Telescope foes criticize slew of objections

Thirty Meter Telescope foes are crying foul after lawyers with the University of Hawaii at Hilo and the TMT International Observatory board filed numerous objections to exhibits entered in the contested case proceedings.

Kealoha Pisciotta, leader of the Mauna Kea Hui, said Wednesday that the opponents are being “papered” with what amounts to thousands of objections and are being forced to respond in writing to each one.

“It’s just completely ridiculous,” Pisciotta said. “It’s abusive and just plain mean.”

Pisciotta and other opponents filed complaints about the objections with hearings officer Riki May Amano.

The hearing about the proposed $1.4 billion telescope project atop Mauna Kea concluded March 2 after testimony from 71 witnesses over five months.

Both sides are now completing the record and making final written arguments before the state Board of Land and Natural Resources makes a final decision on the project’s land use permit.

In his filing, Lanny Sinkin, attorney for Temple of Lono, one of the petitioners opposed to the TMT, said the university and TMT essentially “gamed the system” and “tricked” the hearings officer after she indicated that exhibits would be accepted and weighed by Amano on their own merit.

On the final day of the hearing, Pisciotta brought up the issue of the possibility of numerous objections with Amano.

Amano replied: “Unless it’s a serious thing, I don’t expect to hear too many objections.”

Asked to respond Wednesday, university spokesman Dan Meisenzahl said UH-Hilo attorneys are merely following the process set forth by Amano, drawing attention to any exhibits that may be immaterial, duplicative, irrelevant or late.

Several petitioners filed objections to the university’s exhibits, as well, he said.

Meisenzahl said there are 831 exhibits filed in the proceeding, which is nearly four times the amount in the original 2011 contested case that was overturned by the state Supreme Court in 2015.

“The opposition’s motion is consistent with the express strategy to delay decision-making on the merits of the University of Hawaii’s application for conservation district use permit filed over six years ago,” he said.

In related news, Amano’s contract has been extended through the end of the year, increasing her maximum compensation to $350,000 from $200,000.

TMT International Observatory’s plan to build the 180-foot-tall observatory could face another delay following a judge’s December ruling that the Land Board should have granted petitioner E. Kalani Flores a contested case hearing for the project’s sublease on Mauna Kea.

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.