The Thirty Meter Telescope Project (TMT) is launching a new database containing five years of atmospheric data from the telescope’s initial five candidates sites: Cerro Tolar, Cerro Armazones, and Cerro Tolonchar, Chile; San Pedro Martir, Mexico; and Mauna Kea, Hawaii, the site selected for TMT.
A Web site containing the entire dataset, the largest of its kind, is available free-of-charge to the public.
“TMT believes that this dataset will be of great interest to the site testing community and astronomers in general,” said Matthias Schoeck, TMT’s Image Quality Scientist. “Whether it is because they are interested in the sites themselves or as input for simulations or data analysis, the data will be available to any team looking to build or operate an observatory.”
The breadth and consistency of the dataset will also make it of value to researchers in climatology, boundary layer physics, aeronautics, and satellite studies, explained Schoeck.
The new database includes accurate and long-term measurements of virtually every atmospheric feature that might affect the performance of the telescope, including turbulence strength, temperature, barometric pressure, wind speed and direction, humidity, atmospheric water vapor content, solar irradiance, ground heat transfer, dust levels, and cloud cover.
An essential element of the TMT site testing campaign was the deployment of identical equipment at all five sites. TMT also took great care in cross calibrating its instruments. As a result, the data can be compared quantitatively across all the sites with high confidence. The data also cover long enough time periods to be representative for the sites, barring major changes in local or global climate.
The database will contain the entire body of work from the site testing campaign in ASCII format; it also will include basic graphing tools. Users will be able to select and compare data from the various sites, data ranges, time periods, instruments, and other parameters.
The data will not carry any restriction, apart from a standard acknowledgment guideline.
Funding for the site testing campaign, led jointly by TMT and the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA), came from the TMT project and the National Science Foundation.
In addition to Schoeck, members of the TMT/AURA core site testing team include Tony Travouillon, TMT’s Environment Control Scientist; Warren Skidmore, TMT’s Telescope Research Engineer; Reed Riddle, now at Caltech Optical Observatories; and Sebastian Els, now working for the Gaia satellite project in Madrid, Spain. In total, almost 100 individuals at many different institutions around the world contributed to the success of the TMT site testing work.
Using the results of the site testing campaign and other factors, the board of directors of the TMT Observatory Corporation selected Mauna Kea as the preferred site for the telescope in July 2009.
The TMT project has completed its $77 million design development phase with primary financial support of $50 million from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and $22 million from Canada. The project has now entered the early construction phase thanks to an additional $200 million pledge from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
Caltech and the University of California have agreed to raise matching funds of $50 million to bring the construction total to $300 million, and the Canadian partners propose to supply the enclosure, the telescope structure, and the first light adaptive optics.
The TMT project is an international partnership among the California Institute of Technology, the University of California, and the Association of Canadian Universities for Research in Astronomy. The National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ) joined TMT as a Collaborating Institution in 2008. The National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (NAOC) joined TMT as an Observer in 2009.
Overview video of the Thirty Meter Telescope. Courtesy of the TMT project
MEDIA RELEASE
Dr. Michael Bolte will discuss the history of telescopes and astronomy discovery leading to plans for the Thirty Meter Telescope project on Thursday, December 17 at the Keck Observatory’s Hualalai Learning Theater in Waimea, and on Saturday, December 19 at ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center’s planetarium in Hilo. Both programs begins at 7 p.m. Space is limited to first-come, first served.
Bolte is the director of the University of California Observatories, or UCO, and a professor of astronomy and astrophysics at the University of California, Santa Cruz. His talk is titled “400 Years of the Telescope: from Galileo to the Thirty Meter Telescope.”
The Thirty Meter Telescope, or TMT, is designed to be the most powerful telescope ever built, Bolte said. Using an advanced Adaptive Optics System to correct for the blurring of the atmosphere, it will provide images that are sharper than those obtained from telescopes in space, including the Hubble Space Telescope. The large, 30-meter, diameter of the primary mirror will also allow observations of extraordinarily faint objects, such Kuiper belt objects and extremely distant galaxies.
