U.S. Pacific Command; Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for Proposed Actions at Bellows Air Force Station, Waimanalo, HI

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary

U.S. Pacific Command; Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact

Statement for Proposed Actions at Bellows Air Force Station, Waimanalo,

HI

Pursuant to section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental Policy

Act (NEPA) of 1969, as implemented by the Council on Environmental

Quality regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), the U.S. Pacific Command,

announces its intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)

for proposed actions at Bellows Air Force Station (AFS), Waimanalo,

Hawaii.

The actions to be covered in the EIS form a land use plan and

development of Bellows AFS that: (1) Provide contiguous land, beach,

and water areas of sufficient size and configuration to meet Marine

Corps and other military training requirements; (2) provide a site for

military family housing; and (3) provide new construction and

improvements to existing recreational assets within the present

recreation area. The EIS will analyze reasonable alternatives to meet

these objectives and assess their separate and cumulative environmental

impacts.

There are three major action components to the land use plan. The

first is reconfiguration of training areas at Bellows AFS, which

includes expansion into the site now occupied by communication

facilities. Currently, training activities at Bellows AFS include

amphibious landings, inland maneuver and tactics by foot and vehicle,

engineer/motor transport training, use of pyrotechnics and blank

ammunition, helicopter operations and support, and military operations

in urban terrain. However, the existing acreage and figuration of the

training area does not meet Marine Corps training standards. To achieve

established standards for these and other types of training, additional

land area at Bellow AFS is required. The reallocation of about 500

acres from other areas at Bellows AFS to training use will help meet

these requirements. Alternatives include use of other locations other

than at Bellows AFS, other training configurations at Bellows AFS (for

example, movement through different areas), use of other types of

equipment, and no action.

An alternative within the training component to the land use plan

is the use of approximately 130 acres of the newly redesignated

training area at Bellows AFS by the Hawaii Army National Guard. The

National Guard has plans to relocate its existing Hawaii Military

Academy training facilities from the existing site to 130 acres,

thereby using the Air Force communication building as a replacement

facility. The Hawaii Army National Guard also has a long-range proposal

to establish a youth training center in the communication area. All of

the 130 acres would be available for joint use by the military, and the

beach front area would continue to be open to the public.

The second component to be covered in the EIS is provision of a

site sized for 250 military family housing units, with a potential for

expansion up to a maximum of 500 units. Two alternative sites at

Bellows AFS are being considered, as well as sites other than at

Bellows AFS and no action.

Improvement of recreational facilities and activities is the third

component of the land use plan and developments. The acreage presently

designated for recreational use, as well as existing public access to

the beach at Bellows AFS, would be retained. Specific recreational

facilities would be improved or newly constructed within the existing

recreation areas of Bellows AFS. Alternatives include relocating or

reducing recreational facilities proposed for construction, changing

the locations designated for recreation to permit other uses such as

training, and no action.

Additional infrastructure and base facilities would be constructed

to support the planned land use and development of Bellows AFS. This

would include roads, parking, water and sewage systems, and warehouse

or administrative buildings.

Environmental issues to be addressed will include, but not be

limited to, effects on cultural resources, terrestrial and aquatic

habitats, threatened or endangered species, water quality,

infrastructure, traffic, noise, and the socioeconomic environment.

Direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts will be analyzed, and

mitigation measures will be developed as required.

The U.S. Pacific Command will initiate a scoping process to

identify significant issues related to the proposed actions for study

in EIS, and to identify and notify interested and affected parties of

the EIS process. Two public scoping meetings will be held:

March 30, 1994, 7 p.m., Waimanalo Elementary & Intermediate School

Cafeteria, 41-1330 Kalanianaole Highway, Waimanalo, Hawaii

March 31, 1994, 7 p.m., Washington Intermediate School Cafeteria, 1633

S. King Street, Honolulu, Hawaii

The meeting will open with a short presentation on the purpose of

the actions and the alternatives to be evaluated, followed by a period

for public comment. It is important that interested agencies,

individuals, and organizations take this opportunity to identify

environmental concerns that should be addressed. To allow time for all

views to be shared, each speaker will be limited to five minutes for

oral comments.

Interested parties are also invited and encouraged to provide

written comments in addition to, or in lieu of, oral comments at the

public meetings. Scoping comments should clearly describe specific

issues or topics that the EIS should address. Written statements and/or

questions regarding the scoping process should be mailed no later than

April 15, 1994, to Mr. Stanley Uehara (Code 232), Pacific Division,

Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Pearl Harbor, HI 96860; telephone

(808) 471-9338; fax (808) 474-4890.

Dated: March 3, 1994.

Patricia L. Toppings,

Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.

[FR Doc. 94-5334 Filed 3-8-94; 8:45 am]

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