The nonprofit company contracted to build the Thirty Meter Telescope atop Mauna Kea will postpone construction of the controversial $1.4 billion project until April 20, extending the "timeout" period instituted by Gov. David Ige on Tuesday.
Ige announced the postponement Saturday from Hilo, where he is attending the Merrie Monarch Festival, the state’s largest hula festival.
The announcement comes as protests against the project, led by Native Hawaiian groups who view the project as further desecration of a sacred mountain, have garnered worldwide attention via social media.
"I thank TMT for its willingness to be respectful and sensitive to all of Hawaii — its special people, its sense of place and its unique host culture," the governor said in a statement.
Kealoha Pisciotta, the president of Mauna Kea Anaina Hou and a telescope opponent, said she welcomed the opportunity for all sides to reflect.
"We’re still not standing down," she said. "We appreciate the time to do research and consider everything and that’s a good thing. It’s also a good thing that the aina is protected.
"Any time that happens is a good thing and we welcome that," she said.
Gary Sanders, the Thirty Meter Telescope’s project manager, said his organization is continuing to consult with community leaders and appreciates their input.
"We appreciate the support of the governor and our community advocates for our decision to hold construction until at least April 20," Sanders said in a statement.
The Thirty Meter Telescope is a California nonprofit formed by the University of California and the California Institute of Technology. Institutions in Canada, China, India and Japan signed on as partners and would receive a share of observing time.
It selected Mauna Kea as the site for the observatory over Chile’s Cerro Armazones mountain in 2009.
The Thirty Meter Telescope has received state construction permits and a sublease for the land from the University of Hawaii, which manages the area at the top of the mountain.
The telescope, which is expected to be completed in 10 years, won government approvals following a seven-year environmental review process that featured more than 20 public hearings and a formal contested-case proceeding.
But 31 protesters were arrested on the mountain April 2 trying to prevent workers from reaching the summit construction site. The arrests generated outrage within the Hawaiian community, triggering protests across the state and a social media movement — #WeAreMaunaKea — that drew the support of celebrities with local ties as well as indigenous groups from around the world.
On Friday, hundreds of anti-TMT demonstrators rallied at the University of Hawaii at Manoa campus.
———
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
