TMT truce might be extended 2 months

Hawaii Mayor Harry Kim has asked the Thirty Meter Telescope for a two-month extension of the current moratorium that has kept the peace on Mauna Kea over the last few months.

Kim said Tuesday that he’s hoping the additional time will allow for opportunities for those on both sides of the issue to find common ground and come to a solution regarding the fate of the $1.4 billion telescope planned for Hawaii’s tallest mountain.

TMT International Observatory Executive Director Ed Stone gave his assurances the project’s board of governors would take up the request at the group’s quarterly meeting last week, Kim said.

And while Kim hasn’t heard from Stone yet regarding the board’s decision, he said he would expect an answer by the end of the week.

Asked whether the TMT board had a response for the mayor Tuesday, spokesman Scott Ishikawa issued the following statement: “We don’t have a timeframe for beginning construction. We continue to engage in private discussions with community members in finding a peaceful, lawful and non- violent way forward that honors and supports our scientific goals, environmental stewardship and the traditions and culture of Hawaii.”

Andre Perez, one of the protest leaders, said the kiai, or “protectors,” have not been contacted by Kim or anyone else regarding the possibility of an additional moratorium period. But, he said, they would be open to the extension as long as it is not tied to construction or desecration of the mountain.

“That’s what our objectives are,” he said.

However, if Kim doesn’t come up with a new moratorium by the end of this month, the opposition will again take up positions at the protest camp at the intersection of Mauna Kea Access Road and Daniel K. Inouye Highway, Perez said.

“The kiai are committed to protecting the mountain,” he declared.

The cutting-edge telescope was first proposed for Mauna Kea more than a decade ago, but protests and legal and regulatory hurdles over the last five years have brought construction plans to a halt.

The latest attempt to start construction was stopped in July when thousands of mostly Hawaiian protesters, many of whom believe the mountain is sacred, blocked Mauna Kea Access Road.

Although authorities arrested 39 protesters, many others stood their ground, and the project remained stalled under increasing opposition.

Kim negotiated the current two-month truce in December and had actually asked for more time from the TMT. Stone told him then that he’d have to take up the request with the TMT board but that the next meeting wasn’t until February.

“Truthfully, we could use more time,” the mayor said.

Kim said he’d like to see all parties get together to discuss how to move forward. He said he’s “elated” the state Legislature is looking at creating a blue-ribbon commission to address Hawaiian issues. Hawaiians have had to endure generations of mistreatment, he said, and the Mauna Kea protest is deeply rooted in that legacy.

But “a lot of people believe (the TMT) can be a good thing,” he said. “A good portion of the population want us to address issues brought up by protectors and others and go forward with the project.”

Meanwhile, Gov. David Ige spent the last few days in Japan primarily discussing the promotion and expansion of travel to Hawaii.

But he also was expected to meet with “key stakeholders of the Thirty Meter Telescope to provide updates on the project,” according to a news release. Ige returned to Hawaii on Tuesday, and his office didn’t provide any details about the TMT discussions.

Kim said he believes the governor is supportive of the additional moratorium.

The TMT International board is made up of representatives of the University of California and Caltech, plus science agencies in India, China, Japan and Canada.

A recent newspaper report in the Canary Islands, home of the TMT backup site, indicated that a decision by the TMT board about whether it would switch locations for the telescope was expected in February.

Asked about that report last month, a spokesman responded that the TMT consortium doesn’t provide details of scheduled meeting dates but that the governing board does meet regularly in person or remotely via conference call.