BREAKING NEWS: DoD concedes to public concerns; Navy will conduct supplemental EIS
The Marine Corp Forces Pacific conceded today that the potential impacts of their live-fire training plans to Tinian groundwater and to coral on Tinian and Pagan will need further analysis.
Craig Whelden, MarForPac executive director, disclosed the news in an email to Saipan Tribune today.
Whelden was pressed for his thoughts on the CNMI’s request that the Department of Navy furnish a second draft environmental impact statement for the live-fire project in the CNMI.
Whelden said this “supplemental” environmental impact statement will be completed in the spring of 2016.
“As a result of the information we’ve received to date, we’ve identified a need to conduct additional analysis of potential impacts to the ground water aquifer on Tinian; and coral on Tinian and Pagan, including associated mitigation,” Whelden said in the email.
More details to follow.
My name is John Coster-Mullen and I am a Historian. Look me up on Google. The atomic bombing of Japan was THE single most important event of the 20th Century. What about the impact these live-fire exercises will have on the countless irreplaceable atomic bomb historical sites on Tinian? What about the impact on those discovered and yet-to-be-discovered makeshift graves of the WWII Marines and Seabees on Tinian? What about the impact on those human remains of Marines that have been washing ashore on Tinian continuously since the end of WWII?? I held some of those sacred remains in my hands when I visited there in 2005 and I visited those makeshift graves!
It just amazes me that a huge machine such as US Mil has put forth such meaningless article and played it up with a few “dog and pony” show. To me, it only goes to show how they treat us as “inferior.”
Dept of Navy / MCFP leaders should be ashamed of themselves for even trying to pass it as a legitimate, honest, sound, caring, good faith (everything under the sun) legal document.
Even I as a Veteran feel the shame.