Hilo, Hawai‘i – July 2, 2024 – The physical decommissioning of
the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory (CSO) from Maunakea on Hawai’i Island
is complete. Last fall, the telescope was removed and this spring and summer
all buildings on the site were removed, the foundation demolished, and active
restoration of the site was undertaken in accordance with approved plans and permits.
“The physical site decommissioning was undertaken with great care by our prime
deconstruction contractor, with constant oversight by local cultural,
archeological, environmental, and construction monitors as well as the Center for
Maunakea Stewardship (CMS),” said Caltech physics professor and CSO Director Sunil Golwala.
As part of the decommissioning process, environmental contractors worked with the
deconstruction contractor to remove lead-based paint and mold prior to and during
the deconstruction. “Additionally, an environmental consultant conducted exhaustive
testing for chemical contaminants in the soil under the foundation and cesspool.
The samples were found to be below Hawai‘i Department of Health’s unrestricted
land use Tier 1 environmental action levels,” said Golwala.
“In consultation with CMS and their community advisory groups, the site has been
graded to match the look and feel of the surrounding mauna, consistent with our
decommissioning permit,” said Golwala. A few remaining administrative tasks to
close out the decommissioning project will be completed this summer: submission
of a Phase II Environmental Site Assessment, a payment to a fund for future
shared infrastructure removal, and termination of Caltech’s sublease from UH.
The site will be monitored for three years to document passive natural repopulation
by summit flora and fauna and the results reported.
Pictures before and after the decommissioning as well as a time lapse video of the
process are available
here.
Decommissioning Timeline
The decommissioning of the CSO has been in the works for many years. In 2009, Caltech
announced its intention to close the CSO. The telescope ceased operations at the end
of 2015. Following a set of cultural, archeological, biological, hydrogeological, and
topographical surveys, Caltech and its consultants prepared an extensive Site
Decommissioning Plan (SDP). The SDP was reviewed by numerous stakeholders, including
CMS, its Environment Committee, Kahu Ku Mauna, a Decommissioning Design Review Committee
convened specifically for CSO, and the Maunakea Management Board. An Environmental
Assessment (EA) was also prepared, including solicitation of public comments. The EA
concluded that the decommissioning would have no significant negative environmental
impact and would have positive impacts. Caltech applied to the State of Hawai‘i
Department of Land and Natural Resources for a Conservation District Use Permit
for decommissioning, which was approved by the Department's Board in January 2022.
Decommissioning commenced in fall of 2022 with abatement of hazardous materials,
continued in 2023 with telescope removal and internal demolition, and finished in
the spring and summer of 2024 with physical deconstruction and site restoration.
During the process, status updates were provided to the public, the Maunakea
Management Board, UH Board of Regents, and the newly constituted Maunakea
Stewardship and Oversight Authority. Planning documents and surveys can be
found on the CSO wiki
website.
“We appreciate the collaboration and support of our many partners, including the
various oversight authorities and firms with whom we worked to plan and undertake
this effort,” said Golwala. “This was a multifaceted and complex undertaking that
benefitted from their expertise and we are proud of what we have been able to
accomplish together.” A full list of contractors and consultants is available
here.
From the start of the planning process to the present, more than $6 million was
invested in the decommissioning of CSO and the restoration of the site. This
amount comprises both the prime deconstruction contract and contracts with many
additional local firms for the surveys, hazardous materials abatement, and for
cultural, archeological, environmental, and construction monitoring. The
Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and Caltech provided funds for the decommissioning.
The Heising-Simons Foundation provided support for the removal of the telescope
for reuse in Chile. Information on the future of the telescope can be found
here.
The CSO began science observations in 1987. Scientists at Caltech and other institutions,
including almost 200 predoctoral students and postdoctoral researchers, used the CSO
to open a new submillimeter window on the universe.
A summary of CSO’s contributions to astronomy and astronomical instrumentation are
available here.
About Caltech: Caltech is a world-renowned private science and engineering Institute
located in Pasadena, California, that marshals some of the world's brightest minds and
most innovative tools to address fundamental scientific questions and pressing societal
challenges.
Media Contact:
Barbara A. Hastings
Hastings & Pleadwell: A Communication Company
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www.hastingsandpleadwell.com