HonoluluAdvertiser.com

August 28, 2008

Proposed telecope project stirs debate on Big Isle

Associated Press

HILO, Hawai'i — Backers of a project to build the world’s most
powerful telescope say it wouldn’t desecrate Mauna Kea if it were
built there.

Some Native Hawaiian groups believe Mauna Kea is a sacred mountain,
and the Thirty Meter Telescope would defile it.
But Michael Bolte, a Thirty Meter Telescope board member, disagrees.
He acknowledges some people will never accept the telescope, but he’s
looking for common ground.
“The astronomy endeavor is not very different from the Native
Hawaiian reverence for the mountain,” he said. “I think telescopes
are beneficial, and I think they represent something wonderful.”
The telescope is a joint project of the California Institute of
Technology, the University of California and the Association of
Canadian Universities for Research in Astronomy.
Cerro Armazones in Chile is another candidate site for the device.
Once completed, the telescope will be three times bigger than the
largest telescopes currently in use.
Thirty Meter Telescope’s management understands gaining acceptance
from the community will be a key to getting the telescope built in
Hawaii. The consortium already helps operate other telescopes on
Mauna Kea, so it is well aware of the issues.
Sandra Dawson, TMT’s site manager, emphasized the telescope would not
be built on the summit and would be out of view from most places on
the Big Island.
She’s sent out a letter to people who may oppose the project and has
asked for their input.
She plans to set up a booth at the Hilo Farmers Market to talk with
people about the telescope.
The group intends to finish its environmental impact statement on the
telescope around April.
An environmental impact statement for Cerro Armazones has already
been completed and submitted to the Chilean government for review.
Bolte will have a vote in determining where the telescope, estimated
to cost $1.1 billion, will be built.
He said Mauna Kea stacked up favorably compared to Cerro Armazones in
several categories.
Studies have found that the air above Mauna Kea is cold and stable,
both pluses.
Mauna Kea boasts extensive support infrastructure, from living
facilities for astronomers to roads, electricity, fiber-optic cable
and water.
None of that is available on Cerro Armazones. To get to this
mountain, scientists have to fly to the capital city of Santiago,
then board a smaller plane to the northern coastal city of
Antofagasta. From there it’s a two-hour drive through the Atacama
Desert, the driest spot on Earth.
The Chilean mountain is 10,500 feet high, while the Mauna Kea site is
some 3,000 feet higher, another plus for Hawai'i.
On the other hand, the desert climate works in Cerro Armazones’
favor, since Mauna Kea records more cloudy days.
More significantly, Cerro Armazones has no known historical, cultural
or archaeological significance, and the Chilean government is
actively promoting the development of astronomy.
“Chile, at the federal government level, they recognize astronomy as
an industry,” Bolte said.