TMT will be used to study objects with unprecedented clarity from the Solar System to the edge of the observable Universe. Bolte said that astronomers are particularly interested in the epoch of “first light,” when the first stars formed after the Big Bang and the discovery, and imaging and characterizing planets orbiting stars other than the Sun. Bolte received his undergraduate degree in physics from the University of Central Florida, his masters degree in physics from Florida State University and his Ph. D in astronomy and astrophysics from the University of Washington. After a postdoctoral position at the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory in Victoria, British Columbia, he was awarded one of the first of the prestigious NASA Hubble Fellowships.
In 1993, Bolte joined the faculty of the University of California, Santa Cruz with a joint appointment in the Astronomy and Physics Department and UCO faculty. He is currently a member of the W. M. Keck Observatory Board of Directors and the Thirty- Meter Telescope Board of Directors. Bolte’s research interests include the formation of the chemical elements since the Big Bang, the early times in the formation of the Galaxy and astronomical instrumentation.
The presentations are part of the monthly Maunakea Directors’ Lecture Series to commemorate the International Year of Astronomy (IYA 2009), a global celebration of astronomy and its contributions to society and culture, with events happening worldwide in 140 countries. Hosted by ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center and W. M. Keck Observatory, the free Lecture Series introduces Hawai‘i astronomy and the latest research being done by the observatories located on Mauna Kea.
The Hilo programs take place in ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center’s 120-seat planetarium on the third Saturday of each month during 2009. This special year-long program replaces the Center’s monthly “Maunakea Skies” planetarium talks, which will resume in 2010. In addition to hearing the lecture, guests may also choose to dine before hand at ‘Imiloa’s Sky Garden Restaurant which will be open for dinner service from 5 pm to 8 pm. For dinner reservations, call the restaurant directly at (808) 935-8888.
Opened in 2006, ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center celebrates both Hawaiian culture and Maunakea astronomy. Through its exhibits and program, ‘Imiloa strives to share inspiring examples of science and culture together advancing knowledge, understanding and opportunity. The Center is located at 600 ‘Imiloa Place in Hilo, off Komohana and Nowelo Streets at the UH-Hilo Science and Technology Park. For more information, go to www.imiloahawaii.org or call (808) 969-9700 for recorded information, or (808) 969-9703.
The programs in Waimea take place at the W. M. Keck Observatory headquarters in the Hualalai Learning Theater at 65-1120 Mamalahoa Highway. Keck Observatory operates two 10-meter optical/infrared telescopes located on the summit of Maunakea. The vision of the Keck Observatory is a world in which all humankind is inspired and united by the pursuit of knowledge of the infinite variety and richness of the Universe. The Observatory operates a small visitor gallery at the telescopes and an information center at headquarters open to the public from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, visit www.keckobservatory.org or call (808) 881-3827.
The search for Earth-like planets, the nature and distribution of dark matter, and the quest to image the first stars and galaxies are just some of the science challenges that will be addressed by the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT).
In a new video produced by TMT and acclaimed animator Dana Berry, astronomers Richard Ellis, the Steele Professor of Astronomy at Caltech, and Andrea Ghez, professor of physics and astronomy at UCLA, explain how this next-generation observatory will push the boundaries of astronomy and allow us to study the Universe with unprecedented clarity and precision.
“It’s 400 years since the telescope first was invented, and it has been an astonishing story of scientific discovery, and the Thirty Meter Telescope will extend and continue that story in a dramatic way,” Ellis said in the new video.
When completed in 2018, the TMT will be the first of the next-generation of ground-based optical observatories. This revolutionary telescope will integrate the latest innovations in precision control, segmented mirror design, and adaptive optics to correct for the blurring effect of Earth’s atmosphere.
Building on the success of the twin Keck telescopes, the core technology of TMT will be a 30-meter segmented primary mirror. This will give TMT nine times the collecting area of today’s largest optical telescopes and three times sharper images.
