Department of Navy Signs & Releases Record of Decision for Guam/CNMI Military Buildup
(PACIFIC NEWS CENTER 21 SEP 10)
Guam - The Department of Navy has announced the release of the Record of Decision (ROD) on the Guam and Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI)Military Relocation Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS).
The ROD, a document required at the conclusion of the environmental review of a federal project or program, outlines the decisions the Navy has made toimplement the proposed realignment actions and specifies associated mitigationmeasures. These decisions are the result of thorough consideration of public andresource agency comments on the EIS, interagency discussions, and ongoingdiscussions with the Guam and CNMI communities and leadership.
"The decisions in the ROD begin the long-term strategic realignment of U.S. forces on Guam. In reaching these decisions, we carefully considered the manycomments received throughout the EIS process," said Assistant Secretary of theNavy (Energy, Installations & Environment) Jackalyne Pfannenstiel, whosigned the ROD. "We recognize that there are issues remaining to be addressedand we look forward to working with the people of Guam and CNMI to implement themilitary relocation in a way that will benefit the community at large – bothmilitary and civilian."
The ROD includes the following major decisions:
• The Navy will construct the Marine Corps main base at NCTS Finegayan and family housing at theformer FAA property/South Finegayan;
• Marine Corps aviation activities will be at Andersen Air Force Base North Ramp and waterfrontoperations at Apra Harbor;
• The Navy will defer a decision on a specific location for a transient CVN berth in Apra Harbor andvoluntarily collect additional data on marine resources in the two alternativesite locations;
• The Army will implement its preferred alternative for placement of an Air Missile Defense TaskForce should it be assigned this mission on Guam;
• The pace and sequencing of construction will be adjusted to ensure that constructionactivities stay within the limitations of Guam’sinfrastructure;
• The arrival of Marine Corps forces will be timed with the availability of their requiredfacilities.
• *The ROD notes that a decision regarding the placement of training ranges for the relocating Marineswill be deferred pending completion of the Section 106 consultation processunder the National Historic Preservation Act.
The ROD allows for the award of construction contracts and execution of the relocation to begin. It is expected that the relocation will bring economicopportunities for the region’s workforce and industry in both the near- andlong-term. Guam firms have been among the winning firms for several MultipleAward Construction Contracts, which are contracting tools to be used forrealignment construction activities.
Additionally, the FEIS estimated that steady state, post-realignment tax revenues could be as much as $100 million – providing the Government of Guamwith significant economic benefit. This, coupled with ongoing federal governmentefforts to address the island’s existing and future needs, will greatly helpGuam address the needs of a growing community.
Navy Finalizes Plans For U.S. Military Buildup On Guam
(STARS AND STRIPES 20 SEP 10) ... Travis J. Tritten
SASEBO NAVAL BASE, Japan — The U.S. Navy firmed up plans Tuesday for a military buildup on Guam that could lead to a historic shift in militaryforces in the Pacific region.
The Navy’s record of decision finalizes where facilities will be built for 8,600 Marines scheduled to move to the island territory from Okinawa by 2014 andhow to pace the massive construction effort, according to a brief released bythe Department of Defense Joint Guam Program Office.
But the Navy delayed decisions on controversial plans to build military training ranges on Guam ancestral land and to dredge coral in Guam’s main harborfor an aircraft carrier berth, according to the brief.
The full report on the buildup was not available immediately after it was signed by Assistant Secretary of the Navy Jackie Pfannenstiel early Tuesday. Thejoint program office said it would post the full document online byWednesday.
The start of realignment construction will depend on funding, upcoming decisions from a new military-civilian panel, and further reviews of ancestralland and harbor dredging proposals, said Gen. David Bice, executive director ofthe joint program office.
"We don’t anticipate any construction activity until the first of next year," Bice said in a Tuesday morning phone interview with Stars and Stripes from hisoffice on Guam.
Utilities funding from the Japanese government is critical to future construction, he said.
The United States is in talks with Japan and the Japanese Bank of International Cooperation over the country’s $740 million contribution forwastewater, power and water upgrades on Guam.
Japan agreed in 2006 to fund the upgrades as part of the shift of Marines from Okinawa.
Improvements to Guam’s underdeveloped utilities are needed before construction crews and servicemembers can begin arriving on the island.
A piece of the Japan funding will pay to tap wells on military land and connect the supplies to Guam public water utilities, Bice said.
"We need to have the funding for the water," he said. "We need that pretty quick, by next year."
Before the end of the year, the government of Guam, the U.S. military and federal agencies will also form a new coordinating council, which will helpguide construction and solve concerns over the influx of workers on the island,he said.
The governor of Guam, who first proposed the idea, will appoint members to the council, Bice said.
Meanwhile, a federal historic preservation review will determine the fate of Guam’s Pagat land, an area with remnants of pre-colonial Chamorro culture.
The land is listed on the National Register of Historic Places but is a preferred site for Marine Corps training ranges.
Pfannenstiel delayed the decision on using Pagat for training until the end of a review required by the National Historic Preservation Act, Bice said.
The Navy will also study the health and quality of coral in Apra Harbor after public concern over planned dredging for the carrier berth, he said.
Plans call for aircraft carriers to make port stops, but there will be no carrier home-ported on Guam.
"We have agreed to defer a decision on a specific site, even though Polaris Point is the preferred site," Bice said.
It was not immediately known Tuesday morning how long the studies of the Pagat land and Apra Harbor would take.
Senator Aguon: ROD Fails To Address Guam Infrastructure Needs
(PACIFIC NEWS CENTER 21 SEP 10)
Guam - Senator Frank Aguon is questioning the Defense Department's Record of Decision on the military buildup citing what the Senator termed, "a failure toaddress Guam concerns on a broad array of issues."
Aguon stated, "Unfortunately, they seemed to have ignored the many concerns raised by the community regarding infrastructure, land use, and the impact onour people and our culture. Final as it may appear to be, this so called 'Recordof Decision' can not be allowed to stand without visible financial support forGuam. Working with our Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo we need to pursue thisat all levels to ensure that Guam is fairly treated."
Aguon, who chairs the Legislature's Health Committee, highlighted several shortcomings in the DOD plans with respect to health care. "Guam’s existinghealth infrastructure does not have the capacity to deal with the projectedsurge in population and yet DOD projects that approximately 25,000 foreignlaborers may be needed to meet DoD’s 2014 relocation deadline. Largelyunanswered is how health care will be provided to all these workers. Will theyhave health insurance? Will emergency care be provided alone by GMH's alreadyoverburdened emergency room? What preventive measures will be in place toprevent the possible spread of communicable diseases that may accompany such amassive influx into our population. The ROD is silent about all this. We alsohave to keep in mind that after the major construction period, our island willsee an enormous permanent increase in our population. The ROD does not reallyaddress the concern about the strain on our health care system by this permanentincrease," Aguon said. The Senator went on to note that the Legislature has longcalled for Naval Hospital to not only take up the burden of providing healthcare for the estimate 25,000 foreign laborers but also provide health care toFAS citizens who have migrated to Guam as a result of the Compact Agreements.
Any additional funds for Guam as a result of the buildup must partly be applied toward the expansion of healthcare services on Guam, i.e., GMHA facilityexpansion, Community Health Center facility needs, and the recruitment of nursesand other medical professionals.
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