The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) regarding TMT:
http://dlnr.hawaii.gov/wp-content/upload...lume-1.pdf
TomK you seem confused about geography. Many questions are answered in this wonderfully written and informative (culturally/ historically/ geographical, etc...) EIS that HOTPE was kind enough to direct us to. TMT will be located at 13,150 elevation (or roughly 600 feet below the summit) on the NW plateau of Mauna Kea (visible from Waimea/ Honokaa), the 13N site in "Area E", part of the 525 acre Astronomy Precinct but a 1/2 mile NW of the existing observatories. A mid level facility is being planned on 19.5 acres of located in the "Hale Pohaku" region of the mountain (9,200ft) which translates as the "House/Home of the Sacred Stones". The Summit access road comes right off of Hwy 200. The EIS acknowledges that this project will effect 9? (hard to read crossed out) acres of the mountain top including creation of roadways and staging areas and supportive Helco infrastructure.
The EIS was prepared by the University which had previously been censured for bad land management, it's land management practices are known to have improved considerably at Mauna Kea's summit,and the Cultural Impact Analysis within the EIS seems thorough.
The EIS is not an Archaelogical Inventory Survey, however, which is what is needed to determine whether ancestral burial grounds actually exist elsewhere beyond known sites. This is the one put out by TMT, including an excellent topographical map of the area in question:
http://www.tmt.org/sites/default/files/d...%20amp.pdf
"It should be noted that, while burials are found on the rims of cinder cones in the Mauna
Kea Science Reserve and the adjacent Mauna Kea Ice Age Natural Area Reserve
(NAR), they are also found well away from cinder cones in lower elevations in both the
Mauna Kea Science Reserve and in the NAR."
This 2016 Archeological Survey from Richard Nees at Pacific Consulting lists many cultural and historical sites at close proximity to proposed construction sites.
https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/mk/files/2016/10/WDT-Nees-R.pdf
and a follow up interview with Mr Nees
http://bigislandnow.com/2016/12/06/tmt-h...the-stand/
"In his written, direct testimony, Nees also testified that there are hundreds of shrines inside and outside of the Adz Quarry on Mauna Kea, numerous burials and hundreds of shrines in the summit area."
His authority is then called into question by TMT council.
Laws state that the Hawaiian people must have a representative at each Archeological Survey.
http://files.hawaii.gov/dlnr/shpd/rules/300.pdf
I so far have not been able to locate one statute that requires archeologists to do more than a surface survey of the land in question for cultural artifacts and bones. Unless there is some pre-existing evidence in which case a 50cm cube/sample might be examined or possible a trench dug. Once the AIS is submitted no further testing or oversight by Hawaiian community member seems required by law unless bones are reported during a dig.
Things just aren't as black and white as some are portraying this situation to be. Like I said, I am not an opponent of TMT but calling Hawaiians liars and extremists is not the right tact. When "Aunty" informed a young woman that her family wouldn't be happy she was just stating the obvious, that in Hawaii if you anger one, you may anger many. My Dad recently told my guy that the secret to a good relationship lies in 5 little words.
"You are so right honey."
If TMT builds here it will be an arranged marriage. From everything I read they plan on committing to the community in a multiplicity of ways. Doesn't sound bad at all but they are getting involved with a partner that comes with baggage caused by tricky former partners.
The other things everyone here knows is that progress in any regard to anything is often SLOOOOWwwww.....