By Gerardo R. Partido
Variety News Staff

PENTAGON officials, along with Congresswoman Madeleine Z. Bordallo, have officially announced the Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement, or EIS, for the relocation of the Marines to Guam.
The announcement was made in Washington, D.C. by Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Installations and Environment BJ Penn and Major General David Bice, executive director of the Joint Guam Program Office.
Aside from the EIS, the officials also issued an invitation for the public to give testimony during public scoping meetings on Guam, Saipan and Tinian set for early April.
The Notice of Intent for the EIS, published in the Federal Registry on March 7, calls for the assessment of the environmental impact the relocation of Marines will have on Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
This includes all operation and training associated with, and any infrastructure changes made as a result of the relocation.
It also calls for reasonable alternatives for the location of operational, training, and support facilities on Guam and in the CNMI.
Comments will be accepted until May 1, 2007.
The schedule for the public scoping meetings is as follows:
• Guam - Tuesday, April 3, 2007, 5 to 8 p.m. at the Guam Hilton Hotel, Micronesian Room;
• Saipan - Wednesday, April 4, 2007, 5 to 8 p.m. at the Multi-Purpose Building; and
• Tinian - Thursday, April 5, 2007, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Tinian Elementary School.