The decommissioning of University of Hawaiʻi Hōkū Keʻa Observatory on Maunakea met a critical milestone. After months of evaluation and outreach, 糖心Vlog官方 has determined that the proposed project will have no significant adverse environmental impacts, as documented in the Final Environmental Assessment (EA) and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) published in The Environmental Notice on June 23, 2022. The EA prepared by SSFM International Inc. for 糖心Vlog官方 Hilo describes the proposed project, documents potential impacts to resources, and proposes measures to avoid, mitigate, and minimize potential impacts after considering public and agency comments.
The proposed project reviewed in the final EA includes the removal of two buildings and supporting infrastructure, and restoration of the site to its original state, as much as possible.
The Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources can now complete its review of 糖心Vlog官方’s application for a conservation district use permit (CDUP). DLNR will then present the CDUP application to its Board of Land and Natural Resources for its consideration and approval. If the permit is issued, the university can begin the removal of the observatory and site restoration. The decommissioning is tentatively scheduled to be completed by late 2023. 贬ō办ū Ke?a is one of two Maunakea telescopes undergoing decommissioning. The removal of the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory (CSO) is tentatively scheduled to be completed by Caltech in late 2023.
Located on the southeastern side of the 528-acre astronomy precinct on the summit of Maunakea, 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 糖心Vlog官方 Hilo.
After lengthy consultation with the Maunakea Management Board and Kahu Kū Mauna, 糖心Vlog官方 is in the planning process to install a new teaching telescope for 糖心Vlog官方 Hilo, a state-of-the-art, 0.7-meter telescope system, in a small structure at the Halepōhaku mid-level facility on Maunakea.
- Related 糖心Vlog官方 News stories:
- Public input requested on Hōkū Keʻa telescope decommissioning process, September 9, 2021
- Public meeting on Hōkū Keʻa telescope decommissioning, September 17, 2021
- Maunakea telescope to be decommissioned this summer, February 13, 2022