From Melissa:
Walking into the Farrington High School cafeteria for the Mauna Kea Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) hearing for the draft EIS, was like walking into a world of glossy posters and seductive color schemes. TMT staff were present in great numbers, anxiously awaiting questions from the 
community. More of a sales pitch at the beginning than a hearing, the TMT guys tried to entice the crowd with turkey rolls, brownie bites and promises of community benefit and higher education packages that sound more beneficial to the community than what they really offer.
From cultural education programs for the employees of TMT to a zero discharge wastewater plan for the facility, the mitigation measures brought forth did not seem to address the legitimate concerns of the Hawaiian people. Mitigation measures for the decimation of a cultural site of extreme importance, not to mention the irreparable damage the TMT would cause to the environment, were not attended to because these two issues are inevitable and irreversible.
The oral testimonies given were fairly balanced between support and opposition. Those in favor of the TMT went first, followed by those in opposition. TMT supporters mainly argued that the monetary packages offered to the community would be a godsend, and that Hawaii should be on the forefront of astronomical advances.
Our Program Director, Marti (who blew us away) and those in opposition brought up several interesting and valid points. The main issues brought up were that a federal EIS is required because TMT is funded by federal money, a permit for TMT will not be issued as it is in a conservation district, TMT doesn’t show a comprehensive management plan, the Board of Land and Natural Resources should be reviewing the EIS because TMT would be in a conservation district, students shouldn’t have to give up a cultural site just to receive chump change (education package), and the fact that the site has great environmental and cultural significance.
Overall, the hearing was informative, and those in opposition got to voice their opinion to the people that are carrying out the project, who are fully aware their work will devastate the land and decimate a culturally significant site. Whether or not TMT will actually be built is not yet known (our fingers crossed are it will fall through).
To learn more about this issue please visit the following site:
If you wish to voice your opinion, please click on the following link to submit testimony:
Defend Mauna Kea’s Last Pristine Plateau
What federal money? Development of the TMT has been paid for by a private grant from Gordon Moore, to the tune of $200 million. Currently no US federal funds are anticipated in the construction.
Enormous benefits for the community in exchange for a few acres of barren rock.
Hey Andy,
Aloha! How’s the view from the Kecks these days? Voggy?
Thanks for the opportunity to answer your question. Yes. Federal money is being spent on the TMT.
True, Mr. Moore has paid several hundred million dollars to have his name on the front of the colossal TMT (actually the tune is $300 million). But to play the full song on Mauna Kea will cost over a billion dollars total. (Cue Yankee Doodle Dandy!) A simple google search reveals TMT’s annual report to the National Science Foundation, where the TMT sings the praises of NSF for the $8 million in federal funds they gave TMT in 2008 (btw, the refrain to that one was “I want more-more-more”).
In fact, Senior Senator Inouye ( …hmm… I’m hearing the Darth Vader Theme) has promised that the remaining $700 million needed to build the TMT will be paid by federal funds, provided the telescope is built on Mauna Kea.
This leads one to ask, if it isn’t built in Hawaii, will the TMT have to find the remaining funds elsewhere? Actually, that could be easier than trying to get a permit to build in a conservation district (“pave paradise and put up a parking lot”), since it will only cost about $700 million total to build in Chile.
I wonder… what’s the difference in size between a $300 million font and $400 million font? (“Mon-ey! it’s a crime. Share it fairly but don’t take a piece of mmmmyyyyy pie…”).
Ciao,
Marti
P.S. The one song I just can’t get out of my head is “If I had a million dollars…” because that’s *all* the community would get out of this whole multi-million dollar song-n-dance.