The U.S. military is planning a major expansion on the island of Tinian. It's one of 14 islands in the U.S. territory of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
At recent public meetings, officials presented a revised environmental plan, but the proposal is renewing old fears among residents. In 2015, a draft EIS was released that left residents worried about the environmental impacts on the island.
In a school cafeteria, residents gathered to hear about the changed environmental plans the U.S. military has for their island.
"The biggest differences between 2015 and this proposed action is we’ve significantly reduced the impact on the island," said Mark Hashimoto, an environmental planner for the U.S. Department of Defense.
He shared that the revised draft EIS scales back earlier proposals. There will be no high-impact artillery and no rockets. There will be live-fire and demolition ranges, ammunition storage, and radar infrastructure.
Hashimoto said this version reflects community reaction.
"There were huge concerns. And you know, I think there were something like 27,000 comments that came in on that 2015 draft EIS. And it's because of those kinds of comments that we're in the position that we're in today," he said.
However, many on Tinian remain unconvinced. Retired educator Florine Hofschneider said rapid military construction has already strained local infrastructure and increased housing costs due to an influx of military contractors on the island.
She added that the EIS was not even translated into the local Chamorro language, and the current version remains unclear.
"The presentation was a little too technical for us, so that was very difficult to digest. We did not have resources to call on these experts to help us understand and have some kind of vision as to what is it going to be like," she said.
High school teacher Rory Starkey brought his students to the meeting, not just to observe, but to learn how military policy intersects with community life.
"I just basically asked them to find a couple of the resources (from the) action plan, and kind of develop a question in regards to that," he said.
Tinian Mayor Edwin Aldan supports the military plan. But he admits, concerns remain.
"Don’t mess around with the environment. Be truthful. Hire our people," Aldan said.
Aldan views the project as a long-term economic opportunity, part of what could be a multibillion dollar buildup across the region. Still, he insists that community trust must be earned through action, not just consultation.
"They have to live up to that. The only way we can do that is to continue to dialog. People have to come out and come to these opportunities, come to these sessions," he said.
The stakes are larger than Tinian. Across the Marianas and Micronesia, Pacific communities are navigating their frontline role in a shifting security landscape.
The public comment period for this EIS ends in August. To submit a comment, click here.
