The U.S. Air Force and Space Force are building a 56,000-square-foot laboratory and data center in Kīhei’s Maui Research and Technology Park to support proposed telescopes atop Haleakalā. Residents and advocates are raising concerns about transparency, environmental impact, and strain on local water and electricity resources.
- The nearly $100M Secure Integration Support Laboratory (SISL) in Kīhei is expected to be completed early next year and will remotely operate up to seven proposed military telescopes on Haleakalā’s summit.
- The federal government purchased the private Kīhei property in 2023, requiring only a less rigorous environmental assessment rather than a full environmental impact statement.
- Critics argue the military deliberately introduced the Kīhei facility and Haleakalā telescopes as separate projects to avoid scrutiny of their combined environmental footprint.
- Community members and Native Hawaiian advocates have raised concerns about the facility’s demands on Maui’s already-strained water and electricity supplies.
- The Haleakalā telescope project still requires a full environmental impact statement with public input before it can proceed, as it involves state conservation land.
Source: Civil Beat
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