“Thirty meters is big enough that you can make the next leap in our understanding of the physical Universe, while not being so big as to be unbuildable,” Ghez said.
The National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (NAOC) has joined the Thirty Meter Telescope Project.
As an observer, China will participate in planning the development of what will be the world’s most advanced and capable astronomical observatory.
“The TMT is delighted to take this exciting new step forward in our relationship with the National Astronomical Observatories of China,” said Henry Yang, chairman of the TMT board and Chancellor of the University of California, Santa Barbara. “We appreciate their interest in contributing to this important international endeavor, and we look forward to continuing to work with the Chinese astronomical community in fostering China’s collaboration in the TMT project.”
NAOC officials also hailed the development.
“We believe that the Thirty Meter Telescope will provide an otherwise unattainable opportunity for the Chinese astronomical community to make significant discoveries, perform cutting-edge science, and advance technological development,” said Jun Yan, director of the NAOC. “We believe our joint effort will foster a successful collaboration on this world-class project, and we hope to build high-technology, core components of the telescope.”
China now is on its way to becoming a full-fledged partner in the $1.2 billion project.
“As the first step in a three stage process, Observer Status provides a framework for the detailed discussions needed to establish full partnership in the construction and operation of TMT,” said Edward Stone, vice chairman of the TMT board and Caltech’s Morrisroe Professor of Physics.
“We warmly welcome our Chinese colleagues, who will expand the international involvement in the Thirty Meter Telescope Project,” said Professor Ray Carlberg, the Canadian Large Optical Telescope project director and a TMT board member. “This new collaboration broadens the pool of talent and demonstrates the interest of national governments in TMT.”
When completed in 2018, the TMT will be the first of the next-generation of ground-based optical observatories. This revolutionary telescope will integrate the latest innovations in precision control, segmented mirror design, and adaptive optics to correct for the blurring effect of Earth’s atmosphere.
Building on the success of the twin Keck telescopes, the core technology of TMT will be a 30-meter segmented primary mirror. This will give TMT nine times the collecting area of today’s largest optical telescopes and three times sharper images.
The TMT has begun full-scale polishing of the 1.4-meter mirror blanks that will make up the primary mirror. TMT also has developed many of the essential prototype components for the telescope, including key adaptive optics technologies and the support and control elements for the 492 mirror segments.
The TMT project has completed its $77 million design development phase with primary financial support of $50 million from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and $22 million from Canada.
The project has now entered the early construction phase thanks to an additional $200 million pledge from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. Caltech and the University of California have agreed to raise matching funds of $50 million to bring the construction total to $300 million, and the Canadian partners propose to supply the enclosure, the telescope structure, and the first light adaptive optics.
The TMT project is an international partnership among the California Institute of Technology, the University of California, and the Association of Canadian Universities for Research in Astronomy.
The National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ) joined TMT as a Collaborating Institution in 2008.
Gary Sanders, TMT project manager, details the world's largest telescope at the supplier's conference Monday in Hilo. (Hawaii247 photo by Karin Stanton)
Karin Stanton/Hawaii247 Contributing Editor
The world’s largest telescope is going to need some support facilities and TMT Observatory Corp planners are committed to using local knowledge and labor.
Although the final Environmental Impact Statement on the thirty meter telescope is not expected to be finalized until Dec. 28, TMT is getting a headstart on a number of support buildings and community benefit projects.
On Monday in Hilo, the project management team hosted a supplier conference to review requirements for architectural concept studies for its headquarters and several other buildings. Representatives of more than 30 companies, consultants and suppliers attended the day-long meeting.
RFP online Friday
The Request for Proposal will be posted on the TMT Web site Friday, Oct. 2, with submissions due Friday, Oct. 16 and contracts expected by the end of November.
TMT project leaders stressed that they are seeking professionals who with familiarity and experience in delivering locally appropriate design and architectural solutions for a Hilo setting and who will work with sub-contractors.
“We’re moving toward site specific designs,” said Gary Sanders, TMT project manager. “We’re beginning to make choices.”
