DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
United States Air Force (USAF)
Notice of Availability of the Environmental Assessment (EA) and draft Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) with a Finding of No Practicable Alternative (FONPA) for the Distributed Common Ground Station (DCGS) Pacific Hub at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam (JBPHH), Wahiawa Annex, Oahu, Hawaii (HI).
This announces the availability of the EA and draft FONSI with FONPA for construction and operation of a DCGS Pacific Hub at Wahiawa Annex. The purpose of the action is to provide the necessary facility for the 480th Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) Wing and 692nd ISR Group (ISRG) to provide secure communications support for Pacific region ISR operations. The action is needed because current facilities at JBPHH were not designed or constructed to support technology-intensive systems equipment or enable modernization efforts needed by the 692nd ISRG.
The EA examines the potential environmental impacts of the Proposed Action and No-Action alternatives. Based on the potential environmental consequences disclosed in the EA, the USAF has determined that the Proposed Action would not have a significant adverse impact on the quality of the human or natural environment; therefore, an environmental impact statement will not be required.
The Proposed Action is subject to requirements and objectives of Executive Order (EO) 11990, Protection of Wetlands and Air Force Manual 32-7003 Environmental Conservation because it has the potential to temporarily impact approximately 0.15 acre of a wetland feature. The wetland feature is not considered a federally jurisdictional water regulated by the United States Army Corps of Engineers and therefore is not subject to the Clean Water Act Sections 401, 404 and 404(b)(1) guidelines. State and Federal regulator agencies with special expertise have not been contacted because the wetland feature is not considered a jurisdictional water subject to regulation.
This notice complies with Section 2(b) of EO 11990. The USAF requests public comment to determine if there are any public concerns regarding the project’s potential impact in a wetland feature. In order to provide early and meaningful public involvement we are providing a 45-day public comment period for this EA and draft FONSI with FONPA.
Public comment on the EA will be accepted during the 45-day public comment period beginning May 10, 2021 and ending June 23, 2021. The EA and draft FONSI with FONPA are available on the internet at https://www.afcec.af.mil/Home/Environment/. A hard copy of the EA is also available for review at the Wahiawa Public Library, located at 820 California Ave, Wahiawa, HI 96786.
To submit comments on the EA via email, please send to Mr. Nolan Swick Program Manager, AFCEC/CZN at nolan.swick@us.af.mil. To submit written comments or requests for information, please contact Mr. Michael Desilets, Environmental Compliance USACE, CEPOH-PPE at Bldg 230 Otake Street, Suite 104, Fort Shafter, HI 96858-5440 or by phone at 808-835-4039. All comments received or postmarked by June 23, 2021 will be considered and responded to in the Final EA.
(SA1323331 5/9/21)
