[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 246 (Thursday, December 23, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 80799-80800]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-32177]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army
Preparation of the PEIS for Modernization of Training
Infrastructure at P[omacr]hakuloa Training Area, HI
AGENCY: Department of the Army, DoD.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
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SUMMARY: The United States Army Pacific (USARPAC) and United States
Army Garrison, Hawai`i (USAG-HI) intend to prepare a Programmatic
Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) for modernizing training ranges,
training support infrastructure (roads and utilities), and training
support facilities in the cantonment area at P[omacr]hakuloa Training
Area (PTA) to meet better the readiness needs of military units in
Hawai`i. The PEIS will evaluate PTA's long-term vision for modernizing
training ranges, training support infrastructure, and the cantonment
area to improve a current shortfall in collective (group) live-fire
training capabilities for units stationed in Hawai`i. The PEIS also
includes an analysis for constructing and operating an Infantry Platoon
Battle Area (IPBA) that would include an Infantry Platoon Battle Course
(IPBC), Live-fire Shoothouse, and Military Operations on Urban Terrain
(MOUT) facility. The IPBC would augment the existing non-standard IPBC
(located at Range 10 on PTA), which is undersized and cannot be
modernized in its current footprint. The Range 10 IPBC would continue
to be used for non-standard collective live-fire training exercises.
Many of the training ranges and infrastructure at PTA do not meet
current doctrinal training and standard range design requirements. Many
of the range assets at PTA also do not have sufficient throughput
capacity to meet collective live-fire training requirements.
Alternatives analyzed in the PEIS will consider modernizing the
training ranges, training support infrastructure, and the cantonment
area at PTA, and a No Action alternative. Under the No Action
alternative, the Army would continue utilizing current training lands
and facilities as efficiently as possible.
The PEIS will also present a range of alternatives for the IPBA at
either the Western Range Area of PTA, Charlie's Circle, or along the
southwest side of Range 20, or to not build and operate the IPBA at
all.
The primary environmental issues to be analyzed in the PEIS include
(but are not limited to) air quality, traffic, biological resources,
cultural resources, public services and utilities, wildfires, and
hazardous materials and waste. There could be significant impacts to
cultural resources, air quality, and risk from igniting wildfires.
Also, we anticipate that some federally-listed threatened or endangered
plants would be affected. Predicted environmental impacts associated
with implementing the initial range project of constructing and
operating the IPBA will be analyzed to include an increase in vehicle
traffic, air quality impacts, and live-fire activities at currently
underutilized range locations at PTA. The proposed action may increase
the risk of igniting wildfires or may result in a loss of cultural
resources. The Army will identify mitigation measures that could be
implemented to reduce or eliminate adverse impacts to the environmental
resources.
ADDRESSES: Written comments may be addressed to PTA PEIS, P.O. Box 514,
Honolulu, HI 96809; facsimiles may be sent to (808) 545-6808; e-mail
may be addressed to [email protected].
[[Page 80800]]
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: USAG-HI Public Affairs by phone at
(808) 656-3152 during normal business hours Monday through Friday 9
a.m. to 5 p.m. HST.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed action considers modernizing
the training ranges, training support infrastructure, and the
cantonment area at PTA. The Army's proposed action is supportive of
Training Circular 25-8 Training Ranges (TC 25-8), the National Security
Strategy (NSS, 2010) and the Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR 2010);
these strategic documents have been incorporated into the Army's
decision making process. The purpose of the proposed action
(modernization) is to reduce a shortfall in collective live-fire
training capability in Hawai'i and improve the infrastructure that
supports the training capability.
An IPBC is used to train and test infantry platoons, either mounted
or dismounted, on the skills necessary to conduct tactical movement
techniques and detect, identify, engage, and defeat stationary and
moving infantry and armor targets in a tactical array. A standard IPBC
is approximately 500 meter (m) wide at the initial engagement entry
point and 1,500m wide at the final engagement point and 4,000m long.
The Army plans to construct an IPBC that would be 1,000m wide at the
initial engagement entry point to add flexibility for unit commanders
to train against additional objectives supporting combat scenarios
experienced in the contemporary combat environment.
A Live-fire Shoothouse and MOUT facility would be sited in the
immediate vicinity of the IPBC. The Shoothouse would provide Army unit
leaders with a facility to train and evaluate the unit during a live-
fire exercise. Soldiers would fire small arms weapons at targets within
the facility. The range would include associated range operations and
control facilities, an operations/storage building, latrine, and after-
action review (AAR) facility. The primary facility of the Shoothouse
would be a two-story building approximately 4,700 square feet, with
stairways and a roof.
The MOUT facility would include the construction or placement of
approximately 24 modular structures to replicate small villages for
units to complete training tasks in an urban/semi-urban operating
environment. There is no standard design for a MOUT facility. The MOUT
facility footprint at PTA would be approximately 800 feet by 800 feet
or 640,000 square feet.
Predicted environmental impacts associated with the modernization
of PTA may include actions that have both positive (beneficial) and
adverse impacts to the environmental resources at PTA.
Each proposed IPBA live-fire alternative location under
consideration is either in or directly adjacent to the existing impact
area at PTA.
Based on public scoping and factors discussed above, the Army will
refine its range of reasonable alternatives to the extent possible to
accommodate mission requirements. In reaching this decision, the Army
will assess and consider public concerns.
Scoping and Public Comment: All interested members of the public,
including Federally recognized Indian Tribes, Native Hawai`ian groups,
and Federal, state, and local agencies are invited to participate in
the scoping process for the preparation of this PEIS. Written comments
identifying environmental issues, concerns and opportunities to be
analyzed in the PEIS will be accepted for 45 days following publication
of the Notice of Intent in the Federal Register. Scoping meetings will
be held on the Island of Hawai'i. Notification of the times and
locations for the scoping meetings will be published in local
newspapers.
Dated: December 16, 2010.
Hershell E. Wolfe,
Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Environment, Safety, and
Occupational Health).
[FR Doc. 2010-32177 Filed 12-22-10; 8:45 am]
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