Although the final site for the Hilo headquarters and the summit access road still must be settled, the board and project management team are reviewing the budget and determining the scope of each component within the budget.
Construction is expected to begin in 2011 and be complete in 2018. The bulk of the support facility construction likely will scheduled between 2012 and 2015.
Multiple studies may be funded at this time, TMT project planners said. They are not necessarily looking for the low bid, but the best value for TMT.
But first …
Currently, TMT’s is seeking concept studies that may include some or all of the following work:
* Architectural and engineering services that initiate design studies that ultimately may lead to the preparation of construction documents, assistance in the bidding and awarding of a construction contract, and construction administration of an approximately 30,000-square-foot headquarters building within the University of Hawaii’s technology park in Hilo. Four sites currently are under review.
The headquarters building will include offices for 120 staff, electronics, optics laboratories, mechanical laboratories, telescope control room and computer & IT spaces.
Construction is slated to begin in 2014.
* Conceptual design and cost estimate for dormitory, kitchen, dining and recreation facilities located at Hale Pohaku on Mauna Kea to house approximately 50 people during the construction phase.
This building then will be turned over to UH for future use.
* Conceptual design and cost estimate for an expansion of the Visitor Information Station.
The plan includes adding outdoor concrete slabs and indoor storage space for small telescopes; expanding the educational display area, gift shop and parking. Also in the plans are a theater and additional parking.
Hale Pohaku
The final element on the immediate agenda is conceptual design and cost estimate for the renovation of historical stone buildings at Hale Pohaku as a cultural interpretive center.
Hale Pohaku’s stone buildings originally housed workers for a federal fence-building project in the 1940s, said Ron Koehler, of the Mauna Kea Support Services.
The cabins later were turned over to the state, which used them Boy Scout outings and camping trips, and eventually came under UH control in the mid-1960s.
They have been used for storage – or not used at all – for more than two decades.
Koehler said the stone walls are in good shape, but the roofing and wooden supports need work.
TMT’s plan is to keep the same footprint and restore the stone cabins to their original condition.
Background
The core technology of TMT will be a 30-meter primary mirror composed of 492 segments. This will give TMT nine times the collecting area of today’s largest optical telescopes.
The actual telescope dome will be 46 meters high and 66 meters across. Plans include a reflective paint or coating, which will have the least visual impact and is similar to existing telescopes atop Mauna Kea.
Sanders said TMT is developing the mirror and associated technologies, studying various glass types and learning the best way to polish the surface.
Before construction can begin on Mauna Kea, the TMT must submit and have approved an application for a Conservation District Use Permit (CDUP) to the Hawaiian Department of Land and Natural Resources. This will be done through the community-based Office of Mauna Kea Management, which oversees the Mauna Kea summit as part of the University of Hawaii at Hilo.
In response to possible lawsuits opposing the project, Sanders said he welcomes the opportunity to ensure to hammer out any concerns or issues.
“That’s part of the process. We welcome public participation,” he said. “We live in a democracy and that’s just part of it.”
The TMT project has completed its $77 million design development phase with primary financial support of $50 million from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and $22 million from Canada. The project has now entered the early construction phase thanks to an additional $200 million pledge from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
Caltech and the University of California have agreed to raise matching funds of $50 million to bring the construction total to $300 million, and the Canadian partners propose to supply the enclosure, the telescope structure, and the first light adaptive optics.
TMT also is fielding interest from such countries as Japan, China and India.
Statement from UH President David McClain on the selection of Mauna Kea as the site for the Thirty Meter Telescope
“I applaud the decision of the TMT Board to select Mauna Kea as the site for the Thirty Meter Telescope. This venture will expand humankind’s understanding of the cosmos and our origins, and – with the TMT leadership’s emphasis on a new paradigm of community engagement and respect for the indigenous culture of these islands – is appropriately located in Hawai‘i, the leading site in the world for astronomy.”
HONOLULU – Governor Linda Lingle today praised the decision by the board of directors of the TMT Observatory Corporation to select Mauna Kea as the preferred site for the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT).
