JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii – The Department of the Navy (Navy) (including both the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Marine Corps), as the lead agency, jointly with the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Army, and U.S. Air Force, has prepared the Hawaii-California Training and Testing (HCTT) Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)/Overseas EIS (OEIS). The Draft EIS/OEIS includes an analysis of the potential environmental effects associated with conducting at-sea training and testing activities, and modernization and sustainment of ranges (collectively referred to as “military readiness activities”) within the HCTT Study Area. In support of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), in-person public meetings in California and Hawaii and a virtual public meeting will be held in January 2025 to provide an overview of the Draft EIS/OEIS and answer questions from the public. Each meeting will also provide an opportunity to learn about how the military services are complying with the Section 106 process of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) and to comment on potential effects on historic properties. Visit the project website at www.nepa.navy.mil/hctteis/ to learn more about the Draft EIS/OEIS and public meetings, and to submit comments electronically.
Additional Information
The public is invited to review the Draft EIS/OEIS and provide substantive comments on the Proposed Action and the environmental analysis, as well as the project’s potential to affect historic properties as it relates to Section 106 of the NHPA.
The Draft EIS/OEIS includes an analysis of military readiness activities using new information, including an updated acoustic analysis, updated marine mammal density data, and evolving and emergent best available science. Proposed military readiness activities are similar to those analyzed in the 2018 Hawaii-Southern California Training and Testing (HSTT) EIS/OEIS and the at-sea activities in the 2022 Point Mugu Sea Range (PMSR) EIS/OEIS and are consistent with activities conducted off Hawaii and California for more than 80 years. Training and testing activities that include the use of active sonar, explosives, or other sources of underwater sound would employ mitigation measures to potentially reduce or avoid adverse effects on marine species. Range modernization and sustainment activities include new special use airspace in Southern California, installation and maintenance of underwater ranges in Southern California and Hawaii, deployment of seafloor cables and connected instrumentation south and west of San Clemente Island in California and northeast of Oahu and west of Kauai in Hawaii, installation and maintenance of mine warfare and other training areas offshore of Hawaii and Southern California, and installation and maintenance of underwater platforms in Hawaii and Southern California.
The HCTT Study Area consists primarily of the Hawaii Study Area, the California Study Area, and the transit corridor connecting the two. The HCTT Study Area includes the at-sea components of the range complexes (Hawaii Range Complex, Southern California [SOCAL] Range Complex, PMSR, Northern California [NOCAL] Range Complex), Navy pierside locations and port transit channels, bays, harbors, inshore waterways, amphibious approach lanes, and civilian ports where training and testing activities occur.
The HCTT Study Area differs from the 2018 HSTT Study Area in that it includes:
• An expanded SOCAL Range Complex
• Special use airspace (Proposed Warning Area [W]-293 and Proposed W-294) corresponding to the expanded SOCAL Range Complex
• New testing sea space between Proposed W-293 and PMSR
• Two existing training and testing at-sea ranges, the PMSR and NOCAL Range Complex
• Areas along the Southern California coastline from approximately Dana Point to Port Hueneme
• Four amphibious approach lanes providing land access from the NOCAL Range Complex and PMSR
While the overall boundaries of the Hawaii Study Area have not changed from the 2018 HSTT EIS/OEIS, nearshore areas, such as Kaneohe Bay or Marine Corps Training Area Bellows, are proposed to be used more frequently or for new training or testing activities, such as mine warfare training. Maps of the HCTT Study Area are available on the project website.
Potential effects on environmental resources resulting from activities included in a No Action Alternative and two action alternatives were evaluated in the Draft EIS/OEIS. Resources evaluated include biological (including marine mammals, reptiles, fishes, vegetation, invertebrates, habitats, birds, and other protected species), sediments and water quality, air quality, cultural, socioeconomics and environmental justice, and public health and safety. The analysis includes the marine environment around San Nicolas Island in Southern California and Pacific Missile Range Facility in Hawaii where marine mammals (e.g., California sea lion, harbor seal, northern elephant seal, Hawaiian monk seal) haul out on the shoreline. Noise from missile and target launches and artillery firing from these two locations are analyzed in the Draft EIS/OEIS to estimate potential effects on hauled-out pinnipeds. The Draft EIS/OEIS also includes an analysis of measures that would avoid, minimize, or mitigate environmental effects potentially resulting from military readiness activities.
