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CNMI officials cautioned against ‘Tinian or nothing’ approach on divert base issue
Consultants cautioned CNMI officials yesterday against taking a “Tinian or nothing” approach on a proposal by the U.S. Air Force to designate Saipan or Tinian as preferred site for an alternate airfield in the event that access to Guam’s Andersen Air Force Base is limited or denied.
The Air Force, in a draft environmental impact study, identified Saipan as the “preferred Alternative 1” and Tinian as “preferred Alternative 2” for a divert or contingency airfield for the Air Force.
Many CNMI officials, including Gov. Benigno R. Fitial, prefer that the divert airfield be located on Tinian where two-thirds of the lands are already leased by the U.S. military.
But Fitial and other officials said they welcome having the divert airfield anywhere in the CNMI.
Mike Hrapla of Matrix Design Group, in a presentation about the draft EIS at the Legislature yesterday afternoon, cautioned CNMI leaders about the “Tinian or nothing” or “All or nothing” approach because the Air Force might just designate a divert airfield outside the CNMI and this means the CNMI will lose out on over $100 million in minimum investments from the military.
Hrapla reminded lawmakers that the direction that the governor said is that “it’s not all or nothing.”
“It’s a position you don’t want to be in,” he told reporters. Matrix Group is the CNMI government’s consultant on the divert base issue.
Hrapla echoed Fitial’s statement that the CNMI is receptive to the U.S. military’s plan, although there is preference for Tinian over Saipan.
CNMI Military Integrated Management Council coordinator Tom Linden, along with Farah Younis, accompanied Hrapla and Celeste Boccieri-Werner at the presentation before lawmakers led by acting House Speaker Felicidad Ogumoro (Cov-Saipan) and Senate President Paul Manglona.
Hrapla explained to lawmakers the National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA, process, among other things. But he said there is also a political and public outreach components that will also be among the bases for coming up with a final EIS.
Linden said the administration will be submitting its formal comment today on the draft EIS.
The Air Force will prepare its final EIS between July and October, for the release notice of availability for final EIS. A record of decision is expected in December.
Fitial met with Assistant Secretary for the Air Force Terry Yonkers in Washington, D.C. to make his renewed push for Tinian to serve as the preferred site of the proposed divert activities.
But he also reiterated that the CNMI has been and will continue to provide support for all military initiatives as the nation and Department of Defense pivot toward the Pacific.
The islands of Saipan and Tinian played major roles during World War II and Tinian in specific had the world’s busiest airport during the war.
The 110-page “Draft Environmental Impact Assessment for Proposed Divert Activities and Exercises, Guam and Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands” was released in June.
