TMT Project Milestones - How We Got Here

From TMT, December 30, 2019

We thought it would be timely to remind everyone of the Thirty Meter Telescope project milestones that were accomplished together with the help of community members.

For those who may think this project skipped or missed any steps, the timeline below offers a story that needs to be heard again. 

The Thirty Meter Telescope project team began working with the Hawaii Island Economic Development Board in 2006 on developing community outreach that would lay the groundwork for the project's decision on whether to site the telescope on Mauna Kea or Chile.

TMT's initial early meetings were listening sessions with Hawaii Island community members, including kupuna.

TMT conducted hundreds of one-on-one and small group meetings over the next few years to ready TMT for their land use permit process.

Learning from the mistakes of others, TMT made the commitment to

do the right thing,
do more than is required and
do not take any permitting shortcuts.

Here's how TMT got here today.

2008 

Seven EIS Public Scoping Meetings are held (Hawaii Island: 10/6, 10/8, 10/9, 10/13, 10/14, and 10/15 and Oahu: 10/16)

April 2009 

State of Hawaii Land Board Approves Comprehensive Management Plan (CMP) for Maunakea

2009

Seven Draft EIS Meetings are held (Hawaii Island: 6/16, 6/17, 6/18, 6/22, 6/23, 6/24 and Oahu: 6/25)

July 2009 

TMT Board of Directors Selects Maunakea as Preferred Site

March 2010 

State of Hawaii Land Board Accepts Comprehensive Management Plan's Sub Plans

May 2010 

Mauna Kea Management Board Approves TMT Project
State of Hawaii Governor Approves TMT EIS

August 2010 

60-Day TMT EIS Challenge Period Ends with no challenges to the Final EIS

September 2010 

Mauna Kea Management Board Approves Draft Conservation District Use Application

State of Hawaii Land Board Accepts Draft Conservation District Use Application 

December 2010 

State of Hawaii TMT CDUP Public Meetings in Hilo and Kona (12/2 and 12/3)

February 2011 

The State Land Board Considers the UH application for a Conservation District Use Permit for the Thirty Meter Telescope, and Authorizes a Contested Case

March 2011 

Hawaii State Legislature introduces Resolutions in support of TMT's Workforce Pipeline Program

May 2011 

TMT CDUP Contested Case Pre-hearings

August 2011 

Five TMT CDUP Contested Case Hearings (public) are held (8/14, 8/15, 8/17, 8/18 and 8/25)

September 2011 

TMT CDUP Contested Case Hearings Conclude (9/26 and 9/30)

November 2012 

Hearings Officer Paul Aoki issues hundred and twenty-four page ruling concluding that TMT is consistent with the purpose of the Conservation District and should be granted its Conservation District Use Permit.

February 2013 

State of Hawaii Board of Land and Natural Resources hears oral arguments (2/12)

April 2013 

State of Hawaii Board of Land and Natural Resources issues CDUP (4/12)

December 2013 

Judge Nakamura, Third Circuit Court, holds hearing on the an appeal on the CDUP by TMT opponents (12/13)

May 2014 

Judge Nakamura, Third Circuit Court issues Final Judgment affirming Board of Land and Natural Resources, State of Hawaii's Findings of Fact, Conclusion of Law and Decision and Order Granting Conservation District Use Permit for the TMT at the Mauna Kea Science Reserve dated April 12, 2013 (5/5)

June 2014 

State of Hawaii Board of Land and Natural Resources approves TMT sublease with the University of Hawaii (6/27)

July 2014 

After Three Public Hearings, State of Hawaii Board of Land and Natural Resources votes to approve the sublease with the University of Hawaii
Office of Hawaiian Affairs votes to not pursue a contested case regarding the approved TMT sublease with the University of Hawaii

October 2014 

A Traditional Hawaiian Ground Blessing Ceremony is conducted at the TMT Site

March 2015 

The Hawaii State Department of Land and Natural Resources issues TMT a Notice to Proceed with construction

December 2015

The Hawaii State Supreme Court vacates the Board of Land and Natural Resources' Findings of Fact, Conclusions of Law and Decision and Order, dated April 12, 2013 and vacates the issuance of the Conservation District Use Permit.

