Department of the Navy September 13, 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Pursuant to section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, and regulations implemented by the Council on Environmental Quality (40 Code of Federal Regulations Parts 1500-1508), and Presidential Executive Order 12114, the Department of the Navy (DoN) has prepared and filed with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency a Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Overseas Environmental Impact Statement (EIS/OEIS). The Draft EIS/OEIS evaluates the potential environmental effects associated with military readiness training and research, development, test, and evaluation activities (training and testing) conducted within the Mariana Islands Training and Testing (MITT) Study Area. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), the U.S. Air Force, and the U.S. Coast Guard are cooperating agencies for this EIS/OEIS. The MITT Study Area is composed of established ranges (at-sea ranges and land based training areas on Guam and the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands [CNMI]); operating areas; and special use airspace in the region of the Mariana Islands that are part of the Mariana Islands Range Complex (MIRC) and its surrounding seas; includes a transit corridor between the MIRC and the Hawaii Range Complex; and Navy pierside locations where sonar maintenance and testing activities occur. With the filing of the Draft EIS/OEIS, the DoN is initiating a 60- day public comment period and has scheduled four public meetings to receive comments on the Draft EIS/OEIS. This notice announces the dates and locations of the public meetings and provides supplementary information about the environmental planning effort. DATES and ADDRESSES: The 60-day Draft EIS/OEIS public review period will begin September 13, 2013 and end November 12, 2013. The DoN will hold four public meetings to inform the public about the Proposed Action and alternatives under consideration, and to provide an opportunity for the public to comment on the Proposed Action, alternatives, and the adequacy and accuracy of the analysis in the Draft EIS/OEIS. Each of the public meetings will include an open house information session and an opportunity to present oral comments. DoN representatives will be available during the public meetings to clarify information related to the Draft EIS/OEIS. Federal and local agencies and officials, and interested organizations and individuals are encouraged to provide comments in writing during the public review period or in person at one of the scheduled public meetings. The public meetings will be held between 5:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. on the following dates: 1. October 7, 2013, at the University of Guam, Leon Guerrero School of Business and Public Administration Building, Anthony Leon Guerrero Multi-Purpose Room 129, Mangilao, Guam 96923. 2. October 8, 2013, at the Pedro P. Tenorio Multi-Purpose Center in Susupe, Saipan, MP 96950. 3. October 9, 2013, at the Tinian High School Cafeteria, San Jose Village, Tinian, MP 96952. 4. October 10, 2013, at the Sinapalo Elementary School Cafeteria, Sinapalo I, Songsong Village, Rota, MP 96951. Attendees will be able to submit oral and written comments during the public meetings. Oral comments from the public will be recorded by a court reporter. In the interest of available time, and to ensure all who wish to provide an oral comment to the court reporter have the opportunity to do so, each speaker's comments will be limited to three (3) minutes, which may be extended if meeting attendance permits. Equal weight will be given to oral and written statements. Comments may also be submitted via the U.S. Postal Service to Naval Facilities Engineering Command Pacific, Attention: MITT EIS/OEIS Project Manager, 258 Makalapa Drive, Suite 100, Pearl Harbor, HI 96860-3134, or electronically via the project Web site (www.MITT-EIS.com). All comments, oral or written, submitted during the public review period will become part of the public record on the Draft EIS/OEIS and will be responded to in the Final EIS/OEIS. All public comments must be postmarked or received by November 12, 2013, Chamorro Standard Time (ChST) to ensure they become part of the official record.