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ASSOCIATED PRESS
This undated file artist rendering made available by the TMT Observatory Corporation shows the proposed Thirty Meter Telescope on Mauna Kea. (TMT Observatory Corporation)
The Hawaii state Supreme Court today invalidated the permit allowing construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope atop Mauna Kea.
The court said the state Board of Land and Natural Resources erred when it issued the permit before a contested case hearing was held for the $1.4 billion project. The justices sent the case back to the board for a hearing.
“Quite simply, the board put the cart before the horse,” said the opinion written by Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald.
The court on Nov. 17 granted a request for an emergency stay that blocked crews from working at the TMT site through today, averting a confrontation with protesters who had planned to stop crews from performing vehicle maintenance and repair at the work site.
Today’s order could set back the project months to years while it goes through permitting again.
TMT officials previously said they would forge ahead with construction of the cutting-edge telescope even if a major delay emerged from the court.
Mauna Kea Anaina Hou v. Board of Land and Natural Resources by Honolulu Star-Advertiser
Imua, TMT! Don’t give up!
All of the justices agreed that the BLNR messed up. Don’t blame the Hawaii Supreme Court, blame the DNLR for not following the rules. It is obvious that you need to have the “trial” before the “judgment.” BLNR actually conducted the trial, so there is no excuse for not doing it first. This situation is no different than the State of Hawaii not following its own rules regarding the Super Ferry, etc. UH’s attorneys should have known better as well, but well . . . you know. TMT will be approved, it is just going to take more time and cost more money.
Look All, How can someone contest a permit until it’s granted? These same people testified for years and had ample time to voice their opinions. Then DLNR granted the permit. Then these same voice boxes “CONTESTED” it. Now the totally inept Hawaii Court says that somehow the DLNR should have had psychic visions that someone might protest their decision to grant and they should have somehow known this group should be granted a contest case hearing before they even asked for one? Really? How silly.
However, they were granted one, the very lengthy hearings were held, and after many months the decision was still made to grant by the DLNR. Believe me it will be re-granted after they go through another case hearing. The Hawaii Supreme Court just showed how biased and manipulated they are by political interests.
The Supremes know what they want to do, which is adhere to a pro-Hawaiian and environmental activist agenda. They just cherry pick the legal arguments that fit their activist agenda.
Not surprising given the present members on the court. And people wonder why businesses can’t thrive in Hawaii…
R u kidding, recktenwald is the best pro business justice in 50 years….
Earlson, excellent decision by the State Supreme Court. State administrations, both Republican and Democrat, believe they are above the law and get slapped in the head. Have worked with the Chief Justice prior to his appointment on establishing administrative rules on current legislation. The process is detailed and spelled out, yet the administration, believing they are above the law, attempt to by-pass the procedures established. For some reason, the administration(s) continue to believe they can short circuit the process.
kuroiwaj — You got it exactly right. I strongly support the TMT, and oppose invoking religion (especially an old dead religion insincerely resurrected by recreational protesters) as a reason for making or blocking government decisions. But I also believe the rule of law, and due process, are very important. The permit should not have been granted until after the contested case hearing was held and all testimony weighed. I hope the hearing will now be held, the crazies will give their testimony, their testimony will be given all the weight it deserves (i.e., very little), and the decision to grant a permit will be made once again.
“Ken_Conklin” Of course you “strongly support the TMT”! It’s your SATANIC purpose on this planet…
Agree with Ken: The system has worked as it should. The protesters would have been executed in North Korea. In America, in Hawaii, they have received every due consideration. Now let the process begin anew and all proper procedures followed.
It is a shame that this state seems to take so many shortcuts. It would be nice if the state would just follow the laws that it previously approved. If you don’t like the law, then repeal it but just don’t ignore it. What a mess this is turning out to be. I expect the telescope will be built but whether it will be within my life time is another question.
