Caltech is proceeding to decommission the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory (CSO) on Hawaii Island's Maunakea. CSO began operations in 1987 and ceased scientific observations in September 2015.
The next steps are an environmental assessment (EA) and a conservation district use application (CDUA). A "public scoping period," open until January 15, 2018, is the first opportunity the community will have to comment on removal and site restoration. There will be additional opportunities, including formal comment periods, once the drafts of the EA and CDUA are released.

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The Caltech Submillimeter Observatory (CSO) was formerly one of the world's premier facilities for astronomical research and instrumentation development at submillimeter wavelengths. The 10.4 m diameter telescope is housed in a compact dome at 4070 m altitude near the summit of Maunakea, Hawaii. CSO ceased scientific operations in 2015. It will be decommissioned and the site restored.
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