“Today’s decision to build the Thirty Meter Telescope atop Mauna Kea marks an extraordinary step forward in the state’s continuing efforts to establish Hawai‘i as a center for global innovation for the future.
“As we work to address immediate fiscal and economic challenges facing the state, it is imperative that we also remain focused on investing in our long-term future and building the foundation for a diverse and robust economy. The TMT is another important advancement that will help us achieve long-term prosperity for Hawai‘i.
“Over the next eight years, the TMT will create employment opportunities for our residents, including hundreds of jobs in the construction and related industries, as well as an estimated 140 full-time employees once the project begins operations.
“Having the most advanced telescope in the world on the slopes of Mauna Kea will enhance Hawai‘i’s high-technology sector, while providing our students with education and career opportunities in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields.
“Securing the TMT would not have been possible without the collaboration of the entire community, which demonstrated an outpouring of support for this important project. The community became engaged in the process, learning about the benefits of the TMT and asking tough questions to ensure that it would be the right fit for Hawai‘i – one that would help transform our economy toward innovation, while being sensitive to our state’s unique heritage, culture and environment. From public meetings to grassroots rallies with ‘TMT Yes’ buttons and signs, the entire community – including businesses, labor unions, the University of Hawai‘i, schools, individual citizens, and state and county government – deserves to share in this milestone.”
PASADENA, Calif. — After careful evaluation and comparison between two outstanding candidate sites—Mauna Kea in Hawai‘i and Cerro Armazones in Chile—the board of directors of the TMT Observatory Corporation has selected Mauna Kea as the preferred site for the Thirty Meter Telescope. The TMT will be the most capable and advanced telescope ever constructed.
When completed in 2018, the TMT will enable astronomers to detect and study light from the earliest stars and galaxies, analyze the formation of planets around nearby stars, and test many of the fundamental laws of physics.
To achieve these outstanding results, the TMT will integrate the latest innovations in precision control, segmented mirror design, and adaptive optics to correct for the blurring effect of Earth’s atmosphere, enabling the TMT to study the Universe as clearly as if the telescope were in space. Building on the success of the twin Keck telescopes, the core technology of TMT will be a 30-meter primary mirror composed of 492 segments. This will give TMT nine times the collecting area of today’s largest optical telescopes.
To ensure that the site chosen for TMT would enable the telescope to achieve its full potential, a global satellite survey was conducted, from which five outstanding candidate sites were chosen for further ground-based studies of atmospheric stability, wind patterns, temperature variation, and other meteorological characteristics that would affect the performance of the telescope.
Based on these results and extensive studies, Mauna Kea and Cerro Armazones were selected in May 2008 for further evaluation and environmental, financial, and cultural impact studies. The TMT board used the results from these meticulous research campaigns to help guide the final site-selection process.
“It was clear from all the information we received that both sites were among the best in the world for astronomical research,” said Edward Stone, Caltech’s Morrisroe Professor of Physics and vice chairman of the TMT board. “Each has superb observing conditions and would enable TMT to achieve its full potential of unlocking the mysteries of the Universe.”
“In the final analysis, the board selected Mauna Kea as the site for TMT. The atmospheric conditions, low average temperatures, and very low humidity will open an exciting new discovery space using adaptive optics and infrared observations. Working in concert with the partners’ existing facilities on Mauna Kea will further expand the opportunities for discoveries,” said Stone.
Henry Yang, TMT board chair and chancellor of the University of California at Santa Barbara, expressed excitement at this decision. “Our scientists and engineers have been designing and building the key components that will go into the telescope. By deciding to build on Mauna Kea, the TMT board has given a clear signal that we are ready to move forward and begin building in earnest as soon as all the necessary approvals are in place. I want to thank the Moore Foundation for its visionary support. I also want to thank our scientific colleagues and the coalition of community members, educators, businesses, unions, political leaders, and stakeholders in Hawai‘i who have brought us to the point of this site selection. The board expresses a strong commitment to respect the long history and cultural significance of Mauna Kea to the Hawaiian people, and has committed annual funding for local community benefits and education in Hawai‘i.”