..”business”–that’s the operative point! It’s a “business” and has little scientific merit…
The TMT project is scientifically ELEMENTARY, OUTDATED, and TOO COSTLY. It’s a LAND GRAB!
Ok, if its a “land grab” as you claim, then why? You can’t build a condo or hotel on the land being used to build the TMT, can’t use the land for any agricultural or other physical purpose!
Correct. There is no “land grabbing” going on. Wow, the imaginations of some people. The barren wasteland atop the mountain is unsuitable for both residential and agricultural purposes, and I can’t imagine for much commercial usage. But, with its isolated location, and occupying only 5 acres amongst the 1000s of acres up there, it is a perfect location for telescopes. Plenty of room for both telescopes and imaginary godlings and make-believe fire princesses to share a home.
It’s a sad day when just a request for a contested case can derail any project in this State.
So now anyone can just keep filing a string of contested case hearings and tie anything up?
Guess some people now have some heavy pockets. Sad. That’s why Hawaii will always be stuck in the dark ages.
Somebody owes the TMT people a lot of money. They’ve been treated pretty shabbily after trying to jump through all the required hoops. I wonder how much they pis… uhh… spent so far and how much more it will cost them to finish winding down the project? Unfortunately if they nail DLNR as the culprit and collect from them, guess who actually pays… Hello tax payers.
What a sad day for Hawaii. The ancestors must be rolling in their graves. Their pioneering efforts are being throttled by their own ohana.
Difficult to understand … sharks are aumakua, and they live in the ocean, which is therefore “sacred.” But the ocean is being used by the Hawaiians to surf. I also do not see any great effort by the Hawaiians trying to protect the ocean from being desecrated by sewage spills, molasses spills, etc.
Message to the world: Don’t try to do anything in Hawaii. It will take you decades to jump through all our hoops, and we do not like you if you aren’t the right color or the right race or the right economic class or willing to give money to the right people. However, if you are refugees who may or may not be terrorists, come on in! We got lots of homeless and poor people to take care if of already, so no problem to help you out.
As i previously have stated: the State in a none too subtle conflation with TMT, conscripted the outcome without a full review process. At this point, I would not be surprised if the issue of the section 106 consultation, would be revisted. KC, DD, please add your polemics as needed….
boo, See my reply to kuroiwaj. Now here’s a little lesson for you regarding how to predict court outcomes. I think that when the state Supreme Court issued its temporary injunction blocking the project, everyone knew the Court would eventually make the decision announced today, to nullify the permit. So see if you can follow the same concept regarding the U.S. Supreme Court decision regarding the Na’i Aupuni election. The Court would not have issued today’s injunction unless they are already pretty convinced they will vote the same way when the case comes back to them later.
Hardly, your portly and inaccurate comments reflect again, not knowledge, but again ideology.
You mean the “ideology” that believes in that little thing called the “CONSTITUTION” Boo?
DLNR did not follow legal protocol that protects every citizens rights and the courts agreed. Proud of the young men and women whom peacefully protested the government actions of over stepping the law and infringing on the public’s right to due process. To the naysayers condemning the protectors all this time, “whop your Jaws”
Seems clear that DLNR was ill-advised or had their heads in a dark place. Shameful that entities are unable to trust Hawaii Government to know how to read and do business according to its own rules. DLNR voted and then had a contested case hearing? What were they thinking?! So now, a contested case hearing can be held and DLNR can then vote again to approve the permits. What a boondoggle on the part of DLNR. People there should be hung out to dry at the top of Mauna Kea as a symbolic gesture against incompetency!
True..the DLNR lacks competency as is generally true of the state as well. We just have to live with it. But give credit where it is due: The Court has given it every consideration and made a just ruling. Now go back and do things right!
In this I back the DLNR. How did they know that someone would protest the granting of the permit before it was granted? What if they refused to grant the permit. Apparently, nothing would have occurred. Therefore, a permit must first be granted, and then if someone is not happy they can apply for a “Contested Case Hearing”. That’s what happened in this case, they were granted one, then the ruling came down that the “voice box’s” arguments were not valid not to grant the permit. All said, all Done!