The development of the EIS/OEIS will help the Navy and other U.S. military services meet their environmental compliance requirements, which would ensure military readiness by supporting current and future training and testing requirements; allowing training and testing over greater distances, as larger areas are needed to train and test with new weapons required for countering new threats; supporting increased training with unmanned systems; increasing flexibility in conducting training and testing activities; supporting modernizing and sustaining range capabilities; updating environmental analyses using the best available science and analytical methods; and supporting Marine Mammal Protection Act and Endangered Species Act consultations for the reissuance of federal regulatory permits and authorizations within the HCTT Study Area. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is a cooperating agency in the preparation of the EIS/OEIS. In the rule-making process, NMFS will consider the potential effects of the Proposed Action on the marine environment.
Public Participation
In-Person Public Meetings*
In support of NEPA requirements, the Navy is holding three in-person public meetings in California and Hawaii. In-person public meetings will consist of an open-house information session, a short presentation by the Navy, and a public oral comment session. Comments will also be accepted in writing at the in-person public meetings. Navy representatives will be available during the open-house information sessions to answer questions and clarify information related to the Draft EIS/OEIS.
San Diego, California
Monday, Jan. 13, 2025
4 to 7 p.m. Open House
5 p.m. Presentation/
Comment Session
Portuguese Hall
2818 Avenida de Portugal
*all times are local
Honolulu, Hawaii (Oahu)
Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025
4 to 7 p.m. Open House
5 p.m. Presentation/
Comment Session
Ke‘ehi Lagoon Memorial
Weinberg Hall
2685 N. Nimitz Hwy.
Lihue, Hawaii (Kauai)
Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025
4 to 7 p.m. Open House
5 p.m. Presentation/
Comment Session
Kauai Veterans Center
3215 Kauai Veterans Memorial Hwy.
Virtual Public Meeting
Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025
3 to 4 p.m. HST/5 to 6 p.m. PST/8 to 9 p.m. EST
The Navy is also holding a virtual public meeting, consisting of a presentation and question-and-answer session. Questions concerning the Draft EIS/OEIS will be accepted in advance through Jan. 15, 2025, via the question form on the project website. Questions may also be submitted in writing during the virtual public meeting. Please note that questions submitted as part of the question-and-answer session are not official public comments. Visit www.nepa.navy.mil/hctteis/ for more information.
Virtual Open House Presentation
A virtual open house presentation is also available on the project website at www.nepa.navy.mil/hctteis/ during the Draft EIS/OEIS public review and comment period from Dec. 13, 2024, to Feb. 11, 2025. The presentation provides information about the Proposed Action, its purpose and need, potential effects on environmental resource areas from the Proposed Action, the NEPA and NHPA Section 106 processes, and public involvement opportunities. The public can view the virtual open house presentation at www.nepa.navy.mil/hctteis/ anytime during the public review and comment period.
In an effort to improve and strengthen the EIS/OEIS, the military services welcome and appreciate the public’s participation during the Draft EIS/OEIS public review and comment period. Comments must be postmarked or received online by 11:59 p.m. HST on Feb. 11, 2025, for consideration in the Final EIS/OEIS. Comments may be submitted at one of the in-person public meetings, electronically via the project website at www.nepa.navy.mil/hctteis/, or via mail to:
Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Pacific
Attention: HCTT EIS/OEIS Project Manager
258 Makalapa Drive, Suite 100
Pearl Harbor, HI 96860-3134 The Draft EIS/OEIS public review and comment period also supports consultation under Section 106 of the NHPA and its implementing regulations, as members of the public are invited to participate, provide comments, or raise concerns about potential effects on historic properties. Comments will be considered under NEPA and pursuant to Section 106 of the NHPA.
Visit the project website at www.nepa.navy.mil/hctteis/ to learn more about the project, NEPA and NHPA Section 106 processes, and in-person and virtual public meetings; download an electronic version of the Draft EIS/OEIS; view the virtual open house presentation; and submit questions for the virtual public meeting and/or public comments on the environmental analysis. The website also includes locations where you can view a printed copy of the Draft EIS/OEIS.
Media seeking further information should contact the Hawaii Regional Public Affairs Officer at lydia.r.robertson.civ@us.navy.mil or 808-473-2875.
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ID# EISX-007-17-USN-1724283453