Hearing on impact of increased military presence held tonight

Officials from the U.S. Navy will be holding a public hearing tonight at the Multi-Purpose Center in Susupe to discuss the Mariana Islands Range Complex Environmental Impact Statement.

The 45-day comment period on the statement began on Jan. 30 and ends on March 16, 2009.

The training and testing range complex includes land, air and sea areas on and around Guam, Rota, Tinian, Saipan and Farrallon de Medinilla.

Before any increase in military activity or presence in the Marianas, the military must determine what impact those activities will have on the environment, which comprises not just water resources, air quality, marine mammals, sea turtles, fish and essential fish habitat, seabirds and shorebirds and plants, but also the economic well-being, cultural resources and the health and safety of people living in the CNMI and Guam.

The study identifies aspects that could act as “stressors” to the environment.

This early, some CNMI residents have expressed concern about the possible entry of more brown tree snakes from Guam, effects on sea turtles, humpback whales and other species, and water contamination, among other things.

However, the draft environmental impact statement/overseas environmental impact statement says “no significant impacts are identified for any resource area in any geographic location within the MIRC study area that cannot be mitigated, with the exception of exposure of marine mammals to underwater sound.”

The draft EIS/OEIS says that “existing hazardous materials and waste management systems are sufficient for handling of wastes generated,” and that there’s “no significant harm to water quality” and “air quality.”

It also says the proposed action has no significant harm to fish populations or habitat, seabirds and shorebirds, among other things.

The MIRC EIS/OEIS document is different from the Guam and CNMI Marine Relocation EIS/OEIS for the relocation of Marine forces from Okinawa to Guam, which has been estimated to cost as much as $15 billion. The relocation EIS/OEIS is still being worked on.

A public hearing will be held on Tinian tomorrow in the cafeteria of Tinian Elementary School.

On Rota, the public hearing will be on Thursday in the Sinapalo Elementary School cafeteria.

A copy of the draft MIRC IEIS/OEIS can be accessed online at http://www.marianasrangecomplexeis.com/otherresources.aspx.