February 2016

Judge Nakamura, Third Circuit Court issues Order for Remand so a contested case hearing can be conducted before the Board of Land and Natural Resources or a new hearing officer.

May 2016

Contested Case Pre-hearings begin in Hilo

August 2016

TMT Pre-hearing Motions and Third Pre-hearing Conference in Hilo

October 2016

TMT Contested Case begins and all parties present their evidence

February 2017

Contested Case continues in Hilo. Witness testimonies and cross examination of witnesses expected to finish by March 2, concluding the public portion of the hearing.

March 2017

Contested Case oral arguments close, concluding the public portion of the hearing.

April 2017

TMT Contested Case transcripts available for review. Judge Riki May Amano (Ret) Hearings Officer sets the deadlines for the filing of proposed decisions and orders, including findings of facts and conclusions of law.

• May 30, 2017 Proposed decision and order, findings of fact and conclusions of law. 
• June 13, 2017 Responses to decision and order, findings of fact and conclusions of law. 

July 25, 2017

Hearings Officer files notice that the contested case is closed and that no further documents shall be accepted for this: CASE NO. BLNR-CC-16-002

July 26, 2017

Hearings Officer filed proposed Findings of Facts, Conclusion of Law and Decision and Order for consideration by the State of Hawaii Land Board.

• August 21, 2017 Parties may file exceptions to the Hearings Officer's recommendations. 
• September 11, 2017 Responsive briefs to exceptions may be filed.

September 2017

State of Hawaii Land Board heard oral arguments by the contested case parties commencing at 9am in Hilo, Hawaii. 

September 2017

State of Hawaii Land Board adopted the hearings officer's recommended findings of fact, conclusions of law and decision and order, with modifications, including additional conditions. 

http://dlnr.hawaii.gov/mk/documents-library/

Based on findings of fact and conclusions of law, the CDUA and the TMT Management Plan are approved.

November 2017

The BLNR's decision was subsequently appealed to the Hawaii State Supreme Court. The matter is pending.

May 2018

The Hawaii Supreme Court scheduled oral arguments on the project's Conservation District Use Permit set for June

June 2018

The Hawaii Supreme Court hears oral arguments on the project's Conservation District Use Permit on June 21, 2018 at 9:00 a.m

August 2018

The Hawaii Supreme Court rules that the environmental court erred in when it ruled that BLNR violated Flores' constitutional rights when it denied his request for a contested case hearing on TMT sublease with the University of Hawaii, reversing the court decision.  

September 2018

Hawaii Supreme Court continues to take under advisement the TMT Conservation District Use Permit.  

October 30, 2018

The Hawaii Supreme Court, by majority decision, issued its opinion affirming the Board of Land & Natural Resources' decision to issue a Conservation District Use Permit (CDUP) for construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) on Maunakea.

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The Thirty Meter Telescope Project has been developed as collaboration among Caltech, UC, the Association of Canadian Universities for Research in Astronomy (ACURA), and the national institutes of Japan, China, and India with the goal to design, develop, construct, and operate a thirty-meter class telescope and observatory on Mauna Kea in cooperation with the University of Hawaii (TMT Project). The TMT International Observatory LLC (TIO), a non-profit organization, was established in May 2014 to carry out the construction and operation phases of the TMT Project. The Members of TIO are Caltech, UC, the National Institutes of Natural Sciences of Japan, the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Department of Science and Technology of India, and the National Research Council (Canada); the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) is a TIO Associate. Major funding has been provided by the Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation.

For more information about the TMT project, visit tmt.org, www.facebook.com/TMTHawaii or follow @TMTHawaii.