[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 28 (Friday, February 11, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7310-7311]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-2624]


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NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

[Notice (05-022)]


National Environmental Policy Act; Outrigger Telescopes Project

AGENCY: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

ACTION: Notice of availability of the Final Environmental Impact 
Statement (FEIS) 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 FEIS for the 
proposed Outrigger Telescopes Project. NASA's Proposed Action and 
preferred alternative is 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 FEIS addresses alternative 
sites and the environmental and cultural resource 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. Sites for a reduced 
science option have been identified at Mt. Wilson and Mt. Palomar in 
California.

DATES: NASA will not issue a Record of Decision (ROD) or take final 
action on the proposed Outrigger Telescopes Project before March 21, 
2005, or 30 days from the date of publication in the Federal Register 
of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Notice of 
Availability of the FEIS for the Outrigger Telescopes Project, 
whichever is later.

ADDRESSES: NASA has sent a hard copy of the FEIS 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. Hard copies of the FEIS 
are also available for review at certain California State Public 
Libraries (see SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION). The FEIS 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; and
    (c) Legislative Reference Bureau, Room 004, State Capitol, 
Honolulu, HI 96813.
    Limited hard copies of the FEIS are available by contacting Dr. 
Carl B. Pilcher at the address or telephone number indicated below. The 
FEIS is also available in Acrobat[reg] format at http://
www2.keck.hawaii.edu/ (click on ``News and Outreach'', then on 
``Outrigger Telescopes'').

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Carl B. Pilcher, Program 
Executive, Universe Division, Suite 3W39; 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.
    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 to become 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

[[Page 7311]]

at least one existing 8-m (26-ft) or larger telescope are considered in 
the FEIS. 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 FEIS 
include the Mount Wilson Observatory in Los Angeles County, California 
and the Mount Palomar Observatory in northern San Diego County, 
California. The FEIS also addresses the No-Action alternative.
    The FEIS 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 the Canary 
Islands 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.
    In addition to the locations indicated under ADDRESSES above, the 
FEIS may be reviewed at:
    (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; and
    (e) Escondido Public Library, 239 South Kalmia Street, Escondido, 
CA 92025.
    In addition, the FEIS 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) 
286-4721);
    (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); and
    (i) NASA, John C. Stennis Space Center, MS 39529 (228-688-2164).
    Comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement were solicited 
from Federal, State and local agencies, organizations, and members of 
the general public through: (a) notices published in the Federal 
Register--NASA notice on July 29, 2004 (69 FR 45350) and EPA notice on 
August 6, 2004 (69 FR 47926); and (b) notices published in general 
circulation newspapers in Hawai'i and California. Comments received 
have been addressed in the FEIS.
    The ROD will be sent to each of the libraries, governmental 
agencies, organizations, and persons who are being sent a copy of the 
FEIS. In addition, when issued the ROD will be available in 
Acrobat[reg] format at http://www2.keck.hawaii.edu/.

Jeffrey E. Sutton,
Assistant Administrator for Infrastructure, Management, and 
Headquarters Operations.
[FR Doc. 05-2624 Filed 2-8-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7510-13-P