Military training, testing to continue at Pacific Missile Range Facility after environmental assessment

After evaluating potential environmental effects and hearing public comments, the U.S. Navy determined that there is no significant impact to life on Kauaʻi in continuing to conduct land-based, multi-domain training and testing.

The U.S. Navy prepared a final environmental assessment for the continuation of land-based training and testing at Pacific Missile Range Facility. The proposed acton would continue multi-domain training and testing in air, land, sea, space and cyberspace

The action also includes an increase in activities among the military services on lands under federal jurisdiction at Pacific Missile Range Facility and Kaʻula Island, however, the activities proposed would not be new ones.

According to a press release from Pacific Missile Range Facility, members of the public, Native Hawaiian Organizations, nongovernmental organizations, and State of Hawaiʻi agencies provided valuable input and shared their cultural, ecological, and traditional knowledge of Kauaʻi and Kaʻula Island to improve and strengthen the environmental impact analysis.

The final environmental assessment contains changes such as the consideration of eliminating training on Ka‘ula Island, the incorporation of additional bird survey information, a thorough explanation of the cultural understanding of Ka‘ula Island, how the Navy addressed other applicable laws and consultations, and inclusion of the Navy’s responses to comments submitted on the Draft environmental assessment by the public and local, state, and federal stakeholders.

As a result of finding no significant impact, an Environmental Impact Statement will not be prepared. The final environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact can be found online, or in person at the Waimea or Līhuʻe public libraries.