Record of Decision for the Schofield Generating Station Project Final Environmental Impact Statement, United States Army Garrison-Hawaii, 6243 [2016-02041]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
• Department of the Army

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 24 (Friday, February 5, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Page 6243]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-02041]



[[Page 6243]]

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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army


Record of Decision for the Schofield Generating Station Project 
Final Environmental Impact Statement, United States Army Garrison--
Hawaii

AGENCY: Department of the Army, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Department of the Army announces the availability of the 
Record of Decision (ROD) to lease land and grant easements on Schofield 
Barracks and Wheeler Army Airfield to Hawaiian Electric Company 
(Hawaiian Electric) for the construction, ownership, operation, and 
maintenance of a 50-megawatt (MW) capacity, biofuel-capable generating 
station, referred to as the Schofield Generating Station, and 
associated power poles, high-tension power lines, and related equipment 
and facilities. The action was the preferred alternative identified in 
the final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for proposed Schofield 
Generating Station Project (SGSP). The ROD identifies the potential 
environmental and socioeconomic impacts associated with the SGSP, none 
of which were determined to be significant adverse effects.
    The selected action will provide improved energy security to the 
Army and citizens of Oahu, support renewable energy goals, and improve 
future electrical generation capabilities on Oahu by providing a new 
secure, firm, dispatchable, flexible, and renewable energy generation 
to the grid on Oahu, Hawaii. Implementation of the preferred 
alternative will not result in significant impacts. The Army and 
Hawaiian Electric will implement numerous best management practices to 
avoid or minimize adverse environmental effects.

ADDRESSES: The ROD can be downloaded at https://www.garrison.hawaii.army.mil/schofieldplant. Written requests to obtain 
a copy of the ROD may be sent to Department of the Army, Directorate of 
Public Works, U.S. Army Garrison--Hawaii, ATTN: IMHW-PWE (L. Graham), 
947 Wright Avenue, Wheeler Army Airfield, Schofield Barracks, HI 96857-
5013 or email them to usaghi.comrel@gmail.com.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Please contact Ms. Lisa Graham, NEPA 
Coordinator, U.S. Army Garrison--Hawaii. Ms. Graham can be reached by 
phone at (808) 656-3075, or by email at usaghi.comrel@gmail.com.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The EIS examined the potential environmental 
and socioeconomic impacts from implementing the proposed action, which 
is for the Army to lease of 8.13 acres of land and grant a 2.5-acre 
interconnection easement to Hawaiian Electric Company (Hawaiian 
Electric) on Schofield Barracks and Wheeler Army Airfield for the 
construction, ownership, operation, and maintenance of a 50-megawatt 
(MW) capacity, biofuel-capable generating station, referred to as the 
Schofield Generating Station, and associated power poles, high-tension 
power lines, and related equipment and facilities (together, the 
Schofield Generating Station Project [SGSP]).
    The selected action best meets the Army's needs to provide improved 
energy security to the U.S. Army Garrison--Hawaii at Schofield 
Barracks, Wheeler Army Airfield, and Field Station Kunia and to provide 
new secure, firm, flexible, and renewable energy generation to the grid 
on Oahu, Hawaii. The selected action will also assist the Army in 
supporting renewable energy-related laws and Executive Orders and 
meeting its renewable energy goals; assist Hawaiian Electric in meeting 
the Hawaii Renewable Portfolio Standard goals; and improve future 
electrical generation on Oahu.
    The electricity produced by the SGSP will ordinarily supply power 
to all Hawaiian Electric customers through the island-wide electrical 
grid. During outages that meet the criteria specified in the Operating 
Agreement between the Army and Hawaiian Electric, SGSP output would 
first be provided to Army facilities at Schofield Barracks, Wheeler 
Army Airfield, and Field Station Kunia up to their peak demand of 32 
MW, to meet their missions, and would additionally support the grid up 
to the station's full capacity. If there were a full island outage, the 
generating station could be used to restart other generating stations 
on the island.
    The ROD incorporates analysis contained in the final EIS for the 
proposed SGSP, which considered all comments provided during formal 
comment and review periods. The ROD also considered all comments 
provided during the 30-day waiting period that was initiated when the 
Notice of Availability for the final EIS was published in the Federal 
Register (80 FR 68863) on November 6, 2015.
    The Army took this material into account in making its decision, 
but determined that it did not constitute significant new information 
relevant to environmental concerns that would require supplementation 
of the final EIS. Comments received and the Army evaluation of those 
comments are summarized in the ROD.
    The final EIS evaluated the impacts on land use; airspace use; 
visual resources; air quality, including climate and greenhouse gasses; 
noise; traffic and transportation; water resources; geology and soils; 
biological resources; cultural resources; hazardous and toxic 
substances; socioeconomics, including environmental justice; and 
utilities and infrastructure.
    Implementation of this decision is expected to result in less than 
significant adverse impacts for all resources. Best management 
practices and design measures that would avoid or minimize adverse 
effects will be implemented for these resources: visual, air quality, 
noise, traffic and transportation, water, geology and soils, biological 
resources, cultural resources, and hazardous and toxic substances.

Brenda S. Bowen,
Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2016-02041 Filed 2-4-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 5001-03-P