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11 January 2007
Pan-STARRS website: http://pan-starrs.ifa.hawaii.edu/public/
[Federal Register: January 10, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 6)]
[Notices]
[Page 1220]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr10ja07-39]
[[Page 1220]]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Air Force
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS) for Construction and Operation of a Panoramic Survey Telescope
and Rapid Response System (Pan-STARRS) at the Summit of Mauna Kea, HI
AGENCY: Department of the Air Force, DOD.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of
1969, as amended (42 United States Code 4321, et. seq.), the Council on
Environmental Quality Regulations for implementing the procedural
provisions of NEPA (40 Code of Federal Regulation (CFR) Parts 1500-
1508), and U.S. Air Force (USAF) policy and procedures (32 CFR part
989), the USAF is issuing this notice to advise the public of its
intent to prepare an EIS evaluating potential environmental impacts
associated with construction and operation of the proposed Panoramic
Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System (Pan-STARRS) by the
University of Hawaii (UH) Institute for Astronomy (IfA). Public scoping
meetings will be held to assist in identifying reasonable alternatives,
their potential impacts and the relative significance of impacts to be
analyzed in the EIS.
Pan-STARRS is a USAF-funded, UH IfA research program to discover,
characterize and track Near-Earth Objects (NEOs), primarily asteroids
and comets, whose trajectories pass close enough to Earth that they may
pose a danger of collision. Pan-STARRS could also map the large-scale
structure of the Universe, searching for astronomical objects that move
or change such as exploding stars, variable stars, and planets around
other stars. The Pan-STARRS design involves four individual wide-field
optical systems, each with a dedicated digital camera. The digital
cameras would be the largest ever built. Each night Pan-STARRS would
image one-fifth of the visible sky, allowing it to survey the entire
visible sky once per week. Exposed images would be downloaded through
existing data transmission infrastructure to a UH-operated computer
facility for processing and analysis. The UH IfA intends to publish the
data generated. Since 2002, the USAF has funded UH IfA's research into
the technology behind Pan-STARRS, including fabrication of a single
optical system prototype unit and its installation into an existing
observatory on Maui. Although the USAF would fund its construction, the
Pan-STARRS facility would be owned, operated, and maintained by UH IfA
and used for IfA-directed research.
The EIS will analyze three alternatives: rebuilding an existing IfA
observatory for Pan-STARRS use at the preferred site on Mauna Kea on
the island of Hawaii, constructing a new observatory at an undeveloped
site on Haleakala on the island of Maui, and the No Action alternative.
The EIS will be prepared as a joint federal-state document in
compliance with both NEPA and the State of Hawaii Environmental Impact
Statements law (Chapter 343, Hawaii Revised Statutes). Biological
resources of concern to be addressed in the EIS include the rare Wekiu
bug (Nysius wekiucola) on Mauna Kea and the `ua'u (Hawaiian petrel) on
Haleakala. Cultural resources of concern include prehistoric or
historic districts, archeological sites, shrines, trails, cultural
objects and Traditional Cultural Properties with links to cultural and
religious practices of Native Hawaiians; possible human remains issues;
sacred sites; landscapes; and broader variables of aesthetics. The USAF
intends to use the EIS process and documentation to fulfill its
National Historic Preservation Act, Section 106 consultation
requirements (36 CFR 800.8).
The USAF and UH will host public scoping meetings on the Islands of
Hawaii, Maui and Oahu in late January or early February to solicit
public participation in this environmental analysis. Exact dates, times
and location(s) of meetings will be announced through local media. The
scoping process will help identify the full range of reasonable
alternatives, potential impacts and key issues to be emphasized in the
environmental analysis. Recognizing that open communication of issues
is a critical element of the EIS process, the USAF and UH intend to
ensure that the scoping experience is meaningful and productive for all
participants. Accordingly, the project team is putting strong emphasis
on an EIS process that fosters beneficial dialogue and relationship
building among all stakeholders, particularly those in the native
Hawaiian community. Handicap assistance and translation service will be
made available; please provide requests in advance to the point of
contact listed below.
Oral and written comments presented at the public scoping meetings,
as well as written comments received by the USAF during this scoping
period and throughout the EIS process, will be considered in the
preparation of the EIS. To ensure the USAF has sufficient time to
consider public input in preparation of the Draft EIS, written comments
should be submitted to the address below by 28 Feb 07. Letters and
other written or oral comments received may be published in the EIS
along with the names of the individuals making the comments. (Personal
home addresses and phone numbers will not be published.) As required by
law, comments will be addressed in the EIS and made available to the
public. Private addresses will only be used to develop a mailing list
of those individuals requesting copies of the EIS.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Please direct any written comments or
requests for information to Mr. Juventino Garcia, Office of Public
Affairs, AFRL/DEO, 3550 Aberdeen Ave., SE., Kirtland AFB, NM 87117-5776
(Phone: 505-846-4583; e-mail Juventino.Garcia@kirtland.af.mil).
Handicap assistance and translation service at the public meetings are
available in advance through Mr. Garcia.
Bao-Anh Trinh,
DAF Air Force Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. E7-169 Filed 1-9-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5001-05-P