Inos urges public input before EIS comment deadline

The administration of Gov. Eloy S. Inos urged the public on Wednesday to share their written comments for the proposed live-fire training on Tinian and Pagan, as the Oct. 1 deadline draws nearer, about two weeks away.

“The deadline to submit written comments on the proposed CJMT live-fire training proposal is Oct. 1, 2015, and there is still time for the public to submit written comments,” Inos said in a statement.

“It is very important for the people of the Northern Mariana Islands to let their opinions be heard and to participate in the environmental impact analysis process,” he added.

The CNMI government continues to work with its consultants and making the final edits on the CNMI’s formal response to the U.S. Department of Defense’s proposal to train Marines in the Northern Mariana Islands.

These consultants, Dentons US LLC, have urged the public to specify their concerns with their written comments.

Public concerns on U.S. military live-fire plans will provide substance to the administrative record used in lawsuits against the Department of Navy should they stomp ahead with plans adverse to the economic, social, and environmental wishes of the CNMI.

A resident can frame his or her comments in several ways.

-One, the military has a duty under law to consider all reasonable alternatives to what it is proposing—not just what it likes, prefers, or finds easiest. For example, the U.S. military has focused solely on Tinian and Pagan. If the public would like them to look at another location that can be made clear and explicit in one’s comments.

-Second, there is analysis of impacts. The military has a responsibility to analyze and evaluate the significance of all reasonably foreseeable impacts, which can be broad and described as “short term, long term, or cumulative.” If the conclusions the military reaches on impacts appear lacking, the public can point to ready-available data or “on the ground” knowledge that the military failed to consider.

-Third, there is mitigation of impacts. If the public has ideas on how impacts can be lessened, or would like more clarity on how their fishing or access to fishing areas would be impacted by the dredging and loss of coral reefs, for example, they are urged to comment on these concerns. The public is urged to provide information about impacted places or resources that they feel the military has not taken into account.

Public comment is an integral part of the National Environmental Policy Act process, which compels federal agencies to make clear their plans and its impacts to a community and the environment.

Typhoons Nangka and Soudelor resulted in officials with the Marine Corp Forces Pacific command twice granting extensions to the public comment period.

Comments can be submitted in writing to:

1. Dentons & Environmental Science Associates at: http://www.cnmieis.org/submit-comments.html

2. Pacific Command/Joint Region Marianas at: http://www.cnmijointmilitarytrainingeis.com/get-involved.

3. By mail to:

Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Pacific

Attn: 09PA, Public Affairs Office

258 Makalapa Drive, Suite 100
JBPHH, HI 96860-3134