In a win for opponents of the Navy buildup on Guam, the Pacific News Center reports that the Navy has agreed to do a supplementary environmental impact statement for a proposed live fire training facility in Guam:
The national trust for historic preservation, The Guam Preservation trust and We Are Guahan filed a suit against the Navy in attempts to stop them from going forward with their plans to use Pagat as a firing range complex. The crux of the plaintiffs argument is that the Navy did not adequately evaluate or consider all of the alternative sites that could’ve been used as a firing range complex. A thorough evaluation of all potential sites is required by the National Environmental Policy Act or NEPA.
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Back on June 17th Hawaii district court judge Leslie Kobayashi denied without prejudice DOD’s request for a stay in the lawsuit. The Navy then filed a motion to dismiss for a lack of jurisdiction. However, before the hearing on the motion to dismiss which was scheduled for November 30th the Joint Guam Program Office Director Joe Ludovici filed today’s declaration in essence agreeing to redo the entire firing range selection process which could result in the selection of an entirely new site. This declaration from ludovici is expected to result in an order from Judge Kobayashi instructing the Navy to go ahead and conduct a supplemental environmental impact statement.
Read the declaration by JGPO Director Joseph Ludovichi. However, it should be noted that a win under NEPA does not stop the project outright. After reviewing alternatives for its proposed firing range, the Navy could choose a different location, or it could choose the same location.
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