OCTOBER 30, 2025 – U.S. military and Republic of Palau government representatives hosted a public meeting at Koror State Constitution Hall, Oct. 29, to share information about the Malakal Port and Harbor Improvement Project Environmental Impact Statement.
The meeting aimed to inform the public that an EIS is being prepared for the proposed military construction project in Koror State and to solicit the community’s comments, questions, and concerns.
The Malakal Port and Harbor Improvement Project is part of a range of military construction efforts across the ROP to improve infrastructure and building resilience for mutual benefit to the community and military. The Compact of Free Association between the U.S. and the ROP designates defense responsibilities to the United States.
The EIS is an essential part of the project’s planning efforts to ensure compliance with ROP national regulations.
“Listening to the community’s concerns on a range of topics including economic opportunities, traffic concerns, coral impacts, and environmental impact mitigation measures is a critical part of the planning process,” Earl Estrella, Naval Facilities and Engineering Command Southwest Pacific Deterrence Initiative program manager said. “These comments will help shape the EIS analysis to ensure it addresses those concerns.”
Project designs, which have been in work for the past two years, are nearly complete.
“This project will increase Palau’s capability and capacity for commercial port operations, bringing the facility up to modern standards and enabling larger vessels to bring goods to Koror,” Palau Minister of Public Infrastructure and Industry Charles Obichang said. “It will also enhance the United States military’s ability to defend our people and islands through improved options for logistical support.”
The team also hosted an industry forum at Palau Community College, Oct. 28. This provided an opportunity for Palauan businesses to meet the prime contractors to see how their services could be incorporated into the prospective project.
Malakal Port was originally constructed in 1944 by the Government of Japan. Since then, the port has provided critical services supporting Palau as the main port of entry for goods, food items, and materials. In its current state, the port requires extensive repairs to the existing wharf surface, which has been subsiding due to decades of heavy loading associated with container storage and movements. Continued use of the port without intervention will further stress to the aging wharf structure. MALAKAL PORT PROJECT: The Malakal Port project aims to expand the current footprint of the port by extending the northeast face of the wharf by 181 feet, which will provide approximately 112,000 square feet of additional container storage and operational space. The project will repair, strengthen and rehabilitate the existing wharf areas to accommodate increased container storage capacity. This includes demolition and replacement of an existing building, which is severely corroded and in a state of disrepair. Other aspects of the project include lighting for night operations and a modern storm water system that complies with Palau’s storm water design criteria to help prevent storm water from flowing into Malakal Harbor. The project will also remove debris that has accumulated over the years from the water at the wharf’s berthing area.
Dredging at the north and eastern edges of the wharves will allow larger shipping vessels to pull alongside. Currently, Malakal Port is limited to medium-sized container ships to off-load goods into Palau. The ability to support larger commercial vessels could help attract other shipping containers to serve the people of Palau and the economy.
ICE BOX PARK LAND RECLAMATION PROJECT: Koror State has offered a solution to re-purpose the dredge material from the port improvement project to reclaim lands adjacent to Malakal Harbor. This land reclamation project will provide Koror State additional land space for a public park, which will benefit residents of Palau. The project is anticipated to create approximately 22,300 square meters (240,000 square feet) of additional space, which is roughly the size of two Asahi baseball fields.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS: An important aspect of the project is the protection of Palau’s environment. The EIS is being conducted by a company on Palau’s Environmental Quality Protection Board list of approved contractors that provide environmental analysis in Palau. The intent is to ensure the environmental analysis is conducted by individuals who have in-depth knowledge of Palau’s unique ecosystems and understand the socio-economic situation in Palau.
“Having a Palau contractor with decades of experience in Palau, gives the United States the assurance that the EIS is done in a manner that is acceptable to the people of Palau,” U.S. Indo-Pacific Command Environmental Program Coordinator Mark Cruz said.
Plans will include mitigation measures for potential impacts to include silt curtains to prevent the migration of suspended solids or silt outside of the dredge areas, turbidity monitors, and transfer of coral and other species as part of a marine relocation plan.
Story by Lt.Cmdr. Michelle Tucker
Joint Task Force – Micronesia