Thursday, March 28, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Thursday, August 4, 2022
Deconstruction of Maunakea telescope set to begin
By News Release @ 11:07 PM :: 2061 Views :: Hawaii County , Greenmail, Higher Education, OHA

California Institute of Technology (Caltech) Submillimeter Observatory

Deconstruction of Maunakea telescope set to begin

UH News, Aug 4, 2022

The deconstruction phase of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) Submillimeter Observatory (CSO) on University of Hawaiʻi-managed lands on the summit of Maunakea is on track to begin before summer ends and be completed by the end of the year.

Caltech announced on August 2, 2022, that it received the final required permits from the State of Hawaiʻi and the County of Hawaiʻi to begin the removal of the facility and site restoration.

The decommissioning work will be in accordance with the conservation district use permit (CDUP) approved by the Board of Land and Natural Resources, according to Caltech. The CDUP for CSO sets the terms and conditions required for decommissioning. Copies of the CDUP, the Final Environmental Assessment, Site Decommissioning Plan, and other planning documents are available on the Caltech’s website.

As part of the process, CSO has completed an archeological assessment, a cultural setting analysis, a hydrogeological evaluation, a biological inventory, a biological setting analysis, a traffic analysis and an asbestos/lead paint/mold survey, as required by the UH Decommissioning Subplan.

In addition, the UH Hilo Hōkū Keʻa Observatory is currently finalizing its permit application to begin its deconstruction portion of the decommissioning project that is tentatively scheduled to be completed in late 2023. Both facilities are following the detailed processes outlined in the Decommissioning subplan (PDF) of the Maunakea Comprehensive Management Plan.

“The steady progress of these first two decommissioning observatory projects reflects the university’s commitment to reduce the astronomy footprint on Maunakea,” said Greg Chun, executive director of the UH Hilo Center for Maunakea Stewardship. “It is a credit to everyone who participated in the development of the decommissioning subplan that has guided this complex process that makes stewardship of the mauna the foremost priority.”

The Maunakea Stewardship and Oversight Authority, created by the state Legislature and signed into law by Gov. David Ige in July is scheduled to assume all management responsibilities of Maunakea from the Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources by 2028. UH currently holds the general lease to the summit land and though the university stopped its efforts to renew the lease when the new entity was created, the university remains committed to complete the two decommissioning projects, and place the UH Hilo teaching telescope at the Halepōhaku mid-level facility on the mauna.

PDF: UH President statement on new Maunakea Authority.

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

808 Silent Majority

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federalist Society

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Homeschool Association

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Smokers Alliance

Hawaii State Data Lab

Hawaii Together

HIEC.Coop

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Moms for Liberty

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

Investigative Project on Terrorism

July 4 in Hawaii

Kakaako Cares

Keep Hawaii's Heroes

Land and Power in Hawaii

Legislative Committee Analysis Tool

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

Malama Pregnancy Center of Maui

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Military Home Educators' Network Oahu

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Christian Foundation Hawaii

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

No GMO Means No Aloha

Not Dead Yet, Hawaii

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Oahu Alternative Transport

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

OurFutureHawaii.com

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

PEACE Hawaii

People vs Machine

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

P.U.E.O.

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

ReRoute the Rail

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

Robotics Organizing Committee

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Sink the Jones Act

Statehood for Guam

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

UCC Truths

US Tax Foundation Hawaii Info

VAREP Honolulu

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii

Yes2TMT