[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 81 (Friday, April 26, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24734-24735]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-09827]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army
Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Construction and
Operation of an Infantry Platoon Battle Course at P[omacr]hakuloa
Training Area, Hawai`i
AGENCY: Department of the Army, DoD.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Pacific (USARPAC) and U.S. Army Garrison,
Hawai`i, (USAG-HI) propose to construct and operate a modern Infantry
Platoon Battle Course (IPBC) and associated infrastructure that is
compliant with current Army training requirements at P[omacr]hakuloa
Training Area (PTA), Hawai`i. The proposed IPBC would support the live-
fire collective training needs of the Army, Army Reserve, and Hawai`i
Army National Guard, as well as other Service components that are
stationed or train in Hawai`i.
Two alternatives were analyzed in the EIS: the Western Range Area
Alternative (preferred) and the Charlie Circle Alternative. Both
proposed IPBC alternative locations are in under-utilized portions of
the PTA impact area where no ranges currently exist. These locations
have been exposed to indirect munitions fire, and the proposed action
would reclaim portions of the impact area to construct the IPBC. A
third alternative analyzed in the Draft Programmatic Environmental
Impact Statement (PEIS), Southwest of Range 20, is not operationally
feasible and has been eliminated from the Final EIS. The Army also
considered a No Action Alternative to not build the IPBC. For all
alternatives (except for the No Action), the IPBC would be used for 242
training days per year.
The Army identified and analyzed environmental and socioeconomic
impacts associated with the proposed IPBC. The major potential
environmental impacts are to air quality, cultural sites, threatened
and endangered species, encountering munitions and explosives of
concern, and igniting wildfires. Cultural resources could also be
significantly impacted. The Army consulted with the USFWS on potential
mitigation measures to protect federally-listed species. The USFWS
issued a Biological Opinion (BO) pursuant to Section 7 of the
Endangered Species Act on January 11, 2013. The Army also consulted
with the State Historic Preservation Division, Advisory Council on
Historic Preservation, and other consulting parties, including Native
Hawaiian organizations, about potential effects on cultural resources
and mitigation of those effects. The Army and the consulting parties
are in the process of signing a Programmatic Agreement (PA) pursuant to
Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. The PA
establishes how the remaining steps to the Section 106 consultation
will be completed and the mitigation measures for the potential adverse
effects on cultural resources. The PA will be signed prior to the Army
issuing a Record of Decision for the proposed action.
DATES: The waiting period for the Final EIS will end 30 days after
publication of the NOA in the Federal Register by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency.
[[Page 24735]]
ADDRESSES: Written comments may be addressed to PTA EIS, P.O. Box 514,
Honolulu, HI 96809 or by email to [email protected].
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: USAG-HI Public Affairs Office by phone
at (808) 656-3152 Monday through Friday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Hawai`i
Standard Time (HST).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The IPBC would be used to train and test
infantry platoons and other units on the skills necessary to conduct
collective (group) tactical movement techniques, and to detect,
identify, engage, and defeat stationary and moving infantry and armor
targets in a tactical array. Soldiers would engage targets with small
arms, machine guns, and other weapon systems as part of live-fire
exercises. This includes air-ground integration where Soldiers
maneuvering on the IPBC can coordinate air support. In addition to
live-fire, the range would also be used for training with sub-caliber
and/or laser training devices. This type of training is mission
essential for Soldiers to be prepared to encounter threats during
combat operations overseas.
The Draft PEIS included a programmatic level analysis of future
modernization of ranges, training and support infrastructure, and the
Cantonment Area. A number of factors caused the Army to reconsider the
programmatic portion of this analysis: the highly uncertain nature of
the future projects in the modernization program, a rapidly changing
austere fiscal environment, as well as the many public and agency
comments received on the Draft PEIS. After thorough consideration of
all of these factors, Army leadership has decided to defer analysis of
the programmatic portion of the EIS.
In the 2011 Draft PEIS, the IPBC was analyzed as part of a larger
Infantry Platoon Battle Area (IPBA), which included a Military
Operations on Urban Terrain (MOUT) Assault Course and a live-fire
Shoothouse facility. Due to funding constraints, the MOUT Assault
Course and Shoothouse facility are no longer part of the project.
Further NEPA analysis will occur when funding becomes available for
these projects and sites are identified. A third IPBC alternative
analyzed in the Draft PEIS, Southwest of Range 20, was subsequently
found not to be operationally feasible and it was eliminated from the
Final EIS.
The Record of Decision will be published no sooner than 30 days
after publication of the notice of availability of the Final EIS in the
Federal Register by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The
Record of Decision will include final mitigation measures the Army will
adopt. Copies of the Final EIS are available at the following
libraries: Hilo Public Library, 300 Waianuenue Avenue, Hilo; Kailua-
Kona Public Library, 75-138 Hualalai Road, Kailua-Kona; Thelma Parker
Memorial Public and School Library, 67-1209 Mamalahoa Highway, Kamuela;
and Hawai`i State Library, 478 South King Street, Honolulu. A copy of
the Final EIS can be accessed online at http://www.garrison.hawaii.army.mil/pta_peis/default.htm.
Brenda S. Bowen,
Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2013-09827 Filed 4-25-13; 8:45 am]
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