Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Enhancement of the Capability of the Pacific Missile Range Facility, Kauai, HI To Conduct Missile Defense Testing and Training Activities

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Navy

Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for

the Enhancement of the Capability of the Pacific Missile Range

Facility, Kauai, HI To Conduct Missile Defense Testing and Training

Activities

SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental

Policy Act of 1969 as implemented in the Council on Environmental

Quality regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), the Department of the

Navy announces its intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement

(EIS) for the enhancement of the capability of the Pacific Missile

Range Facility (PMRF), Kauai, Hawaii to conduct missile defense testing

and training activities. Agencies invited to cooperate in the

preparation of this EIS include the Department of the Army, Department

of the Air Force, Ballistic Missile Defense Organization, Coast Guard,

Department of the Interior, Department of Energy, Federal Aviation

Administration, and the State of Hawaii.

The 42,000-square-mile range, located on the west and north side of

Kauai and in the adjacent ocean area, is currently operated as a

missile test and training facility by the Navy. Congress has directed

the Navy to develop a Theater Ballistic Missile Defense Program (TBMD).

Implementing the program at PMRF is in accordance with the Senate

Report 103-321 on the 1995 Defense Appropriations Bill, which

designated PMRF as ``the primary test range for the completion of Navy

(TBMD) flight tests.''

The proposed action is to enhance the capability of PMRF to allow

testing and training for the Navy's TBMD program and for the overall

DoD Theater Missile Defense (TMD) program. The no-action alternative is

the continuation of PMRF's current activities in support of existing

DoD test and training programs. This EIS will examine environmental

impacts of developing and operating potential launch sites and tracking

stations/areas. Areas being considered for the launch and/or

instrumentation sites include: (1) Kauai and the Hawaiian Islands, (2)

other Pacific land-based support locations, and (3) ocean areas within

and outside U.S. territorial waters.

The distances between PMRF and some of the locations under

consideration may exceed limitations in current international

agreements related to distances for target missile flights, but they

will not exceed distances to the anticipated areas of operations. Any

testing would comply with current U.S. policy concerning compliance

with treaties and international agreements.

In accordance with Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS) Chapter 343, the

Governor of Hawaii has determined that an EIS is required. Since the

State and Federal actions and decisions are interconnected, the

analyses will be documented in a single joint EIS. The decisions to be

made by the State of Hawaii are: (1) Whether to revise the existing

restrictive easement with the Navy to extend the easement term from

January 1, 2003 to December 31, 2030, and (2) Whether to extend and/or

revise other Navy leases and concur with or grant approvals as may be

required for Navy use of lands in the Northwestern Hawaiian chain, to

support the enhancement of PMRF to facilitate development and testing

of TMD systems.

The objective of the EIS is to describe and evaluate environmental

impacts of existing activities at the range (the no-action

alternative), describe the alternatives for enhancing the range for

purposes of testing TBMD systems, and evaluate the environmental

impacts from various enhancement alternatives. Environmental resource

areas that will be addressed in the EIS include air quality; biological

resources, including threatened and endangered species; cultural

resources; geology and soils; hazardous materials and waste; health and

safety; land use; noise; socioeconomics; transportation, including

airspace; utilities; visual and aesthetic resources; and water quality.

The Navy will host four scoping meetings to solicit input on

significant issues that should be addressed in the EIS. Each scoping

meeting will provide opportunities for clarification of the EIS and

alternatives and solicit input from representatives of government

agencies and interested individuals. The Navy will set up information

stations at these scoping meetings. Each information station will be

attended by a Navy representative who will be available to answer

questions from meeting attendees. Comments will be entered into the

official record via written comment sheets available at each meeting.

Written comments will also be accepted via mail or fax. Regardless of

the commenting method chosen, all comments will receive the same

attention and consideration during EIS preparation.

The four public scoping meetings will be held at the following

times and locations: (1) June 17 from 4:00-8:00 pm at the Waimea

Neighborhood Center, Waimea, Kauai; (2) June 19 from 4:00-8:00 pm at

the Kilauea Neighborhood Center, Kilauea, Kauai; (3) June 21 from 1:00-

4:00 pm at the Wilcox Elementary School Cafeteria, Lihue, Kauai; and

(4) June 23 from 4:00-8:00 pm at the US Army Reserve Center Assembly

Hall, Room 101, Ft. Schafter Flats, Ft. Schafter, Oahu.

ADDRESSES: Agencies and the public are encouraged to provide written

comments. To be most helpful, comments should clearly describe specific

issues or topics that the EIS

[[Page 28452]]

should address. Please mail written comments to: Vida Mossman, Pacific

Missile Range Facility, P.O. Box 128, Kekaha, Kauai, Hawaii, 96752-

0128, or send by facsimile at (808) 335-4660. Please postmark comments

by June 23, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Additional information concerning this

notice may be obtained by contacting Vida Mossman, Pacific Missile

Range Facility, P.O. Box 128, Kekaha, Kauai, Hawaii, 96752-0128,

telephone (808) 335-4740.

Dated: May 20, 1997.

D. E. Koenig,

LCDR, JAG, USN, Federal Register Liaison Officer.

[FR Doc. 97-13639 Filed 5-22-97; 8:45 am]

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