[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 234 (Tuesday, December 8, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Page 64744]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-29229]


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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION


Notice of Record of Decision

AGENCY: National Science Foundation.

ACTION: Notice of Record of Decision.

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SUMMARY: On December 3, 2009, the National Science Foundation (NSF) 
issued a Record of Decision (ROD) approving the funding for the 
construction of the Advanced Technology Solar Telescope (ATST) Project 
at the Preferred Mees site located within the Haleakala High Altitude 
Observatory on the Island of Maui, Hawai`i. The decision to fund the 
ATST is in response to a construction proposal submitted by the 
National Solar Observatory in 2004. The ATST is founded on one of NSF's 
fundamental missions, which is to support the scientific community's 
objectives to achieve unprecedented progress in solar observation. 
Although major adverse environmental impacts will result, the 
construction of the ATST at the Preferred Mees site represents an 
opportunity to implement a critical and unique astronomical resource 
that is expected to be useful and innovative for several decades to 
come. Increasing our understanding of the Sun and its ability to affect 
life on Earth will go a long way toward helping us predict certain 
catastrophic events and provide us with the opportunity to address the 
potential consequences.
    Prior to issuance of the ROD, a Final Environmental Impact 
Statement (FEIS) for the ATST Project, which was prepared as a joint 
Federal and State of Hawai`i document in compliance with the Federal 
National Environmental Policy Act, 42 U.S.C. 4321, et seq. (NEPA), and 
the State of Hawai`i Chapter 343, Hawai`i Revised Statutes, was 
completed and made available to the public in late July of 2009. Three 
alternatives were analyzed in the FEIS, including the Preferred Mees 
site, the Alternative Reber Circle site (also located within HO), and 
the No-Action Alternative. The Preferred Mees site, which is also the 
environmentally preferred alternative was selected in the ROD. As 
explained more thoroughly in both the FEIS and ROD, construction and 
operation of the ATST at the Preferred Mees site will result in several 
major, adverse impacts to various resources, including cultural 
resources, viewsheds, and noise. While NSF will not be able to reduce 
all adverse impacts to lower intensity levels, the scientific gains 
that the ATST will provide have the potential to yield a significant 
benefit to life on Earth. NSF has, however, committed to implementation 
of a full suite of mitigation measures, which represent a dedicated, 
multi-year effort by NSF to address and reduce adverse impacts.
    The ROD also follows NSF's completion of its compliance obligations 
under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act and the 
Endangered Species Act. The ROD is now available on the Internet at: 
http://atst.nso.edu/nsf-env in Adobe[reg] portable document format 
(PDF). Limited hard copies of the ROD are also available, on a first 
request basis, by contacting the NSF contact, Craig Foltz, Ph.D., ATST 
Program Director, 4201 Wilson Boulevard, Room 1045, Arlington, VA 
22230, Telephone: 703-292-4909, e-mail: [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Craig Foltz, Ph.D., ATST Program 
Manager, National Science Foundation, Division of Astronomical 
Sciences, 4201 Wilson Boulevard, Room 1045, Arlington, VA 22230; 
Telephone: 703-292-4909, Fax: 703-292-9034, E-mail: [email protected].

    Dated: December 3, 2009.
Craig Foltz,
ATST Program Manager, National Science Foundation.
[FR Doc. E9-29229 Filed 12-7-09; 8:45 am]
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