The embattled plan to erect the Thirty Meter Telescope on a sacred Hawaii mountain faces new challenges in the form of pending hurricanes and ongoing protests. An emergency proclamation from Hawaii Gov. David Ige to remove Native Hawaiian protesters was rescinded this week as the project stalled because of weather and budgetary concerns.
The Thirty Meter Telescope, which has been planned for construction on the summit of Mauna Kea on the Big Island of Hawaii, is projected to cost the state $1.4 billion. It is expected to be able to see further into space than any other telescope based on Earth. The location on Mauna Kea, which is already home to many large telescopes, was selected in 2009 by scientists who felt the summit to be the most optimal location on the planet.
Protesters argue that the telescope construction would desecrate sacred land that is sometimes used for ceremony and prayer. New problems with construction include the onset of hurricane season, with two large storms, including Hurricane Erick, on track to make landfall on the Big Island.
The Department of Land and Natural Resources has granted a two-year extension of the Conservation District Use permit deadline for the start of construction. The new deadline for initiating construction is Sept. 26, 2021.
“Because TMT construction is not imminent, I am withdrawing the emergency proclamation effective immediately,” Ige said in a Tuesday tweet.
Because #TMT construction is not imminent, I am withdrawing the emergency proclamation effective immediately. I remain committed to moving forward with this project in a peaceful way and will continue efforts to engage the community. https://t.co/5VVcEXMrGC #MaunaKea
— Governor David Ige (@GovHawaii) July 31, 2019
Protests in July staged by kupuna, or elders, who had strapped themselves into chairs blocking access to the mountain, moved Ige to issue the proclamation. Other protests have including Native Hawaiian residents chaining themselves together and blocking roads that lead to the sacred summit. Some form of protest has been ongoing at the site since June of this year.
The main access road to the mountain will remain closed to the public and monitored by police.
