Construction of Thirty Meter Telescope Moves Forward

Following years of protests, construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope atop Hawaii’s tallest mountain, Mauna Kea, can move forward, Hawaiian officials announced. UC Santa Barbara Chancellor Henry Yang, who chairs the project Board of Governors, expressed in a statement his “sincere appreciation.” More than two years ago, some Hawaiian activists on the Big Island charged the 18-story observatory would destroy the mountain they held sacred. But state land board officials found the project would not pollute groundwater, damage any historic sites, or release toxic chemicals. Already, Mauna Kea has 13 telescopes. A collaboration among the University of California, CalTech, and four countries, the telescope is expected to cost $1.4 billion and be one of the largest in the world.