Public input requested for 2 telescope decommissioning projects

Public input requested for 2 telescope decommissioning projects

The Draft Environmental Assessments (DEA) for the decommissioning of two Maunakea telescopes–the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo Hōkū Keʻa teaching telescope and the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory (CSO) – have been posted for public review and comment. Both projects are encouraging public feedback and are holding virtual meetings to present their decommissioning plans and answer questions from the public.

A DEA is required under Hawaiʻi’s environmental laws for proposed uses of state lands or funds and uses within the state conservation district. For both projects, after the DEA process is complete, the Department of Land and Natural Resources will process and issue a conservation district use permit for the proposed actions.

There are 13 observatories on Maunakea, including Hōkū Keʻa and CSO. UH has committed to no more than nine operating astronomy facilities on Maunakea by December 31, 2033.

UH Hilo Hōkū Keʻa teaching telescope

The UH Hilo notice for accepting public comments on the Hōkū Keʻa DEA was posted on September 9 and provides links to the official document and methods for submitting comments.

A virtual public meeting on the DEA is scheduled for Wednesday, September 22, 5:30–7 p.m.

To register for the virtual public meeting and/or to learn more about the process, visit the Hōkū Ke‘a Decommissioning Project web page at https://hokukea.konveio.com.

The meeting will include a presentation and question and answer session with UH Hilo Center for Maunakea Stewardship Executive Director Greg Chun and officials with SSFM, the consulting company hired for the project planning and design. Those who participate are asked to provide comments on the DEA by October 8, 2021.

The Hōkū Keʻa decommissioning plan reviewed in the DEA includes the safe and proper removal of two buildings and supporting infrastructure, and restoration of the site to its original state, as much as possible. The project is tentatively scheduled to be completed by late 2023, and the site will not be used for astronomy purposes again.

The Hōkū Keʻa site was built by the U.S. Air Force in 1970 and was one of the first observatories on Maunakea before it was given to UH Hilo. It is located at the south end of the summit ridge next to the UKIRT telescope.

CSO DEA and decommissioning

CSO posted its decommissioning DEA and supporting information on September 8. The CSO DEA was prepared by Caltech’s consultant, Planning Solutions, Inc. (PSI) and addresses the potential environmental effects of the proposed decommissioning of the observatory. The decommissioning project is tentatively scheduled to be completed in late 2023.

The public is invited to attend virtual community meetings, where the proposed decommissioning will be described in detail and questions answered informally. Each meeting will present the same information:

Tuesday, September 28, at 11:30 a.m.

Wednesday, September 29, at 4:30 p.m.

Thursday, September 30, at 6:00 p.m.

On the day of the meetings, a link to join will become live at: http://www.cso.caltech.edu/wiki/cso/outreach/outreach.

CSO was formerly one of the world’s premier facilities for astronomical research and instrumentation development at submillimeter wavelengths. The CSO 10.4-meter radio telescope came online in 1987 and was housed in a compact dome near the summit of Maunakea.