[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 208 (Monday, October 28, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 85523-85524]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-25027]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary


Notice of Availability of Draft Environmental Impact Statement 
for the Enhanced Integrated Air and Missile Defense System on Guam

AGENCY: Missile Defense Agency (MDA), Department of Defense (DoD).

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The MDA, as the lead agency, announces the availability of the 
Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) (EISX-007-20-MDA-1725955966) 
for the proposed construction, deployment, and operation and 
maintenance of an Enhanced Integrated Air and Missile Defense (EIAMD) 
System on Guam (Proposed Action). The United States Army (USA), the 
United States Navy (USNAV), the United States Air Force (USAF), and the 
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are cooperating agencies on this 
Draft EIS. The Draft EIS was prepared in accordance with the National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA); the Council on Environmental 
Quality Regulations for Implementing the Procedural Provisions of NEPA; 
and the agency implementing procedures of MDA, USA, USNAV, USAF, and 
FAA. The Draft EIS also supports compliance with the National Historic 
Preservation Act of 1966 (NHPA) and its implementing regulations.

DATES: The 75-day public comment period will be from October 25, 2024, 
to January 8, 2025. Comments must be postmarked or received on or 
before January 8, 2025 to ensure consideration in the Final EIS.

ADDRESSES: Written comments may be submitted by: Email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#3b52555d547b7e727a767f16075a1b53495e5d06" http: EIS.com">EIS.com</a>">info@EIAMD-EIS.com</a>, Online form: www.EIAMD-EIS.com, Mail: ManTech International 
Corporation, Attention: EIAMD EIS Project Support, PMB 403, 1270 N. 
Marine Corps Drive, Suite 101, Tamuning, Guam 96913-4331. Comments will 
also be accepted at the open house public meetings. The public meetings 
will be held at the following locations: (1) November 13, 2024, 
H[aring]gat Mayor's Office Community Center Building 393, Route 2, 
H[aring]gat, Guam; (2) November 14, 2024, Hilton Guam Resort 
Micronesian Room, 202 Hilton Road,

[[Page 85524]]

