The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 requires federal agencies to examine the environmental effects of their proposed actions. On behalf of the Department of Defense, the Department of the Navy prepared this EIS to assess the potential environmental effects associated with the proposed military activities. The Navy was the lead agency for preparation of this EIS. The Office of the Secretary of Defense directed the Navy to establish a Joint Guam Program Office that serves as the proponent of the proposed actions. A number of federal agencies were invited to be cooperating agencies in the preparation of the Draft and Final EIS documents. These agencies have either jurisdiction or technical expertise for certain components of the proposed actions or a potentially affected resource. The agencies that accepted the invitation to participate as cooperating agencies are United States (U.S.) Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of Transportation Federal Highways Administration, Federal Aviation Administration, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 9, U.S. Office of Insular Affairs, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and U.S. Air Force.
The three main components of the proposed actions are briefly stated as follows:
- Marine Corps. (a) Develop and construct facilities and infrastructure to support approximately 8,600 Marines and their 9,000 dependents relocated from Okinawa to Guam. (b) Develop and construct facilities and infrastructure to support training and operations on Guam and Tinian (CNMI) for the relocated Marines.
- Navy. Construct a new deep-draft wharf with shoreside infrastructure improvements creating the capability in Apra Harbor, Guam to support a transient nuclear powered aircraft carrier.
- Army. Develop facilities and infrastructure on Guam to support relocating approximately 600 military personnel and their 900 dependents to establish and operate an Army AMDTF.