Before construction can begin on Mauna Kea, the TMT must submit and have approved an application for a Conservation District Use Permit (CDUP) to the Hawaiian Department of Land and Natural Resources. This will be done through the community-based Office of Mauna Kea Management, which oversees the Mauna Kea summit as part of the University of Hawai’i at Hilo.
“We are very grateful for the support that TMT has received from both the people and governments of Hawai‘i and Chile during the site-selection process,” said Professor Ray Carlberg, the Canadian Large Optical Telescope project director and a TMT board member. “We are excited about the prospect of being the first of the next generation of extremely large telescopes.”
The TMT project is an international partnership among the California Institute of Technology, the University of California, and ACURA, an organization of Canadian universities. The National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ) joined TMT as a Collaborating Institution in 2008.
“The selection of Hawai‘i as the site for the Thirty Meter Telescope will greatly strengthen international cooperation in astronomy. The synergy between TMT and the highly successful Subaru Telescope already on Mauna Kea will lead to many further research breakthroughs,” said Professor Masanori Iye, the Extremely Large Telescope Project Director of the NAOJ.
The TMT project has completed its $77 million design development phase with primary financial support of $50 million from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and $22 million from Canada. The project has now entered the early construction phase thanks to an additional $200 million pledge from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. Caltech and the University of California have agreed to raise matching funds of $50 million to bring the construction total to $300 million, and the Canadian partners propose to supply the enclosure, the telescope structure, and the first light adaptive optics.
TMT gratefully acknowledges support for design and development from the following: Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Canada Foundation for Innovation, Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation, National Research Council of Canada, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, British Columbia Knowledge Development Fund, Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, and the National Science Foundation (USA).
Jim Hayes, of Parsons Brinckerhoff, presenting the Draft EIS at Pahoa Elementary, June 18, 2009.
Sandra Dawson, Task Leader for TMT Site Master Planning, right, talks to Toby Hazel, of Nanawale Estates about the staff positions for the project June 18 in Hilo. (Hawaii247 photo by Baron Sekiya)
Karin Stanton/Hawaii247.org Contributing Editor
If you’re looking for high-tech, you can’t get better than the world’s most advanced optical/infrared and biggest telescope on the world’s biggest mountain on the state’s biggest island.
That is what the non-profit Thirty Meter Telescope Observatory Corp. is proposing for a conservation district resource sub-zone on the upper slopes of Mauna Kea.
After a four-year study, two sites are under consideration for the $1.2 billion project – Mauna Kea and Cerro Armazones, a remote mountain in Chile.
The TMT board is slated to make a final decision July 20, even though the University of Hawaii’s environmental impact statement is not yet complete.
The EIS, published May 23, still is in the comment phase, with Gov. Linda Lingle, who has expressed her support, not expected to sign off until late this year.
The project may have found supporters in Lingle, Mayor Billy Kenoi and other elected officials, but not everyone favors another telescope on a mountain sacred considered by native Hawaiians.
TMT stakeholders completed a round of six public hearings Wednesday night, with a final hearing slated for Thursday on Oahu.
“We’ve been all over the island now and heard from dozens and dozens of people,” said Sandra Dawson, TMT environmental impact statement manager. “The comments about what we can improve on or address better are appreciated. We will address every single one (in the final EIS draft).”
Dawson, who moved to the Big Island to better learn the culture and local nuances, said TMT is striving to be sensitive to the island’s traditions and people.
“It would be simplistic to say businesses and unions are for it and the native Hawaiians are against it,” she said. “There are a variety of opinions, a real balance. The support and enthusiasm are encouraging, and we are listening to everyone.”
Dawson recognizes some residents are irked by previous projects that skirted cultural and environmental concerns.
“We knew things would have to be done differently than they have been done in the past,” she said. “We are proposing to integrate science, culture, education and sustainability.”
The TMT project is a partnership between California Institute of Technology, University of California, and ACURA, an organization of Canadian universities. The National Astronomical Observatory of Japan has joined as a collaborating institution.
