[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 145 (Thursday, July 29, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45350-45352]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-17264]


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NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

[Notice 04-092]


National Environmental Policy Act; Outrigger Telescopes Project

AGENCY: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

ACTION: Notice of availability of the Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) for the Outrigger Telescopes Project.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as 
amended (NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), the Council on Environmental 
Quality Regulations for Implementing the Procedural Provisions of NEPA 
(40 CFR parts 1500-1508), and NASA policy and procedures (14 CFR part 
1216, subpart 1216.3), NASA has prepared and issued a Draft EIS for the 
proposed Outrigger Telescopes Project. NASA proposes to fund the 
Outrigger Telescopes Project at the W.M. Keck Observatory within the 
Mauna Kea Science Reserve on the summit of Mauna Kea, Island of 
Hawai'i. The Draft EIS addresses alternative sites and the 
environmental impacts that could potentially occur with on-site 
construction, installation, and operation of four, and possibly up to 
six, Outrigger Telescopes. The proposed Outrigger Telescopes would be 
strategically placed around the existing Keck I and Keck II Telescopes, 
within the current footprint of W.M. Keck Observatory. A reasonable 
alternative site has been identified on La Palma, Canary Islands, 
Spain.

DATES: Written comments on the Draft EIS must be received by NASA no 
later than September 30, 2004, or 45 days from the date of publication 
in the Federal Register of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 
notice of availability of the Draft EIS for the Outrigger Telescopes 
Project, whichever is later.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be addressed to Dr. Carl B. Pilcher, 
Office of Space Science, Code SZ, NASA Headquarters, 300 E Street, SW., 
Washington, DC 20546-0001. Although hardcopy comments are preferred, 
comments may be sent by electronic mail to Dr. Carl B. Pilcher at 
[email protected] or by facsimile at 202-358-3096.
    1. NASA has sent a hard copy of the Draft EIS to each library 
within the Hawai'i State Public Library System and to Regional 
Libraries. Specific addresses for Hawai'i State and Regional libraries 
can be found in the appropriate telephone directory and online at 
http://www.librarieshawaii.org/locations/index.htm.
    2. Hard copies of the Draft EIS have been sent to selected 
California State Public Libraries. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for 
their addresses.
    3. The Draft EIS also may be reviewed at NASA Headquarters, NASA 
Centers, and the Hawai`i Legislative Reference Bureau. See 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for their addresses.
    Limited hard copies of the Draft EIS are available by contacting 
Dr. Carl B. Pilcher at the address or telephone number indicated below. 
The Draft EIS is also available in Acrobat[reg] format at http://www2.keck.hawaii.edu/.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Carl B. Pilcher, Office of Space 
Science, Code SZ, NASA Headquarters, 300 E Street, SW., Washington, DC 
20546-0001; telephone 877-283-1977 (toll-free), electronic mail 
[email protected], or facsimile 202-358-3096.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Outrigger Telescopes Project is a key 
element in NASA's Origins Program. The Origins Program addresses two 
fundamental questions: (1) How do galaxies, stars, and planets form? 
(i.e., ``Where do we come from?''); and (2) Are there planets, aside 
from ours, that have the conditions necessary to support life? (i.e., 
``Are we alone?''). The Outrigger Telescopes Project has four 
scientific objectives that contribute to achieving the goals of the 
Origins Program:
    1. Detect the astrometric signature (i.e., the wobble of a star due 
to the gravitational influence of an unseen planetary companion) of 
planets as small as Uranus.
    2. Make images of proto-stellar disks (i.e., disks of dust and gas 
in space believed to be an early stage of star formation) and stellar 
debris disks (i.e., clouds of gas or other material remaining after the 
star is formed).
    3. Provide high-resolution information about some faint objects 
outside our galaxy.
    4. Make high-resolution observations of objects within the solar 
system, including asteroids, comets, and outer planets.
    The first of these four objectives can be accomplished by linking 
the Outrigger Telescopes together as an interferometer. An 
interferometer combines the light from two or more separate telescopes 
so that they act as a single large telescope. The last three objectives 
require that the Outrigger Telescopes be linked as an interferometer to 
at least one 8-meter (m) (26-feet (ft)) or larger telescope.

[[Page 45351]]

