...to Participate in the Process. The proposed work involves the construction and operation of an optical/infrared telescope on an estimated four acres of presently undeveloped land within the 525-acre Astronomy Precinct of the Science Reserve near the top of Mauna Kea. The Northern Plateau is being looked at as a potential site for the telescope facility if built. The Northern Plateau is located within the boundaries of the Astronomy Precinct. The Northern Plateau is the area that starts at the base of the summit cinder cones and extends approximately half a mile to the north. The Northern Plateau varies in elevation between 500 feet and 700 feet below the summit of Mauna Kea and the existing observatories near the summit. The entire Science Reserve is part of the State of Hawai‘i Conservation District, resource subzone.
The proposed telescope is known as the Thirty Meter Telescope because the primary mirror would be 30 meters in diameter. The telescope would be the most technically advanced telescope in the world with observational powers many times greater than any available today.
Mitigation measures to reduce the level of potential adverse impact will be developed during project planning and incorporated into project design and construction. The environmental review process is one mechanism through which mitigation measures will be developed.
The TMT Observatory Corporation, a non-profit organization, is also reviewing another location for the telescope on a site in Chile, and proceeding with an environmental review for that location.
