2 Proposed Action and Alternatives

2 PROPOSED ACTION AND ALTERNATIVES This Chapter describes the Proposed Action and the Alternatives. 2.1 DESCRIPTION OF THE This Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) PROPOSED ACTION AND THE also describes alternatives to the Proposed PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE Action that NASA has considered: funding on-site construction, installation, and The National Aeronautics and Space operation of the Outrigger Telescopes at an Administration’s (NASA) Proposed Action alternative site and the No-Action and preferred alternative is to fund the on- Alternative. NASA also systematically site construction, installation, and operation evaluated ten other potential sites for of four, and possibly up to six, Outrigger locating the Outrigger Telescopes Project. Telescopes at the W.M. Keck Observatory Of the ten sites evaluated, one site emerged site located within the Astronomy Precinct as a reasonable alternative to the Mauna Kea of the Mauna Kea Science Reserve on the site. This site, located in Spain’s Canary island of Hawai‘i. NASA anticipates that Islands, is called the Gran Telescopio on-site construction and installation of four Canarias (GTC) site. NASA’s initial Outrigger Telescopes along with the on-site evaluation of this site indicates that all of the construction of the underground structures science objectives established for the for Outrigger Telescopes 5 and 6 would Outrigger Telescopes Project could be begin in 2005 (assuming all permits and achieved at this site as well as at Mauna approvals have been received) with start of Kea. Section 2.2 describes the process by operations anticipated in 2007. If funding which this reasonable alternative site was becomes available, NASA intends to identified and Section 2.3 provides a complete the above-ground construction, description of the Outrigger Telescopes installation, and operation of Outrigger Project at the GTC site in La Palma, Canary Telescopes 5 and 6, with on-site Islands. Section 2.4 describes the No- construction and installation likely to begin Action Alternative. no earlier than 2007. In addition, NASA may choose to NASA would strategically place the implement a Reduced Science Option if it proposed Outrigger Telescopes around the decides not to fund the Outrigger Telescopes 10-meter (m) (33-foot (ft)) Keck I and Keck Project at either the Mauna Kea site as II Telescopes that are currently being proposed or at the alternative site in the operated by the California Association for Canary Islands. Chapter 6 addresses the Research in Astronomy (CARA) within the Reduced Science Option. Mauna Kea Science Reserve (MKSR). Figure 2-1 illustrates the location of the 2.1.1 Summit Area of the MKSR and MKSR on the island of Hawai‘i. the Mid-Elevation Support Facilities Related activities that would take place at Hale Pǀhaku during the construction phase The proposed site is located in the include use of the approved materials Astronomy Precinct in the summit area of staging area and the existing construction the MKSR (Figure 2-2). The State leases camp. the MKSR, about 4,568 hectares (ha) 2-1 FIGURE 2-1. MAUNA KEA SCIENCE RESERVE ON THE ISLAND OF HAWAI‘I 2-2 FIGURE 2-2. MAUNA KEA SCIENCE RESERVE (INCLUDES THE ASTRONOMY PRECINCT AND THE NATURAL/CULTURAL PRESERVATION AREA) 2-3 (11,288 acres (ac)) in size, to the University water vapor absorbs light in the infrared of Hawai‘i (UH). UH, in turn, has subleased portion of the spectrum, wavelengths at parcels of the MKSR in the summit area to which the Outrigger Telescopes would various observatory facilities. The operate. California Institute of Technology (Caltech) subleases the W.M. Keck Observatory site. Further, the atmosphere at Mauna Kea is The site is located in the Resource Subzone free from disturbance caused by neighboring of the State Conservation District in an area landforms. It is therefore more stable than the recently adopted MKSR Master Plan the atmosphere at most other observatory defines as the Astronomy Precinct (see sites, allowing more detailed observations Figure 2-3). The MKSR Master Plan (better astronomical “seeing”) than requires that all future astronomy elsewhere. The summit’s height above the development in the MKSR be restricted to tropical inversion layer also provides the Astronomy Precinct, totaling about conditions that are free from atmospheric 212 ha (525 ac). pollutants (UH IfA 2002b) and exceptionally dry, i.e., low atmospheric In addition to Department of Land and water vapor. Natural Resources (DLNR) review through the Conservation District Use Application Finally, the County of Hawai‘i has a strong process, and application approval by the island-wide lighting ordinance in place to Board of Land and Natural Resources ensure an extremely dark sky, enabling (BLNR), future proposed development observation of the faintest galaxies at the within the Astronomy Precinct will be edge