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Telescopes on the summit of Mauna Kea on Hawaii island, as seen on Aug. 31. (AP Photo/Caleb Jones, File)
Construction equipment and vehicles that have sat idle since protesters blocked crews from building a giant telescope are being removed from a mountain that’s considered sacred to some Native Hawaiians.
Protesters who oppose the $1.4 billion Thirty Meter Telescope have been calling for the machinery to be removed after the state Supreme Court earlier this month invalidated the project’s permit to build on conservation land of the Big Island volcano.
The equipment is coming down sometime today, telescope officials said.
“We respect the Hawaii Supreme Court decision and, as good neighbors and stewards of the mountain, TMT has begun relocating construction vehicles and equipment from Maunakea,” said a statement from Henry Yang, chair of the TMT International Observatory Board of Governors.
The court sent the matter back for a new contested-case hearing. Telescope officials haven’t indicated whether they will pursue a new hearing, which could mean a construction delay of several years.
Mechanics went to the site Tuesday to do maintenance and repairs on vehicles, said Scott Ishikawa, a telescope spokesman.
Protesters have been concerned that the vehicles were leaking, said Kealoha Pisciotta, one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit challenging the project’s permit.
She said she’s relieved that the equipment will be removed. “Mauna Kea is the burial ground of our ancestors, not a parking lot,” she said.
After the Dec. 2 court ruling voiding the permit, the state attorney general’s office said telescope equipment could remain on the mountain.
A group of universities in California and Canada plan to build the telescope with partners from China, India and Japan.
Partners would receive a share of observing time, along with University of Hawaii scientists.
Astronomers revere Mauna Kea because its summit high summit provides a clear view of the sky for 300 days a year, with little air and light pollution. It’s expected to enable scientists to see 13 billion light years away for a glimpse into the early years of the universe.
Construction halted in April after 31 protesters were arrested for blocking construction. A second attempt to restart construction in June ended with the arrests of 12 protesters and construction crews in vehicles retreating before reaching the site when they encountered large boulders in the road.
And the project ends, with Hawaiians ignoring Mauna Key which they never cared about anyway.
Sad but true.
The TNT protesters, no more than 200 if that, really have hurt Hawaii and Hawaiians. But what is new in that? Happens all the time out here.
The TNT protesters are not the major problem. Protesters come and go. The real problem is our courts, legislators and the governor. As far as I can tell, the TNT people followed the rules and the instructions they were given and this state still screwed them. The reputation of this state, for having a bad business environment, is still intact. So shame.
Ignorance and superstition triumph over knowledge.
Project’s not over yet. This is a delay, but no one entirely knows yet how far back in the process they have to go to reacquire the permits. Since the delay is likely to be at least a few months, there’s no point in losing money letting it sit idle.
Nauseating
This is what happens when you have a weak governor. A one term governor. What has Gov Ige accomplished so far? Nothing.
Leadership in Hawaii is so weak that we could be the first and only state to have an half of a term in office?
I think Palin and Alaska all ready has that honor.
Yes. And McCain would have won the Presidential race if he picked some one else besides Palin.
Between the protesters on Mauna Kea and the leaders of Hawaii, we will remain at the bottom of the barrel.
Where you belong.
I’m scraping the bottom of the soup line at every buffet line.
So very sad for so many reasons. We have amazing marine navigators currently circulating the globe. We are losing the opportunity to have incredible navigators exploring the skies.
typo — “circling” not “circulating”
Since the end of WW II the party in power has controlled the politic of the island in consort with the Union. Republicans have been blamed for all the ills and never the Democrats. Either the voters love the status quo or are plain —–s? Super Ferry comes to mine, the few controls the majority! Pains me to observe from afar!
I’m the circle jerk.
Hope they take them elsewhere. Where such efforts are seen as IMUA and worthwhile.
Just like everything they try to do, those representing the “Hawaiian” people going backwards again. Na’i Aupuni and these protestors living in the past.
Hawaii’s leaders typical left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing.
This is a bad move for Hawaii. What will the protesters stop next. These protesters have no concept of progress. We cannot live in the past.
We can protect the monk seal (and beat people) so let’s protect the aina.
TMT should go should go elsewhere. Some place where they will be wanted, no sense wasting anymore time and money here because even if they get another permit the protesters made it clear that they will continue to protest.
