![]() ![]() “Contamination of groundwater is extremely remote and very unlikely from the TMT Project. A discharge on the summit area would be naturally treated and filtered through thousands of feet of the porous lavas, which would remove any contamination from that discharge before reaching any groundwater. “Moreover, Mauna Kea is comprised of very porous lavas that naturally treat and filter water percolating downward. Because the TMT Observatory will use a zero-discharge wastewater system, wastewater will not be released from the TMT Project so no percolation of wastewater will reach the aquifer. “The groundwater beneath the summit of Mauna Kea is impounded and compartmentalized by subsurface geologic structures. Here’s Judge Riki May Amano’s description in her ruling approving the TMT’s 2017 permit: The closest groundwater wells are 12 miles away and because the project site is thousands of feet above sea level, it’s expected to have no significant impact on natural resources. The state has concluded that it’s extremely unlikely any spills would affect groundwater. Here’s Part 1 of a list of chemical spills on Mauna Kea and how they’ve been addressed historically. This is based on scientists who testified at public hearings and contributed to the environmental analysis of the project. The state has concluded that the telescope doesn’t pose a risk to the aquifer or Hawaii island’s water supply. The TMT’s potential effect on the water supply is one of the most commonly voiced environmental concerns by activists. What impact - if any - will the TMT have on the Big Island’s aquifer and water supply? The remaining 11 observatories are in use and continue to produce scientific data. Two have been sitting unused for several years and are in the process of being decommissioned. Squires says the TIO also has a plan to decommission the telescope after its lifetime, which is estimated to be 50 years of use.Ĭurrently the state is planning to decommission five telescopes on the mountain. The analysis includes plans to mitigate the impact.Ī previous version of this story incorrectly said that the wekiu bug was a former endangered species. The organization’s environmental impact statement acknowledges that the TMT’s construction will disturb some habitat of the wekiu bug, formerly a candidate for the endangered species list. The project construction won’t involve dynamite. Gordon Squires, vice president for external relations for the TMT International Observatory, says the project site is less visible than the mountain peak would be and isn’t home to any endangered species. ![]() The TIO created this rendering after hearing rumors that the TMT would be comparable in size to Aloha Stadium. This rendering of the Thirty Meter Telescope shows that the observatory is smaller than Aloha Stadium. The building itself will be 180 feet high and 14 feet below ground level. The entire project area is expected to take up 5 acres, including the telescope dome, support building and parking lot. The TMT is going to be built on a new site, not on top of decommissioned telescopes. The mountain facilities also have a history of chemical and waste spills that include up to 1,000 gallons of sewage overflowing in 2008.īut the university has improved its management of the mountain over the past two decades and the TMT International Observatory, the nonprofit organization behind the TMT, says this project will be a zero-waste facility with minimal impact on the mountain.Ĭivil Beat examined some of the key environmental questions about the project:Ĭivil Beat recently received this question from a reader: “How much more land is intended to be used for the new telescope or are they removing one or two of the old telescopes and using the same pads for the new one? I’ve been told they are taking thousands of more acres? Is this true?” A 1998 state audit found that observatories left trash and old equipment and damaged historical sites and endangered species candidate habitat. It doesn’t help that the University of Hawaii has a poor history of managing the mountain. Other facts are more nuanced or complex than they initially appear. Some of the environmental claims raised on social media, like rumors about the TMT being fueled by nuclear power, are false. An artist’s rendering of the Thirty Meter Telescope shows the observatory in the bottom left of the frame. But many opponents also have concerns about the environmental impact of what would be the world’s largest visible-light telescope. Some who consider the mountain sacred believe adding another structure to be desecration, no matter what that structure is. Hundreds of activists remain at the base of Mauna Kea Access Road and plan to stay to prevent construction trucks from heading up the mountain. Emotions have been running high about the plan to build another telescope on Mauna Kea, a mountain on the Big Island that’s already home to a thriving astronomy industry. ![]()
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