of the observable Universe. subject to review and approval by the UH W.M. Keck Observatory Site. The Board of Regents and President. proposed Outrigger Telescopes Project The MKSR Master Plan has designated the would be located on the existing W.M. Keck remainder of the MKSR leasehold, about Observatory site near the Keck I and Keck II 4,355 ha (10,760 ac), as a Natural/Cultural Telescopes, the world’s largest Preservation Area (see Figures 2-2 and 2-3). optical/infrared telescopes (see Figure 2-5). This area will not be developed in the future, Each Keck Telescope has a revolutionary but will be preserved and protected. Figure primary mirror, composed of 36 hexagonal 2-4 shows the location of the existing segments that work in concert as a single astronomy facilities within the Astronomy piece of reflective glass (WMKO 2004). Precinct relative to the other observatories The observatory is developing and the Keck Telescopes. interferometric observations using both telescopes, a technical feat that achieves the Mauna Kea Science Reserve/Astronomy resolution of a single telescope equal in size Precinct. The MKSR site is the proposed to the distance spanned by the two Keck location for the Outrigger Telescopes Telescopes, 85 m (280 ft). Project because it is one of the finest locations in the world for ground-based This capability is enhanced by the use of an astronomical observations. The atmosphere advanced adaptive optics system. Adaptive above the mountain is generally cloud-free; optics corrects for the blurring of the earth’s Mauna Kea has one of the highest number of atmosphere to provide resolution equivalent clear nights per year (approximately 300) in to that of a telescope in space. The W.M. the world. In addition, the atmosphere is Keck Observatory implemented an adaptive exceptionally dry. This is important because optics system on the Keck II Telescope in 2-4 Source: UH 2000b FIGURE 2-3. ASTRONOMY PRECINCT 1999. This system has subsequently enabled exciting sodium atoms, left over from imaging volcanoes on a moon of Jupiter, meteors, in the mesosphere about 90 viewing the first images of material falling kilometers (km) (56 miles (mi)) above sea into the black hole at the center of our level. CARA installed the laser guide star galaxy, and initial understanding of the system on the Keck II Telescope in structure of galaxies nearly as old as the December 2001 and subsequently integrated universe. Adaptive optics on both Keck it with the existing adaptive optics system. Telescopes are required to allow the First light for laser guide star correction interferometric combination of the two Keck occurred in 2003 (CARA 2004n). Telescopes. The current system is limited because it requires the presence of a bright The W.M. Keck Observatory site sits on a star to sense and correct for turbulence in the 2 ha (5 ac) parcel within the summit area of atmosphere. Mauna Kea. Approximately 1.1 ha (2.8 ac) of Pu‘u Hau‘oki was leveled during The addition of a new laser guide star has construction of the Keck I and Keck II removed this limitation. The laser creates a Telescopes (R.M. Towill 1981). The four, virtual star for use by the adaptive optics and possibly up to six, Outrigger Telescopes system almost anywhere across the sky by would be placed at strategic locations 2-5 FIGURE 2-4. EXISTING OBSERVATORIES IN THE SUMMIT AREA OF THE MAUNA KEA SCIENCE RESERVE around the two Keck Telescopes within the Hale Pǀhaku. The Outrigger Telescopes previously disturbed site. Figure 2-6 shows Project would require temporary use of the a perspective view of the six Outrigger approved materials staging area and Telescopes relative to the Keck I and Keck temporary use of the construction camp at II Telescopes. Figure 2-7 shows a plan view Hale Pǀhaku, located at an elevation of of the six proposed Outrigger Telescopes at 2,804 m (9,200 ft) along the Mauna Kea the W.M. Keck Observatory site. Access Road on the southern slopes on Mauna Kea (see Figure 2-8). Use of these Figure 2-7 also shows underground pipes, facilities would allow the most efficient and tunnels, and junction boxes that would least disruptive on-site construction and provide the underground optical paths to installation of the Outrigger Telescopes. connect the telescopes to instrumentation in the beam-combining room in the basement Construction Staging Area. The Outrigger of the Keck II Telescope building. Telescopes Project would temporarily use 2-6 whether additional environmental documentation would be required. 2.1.2.1 Outrigger Telescopes and Dome Enclosures As proposed, each Outrigger Telescope would consist of a 1.8-m (6-ft) diameter, f/1.5 primary mirror, secondary mirror, tertiary mirror, and associated optical equipment. A dome would enclose each Outrigger Telescope to protect it from the harsh conditions on the summit of Mauna Permission to reprint photo obtained from CARA.

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