Pacific and strengthen the U.S.'s 
ability to respond regionally and worldwide, in alignment with evolving 
DAF and Department of Defense initiatives for the region. To enhance 
Andersen AFB's capability to support permanent and rotational forces, 
the Air Force needs to upgrade mission-related infrastructure. These 
upgrades include providing additional capability for parking, storing, 
maintaining, refueling, loading, and unloading aircraft at the airfield 
as well as for storing munitions. The DAF is the National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA) lead agency, and the U.S. Navy is a cooperating 
agency for this EIS process.
    Under this proposal, the DAF is considering new infrastructure 
upgrades adjacent to the northwest corner of the airfield and within 
the munitions storage area at Andersen AFB. Construction would take 
place over approximately 7 years and would include airfield pavements, 
an aircraft hangar, maintenance and utilities buildings, fuel systems, 
fencing and utilities, roadways and parking, storm water management 
infrastructure, and earth covered magazines. Approximately 204 total 
acres would be disturbed during construction, which would be either 
developed sites or maintained vegetation once construction is complete. 
The infrastructure would accommodate aircraft types and flight 
operations that have been addressed under previously prepared National 
Environmental Policy Act documentation for Andersen AFB,

[[Page 20488]]

such as bombers, tankers, and fighters. The DAF considered other 
locations on Andersen AFB for construction of infrastructure upgrades; 
however, only the Proposed Action locations were determined to meet the 
criteria for the infrastructure upgrades. The No Action Alternative 
will be addressed in the EIS as well.
    Additional review and consultation which will be incorporated into 
the preparation of the Draft EIS will include, but are not necessarily 
limited to, consultation under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act 
and consultation under Section 106 of the National Historic 
Preservation Act. The DAF will conduct cultural and natural resources 
surveys in the areas proposed for upgrades and consult with appropriate 
resource agencies to determine the potential for significant impacts on 
those resources. During construction, the DAF anticipates an increased 
demand on the construction workforce and an increase in local spending. 
Currently, no other short- or long-term notable impacts are 
anticipated. Additional analysis will be provided in the Draft EIS.
    Scoping and Agency Coordination: To effectively define the full 
range of issues to be evaluated in the EIS, the Air Force will 
determine the scope of the analysis by soliciting comments from 
interested local, territorial, and federal elected officials and 
agencies, as well as interested members of the public and others. 
Comments are requested on potential alternatives and impacts, and 
identification of any relevant information, studies, or analyses of any 
kind concerning impacts affecting the quality of the human environment. 
Concurrent with the publication of this notice of intent, public 
scoping notices will be announced locally. In response to the 
coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the United States and the Center for 
Disease Control's recommendations for social distancing and avoiding 
large public gatherings, the DAF will not hold in-person public scoping 
meetings. Public scoping will instead be accomplished remotely, in 
accordance with the 2020 version of 40 CFR1506.6, via the project 
website at www.AAFBInfrastructureEIS.com. The website provides posters, 
a presentation, an informational brochure, in English and Chamorro, 
other meeting materials, and the capability for the public to provide 
public scoping comments. Scoping materials are also available in print 
at the Nieves M. Flores Memorial Library (254 Martyr Street, 
Hag[aring]t[ntilde]a, Guam).

Adriane Paris,
Acting Air Force Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2021-08054 Filed 4-19-21; 8:45 am]
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