    NASA proposes to fund the Outrigger Telescopes Project at the W.M. 
Keck Observatory site located within the Astronomy Precinct in the 
Mauna Kea Science Reserve on the summit of Mauna Kea, Island of 
Hawai'i. The W.M. Keck Observatory is the site of the two largest 
optical telescopes in the world--the twin 10-m (33-ft) Keck I and Keck 
II. The Outrigger Telescopes Project, if fully implemented as proposed, 
would consist of up to six 1.8-m (6-ft) telescopes placed strategically 
around the two existing Keck Telescopes.
    The California Association for Research in Astronomy, a non-profit 
corporation established by the University of California and California 
Institute of Technology, operates and maintains the W.M. Keck 
Observatory. The W.M. Keck Observatory site (approximately 2-hectare 
(ha) (5-acre (ac))) is located within the Astronomy Precinct and is 
subleased to the California Institute of Technology by the University 
of Hawai'i. The Astronomy Precinct encompasses approximately 212 ha 
(525 ac) of the Mauna Kea Science Reserve (4,568 ha (11,288 ac)). The 
Mauna Kea Science Reserve is leased to the University of Hawai'i by the 
State of Hawai'i.
    Due to present funding constraints, only four Outrigger Telescopes 
would initially be installed and operated, although the foundations for 
six would be constructed. It is anticipated that the on-site 
construction and installation of four of the six Outrigger Telescopes, 
along with on-site construction of the underground structures for 
Telescopes 5 and 6, would begin in 2005, with initial operations 
anticipated in 2007. If funding were available, the aboveground 
construction and installation of Telescopes 5 and 6 would likely begin 
no earlier than 2007. In addition to the W.M. Keck Observatory site, 
alternative sites with at least one existing 8-m (26-ft) or larger 
telescope are considered in the Draft EIS. The Gran Telescopio Canarias 
site at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory on La Palma, one of the 
Canary Islands, Spain meets the criteria to be considered as a 
reasonable alternative site.
    If NASA cannot or decides not to implement the Outrigger Telescopes 
Project at the W.M. Keck Observatory site or at the reasonable 
alternative site in the Canary Islands, NASA would consider sites where 
at least the one objective that does not require a large telescope 
(i.e., detect the astrometric signature of planets as small as Uranus) 
can be achieved. Such reduced science sites considered in the Draft EIS 
include the Mount Wilson Observatory in Los Angeles County, California 
and the Mount Palomar Observatory in northern San Diego County, 
California. The Draft EIS also addresses the No Action alternative.
    The Draft EIS analyzes the potential environmental impacts 
associated with the on-site construction, installation, and operation 
of the Outrigger Telescopes at the W.M. Keck Observatory site and at 
the reasonable alternative site. The potential environmental impacts at 
the reduced science sites are also evaluated. Environmental issues 
emphasized include, but are not necessarily limited to, cultural 
resources, flora and fauna, sewage and hydrology, hazardous materials, 
and cumulative impacts.
    Hard copies of the Draft EIS have been sent to the following 
California State Public Libraries:
    (a) La Canada Flintridge Library, 4545 North Oakwood Avenue, La 
Canada Flintridge, CA 91011;
    (b) Pasadena Central Library, 285 E. Walnut Street, Pasadena, CA 
91101;
    (c) Altadena Main Library, 600 East Mariposa St., Altadena, CA 
91001;
    (d) San Diego County Library--Vista Branch, 700 Eucalyptus Avenue, 
Vista, CA 92084;
    (e) Escondido Public Library, 239 South Kalmia Street, Escondido, 
CA 92025.
    The Draft EIS also may be reviewed at the following locations:
    (a) NASA Headquarters, Library, Room 1J20, 300 E Street, SW., 
Washington, DC 20546-0001;
    (b) Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Visitors Lobby, Building 249, 4800 
Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109;
    (c) Legislative Reference Bureau, Room 004, State Capitol, 
Honolulu, HI.
    In addition, the Draft EIS may be examined at the following NASA 
locations by contacting the pertinent Freedom of Information Act 
Office:
    (a) NASA, Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035 (650-604-
1181);
    (b) NASA, Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, CA 93523 (661-
276-2704);
    (c) NASA, Glenn Research Center, 21000 Brookpark Road, Cleveland, 
OH 44135 (216-433-2755);
    (d) NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (301-
286-6255);
    (e) NASA, Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058 (281-483-8612);
    (f) NASA, Kennedy Space Center, FL 32899 (321-867-9280);
    (g) NASA, Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA 23681 (757-864-
2497);
    (h) NASA, Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL 35812 (256-
544-1837);
    (i) NASA, John C. Stennis Space Center, MS 39529 (228-688-2164).
    NASA welcomes and requests public comments and concerns regarding 
the Proposed Action, alternatives, and associated environmental issues. 
NASA is holding public meetings to provide an opportunity for the 
people of Hawai'i to comment in person on the Draft EIS. Public 
meetings will be held at the following locations:
     August 23, 2004, King Kamehameha Beach Hotel; 75-5660 
Palani Road, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740 (free parking);
     August 25, 2004, Naniloa Hotel; 93 Banyan Drive, Hilo, HI 
96720 (free parking);
     August 26, 2004, Waikoloa Beach Marriott; 69-275 Waikoloa 
Beach Drive, Waikoloa, HI 96738-5711 (free parking);
     August 30, 2004, Maui Arts & Cultural Center; One Cameron 
Way, Kahului, HI 96732 (free parking);
     September 1, 2004, Wai'anae District Park; 85-601 
Farrington Highway, Wai'anae, HI 96792 (free parking);
     September 2, 2004, Japanese Cultural Center; 2554 South 
Beretania Street, Honolulu, HI 96826 (free parking).
    All meetings will begin with an informal Open House from 5:45 to 
6:15 p.m. The formal meeting to receive public comments will begin at 
6:15 p.m. NASA plans to videotape and have a Hawaiian language 
translator at each meeting. To help ensure that oral comments are 
correctly captured, if possible, speakers should provide NASA with a 
written supporting statement. NASA will also consider conducting public 
meetings near alternative sites on the United States mainland, 
including the Mount Wilson and Palomar Mountain sites, if there is 
sufficient public environmental interest and concern.
    Persons, organizations, or other parties who wish to receive a 
written copy of NASA's Record of Decision issued pursuant to this NEPA 
process should so indicate to Dr. Carl B. Pilcher at the addresses 
provided above.
    Written public input and comments on alternatives and environmental 
issues and concerns associated with the Outrigger Telescopes Project 
are hereby requested. Written comments will be reproduced to the extent 
practical and specifically responded to in the Final EIS. Oral 
presentations at the public comment meetings that are unsupported by 
written statements will be

[[Page 45352]]

summarized by NASA and addressed in the Final EIS.

Olga M. Dominguez,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Institutional and Corporate 
Management.
[FR Doc. 04-17264 Filed 7-28-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7510-01-P