Washington, D.C. -- U.S. Representative Neil Abercrombie and Senator Daniel K. Akaka today announced that the U.S. Army plans to begin a Supplemental Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (SPEIS) study to analyze the impact of adding anywhere from 5,000 to 10,000 soldiers to bases in the Pacific Theater, including Alaska and Hawaii.

“The Army is not getting ready to move more troops to Hawaii tomorrow,” said Abercrombie, who chairs the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Air and Land Forces. “But they are required to evaluate the capacity of their bases to support the reassignment of troops as long-term decisions are made about reallocating forces around the world, and particularly since Congress has been pushing the Bush Administration to increase the size of the Army.”

“I am pleased to see that the Army is following through with its environmental obligations,” said Senator Akaka, a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.  “We must proceed carefully to make sure that our fragile resources are preserved, while acknowledging the strategic role our islands play in the defense of our nation.  Military spending must be done with respect to our ‘aina (land).  As the Army determines the impact of its future plans on our environment, Congressman Abercrombie and I will continue to serve as stewards of Hawaii’s resources by carefully monitoring the possible expansion of the Army and the environmental needs of our state.”

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