Army revises Makua draft EIS
Advertiser Staff and News Reports
The Army, in a draft of a supplemental environmental impact statement released yesterday, says it wants to conduct up to 50 company-level combined arms live-fire exercises at Makua Valley each year.
The draft is the latest in a series of documents prepared by the Army arising from complaints about its training in the valley, which contains sites that Native Hawaiians consider sacred.
Malama Makua, a Wai'anae Coast community group, sued the Army in 1998 to demand an environmental impact statement before the Army continued to use the valley for live-fire training.
A judge ruled in favor of the group.
The Army finished its original draft EIS in 2005 but had to revise it. The Army views Makua as vital because it's the only place in Hawai'i where an entire company of soldiers may use live ammunition in exercises.
The Army is seeking public comment on the draft, which can be accessed online at www.garrison.hawaii.army.mil/makuaeis.
Public comments to this new draft will be considered in preparing a final statement and decision by the Army on Makua's future use, the Army said in a news release.
The supplemental draft EIS includes a 45-day public comment period and four public hearings, after which the Army will review all public comments and use them to assist in the preparation of a final EIS, the Army said.
The Army expects to issue the final EIS in the spring of 2009, the release said.
Copies of the SDEIS will be available at the following libraries on the islands of O'ahu and Hawai'i:
Over the next 45 days, public comments may be submitted online at www.garrison.hawaii.army.mil/makuaeis; by fax to 656-3162; by e-mail to usaghipaomakuaeis@hawaii.army.mil; or by mail to: Attn: Makua SDEIS Public Comments, USAG-HI Public Affairs Office, 742 Santos Dumont, WAAF, Schofield Barracks, HI 96857.
For questions about submitting public comments, call 656-3152.
Public meetings will also be held from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. — the first half will be an open house with information provided by the SDEIS, and the second half will be open to public comments. The meetings will take place at the following locations:
The public comment period for the SDEIS ends Nov. 3, 45 days after today's Notice of Availability publication in the Federal Register by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
A final EIS will be published following the comment period on the SDEIS and incorporation of public comments.
