Caltech has received the necessary permits from
the County and State of Hawai‘i to begin the physical
deconstruction of the Caltech
Submillimeter Observatory (CSO) from Maunakea.
“Caltech is set to begin the deconstruction phase
of the decommissioning later this summer, with removal and
restoration completed within a year,” said Caltech physics
professor and CSO Director Sunil Golwala. It will be the first
observatory removed under the 2010 Decommissioning Plan for
Maunakea Observatories.
The deconstruction will be in accordance with the
Conservation District Use Permit (CDUP), which was issued by
the state Department of Land & Natural Resources (DLNR) in
January. The CDUP sets the terms and conditions that Caltech
must follow during the decommissioning. Copies of the CDUP,
the Final Environmental Assessment, the Site Decommissioning
Plan, and other planning documents can be found here: http://www.cso.caltech.edu/wiki/cso/outreach/outreach
Caltech has received a building permit from the
County of Hawai‘i and a National Pollution Discharge
Elimination System (NPDES) permit from the Hawai‘i Department of
Health. Caltech’s grading permit application has received
minor comments from the County of Hawai‘i and will be amended,
with approval expected soon.
Caltech has retained a number of firms to
participate in decommissioning. The general contractor for the
deconstruction process will be Goodfellow Bros., LLC of
Washington state. Goodfellow Bros. has had its Hawaii division
for almost 50 years, with an office on Hawai‘i Island for over
30 years.
Pedro Foronda, PE, of the architectural
infrastructure firm AECOM, Honolulu, will serve as the
independent decommissioning construction monitor (IDCM). The
IDCM will oversee the decommissioning on-site on a daily basis
with the authority to stop work in the event of a potential or
actual violation of the CDUP, the 2009 Comprehensive
Management Plan for Maunakea Observatories (CMP), or the
Decommissioning Plan. In accordance with the CMP, the Center
for Maunakea Stewardship and the DLNR concurred with the
selection.
Caltech also has selected M3 Engineering and
Technology of Tucson, Arizona, as construction services
administrator, to provide technical advice to the general
contractor. Foronda and M3 will act as Caltech’s “owner
representative.” ASM Affiliates of Hilo has been selected as
the archeological monitor. Sustainable Resources Group Intn'l,
Inc. (SRGII) of Kailua will do a pre-deconstruction biological
survey and restoration monitoring. Unitek Insulation of Pearl
City will undertake abatement of lead paint and mold, with
monitoring and analysis of their work provided by Lehua
Environmental of Kamuela. Danielle Frohlich
of SWCA (Honolulu) will monitor for invasive species. A
cultural monitor is still being sought.
The creation of the new Mauna Kea Stewardship and
Oversight Authority, recently signed into law by Governor
David Ige, will not impact the decommissioning.
“CSO will continue the deconstruction as planned,
working closely with the new management authority and the
Center for Maunakea Stewardship during this period of
transition,” says Golwala. Caltech's work to restore the site
is expected to be complete in 2023, before the transition in
management is fully in effect, and Caltech will continue to
report results of restoration monitoring through 2026.
The cost of deconstruction and restoration is
expected to be approximately $4M.
The CSO came online in 1987 and was used by
scientists at Caltech and other institutions, including almost
200 student and postdoctoral researchers, to open a new
submillimeter window on the universe. A summary of CSO’s
contributions to astronomy and astronomical instrumentation
are available here:
http://www.cso.caltech.edu/wiki/cso/science/overview.
All the astronomical instruments were removed from the
facility in 2015 except the telescope. Prior to
deconstruction of the observatory buildings, the CSO’s
10.4-meter submillimeter telescope will be removed for
shipment to Chile, where it will continue its role as one of
the world’s premier facilities for astronomical research and
instrumentation development at submillimeter wavelengths.
About Caltech: Caltech is a world-renowned
private science and engineering Institute located in Pasadena,
California that marshals some of the world's brightest minds
and most innovative tools to address fundamental scientific
questions and pressing societal challenges.
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