Don’t be surprised if China, India and Tibet form a scientific venture to site a 30 meter telescope at high altitude, especially since Hawaii lacks the can do spirit, the guts and the vision to take the lead, preferring instead to wallow in the vast depths of self pity, playing endless rounds of “Ain’t it awful”.
True..Hawaii will likely not know what it lost for several years. Ige has yet another black mark on his really wretched record. This zero was a hack back room operator in the state legislature and rarely spoke a word. What did you all expect in him?
Don’t blame all this on one man. He embodies the entire Democrat Party of this state, a party that has held a death grip on the levers of power for more than six decades by insuring these islands remain THEIR kuleana, not letting outside influences – – especially big money outside influences, such as profitable new enterprises – – get a toe hold. Using punishing taxation plus “popular” protest they are able to fend off such things as SuperFerry and the 30 meter telescope, both of which would have provided a lot of jobs and profit NOT coming from the Democrat Party. This is why Hawaii is known as THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC of Hawaii. It is business hostile to the max. The more people it can make dependent on government services – – and the PARTY of government services – – the better. Free market capitalism (of the sort that flourished in Hong Kong prior to the 1997 reversion) threatens Democrat Party hold on essential power. For both the Dems and the Mafia, power is THE unvarying way. That explains why (among other things) we have designed a public education system the PREVENTS kids from finding out how capable they are. Were they to get a REAL education these Democrat third rater would be tossed out on their kiesters in a new york minute.
Here is what I found: China Starts Building World’s Biggest Radio Telescope
http://www.americanscientist.org/science/pub/china-starts-building-worlds-biggest-radio-telescope
The fat lady has sung. Just as well, the TMT builders are smart to pull the plug and build the telescope in Chile which is the equal in location as was Mauna Kea.
The government in Chile wants the telescope whereas the state here does not seem to be all that interested given the politics involved.
agree..they won’t be back. I predicted that 2 months ago. But I am glad the SA has finally stopped saying all Hawaiians revere the mountain as ‘sacred.” That is such an insult to Hawaiians who have many diverse views. Few literally revere it as sacred.
There is one and only one thing that is sacred in these islands, POWER. The Democrat Party has it and, like the Mafia it so closely resembles, will fight to the death to retain the grip on POWER.
I vote for Thos: separation of powers is a joke when it comes to conflicts with the mafioso dems of Hawaii. Even the feds who are slotted to apply counter pressure on the local insider pols are in the pocket of the dem party.
Chile is in the Southern Hemisphere, Mauna Kea is in the Northern Hemisphere. The night sky looks different.
“She said she’s relieved that the equipment will be removed. “Mauna Kea is the burial ground of our ancestors, not a parking lot,” she said.”I thought commoners were buried in the sand and the chiefs in the caves above the beach. Learn something new everyday!
The protestors should be made to now provide jobs and money for students to practice STEM studies. To do less would be selfish as they have now chased away an entity who was doing that.
Don’t be so convinced that like the Superferry, this is some sort of finality of the TMT. Because it is not. The kinds of money that was connected to the whole superferry debacle pales in comparison to the TMT. This is not the last we have heard from TMT.
What binds both the superferry and TMT together is gross mismanagement of the proceedings and permitting — largely guided by Hawaii-based insiders and powerful people. One can opine that the whole argument is not about Mauna Kea and Native Hawaiians. But rather, a discussion on wealth and power — and the influence wealth and power has on land development processes and politicos. The ghost of Daniel K. Inouye lives! The Mufi’s and Billy’s of this Hawaii Democratic world were supposed to bring home the next generation of victories. But um….
I can go wither way with TMT, but one cannot fault the plaintiffs for winning….at the highest level of Hawaii’s courts. Stay tuned.
Now the same protestors will be protesting about the lack of good, high technology jobs in Hawaii.
Lucky we live Hawaii. Where protesters block development but say nothing when million dollar a unit condos go up blocking the sunshine (or blinding everyone with their reflective windows), or say nothing when useless and dangerous bike paths go up snarling traffic,or feel great about paying higher taxes to fund a rail system that will literally help no one but the people who made money constructing it and the politicians who will and have received kickbacks for approving the fiasco. I would feel great too if all of our collective whining actually achieved a result no matter how stupid. Because no one does anything for things that really matter.
And that’s what I don’t get. With unbridled development all over the islands, why on earth would a telescope be better target than, say, the rail line?