Table of Contents
Public Information
Although most of the information on this wiki is aimed at professional observers, the following material may interest a broader audience.
Decommissioning information
If you'd like to receive email updates about the decommissioning, click here.
Telescope Removal
The Leighton Telescope will be disassembled, removed from Maunakea, transported to the Kawaihae Harbor, and shipped elsewhere for reuse. The Telescope Transport will require intermittent closures of sections of several roads.
Documents
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit
Received from Hawaii Department of Health on May 4, 2022:
- Permit: pdf
Conservation District Use Permit
Approved by BLNR Jan 14, 2022; issued by DLNR, Jan 18, 2022; returned by Caltech Jan 24, 2022.
Final Environmental Assessment
Published Dec 8, 2021:
Draft Environmental Assessment
The Draft EA was open for public comment Sep 8, 2021 - Nov 4, 2021:
- Body: pdf (19MB)
- Appendices A, B, and C of the EA: pdf (47MB)
- Appendices D through J of the EA: pdf (24MB)
The public comment period has closed.
Comments should be submitted to
Planning Solutions, Inc.
Attn: Mākena White, AICP
711 Kapiʻolani Boulevard, Suite 950
Honolulu, Hawaiʻi 96813
cso-decom@caltech.edu
There were three public workshops, conducted via zoom, presenting the Draft EA with Q&A. Recordings of each meeting can be found below:
- Tuesday, September 28th, at 11:30 a.m. recording (mp4)
- Wednesday, September 29th, at 4:30 p.m. recording (mp4)
- Thursday, September 30th, at 6:00 p.m. recording (mp4)
Background Information
Submitted Documents
- The Final Environmental Assessment is available above and from the Environmental Review Program
- The Draft Environmental Assessment is available above and from the Environmental Review Program
- The Center for Maunakea Stewardship (CMS) maintains a page with other public decommissioning documents: Link
Announcements
(reverse chronological order)
- 2022 Feb 10: Approval of Conservation District Use Permit: Link
- 2021 Dec 8: Publication of Final Environmental Assessment: Link
- 2021 Feb 12: Update on decommissioning: link to Dropbox link
- 2017 Dec 4: Announcement of first request for public input on decommissioning: link to Dropbox folder with press release, scoping letter, and photos. Information on the history of the CSO is available below.
- 2015 Sep 23: Announcement of the end of CSO operations: Link
- 2009 Apr 30: Announcement of plans to decommission the CSO: Link
Media Coverage
- .
- 2023 April 9 • Caltech observatory ready for removal from Mauna Kea• Honolulu Star-Advertiser
- 2023 April 7 • Practice run planned for the removal of telescope’s mirror • Hawaii Tribune-Herald
- 2023 April 6 • Saddle Road is shutting down to remove Maunakea observatory. But when? • Big Island Now
- 2023 April 6 • Maunakea Telescope Removal Mapped Out • Big Island Video News
- 2023 April 6 • Caltech Plans To Decommission Telescope On Mauna Kea Later This Spring • Honolulu Civil Beat
- .
- 2023 March 15 • Heavy snow won’t delay removal of observatories • Hawaii Tribune-Herald
- Caltech Submillimeter Observatory Decommissioning Update
- 2023 January 23 • Decommissioning of Caltech observatory on Maunakea summit on track for this year • Big Island Now
- 2023 January 20 • CSO ready for removal; decommissioning of Maunakea observatory to begin this spring • Hawaii Tribune-Herald
- 2023 January 19 • Caltech Submillimeter Observatory Removal Update • Big Island Video News
- CSO Telescope Could be Gone by 2022
- 2021 Mar 4 • CSO Telescope Could be Gone by 2022 • Hawaii Tribune-Herald
- First of Five Telescopes to be removed by 2023
- 2020 Feb 26 • Date for Removal of Two Maunakea telescopes pushed back • West Hawaii Today
- Removal of Observatory on Schedule
- 2020 Jan 12 • Removal of Observatory on Schedule • Hawaii Tribune-Herald
- Update on CSO Decommissioning
- 2019 Sep 28 • Maunakea CSO Decommissioning Update • Big Island Video News
- Following 2017 Dec 4 announcement of first request for public input
- 2017 Dec 4 • Process starts to decommission CSO from Mauna Kea • Big Island Video News
- 2017 Dec 5 • Preparing for removal • Hawaii Tribune-Herald
General information
- Ph. D. TV visited the CSO in 2012.