Message to the world: Don’t try to do anything in Hawaii. It will take you decades to jump through all our hoops, and we do not like you if you aren’t the right color or the right race or the right economic class or willing to give money to the right people. However, if you are refugees who may or may not be terrorists, come on in! We got lots of homeless and poor people to take care if of already, so no problem to help you out.
This in nuts!!! No wonder all our kids have to go to the mainland to find work. What on earth is wrong with our state?
Yep – no affordable housing, no jobs – no chance for young people and the middle class continues to shrink.
No wonder why I did not learn anything going to a public school in Hawaii.
The big losers today: humanity and its knowledge of the universe.
Science gets hijacked once again.
Once again, as was done to the Superferry, the THUGS have obstructed progress in science and progress. OK protesters, you can go back to your minimum wage jobs or back to collecting welfare.
I’m proud that my state of Hawaii is always at the bottom of the barrel.
I don’t understand this decision. Seems DLNR did hold a contested case. Am I wrong?
I think anyone with a brain saw this coming. Will it set back the project? Maybe, but at the end of the day the TMT will be built. I just hope I am alive when it is operational.
So, if the permitting process is completed properly and TMT is granted the right to build will the pretenders stand down?
No Shame: Say it with me THE TMT WILL NOT BE BUILT ON OUR SACRED MAUNA.
sacredmaunakea.com
What an absolutely awesome ruling! All the haters just got cracked by the supreme court.
All the time and money spent on this process went down the tube. Will TMT go through this again or will they reconsider.Will be very interesting going forward.
what’s with all this Pingback?
Lol, the kahuna wen get you. The ohana win.
U all the kind arrest going be dismiss too. Like the founding fada”$ of the US, the hawaii patriots have won.
SacredMaunaKea.com: The TMT will not be built on our sacred Mauna. Ever.
So the State of Hawaii Supremely dumb Court tosses out 7 years of process and progress toward building the TMT on Mauna Kea becaue a “whiny bunch of sort of Hawaiian protesters” did not get a chance to offer the “negative point of view” about why they can’t build on the “Sacred Mountain?” Such BS, the process to get to this point in time, took 7 years, more than enough time for everyone interested in commenting on what was going on, before the BLNR gave the TMT a permit to green light the project and build.
I agree. Why is 7 years not enough time to state a contested viewpoint?
The day the lolos in Kauai blocked the harbor to prevent the Super Ferry from docking, a message went out to the world. Anything to do with high tech, technology of any kind, making progress, will not be accepted in the little 7th world of Hawaii Nei.
Proven again with the utter failure of the Hawaii Health Connection, City rated D in government efficiency and the biggest and growing debacle of all, rail.
TMT backers would do well to understand the Nei is just too backwards for advanced astronomy, pack up and move to a more progressive, dynamic site. As in South America where high technology is welcomed with open arms. Don’t wait for the Nei to catch up, not going to happen in your lifetime.
Just pack your bags and leave the sinking Nei behind. Falling further and further behind the world ever day.
Wow. What an unexpected judgement. You’d think that after 7 years of hearings, the “contested” opinion would have been restated at least 7 times.
Refile the paperwork, get the wheels rolling again! Build the telescope!
Well, now. All y’all who answered that SA poll a ways back, and voted for the option telling them to proceed with construction without waiting for the Court’s decision, have been shown the error of your ways.
It was plain foolish to proceed while the question was still undecided and the ruling was pending. It’s always plumb foolish to antagonize the Court by not waiting for their judgment. And now, hopefully you all see and will learn accordingly from this outcome.
I’m not gonna predict whether this scope will or won’t ever get completed. But it’s pretty clear that its proponents made a severe tactical error by thumbing their noses at the Court. Today they’re paying the price.
Hawaii is a laughing stock. Who will ever want to do business here?