More than 4,000 pages have been released by the U.S. Missile Defense Agency on its final Environmental Impact Statement for the 360 degree missile defense system on Guam.

Island leadership are reviewing the document, which was made available Saturday. 

“I have not seen it thoroughly, I started looking at it over the weekend, but certainly, this EIS is going to be the information that the Department of Defense will need to use, or the MDA, whether to move forward with the project or not,” said Governor Lou Leon Guerrero.

The mda says the final eis anlyzes the potential environmental impacts from the development and deployment of the missile defense system and includes mitigation measures.  

But Guam Think Tank Pacific Center for Island Security says it “overstates the effectiveness of the technology and brushes aside the significant impact it will have on the people of Guam.”  

PCIS argues “this proposal would introduce a new level of weaponization to our community” while increasing the housing shortage and degradation of native habitat. 

The Governor says the administration is taking steps to ensure the protection of Guam’s culture and environment.

“We’re taking all the steps that we can humanly, possibly do with our EPA and other agencies that protect our water and our culture. The military is very, very clear on my conditions, that is that we are welcoming and certainly want to be defended, but not at the expense of our culture, traditions, language and our environment,” added Leon Guerrero. 

The Governor also responds to concerns that the Missile Defense System could increase Guam’s visibility as a military target in the region.

“Guam’s visibility as a target has always been a target, from way back when Magellan came here, we were a target. In the Spanish War, we were a target. In the Japanese War, we were a target. So I don’t really agree with that statement. We’ve always been because of where we are geographically located, part of the defense of the United States and we are right in the middle of commerce and trade. So there are always going to be outside forces interested in having a presence here,” added Leon Guerrero. 

She says Guam needs to prepare for its defense in the event of a conflict, though she hopes U.S.-China tensions over Taiwan can be resolved through diplomacy. 

Meantime, 16 sites across the island, mostly DoD property, have been identified in the proposal. 

If approved, construction is expected to begin in 2025, with phased operational rollout over a decade.

KUAM will have more on the final EIS with the Pacific Center for Island Security’s input tomorrow on primetime.