The project and the EIS
The project includes five components: the physical observatory; an access road; a mid-level support facility with dorms and office space (a renovated Hale Pohaku); headquarters at the University of Hawaii Hilo park; and a satellite office in Waimea.
“It’s not just a big clunky white building up there,” Dawson said.
Jim Hayes is an environmental scientist with Parsons Brinckerhoff, the Honolulu firm consulting on the EIS.
He jumped straight to the issues of most concern – the cultural, biological, geological and visual impacts.
“For the site work, we went up not just once, but multiple times, depending on the seasons,” he said. “It’s pretty comprehensive. The library of information we could draw from is vast.”
Hayes said the project plans include extensive cultural and natural resource training programs, a habitat restoration plan, and a zero-discharge policy for waste water.
The telescope would be complete by 2018, about the time today’s middle school students will be looking for employment.
The plan also addresses the eventual decommissioning of the telescope.
Community benefits
The potential benefits are mostly related to education and employment opportunities and direct contributions to the local and state economies.
Specific benefits include:
* Hundreds of construction jobs created during the anticipated 8-year construction period;
* Additional jobs created through materials, goods, and services purchased and contracted locally for this work; and,
* An estimated 140 full-time employees during TMT’s operations. This would include about 46 people working each day and another four on the overnight shift. TMT proposes a ride-sharing program that would limit trips to the observatory to 12 per day.
The educational and community benefits outlined in the Draft EIS include:
* A comprehensive Workforce Pipeline Program to educate, train and mentor local students to help them succeed and to be qualified for TMT and other high tech jobs
* Funding for education opportunities on the Big Island, observing time to UH astronomers, and additional locally chosen and managed educational programs. THis package would be part of the lease agreement.
The package translates to at least $1 million per year of the life the telescope set aside for local education initiatives. TMT will not dictate disbursement, but will relinquish control to a local board.
“That’s the thing I am most excited about,” Dawson said. “These kids. We want to educate and train them for future TMT careers.”
Selected Kona testimony – in chronological order
A handful of people spoke Wednesday night and hammered on well-worn topics.
Clifford Livermore, former Naval officer and Mauna Kea visitor station volunteer, Waimea: “This is by far the best site on the planet. Our island is very tourist sensitive. I’ve seen it go from a just a few tourists to 300,000 to 500,000 visitors. As we have gotten more telescopes and the biggest telescopes, we have seen more and more tourists. This is an incredibly positive way of seeing the universe and it is inspiring for our youth.”
Paul Koehler: “Talk is cheap. This is not a government project, but I have learned to be interested in the how and the verification of their statements. I have learned … there is an enforceable check-and-balance system in place. It will be a world class, responsible asset.”
Sandor Baranyi, Carpenters Union, Kona: I see a lot of positives. It’ll provide jobs and make the Big Island a leader in astronomy. I think it is a win-win.”
Nelson Ho, Sierra Club member, Hilo: “There is no time when I go up to the summit that I can hear pure silence. You can hear the fans going day and night. When I hear they are looking at the north plain, I think ‘Oh no they are going into the suburbs.’ TMT has the potential to be a great telescope. What we are against is when and where it is going. There have been 30 years of mismanagement that has not been redressded and here we are talking about another telescope.”
Deborah Ward, Hilo: “There is so much in this EIS that is not even delved into before the Comprehesive Management Plan. This EIS is entirely premature. It is pitifully, poorly described in the EIS. A lot of paper has been produced but not a lot of thinking has gone into it.”
Marni Herkes, Kona: “The University of Hawaii did not manage it well, but that does not mean they cannot learn from their mistakes. We don’t have a lot of academics on this island. Our public schools don’t have that. Let’s do this right so we can have some educational, academic options for our students”
Ask the students …
Alexa Holshue, 19, Kohala High School graduate and Northern Arizona University student of public relations: “It’s a good idea. I don’t have anything against it. It’s what you get out of it, really. It’s a great thing for the University of Hawaii Hilo and those students and there is all the science of it too.”
