Comments are due today October 8, 2021, as provided for in the State of Hawaii Office of Planning’s
Environmental Notice.
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.
