04-08-2015, 10:07 AM
quote:
Originally posted by pahoated
On the other side, the observatories haven't been sticking to the agreement to decommission older observatories as new ones come online. Even the one that was cleared down to the pad has plans for a new observatory. Almost all the rest have extended their EOL to 2033. Looking at the renewed agreement with DLNR, all the observatories see themselves busier than expected for much longer before becoming obsolete. Who knows whats going on there, but from the natives and locals side, there is more abuse of the most sacred spot for the Hawaiian people.
I read the University of Hawaii's EIS preparation notice for their 65 year lease extension released in January 2015. It states if the lease extension is not extended, all the telescopes on Mauna Kea will be facing decommissioning between 2025-2033. In addition, it goes into great detail regarding the scenarios if the lease is extended. Several telescopes will be upgraded and several will be facing decommissioning.
There is no mention of any plans for Caltech to reuse their existing site for another telescope.