Alana Heuer-Salazar, 20, Kealakehe High School graduate and UH Manoa student studying speech pathology: “I get what people are angry about. The idea of progress. But we are going to go through that. It’s the how we utilize the tools we have – from the ancient Hawaiians to now. There can be a balance between the tradition and progress. We can do it.”
Mail: TMT Observatory Project, Office of the Chancellor, University of Hawaii at Hilo, 200 W. Kawili Street, Hilo, HI 96720-4091.
Comments must be submitted or postmarked by July 7 to be included in the final EIS. Comments submitted after the deadline may still be addressed, but not the EIS.
Comments for the TMT board may be directed to Sandra Dawson at sdawson@tmt.org
The final Big Island hearing on the TMT draft environmental impact statement is 5 p.m. Wednesday, June 24 at Kealakehe Elementary School.
The three-hour public information meeting includes a review of the project, as well as an opportunity to talk to representatives of the Thirty Meter Telescope, scientists and experts in Hawaii culture and environment.
Dinner also will be provided.
The TMT project encompasses the construction, operation, and ultimate decommissioning of the world’s most advanced optical / infrared telescope.
The plan proposes building TMT on the northern plateau of Maunakea at a location designated in the 2000 Mauna Kea Science Reserve Master Plan for the next generation of optical telescopes.
This location was preferred because it provides suitable observation conditions with minimum impact on existing facilities, wēkiu bug habitat, archaeology/historic sites, and the view of the mountain from various areas on the island.
In addition to high-tech jobs, the TMT project will kick in at least $1 million per year for local education programs. The money will be managed by a local board.
A final Hawaii meeting is slated for 5 p.m. Thursday, June 25 at Farrington High School on Oahu.
The TMT project is a partnership between California Institute of Technology, University of California, and ACURA, an organization of Canadian universities. The National Astronomical Observatory of Japan has also joined TMT as a collaborating institution.
A second site also is being considered in Chile.
The TMT board is expected to make a final decision in mid-July.
Hawai’i Island Mayor Billy Kenoi today urged all parties in the debate on the Thirty Meter Telescope to engage in a respectful dialogue as the community works toward a collaborative decision on the project.
“In this time of economic hardship for many County of Hawai’i residents, it is critical that the community pull together to search for a solution that benefits our island and our neighbors,” Mayor Kenoi said. “I know that all of the participants in this discussion sincerely want the best outcome for our community, and we owe it to each other to debate the project in a reasoned, respectful way.”
While the Big Island hosts some of the most sophisticated star-gazing technology in the world, Mayor Kenoi said that until now the youth from the island have had little hope of participating in the science and discovery happening on Mauna Kea.
That will change only when Hawai’i Island students are offered exceptional science and math education at the earliest grades, Mayor Kenoi said. It is critical that any additional projects on the mountain be harnessed to provide the foundation in science education that will allow Hawai’i youngsters to grow up to be the engineers, mathematicians and physicists who make astronomy on the mountain possible.
University of Hawai’i President David McClain recently announced that the TMT would bring a community benefit package of $1 million a year to the Big Island that would help fund children’s education.
“As a parent, I want exciting science education career opportunities for our young people so they can dream big about the future,” Kenoi said. “As a Hawaiian, I believe we can preserve our culture, protect our environment and support astronomy. As your mayor, I hope to facilitate compromise and find common ground.”
WHAT: Community Sign Waving Event in Support of Thirty Meter Telescope
WHEN: Friday, June 12, 4 – 6 p.m.
WHERE: Fronting the King Kamehameha Statue at Hilo Bayfront
The community is invited Friday to rally support for the Thirty Meter Telescope as the proposed $1.2 billion Thirty Meter Telescope Project prepares to present its Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to the islandwide audience next week.
Community supporters will have TMT Yes! buttons, signs and T-shirts on hand for sign waving supporters.
Richard Ha’s Hamakua Springs Farm is supplying the first 150 supporters with a clamshell of grape tomatoes.