Tumon Bay, Guam; (3) November 15, 2024, Dededo Senior Center, 319 
Iglesia Circle, Dededo, Guam. Mr. Mark Wright, MDA Public Affairs, at 
571-231-8212 or by email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#675b06470f1502015a" http: mda.info">mda.info</a>@mda.mil">mda.info@mda.mil</a>, may be contacted 
regarding the public meetings. All comments, including names and 
addresses, will be included in the administrative record, but to 
protect your personal information, addresses and phone numbers will be 
kept confidential unless release is otherwise required by law.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Mark Wright, MDA Public Affairs, 
at 571-231-8212, or by email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#625e03420a1007045f" http: mda.info">mda.info</a>@mda.mil">mda.info@mda.mil</a>. For more information, 
including a downloadable copy of the Draft EIS, visit the MDA website: 
https://www.mda.mil/system/eiamd.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Proposed Action and Alternative within the 
context of homeland defense, Guam is a key strategic location for 
sustaining and maintaining United States (U.S.) capabilities, deterring 
adversaries, responding to crises, and maintaining a free and open 
Indo-Pacific. An attack on Guam would be considered a direct attack on 
the U.S. and would be met with an appropriate response. Current U.S. 
forces are capable of defending Guam against regional ballistic missile 
threats. However, regional missile threats continue to increase and 
advance technologically. The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command identified a 
requirement for a 360-degree EIAMD capability on Guam as soon as 
possible to address the rapid evolution of adversary missile threats.
    In the Draft EIS, MDA, in coordination with cooperating agencies, 
evaluated the potential environmental impacts associated with the 
Proposed Action as well as a No Action Alternative. The Proposed Action 
includes the construction, deployment, and operations and maintenance 
of a comprehensive, persistent, 360-degree EIAMD system to defend the 
people, infrastructure, and territory of Guam against the rapidly 
evolving threats of advanced cruise, ballistic, and hypersonic missile 
attacks from regional adversaries. The proposed system includes a 
combination of components from the MDA, USA, and USNAV, including 
missile defense radars, sensors, missile launchers and missile 
interceptors, and command and control systems. The MDA and USA need to 
strategically locate and integrate the various system components at 
multiple sites around Guam. To meet the purpose and need of the 
Proposed Action, MDA and USA have identified 16 proposed sites on 
Guam--eight are on Naval Base Guam (NBG), including the NBG Munitions 
Site, six are on Andersen Air Force Base, and two are on Marine Corps 
Base Camp Blaz. The proposed EIAMD system components, associated 
support facilities (e.g., maintenance buildings, entry control, 
administrative buildings), and infrastructure (e.g., utility 
infrastructure, fuel storage facilities, water storage facilities) 
would be distributed across the proposed sites. Additionally, airspace 
restrictions would be necessary at sites where radars would be located 
to ensure that aircraft would not encounter high-intensity radiation 
fields (HIRF) resulting from the radar operations that exceed FAA's 
HIRF certification standards for aircraft electrical and electronic 
systems.
    The environmental analysis in the Draft EIS addresses the following 
environmental resource areas: airspace management, health and safety, 
cultural, terrestrial biological, socioeconomics, environmental justice 
and protection of children, land use and recreation, transportation, 
visual quality, utilities, air quality, climate change, noise, water, 
and geology and soils. Mitigation measures that, if employed, could 
avoid, minimize, or mitigate potential environmental impacts resulting 
from the Proposed Action are also analyzed in the Draft EIS. The Draft 
EIS only analyzes peacetime operations.
    The MDA and the USA, as the action proponents, are coordinating and 
consulting with appropriate Federal agencies as required by the 
Endangered Species Act, Coastal Zone Management Act, Clean Water Act, 
Clean Air Act, and other laws and regulations determined to be 
applicable to the project. This public comment period also supports 
compliance with Section 106 of the NHPA and its implementing 
regulations. The USNAV has determined that the proposed undertaking 
shall follow The Programmatic Agreement Among the Commander, Navy 
Region Marianas, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, and the 
Guam Historic Preservation Officer, Regarding Navy Undertakings on the 
Island of Guam (2008) to fulfill Section 106 responsibilities and to 
avoid, minimize, and/or mitigate effects on historic properties. 
Members of the public are welcome to provide input.
    The MDA intends to publish the Final EIS in summer 2025 and sign a 
Record of Decision following the 30-day Final EIS waiting period.
    Public Participation Invited: The MDA invites all interested 
members of the public, as well as Federal and territorial agencies, to 
comment on the Draft EIS and the project's potential to affect historic 
properties pursuant to Section 106 of the NHPA. The Draft EIS is 
available for public review on the MDA website at www.mda.mil/system/eiamd and at the following public libraries: (1) University of Guam 
Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Library, UOG Station, Mangilao, Guam 96913; 
(2) Nieves M. Flores Memorial Library, 254 Martyr St., Agana, Guam 
96910.
    In support of NEPA and NHPA Section 106 requirements, the MDA and 
cooperating agencies will host three in-person open house public 
meetings in Guam. Similar to the scoping meetings held in August 2023, 
the open-house format will include poster stations staffed by MDA and 
representatives of the cooperating agencies who can provide information 
and answer questions about the Proposed Action and the findings in the 
Draft EIS.
    The public meetings will be held as follows: (1) November 13, 2024, 
from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. Chamorro Standard Time (ChST) at H[aring]gat 
Mayor's Office Community Center Building 393, Route 2, H[aring]gat, 
Guam; (2) November 14, 2024, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. ChST at Hilton Guam 
Resort Micronesian Room, 202 Hilton Road, Tumon Bay, Guam; (3) November 
15, 2024, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. ChST at Dededo Senior Center, 319 
Iglesia Circle, Dededo, Guam. Attendees will be able to submit oral and 
written comments during the public meetings. Official oral comments 
will be recorded by a court reporter in a one-on-one setting.

    Dated: October 23, 2024.
Aaron T. Siegel,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 2024-25027 Filed 10-24-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6001-FR-P


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